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Tortellini Soup

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It’s funny how we get “hungry” for a specific food.  Why does a salad sound great one night and the next you must have a juicy burger? This week, I was hungry for Tortellini Soup. Why, I don’t know, except I hadn’t made it in several weeks. It’s easy and really is one of those soups that tastes like it simmered all day, but is done in about an hour or less. Best of all, it tastes fresh and fills the house with mouth-watering aromas.

I think I like it because the vegetables taste fresh, so it is a great transition from winter to spring. Roxanne would tell you that  I like the vegetables nearly raw. That’s probably true and this is one soup that I can cook quickly enough the vegetables keep all of their bright colors and a hint of that crisp texture I love. If you like them more done, just simmer a bit longer. The only trick is to add the tortellini during the last 7 to 9 minutes so they don’t overcook.

It is also just a bit different from our typical dinner and that makes it special. Enjoy!

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Asian Sesame Pork Tenderloin with Napa Cabbage Slaw

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My taste buds are fickle and get bored easily. I love to cook with the seasons as the weather changes—a salad and fresh corn in the summer, a soup or stew when it snows. Yet, this time of year, I tire of winter fare and long for fresh—especially this winter with the weather so oddly warm. So I hunger for fresh and different, yet in reality, it must be simple and quick.

This week, the answer to my dinnertime dilemma was this Asian Sesame Pork Tenderloin with Napa Cabbage Slaw. I really do mean quick and easy as it uses a bottled salad dressing for the marinade and dressing. Pork tenderloin is at the top of the scale for effortless—pop in the oven and roast! Best of the, the aroma of the glazed, roasting pork fills the kitchen like only a very special dish can and the flavor is bright, fresh, crisp and wonderful. It transcends the seasons and broke my dinnertime boredom.

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Spanish-Style Chicken in Garlic-Tomato Sauce Recipe

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Tastes change. It’s sad, but true. A couple weeks ago I remembered an old recipe that I had made, and loved, years ago. I was longing for it— chicken, simmered in tomatoes, onions, and peas. Warm, comforting, easy to prepare and as I recall, very good. It was one of the first meals I made when I was out on my own and newly married and I made it often. I could not erase the cravings and knew I had to make it again.
The tattered and stained recipe confirmed that it was the one, yet I was stumped. Something was very wrong. This recipe was so plain. Where were the seasonings? Surely this was not THAT recipe. I had made it in my dreams so many times last week—and it was thick and rich and packed with flavor. Cruel trick! Not all recipes withstand the test of time.
I was still craving chicken in tomatoes. So, out with the old – and in with the new. This version is the comforting, easy dish I was longing for. It is a recipe that you can easily adapt to your own tastes. I love baked dishes, because it seems I always have things to do while dinner bakes. I love recipes that I can add more zip and flavor to—when I am longing for spiciness. I love dishes that I can add peas to—just because I love peas.
This time, I split the whole chicken—which is surprising easy to do and makes for a fun presentation—but the dish would be really good with any of your favorite, bone-in chicken pieces. I served it on rice, but next time, I just may serve it with mashed potatoes, cooked pasta or just, as is. I will have to see what I am longing for that night.
So, here is my new version of that chicken recipe. Give it a try, as it just might be the perfect dish for your family tonight.

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175 Best Babycakes Cake Pops Recipes

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It’s here! Our newest book, 175 Best Babycakes Cake Pops Recipes is out and we are thrilled.

Packed inside the new cookbook are recipes for cake pops of all kinds and flavors, plus muffins, biscuits, meatballs, appetizers, ebelskivers, doughnuts, scones, bread bites and more. You will find recipes that will inspire you to use your Babycakes Cake Pop maker every day—from morning to night. Most of all, when cake pops are just the right treat, you will discover the perfect flavor, plus awesome decorating and gift suggestions so your cake pops will steal the show. Weddings, showers, holidays, teacher gifts, thank you gifts, elegant affairs, simple gestures, big graduation parties, and even a dog treat are just a few of the special occasions that are described in detail so you can easily make and serve fantastic cake pops.

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Souvlaki Pork

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What’s for dinner? Such a simple question and yet, it strikes terror in our hearts almost daily. I have a confession to make—and that is sometimes I hate that question as much as you do. I know, I write about food and love to develop new recipes. But, when stuck between a rock and a hard spot (you know–hunger pangs with time pressing in,) I turn to a few, same old tried and true recipes. Do you do that too? Worst of all, those same old familiar ones get boring—but this one just never bores me.

Pork with lots of garlic and oregano with pita bread is one of my favorite recipes. It is my version of a Greek inspired fast food—souvalaki, and I make it with the traditional foods and flavors but then, just cause it is me, add more veggies than the classic recipe and love every bite. It sounds so very exotic, but really, it uses every day foods, so that makes it easy to do–even when you can’t think of what else to do.  It is best to marinate the meat–and several hours or even overnight as that adds more flavor then marinating just an hour–but do what you can.

This winter, in my part of the country, it has been incredibly mild, so you will find me outside grilling many nights. I know sooner or later, the cold and ice will  keep me indoors –but never fear—this recipe is such that I can do the whole thing in a skillet on the stove or out on the grill. Easy, no-brainer, year-round food. That makes it tried and true in my book. How about yours?

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