Grilled summer veggies!

I love summer. I love to barbecue. I love to sit outside and read a book while I barbecue. Perhaps sip a glass of wine. It's like a mini-vacation while making dinner.

And last night, while barbecuing, I thought there must be famous quotes about barbecuing. I mean, we've had all these famous people over the years grilling, having their pictures on the front of a magazine, the front of a newspaper, a grill fork in their hands, sloppy smiles slapped on their faces.

So I looked for a few pithy words,  and I found some of the silliest websites I've ever found. I thought I'd share a bit of their silliness. Hopefully you'll smile. Because we can't take barbecuing seriously, right? 

We want to, and we probably know some that do (the dictators who won't let you near their barbecue...you know who I mean), but we shouldn't take it seriously.

Silly quotes from the Frugal Yankee:

"It is better to have burnt and lost, then never to have barbecued at all" - William Shakespeare

"It is a far, far better barbecue that I have now, than I have ever had before" - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

"BBQ’ing is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent perspiration" - Thomas Edison

"Ich bin ein Barbequer" - J F Kennedy

"Spare rib anyone?" - Adam

"Invite couples with children - everyone loves children - espically if they are cooked properly" - WC Fields

Done laughing?

Okay, me, too.

One of my favorite sides to serve with a barbecue is grilled vegetables. You can use whatever looks fresh at the grocers. I like my greens and I love onions and mushrooms, so that's what's on my plate.

You don't need a lot to make them taste fabulous. 

Summer Grilled Vegetables

Ingredients:
Grilled vegetables
[I used pumpkin, onions, yellow onions, zucchini, red onions, mushrooms, asparagus]
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Sea Salt
White or black pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Heat your grill to high. ** I like to use a grill grid (something non-stick) that sits on top of the grill. This keeps the vegetables from falling through to the coals.


Slice the onions in wide chunks.
Peel the pumpkin, removing the rind, and slice the pumpkin in thick slices.
Slice the zucchini in thick slices.
Wash the mushrooms.
Brush the vegetables with balsamic vinegar and then with oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush the grill grid with olive oil. Set the vegetables on the grid for three to four minutes a side, charring slightly.

Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

For other barbecue-related recipes from our very own Mystery Lovers Kitchen try:


Riley's Dr. Pepper Barbecue Sauce
Avery's Burgers and Blue
Cleo's Fire-fighters Ribs
Avery's Strawberry Shortcake (Gluten-free)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Book 2 in A Cheese Shop Mystery series launched in May: Lost and Fondue. If you'd like to order a copy, click this booksellers link on my website. To see a trailer, click HERE. To read an excerpt, click HERE. If you you'd like to find out more about the series or want to download a few recipes from me (on recipe cards, including a recipe for fondue), click HERE. And be sure to catch me on my other blog, Killer Characters, and on Facebook and Twitter @AveryAames.  SAY CHEESE!

Pineapple Casserole

Okay, y’all, it’s time for another delicious Southern-style casserole to blow your diet with. :)

Actually, I think that this recipe for pineapple casserole is perfectly wonderful—if you think of it as a dessert.

The amount of sugar in the recipe puts it into dessert territory. And it’s sweet enough to qualify, too.

Although usually it’s served as a side dish here. :)

You can make this recipe with less sugar. I’ve made it with as little as a few tablespoons of sugar. But…it just wasn’t quite as good (imagine that!)

You do have to turn the oven on for this one, but at least it’s easy and cooks in 30 minutes.

I usually make it with canned pineapple, but right now the pineapple in the store is looking really good. Making it with fresh pineapple makes it even better. :)

Pineapple Casserole

20 oz. can of pineapple chunks
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup grated cheese
1 stick melted margarine
1 tube crushed buttery crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain most of the juice from the canned pineapple (leave about 6 tablespoons) and pour the chunks and into a casserole dish with the 6 tablespoons of juice.

Mix 1 cup of sugar and 4 tablespoons of flour and pour the mixture on top of the pineapple chunks.

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on the top.

Mix 1 stick melted margarine and 1 tube crushed crackers together.
Cook 30 minutes at 350.

Enjoy!

Riley/Elizabeth
Delicious and Suspicious (Riley Adams)
Finger Lickin’ Dead—June 7 (book 2 of the Memphis BBQ series!) It’s here! Download it on Kindle: http://amzn.to/kh7MAp
Mass market paperback: http://amzn.to/lfUE2N

Cleo Coyle's Easy July 4th Fireworks Cake + 3 Tips on Icing Cakes

My Fireworks Cake has a wonderful "WOW" factor to it (especially after you cut it), yet it's incredibly easy to create, practically a klutz-proof design, making it a great project for families with young children. The design has a two-part inspiration, which I'll tell you about below.

To make the cake itself, you can certainly use your favorite white cake and frosting recipes, but (honestly) I saved time the way so many busy peeps do. I used a boxed white cake mix and 2 cans of white frosting.

I didn't use a pastry bag, either, just grocery store cake decorating supplies like the ones you see in my photo (right). So let's get started...

CLEO COYLE'S
RED, WHITE, and BLUE
FIREWORKS CAKE

To download a free PDF of my recipe that you can print, save, or share, click here.

To make the cake
you will need:

2 eight-inch round cake pans
Parchment paper
Non-stick cooking spray

1 box White Cake Mix (I saw nice results with Pillsbury's Moist Supreme Classic White cake mix, which has pudding in the mix)
1-1/4 cups water (or according to your mix's directions)
1/3 cup oil (or according to your mix's directions)
3 to 4 egg whites (or according to mix directions -- just do not use whole eggs, the yellow in the yolk will muddy up the food coloring)
2 teaspoons liquid food coloring (red and blue)
or 1/2 teaspoon food coloring paste (also called "icing color")
2 (16 ounce) cans of White Frosting (or about 3 cups of homemade white frosting, be sure to use clear vanilla extract for a pure white frosting look)

METHOD:

Step 1 - Prep oven and pans: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. (or according to your own recipe or cake mix directions). Line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray. (If your baking pans are non-stick, just spray the paper. If your pans are not non-stick, lightly spray the sides of the pans, as well.)

Step 2 - Color your Batter: Make your cake batter according to package directions or your own recipe, with these notes.

(a) Use egg whites only and not whole eggs. Yellow egg yolks will muddy up your cake color. And...

(b) Cake mix directions will tell you to beat the batter for 2 minutes. (You are whipping air into the batter and this is an important step, but you don't want to over-beat, either, so...) Instead, beat the batter for only 1 minute. Then stop the mixer. You should have about 3-1/2 to 4 cups of batter. Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. Add red food coloring (or paste) to one bowl and blue to the other. NOW beat the batter for your 2nd minute. The color should blend in nicely.

Step 3 - Bake your cake: Simply bake according to package directions or your favorite recipe.

Step 4 - Cool and prep for frosting: Allow the cake to cool completely then run a knife along the outside edge of the pan, place a flat plate over the pan, and flip. The cake should come right out. If the parchment paper is still stuck to the cake, carefully peel it off. Place the blue layer top side down, flat side up onto your cake plate, cardboard, or serving platter. (A few dabs of icing on the plate first is a good trick to help it stick.)

Generously slather white icing onto the blue layer. This will (of course) give you the "white" layer between your red and blue cake layers.

Stack the red layer on top. Here's how: Using a sharp knife, carefully level off the top of the red layer. Then flip it and place it on the iced blue layer. You want the flat bottom of the red layer to serve as the very top of your cake. This will give you a perfectly flat surface to create your fireworks design.  

ICE, ICE, BABY! 3 Tips on Icing Cakes

Time to ice the cake. As promised, I have 3 tips to share with you on icing cakes. If you're an old pro at this, these pointers are nothing new. But if you don't make many cakes, these will help you a great deal. I promise...

These 2 cake layers have
been crumb coated.

Tip #1: Never Frost a Warm Cake: Be sure that your cake is completely cool before frosting. If you apply icing to a warm cake, the icing will begin to break down, and you'll get a gloppy mess.
 

Tip #2: Crumb Coat and Chill: You should always frost a cake in two stages. The first stage is called the crumb coating. This is a very thin layer of frosting. It's so thin that you should be able to see the cake through the layer. This will create a smooth base for the final coating of frosting. NOTE: You must chill the cake to set this coating properly (1 or 2 hours in the refrigerator). To speed up the process, I place mine in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. The remove the cake and do the final frosting. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to get smooth, pro results.

Offset (aka Angled)
Spatula

Tip #3: Use an Offset Spatula (also called an Angled Spatula): If you've been applying frosting with the back of a big spoon or a butter knife, consider the offset spatula (see my picture right). This single tool ($5 - $10) will make it possible for you to smooth the sides and tops of your cakes like a pro.

You can find these at Michael's stores (in their cake decorating section) or most stores that sell kitchen tools. Click here for an online buy link.

CAKE DESIGN:
CREATING THE FIREWORKS

Cleo Coyle, who's always
ready for fireworks, is
author of The
Coffeehouse Mysteries

The initial inspiration for this "fireworks" cake design came out of my research for my Coffeehouse mystery novels. Baristas use this method to create latte art. To see a video example click here and watch for this design near the middle of the 3 minute YouTube film.

Of course, pastry chefs also use this method, calling it a spiderweb pattern...

Begin with a simple dot
in the center of the cake.

I'm not using anything fancy or pro, just the "drawing tip" of a Betty Crocker "Cake Icing" can.

Draw concentric circles around the dot with alternating colors of red and blue. The last circle should be just off the top of the cake, around the side. This allows you to extend the design down the side of the cake.

As you can see, my circles are far from perfect, but the results will still be colorful and fun. You've got to love a kid- and klutz-proof cake design!

Next you'll need a wooden skewer, a toothpick, or the edge of a knife. (When using the knife, do not cut into the cake. Simply drag it lightly through the icing.) Drag the tool from the center dot to the outside of the cake. Clean the tool between each drag. Do this four times, making a simple cross...

Be sure to drag the tool all the way over the top edge of the cake to include the circle you made on the side...

Repeat this process 4 more times, bisecting each quarter of the cross you made. (You will now see 8 "slices" of cake in the design.)

Now REVERSE the dragging direction.
Instead of dragging the tool from the center to outside
of the cake, start at the outside and drag your tool to the
center of the cake. Be sure to clean your tool between each drag.

Using the reverse drag, you are now bisecting
each of the original 8 cake "slices" that you made above.

Now clean up the edge of the cake plate,
wiping off excess frosting. Use the "star tip" to
pretty up the base of the cake, and...

Eat with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To get more of my recipes,
sign up to win free coffee, or
learn about my books,
drop by my *virtual*
coffeehouse at...

www.CoffeehouseMystery.com

To find out more about
Cleo's bestselling culinary mysteries,
click here or on the covers above.



* * * * * * * * * *

Read with joy!

Murder by Mocha

Releasing August 2nd

Includes chocolate recipes!

"...a tasty espresso-dark tale of
multigenerational crime and
punishment lightened by the Blend's
frothy cast of lovable eccentrics."

~ Publishers Weekly

To pre-order from Amazon, click here 

To pre-order from Barnes and Noble click here for the book; for the Nook click here.

 

 

 

Roast Mortem

Includes firehouse recipes!

A Reviewer’s Pick 

Favorite Book of the Year ~ 2010

Bookreporter.com

 

Coming to paperback
August 2nd

 To pre-order from Amazon click here.

To pre-order from Barnes and Noble, click here.

It's Picnic Time!

Starting this Friday, you'll see some changes here.  We're so sorry to see Julie Hyzy leave, but we know you'll enjoy Ellery Adams, our newest addition to Mystery Lover's Kitchen!  Sheila Connolly and Mary Jane Maffini will be posting on alternate Fridays from now on.  Wendy Watson will continue to post vegetarian delights on Saturdays, but every second Saturday of the month will be pie day with Ellery Adams! 

For once, I'm writing about a season during the same season.  I had Halloween decorations up in the summer when I was working on THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE.  Fortunately, this time around, I'm writing about picnics and outdoor living during the summer.

I've been enjoying all the wonderful fruit the season has to offer, but I'm working some long hours, and chocolate has been calling my name, so I put together a chocolate coffee cake.  The perfect thing with a cup of coffee or tea during a writing break.  Even better, it's an ideal treat to take along on a picnic or a boating excursion, because it's not messy and doesn't require a fork.  Bake it a day in advance so you won't be rushed on picnic day.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour
2/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup mild flavored oil (olive or canola)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
(optional additional 1/2 cup chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter an 8x8 baking pan.  For easy removal, you might want to place parchment paper in the bottom or dust the bottom with flour.

Cream the butter with the sugars.  Add the eggs and mix well.  Add the baking powder.  Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, adding milk and oil in between. Add the vanilla.  Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Bake 45 - 50 minutes.

Cool on a rack.  Run a knife around the edges twice and turn out.  If desired, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and drizzle over the top.

Guest Blogger Melinda Wells with Pie a La Murder!

Please join me in welcoming a wonderful mystery author to our Kitchen. Melinda Wells' "Della Cooks" mysteries feature the spunky Della Carmichael, who runs a cooking school in California, stars on her own cable TV cooking show, and often finds herself mixed up in murder.
     Pie a la Murder, the 4th book in Melinda's popular series, is coming out next Tuesday (July 5th). Although she's already hard at work writing the next entry in her series, I asked her if she wouldn't mind taking a moment to tell us a little about Della's new adventure. She not only obliged me, she brought a delicious recipe for us.
     Melinda (a pseudonym for Linda Palmer) is a delightful person, and I invite you to learn more about her by visiting her Web site here. Her site also lists her signing appearances for the new release. Take it away, Melinda! ~ Cleo Coyle



Melinda Wells (aka Linda Palmer)
is the author of the
"Della Cooks" mysteries.

In Pie a la Murder, the 4th installment of my Della Cooks mystery series, Della Carmichael gets a major shock when Nicholas D'Martino, the man she loves, tells her that he has a daughter that he'd never mentioned.

Della knew that Nicholas had been married before (a long time ago) and that his ex-wife moved to Europe. He explains that he hadn't told Della about having a daughter because he never thought he'd see her again. But now the girl, Celeste, is eighteen-years-old. She telephoned him from Vienna to say that she has decided to come to Los Angeles to live with him. She arrives at the end of the week.

Della is genuinely happy for Nicholas, and looks forward to getting to know Celeste. But Della's best friend, Liddy, is horrified to hear the news. “Don't you know that the biggest threat to a romantic relationship is the man's daughter from a previous marriage? You hear about it on all the daytime talk shows.” 

Liddy is sure that Della's "love boat" is heading for choppy waters. Della appreciates Liddy's concern, but she doesn't believe it. She assures Liddy that her relationship with Nicholas will be fine. Liddy isn't convinced. But not even in Liddy's wildest imagination could she have guessed that the trouble in Della's future was going to involve murder. 

Pie a la Murder, from Berkley Prime Crime, will be published on Tuesday, July 5th. As with all of my Della Cooks mysteries, Pie A La Murder includes a bonus recipe section. I’m delighted to share one of those recipes with you today…

Mira Waters'
Sweet Potato Pie

“Who is Mira Waters’?” you might ask.

Mira is an actress and Della's friend. Among Mira's film roles, she’ co-starred with Muhammad Ali in The Greatest, and also in the lovely classic, Sounder.

She’s a fabulous cook, too. Her sweet potato pie is my favorite version of this dish.

~ Melinda

Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes (boiled in their skins)
2 eggs
2 cups of sugar (or 1-1/2, depending on how sweet you want it)
1-1/2 teaspoons Rum (Mira says this is the secret!)
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, and after they've cooled for a few minutes so you don't burn your hands, strip off the skins. Mash the sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl.

Add the eggs, sugar, Rum, butter, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whip all the ingredients together and put into an unbaked pie shell. Mira says you can use a prepared pie shell, but she and I both prefer to make our own crust. My personal favorite crust is the Standard Pastry Crust recipe found in the Betty Crocker cookbook—but be sure to use several tablespoons of ice water, not just "water." Using whatever crust you prefer, bake the Sweet Potato Pie for 35 minutes. (Be sure the oven doesn't over-heat.)

Visit Melinda Wells
(aka Linda Palmer) at her online home:

http://www.lindapalmermysteries.com/

Thank you, Melinda!

To leave a comment for Melinda,
click the "comments" link below.

Read with joy!
~ Cleo

 

The Cinderella vegetable

And what exactly is the Cinderella vegetable? I am sure you’ve already guessed it. That’s right: cauliflower. You know it’s true. Pudgy, pale, uninteresting, that’s poor old cauliflower. Doesn’t even have pretty green leaves. Fit for the scullery unless it’s dressed up with a blanket of cheese on special occasions or when needing to fool small children (as if that was possible).

But like Cinderella, cauliflower has a hidden beauty that can emerge under the right circumstances. I have come to love it done several ways. One of the best things about cauliflower is that it is the only large white food that is low carb and lo-cal. So if bread, pizza crust, rice, pasta spell carb alert for you! Cauliflower might be your date for dinner. Cauliflower just needs the right outfit to go to the ball, um, dinner table in an almost carb-free veggie dish. So today, I’m playing fairy cookmother with one of my favorite recipes, because in fairy tales (and life) surprises make the world go round.

This one makes a lovely salad on a hot summer day or even a not-so-hot day. You just need to find a way to roast the florets at 350 for a half hour to forty minutes (you can do it early when the kitchen is still cool)

Slightly Exotic Roasted Cauliflower Salad

A head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp dried)
1 teaspoon sea salt and ¼ tsp of fresh ground pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey (you can leave this out if you want, but it adds a nice taste)
fresh chives, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with 1 tablespoon of oil, thyme and half of the salt. Spread the mixture on large a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cauliflower is lightly browned.
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, the rest of the salt and the oil. Pour the dressing over cauliflower and toss gently. Sprinkle with chives and serve at room temperature.

This is a tasty and refreshing vegetable dish that’s even better the second day. If there’s any left, that is.

Speaking of surprises, try The Busy Woman's Guide to Murder, the fifth Charlotte Adams mystery in which Charlotte once again encounters an unexpected crime and a wide cast of possible villains. Can you figure out whodunnit before Charlotte does?