Frozen by Mary Casanova and Meatball-Tortellini Soup

Frozen by Mary Casanova was a refreshing read.  Great for middle/high school.  The protagonist (living in the 1920s) is 16 year old Sadie who was found in the snow as a little girl and taken in by a wealthy family that has never adopted her.  She decides to run away to find out about her past and finds some shocking things.  I loved the imagery of the islands and the lakes the author describes in northern Minnesota.

Try this lovely soup for dinner! I loved it.

Meatball-Tortellini Soup

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 8 ounces ground beef chuck
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach (about 3 ounces)

Directions

Combine the beef, parmesan, 2 tablespoons parsley, the egg, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl; mix with your hands until just combined. Form into 1-inch meatballs; set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes; remove to a plate. Add the carrots and celery to the pot; cook, stirring, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Return the meatballs to the pot along with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the meatballs are just cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Add the tortellini and cook until they float to the top, about 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Top with more parmesan.

Per serving: Calories 474; Fat 23 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 147 mg; Sodium 1,065 mg; Carbohydrate 37 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 27 g

Photograph by Justin Walker

 

New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens by Brooke Hauser is incredible.  I met the author last month at a librarian conference and loved her story.  She was writing for the New York Times and was teaching a writing program at the International High School in Brooklyn.  She fell in love with the kids and decided to tell their stories in a book.  I highly recommend it.  The obstacles these kids have faced and the immense sacrifices and work they endure just to get to this country and make it through high school will blow you away. 

 

 

 

I saw a photo of this recipe in a Pampered Chef catalog and had to try it.  I found the recipe on the internet.  This photo is my own, not nearly as pretty as the one in the catalog, but it was delicious! The recipe calls for Pampered Chef's "sweet basil rub" which I did not have, so I added dried basil and a handful of fresh basil as well.

 

 

Cavatappi & Meatballs in Lemon Basil Sauce

 

 

 

This is a dish that everyone in your family will love, even your picky eaters!

Pasta & Meatballs

8 oz uncooked cavatappi pasta

1 small yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

2 ½  tbsp. Sweet Basil Rub

2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese

2 slices of white sandwich bread

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 lb ground chicken

1 ½ tbsp. olive oil

Sauce

1 lemon

1 small yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

1 tbsp olive oil

1 ¼ cups chicken stock

½ cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc

¼ cup mascarpone cheese

½ tsp each salt and sugar

1 cup fresh parsley

1.        Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2.       Meanwhile, for meatballs, process onion, garlic, and rub in Manual Food Processor until onion is finely chopped.  Grate cheese with Microplane® Adjustable Fine Grater.  Remove and discard crusts from bread; tear bread into pieces.

3.       Combine bread, onion mixture, egg and cheese in Stainless 4qt Mixing Bowl; mix until a smooth paste forms.  Add chicken and mix gently but thoroughly.

4.       Heat oil in 11 or 12 inch Skillet (do not use stainless cookware) over medium heat1-3 minutes or until shimmering.  Using a level Medium Scoop, scoop meat mixture, forming 24 meatballs, into skillet.  Cook, uncovered, 7-9 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally.  Remove meatballs from skillet.

5.       To prepare sauce, juice lemon using  Juicer  to measure 1 tbs.  Process juice, onion, garlic and rub in Manual Food Processor until onion is finely chopped.

6.       Add oil and onion mixture  to skillet.  Cook 1-2 minutes or until onion is softened.  Add stock and wine, cook 2 minutes.  Stir in cheese, salt and sugar.

7.       Return meatballs to skillet.  Stir in pasta.  Cook, covered, 2-3 minutes or until hot.  Chop parsley.  Sprinkle parsley over pasta.

U.S. Nutrients Per Serving;  Calories 450, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 7g, Cholesterol 115 mg, Sodium 930 mg, Carbohydrate 37 g, Fiber 2g, Protein 25g   

Evil Librarians! Oh My!

Who doesn't want to read about evil librarians??? Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson is a great read for grades 4-8.  Similar to the Percy Jackson books, Alcatraz has had a difficult time growing up and being different, until he learns he has secret powers and belongs to an extraordinary family.  I can't wait for the movie.  Maybe I could be one of the evil librarians!!!

Crispy Fingerling Potatoes with Pecorino

INGREDIENTS

·         1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and sliced lengthwise

·         Olive oil

·         Dry white wine

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1-2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary, leaves removed and chopped

·         Freshly grated Pecorino Romano

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow roasting pan, combine the potatoes with just enough olive oil and wine to coat them (there should not be excess liquid). Season with salt and pepper and add the herbs; mix. Cover tightly and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven.

Turn the broiler on high. Uncover and add a layer of grated cheese to the potatoes. Place on the top rack of the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes or until crispy, mixing halfway to ensure even browning. Remove from oven, add another layer of cheese, and serve immediately.

from the blog "The Daily Meal"

 

 

Paris Wife

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain is a very intriguing account of the early days of Ernest Hemingway's career, spent in Paris with his first wife Hadley.  I enjoyed McLain's depiction of what life might have been like for them, and it spurred me to pick up some of Hemingway's earliest works.

 

 

 

Avocado Dressing

 

Found this on pinterest-it is light and delicious and the lime zest gives it a zingy taste.

·  1 ripe California avocado

·  1 lime, zested and juiced

·  1 green onion, chopped

·  1 garlic clove, peeled

·  1/4-1/2 cup cilantro

·  1/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

·  1 small jalapeno, seeded

·  Water

1.     Add all the ingredients except the water to a blender.

2.     With the blender going, slowly drizzle in the water until a thick, creamy, consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper.

From the blog “Fabtastic Eats”

Horns

I loved Horns by Joe Hill.  I saw that the movie is coming out in October, starring Daniel Radcliffe, and that intrigued me enough to pick up a copy.  It starts out with a twenty-something guy waking up after a bad night of drinking to discover horns growing out of his head.  When people come near him they can't help but bare their soul to him.I loved it; dark and creepy and suspenseful!  I sat on the couch for hours today because I had to finish it, I had to know how it ended. 

After finishing, I did a little search on the author (as I usually do when I love a book), and I found out he is THE SON OF STEPHEN KING! Whoa! He uses a pen name because he doesn't want to ride on the coat tails of his dad, and he doesn't need to!  I can't wait to read more of his work, because clearly inherited one dark, crazy imagination!

Seating Arrangements and Chicken Tikka!

Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead is a great summer read.  It takes place on a summery New England island.  It is about a big family wedding where things keep going wrong.  You will find yourself laughing (and wincing), but there is a great deal of heart there as well.

I was lucky to meet the author (on the right) recently, as well as J. Courtney Sullivan (on the left), the author of The Engagements (which I posted about recently).  They were funny, bright, and warm and I can't wait to read their next books!

Chicken Tikka

I got this recipe at an International Fair in Providence a few summers ago, and it is one of my family's favorites. I wish I had written down the restaurants name so I could give credit!

1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
3 Tblspn. plain yogurt
1 tsp. salt
2 Tblspn. lemon juice
1 Tblspn. tomato paste
1 package chicken breasts (cut in bite-sized pieces)
1 onion, sliced
1 med. green pepper, sliced
3 Tblspn. oil

Blend together ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin and chili powder in bowl.  Add yogurt, salt, lemon juice, and tomato paste.  Add chicken to spice mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 3 hours in refrigerator.  Arrange the onion and pepper slices in the bottom of a baking dish.  Drizzle half the oil over the onion and pepper.  Arrange chicken pieces on top of onion and pepper and cook under a pre-heated broiler, turning once and basting with the remaining oil for 25-30 minutes.  Serve on a bed of lettuce or rice.

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead (grades 5-8) takes place in Brooklyn, NY. The protagonist is Georges, a 7th grade boy who is teased mercilessly about his name, particularly the "s" on the end.  In addition to the bullying, he is going through some rough times; his dad has been laid-off and his family has downsized from a house to an apartment.  Georges meets a new neighbors, an eclectic family in his new building and learns something about friendship, lying and spying.