Tortellini Florentine Soup

1 package (9 oz) refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini
5 cups chicken broth
1 container (10 oz) refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
3-4 plum tomatoes chopped OR 1 (22oz) can chopped tomatoes, drained
5 oz fresh baby spinach
1 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded

1. Combine broth and Alfredo sauce in a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil and add tortellini.

2. After 3-4 minutes, add tomatoes. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through and wilt spinach. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Serves 4.

Notes: You can add 1 lb browned ground Italian sausage or 1.5 cups of cooked chopped chicken, if desired. Add it at the same time you put in the tortellini.

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Linguine with Clam Sauce

8 oz linguine, uncooked
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans (6.5oz each) chopped clams, two drained, two undrained
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain, cover and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring frequently; cook for 30 seconds. Add clams, roasted red pepper, parsley, lemon juice, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and Parmesan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.

3. Add sauce to pasta, tossing with tongs to coat thoroughly. Serve with additional grated Parmesan if desired.

Serves 4.

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Chicken and Dumplings

3 tbsp butter
half of a large onion, diced
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cups flour
1 can (14.5oz) low-sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 2" pieces
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen peas

1. In a dutch oven or heavy 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and thyme. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken to pot, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

2. While the chicken is cooking, mix Bisquick and milk in a bowl. Mixture will be sticky. Set aside.

3. Once chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes, stir in peas. Raise heat to return to a simmer, then drop dumpling batter into the soup by tablespoonfuls, evenly spaced throughout the pan. (They grow while they cook, so be sure to space them out.) Reduce heat so soup maintains a simmer, cover and simmer for additional 15-20 minutes, until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm. During this final simmer, the soup and chicken may to stick to the bottom of the pot, so gently stir occasionally with a small spatula so as not to disturb the dumplings too much.

Serves 4-6.

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Mini Crab Cakes

1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 lb lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more as needed
lemon wedges

1. Mix the bell pepper, parsley, scallions, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Worchestershire sauce, egg and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs and crabmeat, and toss gently to mix.

2. Divide the crab mixture into 12 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each) and shape each into a 1-inch-thick patty.

3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes to the skillet and cook until they are golden on both sides, approximately 3 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed. Serve warm with lemon wedges.

Makes 12 crab cakes.

Notes: There is a Fire Roasted Aioli Sauce I think might complement the crab cakes very well, which I will link to once we've tried it, if my suspicion is correct.

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Chocolate M&M Cookies

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2.25 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup M&Ms chocolate candies (plus more for decorating the tops)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them; set aside.

2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until well blended.

3. Beat in egg and vanilla. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything gets blended.

4. In medium bowl, stir flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until combined.

5. Add flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture. Stir in M&Ms.

6. Place heaping tablespoonfuls of cookie dough about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press a few more M&Ms into the top of the mounds of cookie dough.

7. Bake 12-14 minutes for chewy cookies or 14-16 minutes for crispy cookies.

8. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

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