Easy and elegant cauliflower soup, plus an old friend gets glam

By Victoria Abbott aka Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini

Don't miss the giveaway opportunity at the end of the post! 

You may remember our friend, Cauliflower, aka the Great Deceiver, the wonderful, versatile vegetable that can play so many different roles in so many different meals.  Well, our little veggie is all grown up and ready to party.  

So that's where my fascinator went!

A few weeks ago, MJ was fighting a cold and looking for soothing soups when she came across a very easy idea from Sue Riedl, a Globe and Mail columnist and food blogger who is brilliant and practical. If she ever publishers a cookbook, we will the first in line to buy it.

She suggested that cauliflower and stock could be cooked together and blended to make an amazing soup.   


 We said, Really? Wouldn’t it need a bit more than that?  It didn’t. It was perfect,creamy and filling with plenty of taste.

But when the cold cleared up we still wanted this soup and thought that we’d try a few more variations.  Here’s the result of our test.  

CAULIFLOWER SOUP 

You will need:

 4 cups good quality chicken stock

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

3 green onions, white and green, sliced (optional)

EVOO  (optional)

2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

Spicy oil (optional)

You'll have noticed that the only two required ingredients are chicken stock and cauliflower!

We do love options, so we chopped the green onions and sautéed them in olive oil until they were nicely caramelized.  We added a bit of parsley. 

Meanwhile, we cut up the cauliflower into florets and added it to a pot (4 cups) of good quality chicken stock.  We know it was high quality because we made it from scratch.  We always have stock in the freezer. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.  (We think you could make this with commercial stock or broth from a box or can).  

We boiled the stock and cauliflower florets together for about twenty minutes, until the florets were tender.  We stirred in the green onions and parsley. 

Next , and why is this so much fun, we puréed it with our ancient immersion blender. It was soooo good. 

You: How good was it?

Us: It was so good, we made it again the next day. 

It’s good enough to serve at our next dinner party!  

Not only was it creamy, good and easy, but it was gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb and low-calorie, and without artificial additives. Since what we were really looking for was easy ways to add more vegetables to our life, we decided to add some sour cream (so much for low-calorie and dairy-free).

We also experimented with a drizzle of spicy oil on top. We loved our little heart design.  

So welcome our friend, Cauliflower, back.  We think she looks pretty good dressed up!

The only downside was we kept eating it and then having to make more so we could get the photos with the toppings.   

We had some other ideas, but we ran out of time, cauliflower and stock. So we hope you’ll suggest a few more toppings or ingredients in the comments.  

We’ll have a draw from among YOUR suggestions for one of our book collector tote bags, now including the cover for The Marsh Madness.

Victoria Abbott is the mysterious collaboration between the artist and photographer Victoria Maffini and her mother, the mystery writer, Mary Jane Maffini.  That's us! Strangely enough, our three book collector mysteries, The Christie Curse, The Sayers Swindle and The Wolfe Widow all contain lots of food.

The Marsh Madness is due out in September 2015.

BUT

YOU CAN PRE-ORDER IT HERE!

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Ritz Cracker Mock Apple Pie

by Sheila Connolly

Guess what: there are no apples in this pie!

My grandmother did not cook. Which is odd when you think that she worked in the food industry (for Lipton Tea) for almost twenty years, and she knew a number of New York chefs personally. But the kitchen (a liberal use of the term) in the apartment in the residence hotel where she lived for several decades had been a closet originally (in fact, her clothes closet was bigger), and had a tiny sink, a minuscule refrigerator, and two electric burners. She also had a toaster oven—and room service.

But one of the most vehement arguments we ever had was over this recipe, the one that used to appear on the Ritz Cracker box (alas, no longer), about whether it actually tastes like apples. I was skeptical, but she was adamant.

The recipe apparently emerged during the Depression, but became really popular during the Second World War, both eras when fresh produce was hard to get, and crackers were cheap. And I realized that despite that argument, I had never actually made this recipe. So this is a weird tribute to my late grandmother.

Ritz Mock Apple Pie (No apples needed!)

Pastry for a two-crust 9” pie

36 Ritz crackers (I love the way you have to count them!)

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 Tblsp lemon juice

Grated rind of one lemon

Butter

Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Fit one crust of pastry into your pie pan. Break the crackers coarsely onto the crust.

Combine the water, sugar and cream of tartar in a saucepan, and boil gently for 15 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and rind. Let cool.

Pour the syrup over the crackers in the pan, dot generously with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover with the top crust and crimp the edges together. Slit the top crust to let steam escape.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden. Serve warm.

The Verdict: Well…too sweet and too soupy. Too much lemon rind, but that might have been my fault. The texture was convincing if you normally make your pie with mushy apples rather than ones that hold their shape. I can tell you that it did not taste like Ritz Crackers. But not a lot like apples either.

So since I had nothing more important to do than watch snow fall, I made it again. Same crust, but I changed everything else, just a little. Less water, less sugar. Forget the lemon rind. More butter and cinnamon. And a few more crackers.

Did it help? Well, maybe. It was firmer, and not so cloyingly sweet. But it still didn’t taste like apples! Think of it as a cracker pie and you might like it.

Looks like apple pie, doesn't it?

Yes, it snows in Ireland, now and then, but nothing like in Massachusetts! If you're looking for an escape from what's left of the snow/ice/slush/gloom of your winter, wherever you are, try a quick trip to Ireland with An Early Wake.

Eric's Coconut Cake (Almost) @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: My friend Eric (the model for the psychologist character in the Key West mysteries) is famous for his coconut cake. 


Below is the one he made for last Easter--how cute is that?



And I've been looking for a recipe for coconut cake for forever, so I begged for his. Of course, never able to quite leave a recipe alone, I did change things up a little from what he sent me. I used less of the cream of coconut and one block of cream cheese in the icing, instead of two. Oh, and unsweetened coconut instead of sweetened. It was delicious, if I say so myself.:) I think I will try this as a sheetcake next time I have to bring something to a party...


Ingredients for the Coconut Cake


1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 and 3/4 cup cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool
2-3 oz Coco Lopez from an 8 oz can (save the rest for icing)
1 cup milk 
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by buttering them well, lining with parchment, and then buttering the parchment too.

  

    Mix all the dry cake ingredients in bowl of electric mixer or stand mixer at slow speed. Add cool cubes of butter, a few at a time, along with the Coco Lopez, and continue beating on low for about 1-2 minutes. Beat the eggs in one at a time, mixing well but minimally after each.

 Mix the milk with the extracts.

    Add 1/2 cup of milk mixture to flour mixture and beat until combined. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat for about 1 minute.

    Pour batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.

    Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cake springs back when touched, in the neighborhood of 25 minutes. (Watch this because you don't want to overcook...)

    Cool the pans  for ten minutes, then remove the cakes, one to a plate and the other to waxed paper, and allow them to cool to room temperature.

Ingredients for the coconut icing:
 
1 8 oz block cream cheese  
1 stick unsalted butter
Coco Lopez --the rest of the can 

1 tsp vanilla
About 1 and 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
6 oz unsweetened flaked coconut 

Beat everything together except for the coconut, then taste to see if it's sweet enough for your audience. Ice the top of the first layer, then sprinkle with coconut. Add the second layer, ice the whole cake, sprinkle the coconut all over, patting as needed.

And then watch your people swoon...

And this is what the real Eric looks like when he's all spiffed up, and here he is with Bill, Barclay, and Toby...all characters in the books!


Don't forget: July will be here before we know it, bringing the sixth Key West food critic mystery, FINAL RESERVATIONS. You can pre-order it here.

Follow Lucy on Pinterest.

Or Twitter.

Or Facebook.
 
 

Chicken Pot Pie #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl aka Avery:

One of my favorite memories as a girl is having chicken pot pie. Yes, the frozen kind that you pricked the top with a fork and baked until the insides goo'ed out. Swanson's, I think. And then I graduated to Marie Calendar pot pie. The crust was so fabulous!

And then I had to learn to eat gluten-free. Boo-hoo. But last year, while writing AS GOUDA AS DEAD, I was determined to come up with a great chicken pot pie, gluten-free. Yes, you can make the crust with gluten, if you can eat it, but you don't have to. There's nothing in the filling that has gluten. Yay! 

My husband says the insides are perhaps the best he's ever had. In fact, he asked me to make it just as a "stew" one night, no crust, and it was delish!

So enjoy away. This one is a keeper (for me, anyway).

THE COUNTRY KITCHEN DINER CHICKEN POT PIE

(Serves 4-6)

4 cups chicken broth (gluten-free, if necessary)

1/2 cup butter (one stick)

1 onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into thing rounds

1 celery stalk, diced

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2  teaspoon dried sage

1 clove garlic, chopped fine (if desired)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons white wine

1 pound skinless chicken breasts, pre-cooked and shredded

1 cup frozen peas

1 recipe pastry dough (see below)

[Note: Make pastry dough first *recipe below, and refrigerate, then precook your chicken breasts. To cook chicken breasts, I wrap them in foil and pop them in the oven at 300 degrees F for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.]

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a 6-quart saucepan, heat the chicken broth over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, parsley, sage, and garlic. Sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Stir.

To the hot broth, add the cornstarch and whisk together until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the mixture to the vegetables. Stir in the heavy cream, white wine, chicken, and frozen peas. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.

With a ladle, fill 4-6 ovenproof ramekins or bowls with the filling. (This recipe made 4 in my ramekins.) Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Top with pastry dough, pinched around the rim of the ramekin.

[Note: For the crust, you can use store-bought pastry dough, or you can make it from scratch using this recipe below. For gluten-free, substitute your favorite gluten-free mixture for the flour. I use a blend of sweet rice flour and potato starch.]

PASTRY DOUGH

(Yield one crust)

1 ¼ cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter or shortening

2 to 3 tablespoons water

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash on pastry (see below)

Kosher salt

Put flour and salt into food processor fitted with a blade. Cut in 3 tablespoons of butter or shortening and pulse for 30 seconds. Cut in another 3 tablespoons of butter. Pulse again for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons water and pulse a third time, for 30 seconds.

Remove the dough from the food processor and form into a ball. Wrap with wax paper or Saran wrap. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle flour on a countertop or board. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove the covering. Place a large piece of parchment paper on a countertop. Place the dough on top. If desired, cover with another large piece of parchment paper. This prevents the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out dough so it is 1/4-inch thick. Using a biscuit round or mold (or be daring and go freehand), cut out dough large enough to cover the tops of the ovenproof ramekins, leaving about 1/2-inch hangover. Place each round on top of the individual bowls and crimp the dough over the edge.

Brush with the egg wash and, IMPORTANT, make 4 small slits on the top of each to let out steam. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Place the baking sheet with ramekins in the preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

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

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AS GOUDA AS DEAD
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Fully-Loaded Irish Colcannon for St. Patrick's Day from Cleo Coyle

New York may be crowded, loud, and expensive, but it's also a beautiful, endlessly inspiring mix of peoples and cultures. Almost every week, a celebration of one kind or another is taking place. 

Last week, for instance, the city joined its Asian communities in celebrating the Lunar New Year. We even had our first-ever Lunar New Year fireworks display along the Hudson River. 

For a glimpse of that spectacular display and a little video trip to Chinatown, click here.

Now we're gearing up for our annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Events, parties, and parades will soon be taking place all over the city, including the biggest parade of all, down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. It’s the largest parade in the world and Marc and I always enjoy it.

The recipe we have for you today is a bit of a culinary metaphor, tipping its hat to Irish tradition, but with flavors added to reflect our city’s glorious melting pot...

Cleo Coyle's 

Cleo Coyle has a partner in 

crime-writing—her husband.

Learn about their books

by clicking here or here.

Fully-Loaded Colcannon

When you're writing mysteries, murder is your business. When you're writing cozy mysteries, so is word play. And that’s primarily how this dish came about. 

My husband and I were writing one of our Coffeehouse Mysteries, Roast Mortem, a book that pays tribute to the FDNY, which has a long history of Irish pride. During our collaboration, we joked about what might happen if we "loaded" the colcannon. 

Wait a second, we thought, why not fully load it—like a baked potato?!

Marc and I then put the recipe together much like New York City puts its cultural communities together: We started with a basic Irish colcannon; added an Italian kiss of olive oil and hug of warm, sweet garlic; and finished the dish with an American-style flourish of gooey melted cheddar and smoky crumbled bacon.

It's a colcannon that's practically exploding with comfort-food flavor. (Hey, no groaning, remember, puns were once the highest form of humor!) 

FYI - A slightly different version of this recipe appeared in our Coffeehouse Mystery, Roast Mortem, along with plenty more tasty recipes.

See Roast Mortem's
free recipe guide
by clicking here.

Our fully-loaded colcannon truly makes a wonderful side dish; it's addicting, nutritious, and delicious. And now Marc and I invite you to jump into our melting pot...




Cleo Coyle's
Fully-Loaded Colcannon

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

1 pound red potatoes, cut into uniform pieces
2-3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped (or 4-5 regular bacon slices)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin (about 6 cups)
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon table salt)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2/3 cup (around 2 or 3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
      (mild or sharp cheese, your choice)

Step 1—Cook the potatoes: Boil the red potatoes, skin and all, as you would for mashed potatoes—about 15 to 20 minutes. (Test a potato to make sure they’re cooked through.) Remove the pot from heat, drain any extra water, and cover to keep the potatoes warm.

Step 2—Render bacon: While potatoes are boiling, chop bacon into small pieces and cook over a very low heat to render the fat. When bacon is brown, remove from pan and set aside.

Step 3—Sauté veggies: Turn the heat to medium, and add the olive oil to the drippings in the pan. Then add the garlic and onions and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cabbage and continue cooking another 5 minutes, stirring often to coat with the delicious flavors.

Step 4—Add milk and simmer: Reduce heat to low. Stir in milk, butter, salt, and white pepper; cover with a lid and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 8 minutes. (Test a few pieces to make sure the cabbage is cooked through before moving to the next step.)

Step 5—Mix and mash: Combine the hot cabbage and the potatoes. Mash with a metal potato masher or large fork until the ingredients are blended.

Tip - As you mash in the potatoes, they will soak up
remaining liquid. If there is much more liquid
than what you see in my photo above, then
continue to cook the mixture, over low heat,
until the excess liquid evaporates.

Step 6—(Finish) Lock and load with cheese and bacon: Fold in the shredded cheese, which will melt in the heat of the mixture. Serve topped with crumbled bacon bits.

Stay cozy!

(Cub)

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries 

Friend me on facebook here. * Follow me on twitter here. 

Learn about my books here. 

* * *

Once Upon a Grind:
A Coffeehouse Mystery

* A Best Book of the Year
Reviewer's Pick - King's River Life

* Top Pick! ~ RT Book Reviews

* Fresh Pick ~ Fresh Fiction

* A Mystery Guild Selection

Delicious recipes are also featured in my 14th 

culinary mystery, Once Upon a Grind, including...

* Black Forest Brownies 

* Cappuccino Blondies 

* Shrimp Kiev 
* Dr Pepper Glazed Chicken

* Silver Dollar Chocolate Chip Cookies
* "Fryer Tuck's" Ale-Battered Onion Rings

* Poor Man's Caviar 
* Caramel-Dipped Meltaways

...and many more recipes, including
a guide to reading coffee grinds...

See the book's

Recipe Guide (free PDF)

by clicking here. 

* * * 

Marc and I also write

The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries 

Get a free title checklist,
with mini plot summaries, 
by clicking here. 

Or learn more about the
books and meet Jack Shepard,
our PI ghost by clicking here. 

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(Recipes, contests, videos, fun info)


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