Sunday, December 20, 2015

Please Welcome Guest Toni Lo Tiempo!


The main character in my Nick and Nora mystery series, Nora Charles, is an ex-investigative reporter who returns to her hometown to take over her mother’s sandwich shop after her death. Many people ask me if Nora is patterned after myself. Well, all I can say is when I was younger I did want to be Lois Lane when I grew up, but to be quite honest I was never any great shakes in the kitchen.  Nora Charles is more of a Lois Lane meets Paula Deen type of person.
However, I must admit that in the past year I have started cooking more, and I credit the Rangemate that I bought on QVC with my new love of cooking.  For those of you who have never heard of it, the Rangemate is a device that turns your microwave into an oven. That’s right, an oven! I’ve cooked chops, steaks, even a roast – and they all come out moist and delicious!
That being said, I thought I’d share one of my favorite Rangemate recipes:  Lemon Breaded Chicken


For this you will need:
Sliced chicken Breasts (I prefer the thin sliced)
½ cup Lemon juice
½ clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs



Take your Rangemate and cover the bottom with PAM, or EVOO, whichever you prefer.  Take your chopped garlic, and mix it into the lemon juice.  Then take your chicken breasts, dip into the lemon/garlic juice, roll in breadcrumbs until covered, and place in Rangemate.  Cover Rangemate and put in microwave. Micro on High 8-9 minutes.  You will have moist, delicious lemon breaded chicken  that would take you at least an hour in a regular oven in minutes!   And I promise you…it’s EVEN BETTER than Debra Barone’s famous lemon chicken from EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND!

My character Nora, though, doesn’t own a Rangemate…yet.  But she is a fabulous sandwich maker. Here is one of the sandwich recipes from CLAWS FOR ALARM (out now!)  Nora names her sandwiches after famous personalities: today we’re going to take a look at her Antonio Banderas Cuban!
Antonio Banderas Cuban Special
Panini Bread (or long roll, if desired)
2 tablespoons mayo
Oil and Vinegar
Spicy Mustard
6 slices of Jack Turkey
6 slices of Italian Speck
6 slices of Colby Jack Cheese
Sliced Dill pickles
Olive Oil


Mix the mayo and oil and vinegar and spread liberally on panini bread (or roll if preferred)

Place layers of Jack Turkey, Speck, and Colby Cheese, spreading spicy mustard in between each layer.
Place sliced dill pickles on top, spread top of bread or roll liberally with spicy mustard.  Close sandwich, brush top of bread lightly with olive oil. Place under press or grill until cheese is melted. Slice and serve hot.
 


 
CLAWS FOR ALARM, book 2 in the Nick and Nora Mystery Series, out November 3!
“The purrfect sleuthy duo”* is back, and this time murder hits close to home for Nora Charles and her partner Nick, a stealthy little feline gumshoe groomed to solve a shocking crime.

Since inheriting her mother’s sandwich shop, Nora Charles is more about hot grilled paninis than cold-blooded murder—until her sister Lacey is arrested. The victim, an esteemed art collector and Lacey’s bullying professor, was stabbed in the heart. Apparently, all over a lousy grade. 

Off campus, things were just as dicey. The prof had an ex with secrets, a trophy wife set to inherit a fortune in masterworks, and a scorned student mistress. Going undercover, Nora realizes that investigating this crime is the biggest test of her sleuthing career. Because if she fails, even Nick’s animal instinct won’t be enough to rescue Lacey from a perfectly executed framing.

Born in New York City, T. C. LoTempio is the national bestselling author of Meow If It’s Murder, the first in the Nick and Nora Mystery series. She has been a staff reporter at the young adult magazine Susabella Passengers and Friends for more than a decade. When she isn’t reporting or writing novels, she and her cat Rocco fundraise for Nathan Fillion’s charity, Kids Need to Read!

 



12 comments:

  1. I love the recipes! Thank you for sharing.

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  2. What, no picture of the Rangemate? Great to see you here, and that chicken recipe looks like a keeper.

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  3. I've got chicken breasts thawing for dinner---I think I'll try that recipe.

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  4. Ha ha check out my Facebook page for a pix of the Rangemate! Thanks for looking! Toni

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  5. Welcome to the kitchen!
    The series is great fun. Love the two leads.

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  6. Pat (patdupuy@yahoo.com)December 20, 2015 at 1:26 PM

    The chicken recipe looks good, but alas! No rangemate. I'll have to use the oven. What is Speck?

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  7. Love your books, and the recipes look yummy! I will have to try them.

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  8. I must add these books to my reading stack!

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  9. Sounds delicious and I love Chicken the Book sounds really good too. Nora Charles named after one of my favorite people in The Thin Man right? The Book sounds great...thanks for the contest. Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  10. Thanks for the recipes! The books sound good, too!

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  11. nice article good to know many things thanks!!

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