Tomato and Cheddar Soup Recipe

From Daryl/Avery:  I love spring because the weather is so changeable. One day you have rain, the next sun. It can be really cool and possibly hot. You never know. Doesn’t that make life fun? Who wants to live in a Utopia where the weather is always the same and the food is packed in a squeeze tube bottle? Even the people are packed into outfits that remind me of squeeze bottles. I mean, really?  I don’t even like to read about societies like that, although I have to admit I will see futuristic movies. Go figure.

Anyway, back to spring. I am a sucker for a good soup during the spring and fall. It’s a light meal but totally satisfying. Because I need to eat gluten-free (without wheat flour and certain other items), dining on soup at a restaurant is often out for me. Most chefs use a roux to thicken their soups. If only they would realize that grated potatoes or potato flour do the same thing!

So whenever I can, and especially when I’m hard at work and don’t want to take too much time away from my writing, I make a good, hearty soup. It’s fast. It simmers. I can eat it when I’m ready and not the other way around.

This one is totally gluten-free and so tasty because of the cheese.

What is your favorite go-to quickie meal?

TOMATO SOUP WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes, with their liquid

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup half-and-half or milk

1 tablespoon butter

Grated Cheddar for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a six-quart pot. Add the celery, onions, and garlic.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat. In batches, whir the vegetables in a blender to smooth. Return the pureed veggies to the pot.

Stir in the cheese, half-and-half, and butter. Heat about 1-2 minutes. Pour into soup bowls.

Serve topped with cheddar cheese.

Note: I used can tomatoes, but you can use regular. You just have to make sure you have add the “liquid” amount that you’d get from a can (about ½ cup of water or extra broth).

SAVOR THE MYSTERY!!!

* * * * * * *

The first book in A Cookbook Nook Mystery series is coming
July 2013!! It's set in the fictional coastal town of Crystal Cove, California and features Jenna Hart, a "recovering" ad exec who returns home to help her aunt open a culinary bookshop and cafe.

FINAL SENTENCE

You can pre-order the book HERE.

The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series is out! 

TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE
You can order the book HERE. 

Daryl and Avery are the same author.

You can learn more about Daryl by clicking this LINK. "Like" my page on Facebook and "follow" me on Twitter. And if you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!

You can follow and "like"and chat with my alter ego Avery Aames the same way:  Facebook and Twitter.

Blueberry Hand Pies with a Secret Ingredient from Culinary Mystery Writer Cleo Coyle

Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb, 

Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum 

In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!

~ Robert Frost

With blueberry season nearly upon us here in New York, I thought this recipe might come in handy. (Yes, "handy" as in hand pies. Hey, no groaning. You can't expect a cozy writer to ignore a pun like that, can you?) 

So what’s with this promised "secret" ingredient? Well, I’ll tell you, it’s not in the filling, which I’ve kept very simple. The secret ingredient is in the homemade crust.

Question: Hey, wait a second. Didn't you already
post a pie crust recipe with a secret ingredient? 

Answer: Good memory.

No, vodka is not today's
secret ingredient. So what is?
Scroll down...

A few months ago, I blogged about my take on the famous America's Test Kitchen pie crust recipe that called for vodka. If you missed that recipe and my geek-speak explanation on (a) why a vodka pie crust works and (b) what I do to make the recipe work even better for me, simply click here to read the post and get the recipe.

So what is today's secret ingredient if it's not vodka? Find out in my recipe notes below and, if you bake it, I sincerely hope you will… 

Eat with joy 

~ Cleo

Blueberry
Hand Pies

Cleo Coyle is author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

While the famous "vodka pie crust" recipe is one of the best crusts that can be made in a pie pan, it's not the perfect crust for every pie. For one thing, it's far too fragile to work well in a hand pie (aka turnover or pocket pie). 

Below is the recipe I use when I have a hankering for hand pies. The crust is tasty and tender, but it's also strong enough to hold together for a pan-free pie. 

As you can see, my "secret ingredient" is yogurt, which accomplishes a few things in the recipe. It slightly reduces the amount of butter and shortening thus reducing the calorie count a bit. It makes the dough easier to work with. It also boosts the crust’s flavor. The slight tanginess of the yogurt offsets the heaviness of the butter and shortening and creates a crust with a brighter flavor, one that especially complements the taste of a fruit pie. 

To download this recipe in a PDF format that you can print, save, or share, click here.

Cleo Coyle's 
Yogurt Pastry Crust

Makes 6 to 7 hand pies, depending
on size and crust thickness

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, very cold

1/4 cup (4 T) solid vegetable shortening (e.g. Crisco), cold

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon water

1/4 cup plain regular yogurt - full-fat yogurt is best
     (low-fat is okay to use, but do not use nonfat yogurt)


Step 1 - Sift flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl. Cut butter into small slices, add solid shortening and use fingertips or pastry blender to work the fats into the flour. (Or pulse mixture in a food processor.) When the mixture resembles coarse meal, place the bowl in the refrigerator to keep cold. 

 Step 2 – Measure out the yogurt and place in a small bowl. Into a separate small bowl, crack two large eggs, add the 1 T. of water, and whisk vigorously until well blended. Measure out ¼ cup of this egg-water mixture and combine it with the yogurt. Using a fork, vigorously whisk the yogurt and egg-water mixture until blended and smooth. (Reserve the remaining egg-water mixture for brushing crust before baking.) 

Step 3 - Remove the bowl with the flour mixture from the refrigerator. Add the yogurt-egg mixture and stir with a spoon, rubber spatula, or your hand until a smooth dough forms. This dough will be sticky. That’s okay! Shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. The dough will be less sticky, easier to work with, and because it’s well hydrated, you can use flour as you roll it out and the dough will stay tender. When ready, lightly flour a flat surface and your rolling pin and roll out and bake according to pie or tart recipe. 

2 TIPs: Always keep pastry dough COLD. Roll hand pie crusts one at a time and keep the rest of the dough in the fridge. Place all formed pies back in the fridge for ten minutes before baking. If you bake the pies cold, they will have even flakier crusts.

To Make Hand Pies

Mix the filling: Gently mix 2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour and 2 tablespoons sugar (more sugar if berries are tart). Toss with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Make the pies: To make the pies. Break off a piece of the chilled pie dough and lightly roll it into a ball. Flatten the dough ball into a disc and use a rolling pin to roll the disc into a wider circle. Dough should not be thinner than 1/8-inch or the pies may break while baking. Place a small amount of the fresh blueberry mixture into the lower half of the circle. Wet your finger with water and run it along the outside edge of the circle. Fold it over and press down with a fork. Trim the ends with a pizza cutter or knife. Brush with the egg wash that you made as part of the Yogurt Pastry Crust recipe. Sprinkle with sugar if you like.

Bake on parchment paper: Place a small venting slice in the top of each pie. CHILL the pies before baking and your crusts will turn out even flakier (simply pop them in the fridge for 10 minutes.) 

Bake the pies on a baking sheet that's been covered with parchment paper (do this for 2 reasons). The pies may leak blueberry juice and the paper will catch this mess. The parchment paper also provides a bit of a shield from the direct heat of the pan so the pies will bake more evenly and are less likely to over-brown or burn in places. Bake time 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven and thickness of the crust. Bake temperature 375 degrees F. in an oven that's been well preheated for at least half an hour. The combination of a very hot oven and cold pastry dough helps produce a flakier crust.

Sweet White Drizzling Glaze

This is the same simple, sweet glaze I used on my mini cranberry pastries. Click here to get that recipe. Just drizzle the glaze on the finished, cooled pies and you're ready to...

Eat with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice). 

Friend me on facebook here.

Follow me on twitter here. 

Visit my online coffeehouse here.

To view the
Coffeehouse Mystery
book trailer, click here.

 

The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling
works of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the
12 titles includes the added bonus of recipes. 

To learn more, click here. 

 

The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure

Book #1 of 
The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries, which Cleo writes
under the name
Alice Kimberly
To learn more, click here. 

Lighter Eggs Benedict?

One of my favorite indulgences is Eggs Benedict. I know, I know! It's loaded with fat and cholesterol. But it's so good! I usually reserve it for special brunches. And it's a hassle to make Hollandaise sauce, so I don't eat it often.

But wait! In a recent Stonyfield Farms newsletter, they mentioned a recipe for Hollandaise sauce that they lightened up by using Greek yogurt. Could it be true? Could I indulge without all the guilt?

So this past weekend, I put their recipe to the test. It's close, but unless you're particularly fond of the tart flavor of plain yogurt, it's not quite there. They used 1/8 teaspoon of hot sauce that I omitted because I'm not much of a hot sauce person. It's possible that the hot sauce took the slightly sour edge off.

I solved the problem by adding, gulp, 4 tablespoons of butter. Most recipes contain 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter. In spite of that, my mom suggested adding just a pinch of sugar to take off that edge.

I do have to say that it was the easiest Hollandaise sauce I've ever made. It cooked beautifully without curdling or seizing up.

We were tough on that sauce, trying it on a poached egg on toast. No ham or veggies to soften the blow. After all, if the sauce wasn't good, all we were left with was an egg on toast. Would I make it again? Yes! But with the 4 tablespoons of butter and a pinch of sugar.

To assemble your Eggs Benedict, use your favorite toasted bread or the traditional split English muffin on the bottom. Add Canadian bacon, or regular bacon, or (yum!) a crabcake. A slice of tomato or a leftover grilled veggie can be fabulous, too. Then add the poached egg and top with the sauce.

I read recently that while vinegar in the egg-poaching water makes the egg white seize together better, it also makes the egg white more tough. So this time I dared to do the unthinkable (the things I do for you), I poached them in plain water. Nothing else! They came out better than ever.


Lightened Up Hollandaise Sauce

tweaked from Stonyfield Farms' recipe

3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon or Horseradish mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
pinch sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place all ingredients *except butter* in the top of a double boiler and whisk together. Bring the water underneath to a very slow boil. Cook, whisking constantly for 5-10 minutes until an instant thermometer reaches 145.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Keep warm, stirring occasionally, until ready to assemble the dish. Makes enough for 6-8 servings.

Toast or warm bread at this point.

Poached Eggs in Plain Water

Crack the eggs and place each one in a small heatproof bowl.

In a large pot, bring three inches of water to a very gentle boil.

Lower each little bowl about 1/2 inch into the water and turn to let the egg slip out. Repeat for each egg.

Cover the pot and cook (do not bother the eggs, no poking!) for 3 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted or pierced spoon.

 

Serve immediately.


(Note, 3 minutes is right for runny egg yolks, but they may not have reached a temperature high enough to kill salmonella or other bacteria.)

Welcome, Janet Bolin!

Janet Bolin, Daryl Wood Gerber and I go way back. We all joined Sisters in Crime and their Guppy chapter about the same time. For years we were critique partners, which led to us becoming close friends. I'm always sorry that we live so far apart from each other, and now that I've actually seen the hot fudge sauce, I'm really sorry I wasn't close enough to sneak by Janet's house for the tastings!

And now, Janet!

Fudge, Pure and Simple

I confess—I love hot fudge sundaes. Hold the whipped cream, hold the chopped nuts, hold the cherry on top, and give me gobs of hot fudge sliding down a mound of ice cream and (if I’m lucky) stopping frozen in its tracks.

Years ago, friends and I always went to a certain restaurant for special occasions. Others would order sundaes with all the whipped cream and other goodies piled on top. I went for what they called the “Junior Hot Fudge Sundae.” Yes, the amount was small (well, sort of), but the fudge was semi-sweet and luscious, with no creamy or nutty distractions.

After I moved away, that restaurant closed (hmmmmm….)

What’s a fudge-lover to do?

Experiment?

First of all, chocolate is temperamental. It doesn’t look melted sometimes when it is, and overheating it can cause it to separate. And, as they say, microwave ovens vary, so I had adjust the timing and power to get the chocolate to melt just right. Which means you may have to keep trying and tasting…

First, I tried baker’s chocolate, and it nearly always came out grainy and gritty. It tasted fine, and I could pretend those grains were teeny chocolate chips. However, even in the photos I took, it looked a bit wretched.

The simplest recipe I came up with that can be made in only a few minutes while someone else is doing battle with an ice cream scoop and a container of hard ice cream (desperation for chocolate is the mother of invention) can be a bit grainy:

WORLD’S SIMPLEST 

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

Melt one square of unsweetened baker’s chocolate in a small, covered dish in the microwave oven. Stir in two tablespoons of honey. Warm it again, but only slightly, and spoon over the ice cream. Serves two admirably.

My old Joy of Cooking cookbook says that chocolate that hardens on the ice cream will “enrapture” children. The first time I tried the above recipe, basically half chocolate and half honey, I put the honey in the dish with the chocolate before I melted the chocolate. The honey boiled. The fudge sauce turned into crunchy chocolate candy. I liked it, but no one became enraptured.

Finally, after many experiments and taste tests (poor me), I gave up on baker’s chocolate and used unsweetened powdered cocoa instead, and the recipe turned out well the first time—yay! A keeper, it’s semi-sweet like the sauce I remembered from those Junior Hot Fudge Sundaes from long ago, and it only takes a few minutes:

EASY SEMI-SWEET 

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

In a microwaveable dish, combine:

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons of cold water—added two at a time and stirred after each addition

Stir to create a thickish paste.

Add:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Cover the dish and heat in your microwave oven for approximately 2 minutes on a medium/low to medium setting.

Stir to completely melt the butter and blend it into the paste (which will now resemble a sauce!)

Cool slightly.

Stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla.

If necessary, reheat (gently) before drizzling the sauce on ice cream.


Hints: The rules for making fudge sauce are similar to the rules for making candy. For best results, make your sauce on a non-humid, non-rainy day. Cooking the sauce longer makes it (or the candy) harder. Don’t beat the sauce. Stir it gently to prevent it from becoming sugary. But don’t worry if it does separate. It will still taste good…

Make it in small batches—each time you reheat the sauce, you risk causing it to separate or turn into something resembling chocolate chips (which, as I said, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.)

With all that talk about whipped cream, nuts, and cherries on top, you probably think I’m a purist when it comes to hot fudge sundaes. Actually, hot fudge tastes just fine over the usual vanilla ice cream, but also over chocolate, mint chip, or orange sherbet. I’ve never tried hot fudge sauce over ginger ice cream. Just the thought makes me swoon…

Oh, and a brownie underneath it all might be nice.

In Janet Bolin’s Threadville Mysteries, Willow Vanderling teaches machine embroidery and helps solve mysteries in a village of textile arts shops. The first novel in the series, Dire Threads, was nominated for an Agatha for Best First Mystery and for the Bony Blithe. The second Threadville Mystery, Threaded for Trouble, is on the shortlist for the Bony Blithe. The third book in the series, Thread and Buried, which involves sleuthing on the way to and from an ice cream stand, will be on store shelves June 4 and can be pre-ordered from your favorite bookstore or from these booksellers. Two more Threadville Mysteries are in the works.

Janet lives on the shore of Lake Erie with two rascally dogs who resemble Sally-Forth and Tally-Ho in the Threadville Mystery series.

Visit Janet at Threadville Mysteries, on facebook and twitter.

Microwave Peanut Brittle

by Peg Cochran

Once a month a group of us get together for what we call “game night.”  If we have the right number we play euchre, otherwise we pick other game like Catch Phrase, Charades or Apples to Apples.  The hostess supplies the venue and we all chip in for take-out.  That way it isn’t too much work for anyone.  But we usually have some little snacks set out to enjoy while we play—trail mix, nuts, M&Ms or whatever.  I’m hosting tonight so I thought I would make some peanut brittle.  It’s so easy in the microwave!  I used to make it the old-fashioned way and even kept a pair of clean white gloves to stretch the brittle!  This is so much easier—you could have fun doing it with your kids.  AND it’s delicious and completely addictive!

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 cup white sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

1 cup salted peanuts

1 tsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

Butter a cookie sheet (or spray liberally with PAM.)  Combine sugar and corn syrup in a glass bowl and microwave on high for four minutes.  Stir in salted peanuts and microwave on high for 3 ½ minutes.  Stir in butter and vanilla and microwave for

1 ½ minutes more.

Stir in baking soda until light and foamy.  Pour onto cookie sheet and quickly spread as thin as possible.  Cool completely before breaking into bite-sized pieces. 

The basic ingredients

Sugar mixed with corn syrup

Sugar and corn syrup microwaved.  Careful, it's hot!

Peanut brittle spread out to cool.  You might want to double the recipe!

A sticky bowl to pick at!

Reg hoping for a treat!

Just received--copies of Steamed to Death!  On your shelves June 4!