Chicken and Prosciutto Skewers

First off, congratulations to our very own Krista Davis on the launch of the next Domestic Diva mystery:

The Diva Haunts the House!

Labor Day weekend has traditionally meant the end of various things.

For many children, it means the end of summer vacation (not down here in the South, though—we start school early.)

It’s supposed to mean the end of wearing white shoes (I tend to ignore this and wear white sandals as long as I possibly can. :) )

The outdoor pools usually close after Labor Day until Memorial Day the next year.

And…some believe it’s time to put away the grill after Labor Day is over.

But we don’t have to! We can keep on grilling while wearing our white sandals, poolside.

With that in mind, here is a fun recipe for the grill that’s great for entertaining.

Chicken and Prosciutto Skewers

Ingredients
Chicken breast (cut into thirds, lengthwise—or use already sliced tenderloins)
Balsamic dressing for marinade
Dates or figs
Prosciutto (enough to wrap each chicken strip)
Skewers

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Marinate the chicken in balsamic dressing for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Cut the dates or figs in half (pit the date first, if using dates). Wrap the Prosciutto around the marinated chicken breast and date/fig and thread onto skewer. Grill until the chicken is cooked, turning frequently (about 5 minutes for each side, or until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink).

Fight back against the end of summer! :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Finger Lickin’ Dead (Riley Adams)
Progressive Dinner Deadly ($2.99 on Kindle—Elizabeth Craig)

We start with one line...

For all writers,
this is where it begins.

...a basic idea, a single line. 
To that line, we add another,
and another.

As the lines add up,
the story grows...

...and grows...

...until our new work takes shape,
and, eventually, it's finished!

Then what?

Hey, what's that building behind
our Union Square sidewalk artist?

A bookstore. Great! 
Let's go inside...

...because today is the day our own
Krista Davis' new work is
(officially) finished.

Congratulations, Krista, on the release of
your 5th Domestic Diva mystery, 

The Diva Haunts the House!

Cleo Coyle

I already have my copy, and I'm looking forward to diving into it later this week. The reviews are excellent, by the way. If you missed Lesa Holstine's post on The Diva Haunts the House, you can read it here. 

As for today's recipe, Krista inspired that, as well. She's shared so many amazing recipes on this blog, that it was hard to choose which one to celebrate. 

Then, over the weekend, my husband and I enjoyed a lovely brunch that included Krista's recipe for Rosti potatoes. We make these all the time, using Krista's tips, so I snapped a few photos, and thought, hey, everyone should make these--and I'll bet our newer followers never saw this recipe.

If you’ve heard of the dish but never attempted it, here's your chance. Krista will teach you the simple technique that I now use, and you can, too. Just click here for her recipe and eat with joy!

Rosti Potatoes a la Krista Davis!

Before I depart, I have few final links for some fun book giveaways...

The Diva Haunts The House: A Domestic Diva Mystery by Krista Davis


You can enter to win an autographed copy of Krista’s The Diva Haunts The House from the Dru's Book Musings by clicking here. (Hurry, contest ends 9/12.)

-------------------------------------------

Murder by Mocha: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle


Dru's Book Musings is also holding a giveaway for a signed copy of my new release Murder by Mocha. Enter by clicking here. (Hurry, contest ends at midnight tonight!)


Debbie's Book Bag also has a midnight deadline for a copy of my book (unsigned but free). Hurry! Click here to enter her giveaway.


Blogcritics is holding a giveaway for a signed copy of Murder by Mocha. You can enter the Blogcritics' contest here. (Not many entries on this one, yet - good chance to win! Contest ends this Friday, 9/9.) 


Lori’s Reading Corner is giving away a signed copy, too. You can enter Lori's contest here. (Contest ends 9/13.) 


Juju, another follower of this blog, is also giving away a signed copy at her lovely Tales of Whimsy blog here. (Contest ends 9/15.)

Congrats again to Krista
on her Official Release Day!

Read with joy,
everyone!

~ Cleo Coyle, author of 

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Dead Man's Bones

 Happy Labor Day!

I hope the weather has been better where you are. In Virginia it's muggy and wet -- not the best weather for the last weekend of the summer.


Tomorrow is the official release day of THE DIVA HAUNTS THE HOUSE.  It's been spotted in stores all over already, though!  Our own Cleo Coyle was a sweetheart to take this photo at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square.

In addition, the reviews have begun to roll in.  Lesa Holstine blew me away with "I don't know when the last time was that I read a mystery that was as much fun as Krista Davis' fifth Diva book, The Diva Haunts the House."

And Kat at The Season for Romance said, This book fires on all cylinders.  The mystery is clever, the plot has more twists and turns than a funhouse maze, and the sense of atmosphere is so strong you can practically smell the wood smoke and hear the dead leaves rattling in the street."

I'm swooning and light-headed in the face of such praise! Thanks Lesa and Kat!

So, to celebrate the release, I'm sharing one of the recipes in the book -- Dead Man's Bones.  It has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember.  Don't think it's only a Halloween dish!  Around here, it's often the dish that's requested for birthdays and other special celebrations.

It's great on the grill in the summer, and delicious made in the oven in the fall and winter.  It must be eaten with hands so don't make this for that all important first date!

Can you believe it?  There are only four ingredients, and they're an unlikely combination at that.

 

1 slab baby back pork ribs
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup soy sauce


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil (makes for much easier cleanup!).


Lay the baby back ribs on it, meat side up, and roast in oven for 20 minutes.


Meanwhile, mix the garlic, apricot preserves, and soy sauce in a small bowl.

Remove the ribs, flip bone side up, and slather with half the sauce.  Roast 15 minutes.


Remove ribs, flip meat side up, and baste with remaining sauce. Roast another 15 minutes and they should be done.  When done, they will tear apart easily between the bones.


Slice into two-bone portions and serve.

[When I make this on the grill, I find they usually take less time.  Follow the basic instructions above, but only turn the meat once.  Start with the ribs meat side down and baste the bone side immediately.  Turn meat side up after 20 minutes and baste the top.]

Welcome Guest Blogger Melissa Bourbon

Please welcome our guest blogger, Melissa Bourbon.




Melissa, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas.  She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.

She is the marketing director at Entangled Publishing, is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox and two romantic suspense novels to be released in 2012.

Take it away, Melissa!

The Beauty of Fall

Let me just put this out there.  I am not a summer girl.  Yes, I’m that blond-haired, green eyes California girl (living in the sweltering North Texas heat), and while I have a good selection of flip flops and shorts and enjoy a nice day at the beach (at least I used to--when I lived near the beach), I much cold weather and prefer jeans, boots, sweaters, jackets, long sleeves, and did I mention boots (cowboy, slipper, fashion...you name it.  There’s hardly a boot I’ve seen that I don’t like).

So now that it’s finally September and the temperatures have FINALLY plummeted from 105+ to a mere 99, I’ve caught sight of fall.  Just a mere glimpse, but it gives me hope.

And fall means:

~Cooler weather is around the corner.

~School has started so my kids are off learning all kinds of exciting things during the day while I (finally) get several uninterrupted hours of writing and working time.

~The fall clothes can come to the front of the closet.

~And I can bake with abandon.

Okay, scratch that last one.  Maybe not bake with abandon, but bake and not feel like every morsel I eat will be evident thanks to the aforementioned shorts and tank tops, but can be nicely hidden away under those clever long sleeves.  I can turn on the oven and know that I’m not raising the temp in my house, thereby forcing the air conditioner to work harder.  And the sweet aroma of baked goods is something that fills me with warmth rather than an ‘it’s too darn hot to eat!’ feeling.

 

Whenever fall finally comes, there’s one thing that we bake in our household that sort of sets the mood for the season.  I love it.  My kids love it (one son, in particular), and we’ve even adapted it to a gluten free version since the one son who LOVES fall right alongside me has celiac disease.

What is this special fall treat?

Pumpkin Bread!

As an aside, I’m a moderate foodie.  Not a high-fallutin’ one, but a down home, comfort one.  My books always have food in them.  Food and strong women.  Two things that are absolutes.

My Lola Cruz mysteries have lots of delicious Mexican food in them (the family owns a Mexican restaurant--lots of these recipes can be found on my website: http://melissabourbon.com or http://misaramirez.com).  In face, MLK’s Wendy Lyn Watson’s hubby has hijacked my Spanish rice recipe and now calls it his own.   Makes me proud!

PLEATING FOR MERCY, book one in A Magical Dressmaking Mystery (which came out in August) has a bit of Southern flavor to it.  Sweet tea, fried chicken, okra, and biscuits.  Mmm-mmm-mmm.

A FITTING END has Chicken Fried Steak and other tasty tidbits.

And now I’ve just decided, this very minute, that pumpkin bread will be in the third Magical Dressmaking mystery I’m currently working on.  It’s takes place in November, so what better way to help set the mood than by adding this yumminess to the story? 

Ha!  Thank you Mystery Lover’s Kitchen.  I might not have added this delicious tidbit had you not had me here today.

And now, without further ado, here is the most delicious (if not a wee bit fattening) pumpkin bread recipe ever.  By the by, you can substitute apple sauce for the oil and you’d never know.

Happy baking!

PUMPKIN BREAD

Ingredients:

 3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

2 cup pumpkin

2/3 cup water

3 1/2 cups gluten-free flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Set oven temp to 350 degrees

Directions:

Mix wet ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients, then stir in chocolate chips. [Note: this makes a ton. 24 muffins plus 2 loaf pans, or a bundt cake and two loaf pans.] Pour into "your choice."

Bake for 45-50 minutes, checking for doneness after 40 minutes.

* * *

More about PLEATING FOR MERCY  http://misaramirez.com/misas-books/book-1-pleating-for-mercy-a-dressmakers-mystery/

Read an excerpt of PLEATING FOR MERCY http://misaramirez.com/misas-books/book-1-pleating-for-mercy-a-dressmakers-mystery/excerpt-pleating-for-mercy/

Join Melissa’s Mailing List  (http://melissabourbon.com)

Order on:

Amazon Print  http://www.amazon.com/Pleating-Mercy-Magical-Dressmaking-Dressmakers/dp/0451234367/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

Amazon Kindle  http://www.amazon.com/Pleating-Mercy-Magical-Dressmaking-ebook/dp/B004R1QQKQ/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

B&N  http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Pleating-for-Mercy/Melissa-Bourbon/e/9780451234360/?itm=1&USRI=pleating+for+mercy

Books on Board  http://www.booksonboard.com/index.php?BODY=viewbook&BOOK=1065759

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil

Remember how I was complaining last week about how busy I was?

Yeah, right.  I had no idea what the future held ...

I really didn't think I would get this post together in time, but here's the thing:  no matter how busy you are, you have to eat.  Or, at least, I do.  (I'm not one of those people who "forgets" lunch ....)

Anywho, after my Friday classes ended, I hauled my behind into my little Scion and shuffled off to the Kroger, desperate as much for dinner as for something to make for the blog.  And, lo, cherry tomatoes were on sale.

Salvation!

Notice the healthy basil in the midst of the weeds and dead leaves ... thank you, Mother Nature

Despite the wicked heat and drought, we have been enjoying a bumper crop of volunteer basil in our earth boxes.  (I actually planted some last year but was too lazy this spring ... thankfully, Mother Nature had my back.)  Fresh basil + cherry tomatoes + exhausted Wendy = Penne with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil.

This is a recipe based on one from Cooks Illustrated.  The beautiful thing is that you can make it all year long (even sketchy cherry tomatoes will taste delish after they've been roasted).  The even more beautiful thing about this recipe is that the sauce makes itself in the oven.  So throw the tomatoes in the oven, boil the pasta, mix ... and voila!

So keep an eye out for those sale tomatoes (or hit your local farmer's market), and take an evening off without sacrificing your dinner.

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil

1 pound penne

2 lbs. cherry or grape tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt (+ 1 Tbs. for pasta water)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

shredded parmesan, to taste


Preheat oven to 350.

Halve the tomatoes.  Toss gently with oil, sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, red pepper, garlic, and balsamic vinegar.  Spread the tomatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet, and roast 35 to 40 minutes (until tomatoes shrivel a bit, but don't let them turn to mush).

After

Before

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water according to package direction.  Drain pasta.  Return to pot.  Scrape the cooked tomatoes and juices into the pot, sprinkle with the basil, and toss gently.

Serve topped with parmesan.

~~~~~~

Wendy is the author of the Mysteries a la Mode. Visit her on the web or on Facebook.

Orzo for a late summer weekend lunch

I am in love with orzo in all its forms. This little gem looks like rice and behaves like pasta, because it is. It’s small enough to let pasta sauce or cheese cling to every little morsel. And for the same reason, it makes a great pasta salad. What’s more, everyone in my family seems to love it no matter what I do to it.

As I am expecting weekend guests in mid-September, I thought I’d test something that would work in for a casual lunch in very hot or very cool weather. We may have both the same weekend! Orzo should do the trick whatever the weather.

One of the guests is a vegetarian who has a hankering for shrimp and one is a carnivore who also likes seafood. I am hoping for warm weather and I think this Orzo Salad will do for everyone. So far it passed the husband test with flying colors when I served it in the screen porch on a perfect August day. Whenever I make this, I will now recall that lovely afternoon. Food and memories, that's what it's all about.

Ingredients

½ lb orzo

¼ cup olive oil

1 pound cooked shrimp (with a good squeeze of lemon)

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard

½ red pepper, finely chopped

½ yellow or orange pepper, finely chopped

2 green onions, finely sliced

½ parsley, finely chopped

¾ cup light mayonnaise or ½ cup mayo and ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt

¼ cup chopped fresh dill (optional)

Salt & pepper

Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions

Cook orzo in boiling salted water for about 8 minutes. Drain well and drizzle with olive oil and pepper. Set aside.

Toss shrimp with 1 tbsp lemon juice. Set aside.

Make the dressing by combining garlic, mustard, 2 tbsp lemon juice, half the parsley, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Whip until creamy.

Coat the shrimp in two tbsp of the dressing. You can also toss in scallops or other seafood. Toss orzo with peppers, green onions, remaining parsley and dressing. Fold in the shrimp and mayo (and sour cream or yogurt). Garnish with dill (optional) and lemon wedges.

Refrigerate for at least an hour for the best flavor. Like all my recipes you can add, subtract, switch it up and substitute. I will never admit that I forgot the parsley.

Serve it with a crisp green salad and vinaigrette. I'm finding wonderful lettuce at farmers' market now. Some of it is like a work of art. Not sure if we should frame it or eat it!

Late summer weekend afternoons are perfect for reading, especially the wonderful cozies that you'll find by our talented cooks here on Mystery Lovers Kitchen. Make more time for cooking and reading by following some practical time management tips. You'll find one in every chapter of my latest book: The Busy Woman's Guide to Murder, the fifth Charlotte Adams mystery. Have fun. Read mysteries. Now that's managing time well. Drop in to www.maryjanemaffini.com for more on me and Charlotte Adams. Sign up for the mailing list and your name goes in the draw!

Peach Pie with Mascarpone Cheese

So, it seems to me that a running theme this week is having too much of a good thing.

Well, I had the same experience. As we're nearing the end of peach season, I decided to go to the local fresh fruits and vegetables stand and buy a basket of peaches. I thought I'd treasure them for a week, one a day - yum - but to my dismay, they were really ripe and needed to be used immediately. I couldn't enjoy a peach sliced on my cereal for a week. I had to make something now!!

One of my all-time favorite foods in the world is peach pie. I adore it. Once made, I'll eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until it's gone. I can't resist. (Yes, I make it gluten-free, but this recipe can be made either way.)

Now I could have given you a straight peach pie recipe, one that I've made since I was little girl, but I wanted to try something a little different, adding cheese to the pie, seeing as I'm always using cheese or a cheese kind of product nowadays.

I had made a cheese crust for my apple pie last year...picture on left. [For the life of me I can't find the recipe on the MLK site, which means I didn't tag it well, so I'm including the link to that recipe that is on my Avery Aames site: APPLE PIE WITH CHEESE CRUST.]


ANYWAY... like that experiment, I wanted to try using cheese in this peach pie. Literally "in." I hope you enjoy the result.

I used mascarpone. Mascarpone is an Italian dairy product, usually made from crème fraîche. It’s a lovely milky-white color and spreads like sour cream. It’s used in lots of dishes. It is the main ingredient of tiramisu.  And some people use it instead of butter or Parmesan cheese in risotto. Delish!

PEACH PIE WITH MASCARPONE 

(Gluten-free or regular)

Ingredients:

1 gluten-free 8-9” pie shell (may use regular if you're not celiac)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used sweet rice flour; may use tapioca starch) (You may use regular white flour if you're not celiac)

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 cup butter, room temperature

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

4 large peaches, skinned *

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

 

In medium bowl, mix sugar,  flour, nutmeg. Cut in the butter. The mixture will start to form small “pea-sized” balls. Put half of the mixture at the bottom of the uncooked pie shell.

Remove the skins from the peaches. *The easiest way to do this is to heat a pot of hot water. Using tongs, dip each peach into the water for about 20 seconds. This loosens the skin. With a paring knife, peel off the skin. Slice the peaches into thick slices. Arrange the peaches in a pinwheel on top of the mixture in the pie shell.

Pour the rest of the mixture over the peaches. Drop dollops of the mascarpone on top of the mixture. This will mound high, but rest assured, it will all cook down in the oven.

Place the pie on a cookie sheet with an edge. Juice will drip off the pie.

Bake for 10 minutes at 450, then reduce the heat to 350 and cook another 25 minutes, until the top of the pie is brown. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. 

Note: if you serve warm, the insides of the pie will ooze out, and it’s definitely harder to serve. If you cool overnight in the refrigerator, the insides of the pie will set and serve up more easily. It’s tasty either way. 

* * * * * * **

 

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