"Looking for Alaska" by John Green

I can honestly, and whole-heartedly state that this book is in my top 3 books OF ALL TIME.  It affected me.  It had me laughing out loud, crying, smiling, man it was so incredible.  The story felt so real, I felt a part of their lives, I felt their pain, I felt their laughter, I felt everything.  John Green seriously changed my life with his writing here.  I say how much I love books a lot, but every so often one comes around that just changes the way you are, forever.  This is one of those moments.  man oh man, you NEED to read this book, now.  I firmly believe that all teenagers should read this book, I think all humans should read this book.

"How will we ever get out of this labyrinth!"

I, too, hope I find this answer in my lifetime.

MORE new must reads!

SO, I have clearly been on a reading KICK!  I just can't seem to put my Kindle down, much to my families dismay.  I have been trying to pass the time until May 1st when "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth and "Eden" by Jamie McGuire are released...and I have found some WONDERFUL books along the way.

"On the Island" by Tracey Garvis-Graves....What an amazing book!  I was surprised actually at my reaction to this book, I fell in love with these characters so much, I absolutely am telling you to get it immediately and read it.   I was actually heart broken when it ended, I wanted it to go on forever.

"The Marriage Bargain" by Jennifer Probst....This was a darling book, you pretty much know how it will end, with some twists and turns but it is so good.  It is an easy read, a great beach read!  She really made you feel the sexual tension between the characters, which is hard to do!

"Summer of Skinny Dipping" by Amanda Howells....Oh man, this book had me SOBBING loudly last night.  I was worried that I wouldn't like this because it is about teenagers, but OMG.  It is a great story about growing up, falling in love, heartbreak.  I do not want to give too much away so I can't say much, but please read it.  Trust me, it will make you happy, sad, and hopeful all at once.

Happy Reading!!

Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

This is an easy, go to dish for us if we are craving Asian cuisine.  It can get rather spicy though, so please vary the peppers for your own tastes.  Depending on our mood, I sometimes leave all the seeds in, or take seeds out of one pepper and leave the other.  If you cannot find Thai chiles, Serrano chiles are a good substitute.  Also, I always keep fresh ginger in my freezer, it makes it SO much easier to grate.

2lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 1inch chunks
1/3c rice vinegar
2T low sodium soy sauce
1t fresh ground black pepper
1-2 fresh Thai chiles, cut in half (with or without seeds-to your taste)
2/3c dark brown sugar
1/2c water
1T fresh grated ginger
1T crushed garlic
2T vegetable oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2T chopped up cilantro

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, soy, black pepper, chiles, water, ginger, and garlic and whisk gently to combine.  Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil.  Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken and stir fry until browned all over, about 4 minutes.  Pour the sugar mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.  At a high temp, stir fry until mixture begins to caramelize on chicken, about 5 more minutes.  Stir frequently.

Stir in cilantro.

Serve over jasmine rice and enjoy!

Harissa Marinated Steak Tips

If you have not tried Harissa before, you should try it at once!  It is a Spicy chile sauce from North Africa. I have found it at Fresh Market, and I'm sure Whole Foods carries it as well.  I also have seen recipes for it on websites so google it if you can't find it at your grocer.  I use a mild version, so it is not so spicy.  It is delicious, and I could probably put this sauce on anything!

1.5-2lbs top sirloin steak, fat trimmed and cut into 2" pieces

2T extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2T packed brown sugar

2T low sodium soy sauce

1T fresh thyme leaves

4T Harissa

combine the olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, soy, thyme, and Harissa in a medium bowl and mix well.  Add the steak, turning to coat.  cover and place in fridge for at least 2 hours, as long as a day.  If you are home, mix the marinading meat a couple times.

When it's time to cook...

Brush a skillet with olive oil.  Cook the meat on med-high browning on each side until cooked through (medium is best), about 10 minutes (depends really on the thickness of your meat).

You can serve with more Harissa on the side.

I served this with a wild rice pilaf and a fresh steamed veggie.

Delicious!

Some new reads...

In the past 2 weeks I have read A LOT!  Here is a list of recommendations that I have, I LOVED all of these books and I insist you try them out.

Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy by EL James.....a little disclaimer here:  It is very very sexual, if this makes you uncomfortable, don't read it.  I adored the story and the characters.  The sex did not bother me, and if it made me cringe I just skimmed over those parts.  Otherwise, I highly recommend these books.  The third was my favorite.

Love Unscripted by Tina Reber....This was a lighthearted, easy read.  It's about a small town girl who catches the eye of the world's most famous actor.  It's every girls dream, and I loved it.  It is a LONG book, and that is one of the things that made it SO great, I did not want it to end.  Luckily the 2nd in the series should be out soon!

If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman...These two books tug your heart strings.  The first one had me sobbing at 1am by myself on the couch.  But they both are excellent.  And I thank God that she wrote the second one because the first leaves you begging for more.

And now, I have found a new author to add to my favorites list.  Jamie McGuire.  In three nights I read "Beautiful Disaster" "Providence" and "Requiem".  The last two are part of a trilogy, with "Eden" being released May 1st.  Let me tell you, the girl can write a story!  I implore you to read her books, NOW!

Zuppa Toscana (aka Olive Garden goodness)

This is a copycat recipe for Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana.  Seriously, you can't tell the difference.  It is SO delicious.

1lb. spicy italian sausage
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2lbs yukon gold potatoes, sliced in 1/4" slices
4 c chicken stock
2 c water
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped up
2 c chopped kale
1 c heavy whipping cream
1T olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the bacon and chop.  Set aside.

In a skillet over med-high heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks.  Drain the extra grease, and set sausage aside.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil.  Add garlic and onions and cook for 2-4 minutes until translucent but not browned.

Add potatoes, stock, water, sausage and bacon.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the Kale, and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened.

Add the cream last, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve and Enjoy!

Creamy Tortellini Primavera

I always feel slightly better about indulging in pasta when it is loaded with veggies.  So here is my quick and easy weeknight creation that even the kids will like!

1 small head broccoli, cut up
1 small zucchini, sliced into half moons
10 asparagus stalks, sliced into inch long pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper sliced
1 yellow pepper sliced
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1c chopped fresh basil
1 container regular Philadelphia cooking creme (unflavored)
1/4c grated parmesan
1tsp Italian seasoning
2T olive oil
1/4c water
salt and pepper to taste
12oz spinach & cheese tortellini (I used barilla)

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
In the meantime, chop all of your veggies and the garlic and basil.   Reserve the tomatoes and basil in their own bowl, as they are added at the end.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.  Add all of the chopped veggies, except the tomatoes and the basil.  Stirring and flipping often, sauté the vegetables for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Add salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.  In the meantime, cook the tortellini according to directions.  

When vegetables are cooked, add the cooking creme and water.  Stir until well combined.  Add the tomatoes, the basil and the parmesan and stir.  

Drain the tortellini.  In a large bowl gently combine the veggie sauce mixture and tortellini.  Serve immediately and Enjoy!

The I'm-not-from-the-Caribbean-but-I-created-this Jerk Rub

I am sure this rub would go well on pork too, but tonight I put it on Chicken.  This is slightly sweet, slightly spicy, very delicious!  You can grill the meat, but I was iffy on the amount of propane we had so I sautéed the chicken breasts (I also served with the roasted butternut squash recipe I have below...they pair VERY well together!)

This recipe is for 3-4 breasts

2Tbl brown sugar
1Tbl onion powder
2tsp dried thyme
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp cayenne pepper
2tsp ground allspice
1/2tsp kosher salt
2tsp ground black pepper
dash of ground ginger
dash of chili powder
2Tbl vegetable oil  (enough to make it a pasty rub)

combine in a small bowl.

spread this on both sides of the chicken breasts, or pork...whatever you choose.  Make sure you push it down on to it so it creates a crust and sticks.

I sautéed mine in a bit of olive oil, it creates a crust that is so good!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

If you've never had a fingerling potato, you must try them now!  They are the BEST little yummy things! I prefer Russian Fingerlings, I get those at The Fresh Market usually but they ran out of them this week so I bought a bag of multi-colored fingerlings at Jewel.  Still tasted delicious.  It's very simple to make these potatoes taste like heaven.

Preheat oven to 375˚
Take a bag (or 2, my husband could eat these every night) of fingerlings and wash them.  Put them in a large bowl with a generous amount of olive oil (around 1/4c to 1/2c).  Add a very generous amount of coarse kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Add more than you think is normal, seriously.  Mix them to coat.

Spread potatoes on a shallow pan in a single layer.   Bake for 35-40mins, moving them around with a spatula once or twice during baking time.  They are done when easily pierced with a fork.  SO yummy!