Thursday, March 31, 2016

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta #recipe #giveaway @LucyBurdette



 
LUCY BURDETTE: Yet more lemons—yikes! But lemons are a low-sodium diner’s friend, besides being delicious and chock full of vitamin C. This recipe is fast (except for peeling the shrimp) and perfectly suited for company. I found that I didn’t miss salt at all in the finished dish. You can increase or decrease the garlic to your taste, and add grated lemon zest if you like a stronger flavor.
Ingredients:

  1 pound pasta, good quality please
  5 or so Tablespoons of unsalted butter
  3 cloves garlic, chopped
  1.5 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
  freshly ground pepper
  1/4 cup lemon juice
  1 lemon, cut into slices, then slices halved
   handful of chopped parsley

Directions:

Once all the ingredients are prepared, put the pasta water on to boil. When the pasta is about 5 minutes away from al dente, prepare the shrimp.
Melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the garlic until soft but not brown. Add the shrimp in one layer, grind the pepper over top. About a minute in, flip over. Cook until pink and beginning to brown, maybe 3 minutes in total; don't overcook or shrimp will become rubbery.

Add the lemon juice, optional lemon zest, parsley and sliced lemons, and stir to combine. drain the pasta and place it in a big serving bowl, then scrape the shrimp and seasoning over the top and mix. Serve with a green salad.

To celebrate its publication next Tuesday, I have one copy of the forthcoming KILLER TAKEOUT to give away. To be entered, please share this post on Twitter or Facebook or Pinterest and then leave a comment here with your email.

Here's an easy tweet:


Tweet: Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta! #recipe #giveaway @lucyburdette http://ctt.ec/5nN61+

You can order this wherever books are sold--it will be published on April 5! 



Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Savory Mustard Chicken #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber



From Daryl aka Avery:

I'm considering writing a fiction book. Not a mystery. Something to stretch me as a writer. I've been dreaming about it lately. It involves food, so it should be a good fit. 

Because it has been on my mind, I woke the other night with a first line. I grabbed my iPhone and recorded the line. I think Sparky thought I was nuts because I was under the sheet, phone light aglow so I wouldn't "disturb" him, and talking to myself! 

What must our animals think of us?

Anyway, ahem, when I listened to the recording a few hours later, I noted that my voice was really low. Was I in a dream state when I recorded it? It was pretty funny. I could barely make out what I'd said. Good thing the line was etched in my brain.

Do you do that? Write down something in the middle of the night and then the next morning look at your writing and wonder who on earth wrote that??

What does this have to do with today's recipe? Absolutely nothing. I just wanted to share the silly story. I need silly lately. Anything to give me a good laugh.

Now this recipe did not make me laugh, but it did make me savor. I had chicken breasts in the refrigerator and wanted something new and spicy for dinner. I love the flavor of mustard, but I have to admit I haven't used mustard seeds very often. They're pretty intimidating looking. Little balls. Would they be too spicy? I wondered. I searched a few recipes online and found mustard seeds used quite liberally in a number of recipes, so I decided to give it a go.

Yum!!! 

Now BIG NOTE for this recipe, you will need a sauté pan that can go in the oven. And it will not be easy to clean!! Let it soak overnight. But the flavor is so worth it.

Also, NOTE, the recipe below is for 4 chicken breasts or 8 thighs. I made HALF  a recipe and used only 2 chicken breasts AND therefore a smaller saucepan.

MUSTARD HONEY CHICKEN

Ingredients:

For mustard rub:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1tablespoon whole grain mustard
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For sauce:

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 springs rosemary, snipped

8 bone-in, skin-on thighs or 4 skin-on chicken breasts


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°  F.

In a small bowl, make the mustard rub by combining all ingredients. Rub on top and under the chicken pieces.



Now in another small bowl, make the sauce by mixing the Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, honey, and water. Set aside.


In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the 4 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high. When the oil is hot, set the chicken pieces in the skillet, skin-side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes. The oil will spit! Using tongs, turn the chicken and cook another 2-3 minute to sear the chicken.



Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the mustard-honey sauce on top.  Sprinkle with the rosemary and set in the oven for 25-30 minutes. You want the chicken to cook through.




Note: the chicken breasts might take longer, possibly another 10-14 minutes. If you are worried that the skin is getting too brown, turn the heat down to 300.



Remove from oven and enjoy. This is super delicious!



Savor the mystery and say cheese!
Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames
Tasty ~ Zesty ~ Dangerous!

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www.darylwoodgerber.com

When a fairytale fantasy night becomes a nightmare, 
Chessa Paxton must run for her life...but will the truth set her free? 
For pre-order: CLICK HERE.



GRILLING THE SUBJECT, the 5th Cookbook Nook Mystery, can be pre-ordered. 
Click here to pre-order.





FOR CHEDDAR OR WORSE, 
the 7th Cheese Shop Mystery.
Click to order.


Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Eggs Romanoff, two ways

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:

The first breakfast my hunny ever made me was Eggs Romanoff, a marvelous combination of eggs, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese, served with mimosas. I was already in love with him, but that cinched the deal.

Turns out they were a family favorite in his childhood. When we went looking for recipes—to pin down measurements, which are somewhat elusive in his cooking—the recipes we found bore little resemblance to the dish he remembered.

Mr. Right is also responsible for one of our favorite new egg dishes, the omelet muffin. After we made the eggs Romanoff by the traditional method, he decided he wanted to try them again using a technique from the omelet muffins, adding a pinch of baking powder to make the eggs puffy and more quiche-like, with a homogenous texture. Both are equally wonderful.

Call it a new family tradition!

Plan two ramekins for each person. The recipe is easily increased.

Eggs Romanoff, two ways

Butter
two mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 ounces Swiss cheese, sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
four eggs
scant 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) cream
scant 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) white wine or dry vermouth
salt and pepper




Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

My sweetie’s traditional method:

Butter four ramekins. For each, line with Swiss cheese. Layer in half a mushroom. Add half a tablespoon parsley.


Add one egg, yolk unbroken, one tablespoon cream, and one tablespoon wine or vermouth. Season with salt and pepper.




Place ramekins in a flat baking dish. (Four will fit nicely in an 8X8 inch pan.) Add hot water, about half way up the sides of the ramekins.



Bake 35-30 minutes, until eggs are firmly set.

For a puffier, quiche-like egg:

Ingredients as above, plus:

½ teaspoon baking powder

Prepare the ramekins and line with the sliced cheese and mushrooms.


In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, wine or vermouth, seasoning, and baking powder. Pour the egg mixture into the ramekins. Bake as above.




Both methods serve 2.



From the cover of GUILTY AS CINNAMON: 

Murder heats up Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the next Spice Shop mystery from the national bestselling author of Assault and Pepper.

Pepper Reece knows that fiery flavors are the spice of life. But when a customer dies of a chili overdose, she finds herself in hot pursuit of a murderer…




Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. The president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat Ruff, a cover model and avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website  and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebookwhere I often share news of new books and giveaways from my cozy writer friends.