Recipes

Chicken Tortellini Florentine Soup
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Chicken Tortellini Florentine Soup

Delicious Bowl of Hearty Chicken Tortellini Florentine Soup
“The Best I Ever Made”  Look at that rich broth and such a colorful soup.   Delish 

Hi Friends, Long time no post!!!  I have missed you and hope to get back to sharing some great dishes I made all summer.   I hope you are well and enjoying your family and friends.   I have been so busy with so many things.  Part of that busyness has been cooking for friends who are going through some really hard health issues.  This soup is one that I have made for them.   When you think of summer you don’t usually think of soup, but it seems folks including me, love soup all year.  With the arrival of fall, it doesn’t seem like it in “Hot Atlanta”, soup days are here.  Have you discovered Costco’s rotisserie chicken pulled off the bone and packaged in shrink-wrap?  It makes any dish that calls for cooked chopped or shredded chicken so easy and quick.  Check out the photos below.  Of course you can always cook the chicken for the recipe or buy a rotisserie chicken and pull off the meat.  When time is short go for the quick and easy way.  I hope you will try this easy, hearty, rich broth soup and make some to share.  It does freeze well.   It will be the “Best you ever made”!   Let me know your favorite soup and what you think about this one.   I love feedback. 

Costco's Rotisserie Chicken
Costco’s Rotisserie Packaged Chicken
Rotisserie Chicken
Rotisserie Chicken ready for chopping
Adding Spinach to Soup
"Plop Measuring gadget"
Sour cream measured in handy “plop” gadget. My favorite way to measure sticky items.
Boiling Tortellini
Boiling Tortellini according to package directions. Making 3 recipes to share.
Enjoy!
Delicious Bowl of Hearty Chicken Tortellini Florentine Soup

Chicken Tortellini Florentine Soup

Flavorful easy to make hearty soup
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Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 9 oz package refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini
  • 2 14 oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 10 oz container refrigerated light Alfredo Pasta sauce
  • 2 cups deli roasted chicken, shredded
  • 1 8 oz Sour Cream
  • 1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomato strips, drained
  • 3 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach
  • 1 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded

Method
 

  1. In a 4 quart pot cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In the same pot combine broth, alfredo sauce and sour cream
  3. Stir in chicken and tomato strips. Heat just to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
  4. Add cooked tortellini and spinach to chicken mixture. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through and wilt spinach.
  5. To serve: sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Almond Torte
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Almond Torte

 

“The Best I Ever Made”

Hi Friends,  It has been a long time since I posted on Tidbits of Joy.  I took a new job as office manager for Pinnacle Endodontics, Dr. Cameron Howard last year.  Now that it is up and running I can scale back on the days I work.  So, I am hoping to get back to posting and hearing from you.

This is a simple but elegant Torte that my friend Marcy Howard made a lot this past Holiday Season.  The great thing is the recipe makes two so one to serve now and one to freeze.  Are you surprised that I like this?   I am making it today to take to our small group “Retreat” next weekend.  We all bring a meal and I am doing homemade lasagna, which I already made and put in the freezer, a chopped salad and this yummy Almond Torte.  I like to serve this Torte with whipped cream and berries.  I hope you will try it and let me know what you think.  

The credit for this Torte goes to Anna Lee’s Kitchen in Roswell, Georgia.  Her restaurant is known for cooking classes and wonderful lunches.  Over the years I have attended many classes and have acquired a lot of great recipes that I serve over and over. 

Happy 2016 and whatever you cook “It will be the best you ever made”.

Break eggs one at a time in separate bowl before adding to mixing bowl.
Break eggs one at a time in separate bowl before adding to mixing bowl.
Ready for oven all sprinkled with sugar and almonds
Ready for oven all sprinkled with sugar and almonds
Right out of oven
Right out of oven… We like it brown but you can cover with foil the last 5 to 7 minutes to prevent browning.
 

Almond Tart

Buttery almond flavored tart
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Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks)
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 cups plain flour
  • 4 cups sugar plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Method
 

  1. Grease and flour two 10" spring form or tart pans
    2. Tip: cut parchment paper to fit in bottom
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  3. Mix butter, eggs, almond extract and vanilla extract
    4. Tip: Break eggs one at a time into separate bowl before adding to butter. This will help to pick out eggs shells if you get any.
  4. Add flour and sugar to moist ingredients stir together
  5. Pour into prepared pans and smooth
  6. Sprinkle with sugar ( 1 tablespoon per tart) and sliced almonds (1/4 cup per tart)
  7. Bake 35 minutes…it will not look done but it will set up after cooking.
    8. Tip: Cover with foil last 7 to 10 minutes to prevent browning too much.
  8. Cool 10 minutes in pan before releasing

Notes

Notes:
Serve with whipped cream and berries.
Freezes well which is great since the recipe makes two.   One to enjoy and one to share.
by

Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread

 

 

Happy Easter
Happy Easter

 Just in time for Easter, Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread.  The pineapple and bananas make this a moist, rich flavored loaf of bread.   Do you remember hummingbird cakes?  This bread reminds me of them without the icing.   It is easy to make; no mixer just your wooden spoon.  I did make it with whole wheat flour.  You know me, I always use whole wheat when possible.  We showcase this bread at Apples of Gold when we share gifts from the kitchen.  This recipe is perfect because it makes two loaves and it freezes great.  Below is a picture of how you can share it for a spring or fall gift.  Just change out the ribbons and the platters.  Adding the platter makes for a nice gift, but not necessary.  Your family or friends will love the gift of fresh yummy bread.  One of our AOG students would make this recipes for her clients when she would make a sales call.  It is always good to do something that will cause folks to remember you and this bread did the trick for her.  Happy Baking and spread some JOY by sharing the second loaf.  

 

Ingredients for Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread
Right out of oven cooling in pans for 10 minutes.
Tidbit Tip: Make sure to spray and flour pans generously – will tend to stick in the middle.
The Joyful Gift of Bread

 

Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread

Moist, delish bread – makes 2 loafs – one to enjoy and one to share! Win–Win
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 6
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups mashed ripe bananas
  • 1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
 

  1. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, sugar and cinnamon, stir well
  2. Stir in nuts
  3. Combine remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry and ingredients are moistened
  4. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3 inch loafpans
  5. Bake in pre-heated oven 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
  6. Cool in pans 10 minutes, remove from pans, and let cool on wire racks.

Notes

Carrot Nut Bread:  Substitute 2 cups grated carrots for bananas.
Zucchini Nut Bread: Substitute 2 cups coarsely screeded zucchini for bananas.  
Tidbit Tip:  You may need to cover with foil, after 30 minutes, to prevent over browning. 
Do you know someone who would enjoy a treat, a gift of joy.  Head on over with the
second loaf and Be A Blessing Today!!!