Mystery Lovers' Kitchen

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Spinach Salad with Orange, Feta, Pickled Onion, and Sesame-Shoyu Dressing #recipe by @LeslieKarst

This is the salad I prepared when fellow MLKer Leslie Budewitz and “Mr. Right” came to visit us in Hilo, Hawai‘i last year. (I meant to share the recipe back then, but somehow forgot. And as you’ll also see, I forgot to take a photo of the salad after the wonton crisps were added and it was dressed. Blame it on the cocktails we enjoyed before dinner.)

When I was a kid, those canned mandarin orange slices in syrup were all the rage, but they seem to have gone out of style. I don’t know why, though, because they’re actually quite tasty, and go great in salads. And along with the tangy picked onions, salty feta, and crunchy wanton crisps, they add the perfect sweetness to this delicious—and colorful—salad.

I haven’t given amounts for the salad ingredients, because that will depend on how many people you’re serving. Just use as little or as much as you like! Feel free to use raw red onions instead of pickled, if you like. But the recipe for pickled onions is here.

Spinach Salad with Orange, Feta, Pickled Onion, and Sesame-Shoyu Dressing

Dressing Ingredients

(makes about ½ cup)

¼ cup white sesame seeds

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce (aka shoyu)

1 teaspoon sugar

about 1 tablespoon mandarin orange syrup

Salad Ingredients

baby spinach

crumbled feta cheese (can use bleu, if you prefer)

pickled red onions (recipe here)

canned mandarin orange slices, drained (save syrup for dressing)

crumbled wonton crisps, pretzels, or similar snack

Directions

Coarsely grind the sesame seeds. I used a mortar and pestle, but a coffee grinder would work, as well—just don’t grind them too long, or they’ll turn to mush. (Or, alternatively, you can whir all the dressing ingredients together briefly in a blender or food processor.)

Place the mayo, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar in a medium bowl and stir to combine.

Add the ground sesame seeds and mix in.

Drizzle in the mandarin orange syrup, stirring as you go, until the dressing is still thick enough to have some body but thin enough to pour. (Save the rest of the syrup for later use: it goes great in soda water or cocktails.) The dressing can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for several days.

Place the baby spinach in a salad bowl and top with crumbled feta.

Add the pickled onion and orange slices.

Right before service (so they don’t get soggy), add crumbled wontons or pretzels. Toss the salad with dressing and serve immediately.

🌱 🍋 🌿

Coming April 7!

Orchid Isle Mystery #3

MURDER, LOCAL STYLE

Available for pre-order here.

"The beauties and customs of Hawai‘i provide a striking backdrop for a murder with an unexpected motive."

Kirkus Reviews

🍍 🌴 🍹

Out now in paperback!

Orchid Isle Mystery #2

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

Buy link here.

2026 Lefty and Agatha Award Finalist

for Best Mystery/Contemporary Mystery!

"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."

Kirkus Reviews

Also available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery #1

Buy link here

2025 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Mystery!

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly.

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

--Publishers Weekly

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

Buy link here

Praise for Justice is Served:

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court."

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

HOW TO MAKE 1 HOUR CHICKEN SOUP to fight cold & flu symptoms by author Cleo Coyle

From Cleo Coyle: My husband and I had a rough few days dealing with the long stretch of extreme cold weather in New York City. Not as rough as some who lost power (and electric heating) and others who tragically lost their lives.

Our lesser (yet terribly unnerving) challenge occurred at 4 AM Sunday morning when we discovered our intake water pipe had frozen, and we had no water available in the house, including (yikes) the water used to allow our bathrooms to function.

After throwing on clothes and flipping on lights, we spent the next hour in our freezing cold garage with a space heater and a hair dryer, applying heat to what we believed was the section of pipe that had frozen. It worked. To our great relief, the water began to flow again, and we were thankful to have caught the problem before the pipe burst and caused thousands of dollars in damage.

Unfortunately, the stress and interrupted sleep took its toll, and we've come down with the symptoms of a typical winter cold. While chicken soup won't solve our weather problems, it is well worth making if you or your loved ones are suffering from sore throat and congestion. Why? Because...

The science is in, and our grandmothers were right. Studies have shown that properties in chicken soup relieve cold and flu symptoms. Chicken soup not only contains immune boosting properties, but it also has cold-fighting compounds that (among other things) help soothe sore throats and clear nasal congestion. You can read more here and here, although...

Frankly, I didn't need to read the scientific research to know homemade chicken soup has healing powers. By the time I slurp down a bowl, I begin feeling relief.

So, let's get our soup on!

☕ A RECIPE NOTE FROM CLEO

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery
series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

A common method for making chicken soup is to throw the chicken and veggies into the pot and turn up the heat for about 4 hours.

I prefer my method, which is done in one hour, and is just as healthful. Just be sure to use white meat chicken. I find the properties in the white meat especially helpful for cold and flu relief, and that's why I specify using 1/2 of a whole split chicken breast.

Years ago, I first made this soup for my husband after he caught a cold from me. I felt guilty for giving him my cold and was only too happy to bring him a bowl of my chicken soup. I swear, I barely made it back to the kitchen before I heard him crying out from the bedroom...

"This is great! It's helping! It's helping!"

Whether you make this soup for yourself or someone you care about, I sincerely hope it brings you plenty of foodie comfort and good health!

~ Cleo

To download this recipe
in a free PDF document you can

print, save, or share, click here.

Click here for the free PDF.

Cleo Coyle's
One Hour Chicken Soup

Makes about 2 quarts (about 6 servings)

Ingredients:
2 quarts (8 cups) cold water

2 bay leaves

1/2 of a whole, split chicken breast, bone in, skin on (see image below)

1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

5 to 6 ribs of celery, chopped (about 2 cups)

4 peeled carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 to 3 envelopes of Goya's Sazon without Annatto (or see my note below for other options)**
Finishing salt (such as French Grey or another coarse sea salt)

**Note: This soup will be bland without seasonings. Although Goya Sazon without Annatto is my favorite, you can substitute 2 to 3 chicken bouillon cubes (or packets) combined with a spice blend that can include your favorites or try onion powder and/or garlic powder and ground black or white pepper. Certainly, add any other herbs or spices that you enjoy (e.g., cumin, paprika, thyme, rosemary).

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Pour the cold water into the pot. Throw in the bay leaves. Bring the water to a brisk boil. Place the chicken into the pot, skin side down. (The meaty part of the breast should be submerged in the water.)

From ingredient list, this is what you want:
1/2 of a whole, split chicken breast, bone in, skin on.

Bring the boil down to a simmer, cover the pot with a loose lid, and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes. NOTE: The water in your pot may boil down a bit during this process. Check the pot after 20 minutes and add more fresh water to replenish, but do not add more water after this point. Return to a simmer for the remaining 20 to 25 minutes. ALSO NOTE: If your chicken breast is frozen, cooking time may be longer.

Step 2: When the chicken is cooked enough for the meat to be easily removed from the bone and shredded, take the chicken out of the pot. Add the chopped vegetables, and seasoning (Goya Sazon without Annatto or bouillon cubes and your own spice mix), and boil for another 10 minutes. While veggies are cooking, remove the skin from the chicken breast (and discard). Remove the meat from the bone, shred the breast meat using two forks, and save it for the next step.

Step 3: After the veggies have cooked the full 10 minutes, remove the bay leaves from the pot, and add the shredded chicken. If your chicken breast was very large, hold back a bit of the chicken meat from the soup. Add only enough to keep the ingredients balanced.(*Note: If you'd like to make this a chicken noodle soup, this is the point where you'd add your noodles and cook until they're soft.) Cook the soup for another 6 to 8 minutes. I like to serve the soup with coarse salt on the side. Then salt to taste and...slurp with joy!