Couscous Carrot Salad with Tahini Dressing from Leslie Budewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  So you bought a bag of pearl couscous to make the Shrimp with Couscous and Fried Capers I shared last month,  and now you’re wondering what to do with the rest of the couscous. No worries; I have plans for you and that bag! This recipe comes from the back of the bag – always some of the best – but I did modify it a bit, and filled in some of the gaps. 

This makes a great side salad, or served on a bed of greens and topped with a hard-boiled egg, the perfect lunch. Leftovers benefit from a drizzle of olive oil. I’ve also topped it with crumbled feta. Lots of crunch and flavor—what could be better?

A note on the spices: If you don’t have the spices on hand, or want a different flavor profile, substitute a Cajun or Creole mix, or a Syrian za’atar. Each has the zestiness of this blend, which gives the roasted chickpeas an extra pop. I’ve doubled the amount from the original; make your own call, based on your taste buds. 

I’ve learned to start with less lemon juice than a recipe calls for—here, the original wanted two tablespoons—and adjust if needed. One and a half was subtle; a little more would not be too much. 

Now what to do with the rest of the tahini? Never fear! Next month, I’ll bring you Mr. Right’s recipe for perfect hummus!

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 

Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Couscous Carrot Salad with Tahini Dressing

For the roasted chickpeas:

1-15 ounce can of chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the salad base:

1 cup pearl couscous, plain or tri-color, dry 

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup carrots, grated (about 2 medium carrots)

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, diced

For the dressing:

1/4 cup tahini

1-12 tablespoons lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup cold water

Roast the chickpeas: 

Heat your oven to 425°F. Spread the chickpeas onto a small, rimmed baking sheet. Mix the salt and spices in a small bowl or jar. Pour the olive oil and salt and spice mixture on the chickpeas and use a spatula or turner to coat them evenly. Bake until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

Cook the couscous: 

In a small saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the couscous and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. 

Make the dressing:

In a small blender or food processor, or a bowl with a whisk, combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Slowly drizzle in the water and mix until the dressing is smooth and creamy. 

Whirring blades make for fuzzy photos and yummy dressing! 

Assemble the salad:

In a medium sized serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, couscous, carrots, parsley, and red onion. Pour the dressing over the mixture and stir gently to combine. 

Serves 8. Goes great with almost any kind of meat, chicken, or fish -- or all by itself!

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .  

Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine. 

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.

Cinnamon Roll Cookies #recipe and #giveaway news Kim Davis

 

KIM DAVIS: Last week I had a new book release, Essentials of Homicide, the third book in the Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries. While not a true culinary cozy mystery, I brought in ample food elements with my protagonist, Carissa, having a boyfriend who owns a patisserie and I include a recipe with the book. As I was writing the story, instead of having a firm recipe in hand, I just threw in pastry and dessert items I thought sounded good to me off the top of my head. The recipe that did end up in the book is Lemony Lavender Scones, but since there are a plethora of scone recipes already on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, I hunted through the manuscript for another recipe to create that had already been mentioned in the book. 

I landed on two, these Cinnamon Roll Cookies, and a mashup of Monster / Kitchen Sink cookies that, as Carissa says "It doesn't look all that pretty, but it's yummy." If you know me at all, food presentation matters so I dove in to create a recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cookies and I'm so glad I did! My taste testers went wild for them and immediately wanted the recipe. The buttery sugar cookie portion has a hint of cinnamon but the filling packs a blast of flavor as you bite into them. And with a name containing 'Cinnamon Roll' I think these are perfectly acceptable for breakfast, too!


Here's an excerpt from the book and the inspiration for my Cinnamon Roll Cookies:

Even though the museum didn’t open until ten, the entry gate to the grounds stood open, so Pixie and I strolled along the flagstone pathways. My pup was more interested in chasing the lizards, which darted from bush to bush, than in walking. Extending her leash to the full twenty feet, I found a stone bench and sat while I watched her give chase and try to pounce on the reptiles. The lizards were much too fast, and I knew she’d never catch one.

Steps sounded on the pathway, and I turned to find Detective Lamont heading our way. I reeled Pixie’s leash in, much to her dissatisfaction, and stood.

“Good morning, Ms. Carmichael.” Detective Lamont carried a to-go coffee cup from my boyfriend’s patisserie and a pastry bag. “Mind if I join you?”

“Be my guest.” I sat back down and, once the detective had settled in on the bench, I extended the leash and allowed Pixie the opportunity to explore. “How did you find me?”

“I’ve been following you all the way from the patisserie. You really should be more aware of your surroundings.” She offered the pastry bag to me. “Help yourself. Everything looked so delicious I couldn’t decide, and I ended up purchasing more than I needed.”

I plucked a cinnamon roll cookie from the bag. “Thanks.”

She extracted a lavender scone and took a dainty nibble. “Hmmmm. This is perfection.”

I took a bite of my cookie and agreed. “I’m assuming you didn’t follow me just to share pastries in the garden?”

“You’re right.” She wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “I thought if you’re not in a rush, now might be a good time to take your statement. Will that work for you?”

 

Be sure to scroll down for the giveaway information

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Makes 35 to 40, depending on size

 
Ingredients
 
Cookies:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 
Filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft but not melted
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

 
Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons water

 
Instructions
 
Cookies:
 
In a medium-sized bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.

 
Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

 
Beat in the egg and the vanilla until thoroughly incorporated.

 
Add the flour mixture and mix, on low speed, until incorporated into the wet ingredients. Don’t overmix.

 
Divide the dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

 
Filling:
 
Stir all the ingredients together until a paste forms. Cover and set aside until needed.

 

 
Putting it together:
 
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Working with one piece at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately a 9 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread one half of the cinnamon-sugar filling over the rectangle.

 

 
Starting with the long end (12-inches) roll the dough into a log. If the dough tears or cracks, use your fingers to pinch it back together as needed. Securely wrap the log in plastic wrap. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

 

 Refrigerate the cookie logs for at least 2 hours or overnight.
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
 
Remove the cookie dough logs from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, slice into 1/4 to 1/3-inch slices and place on the prepared baking sheets.

 

 
Bake for 11 to 14 minutes, until the edges just start to turn light golden. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
 
Icing:
 
Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and water until completely smooth. If the icing is too thick, add additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

 

Drizzle the icing over the tops of the completely cooled cookies. You can use a piping bag or a spoon. Allow the icing to set for 20 minutes before serving.

Store leftover cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Use parchment paper or wax paper between the layers of cookies to prevent them from sticking together.

Note:

You can make the unbaked cookies up to 3 months ahead of time and freeze. After spreading the filling, rolling into a log, and wrapping, refrigerate until firm. Remove from the refrigerator and slice before rewrapping in the log shape. Place in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze. Several hours before you're ready to bake, remove the log(s) from the freezer and allow to defrost in the refrigerator. Place the slices on parchment-lined baking sheets and preheat the oven. Bake as directed, although you may need to add an additional minute or two to the baking time. 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of the recipe!💕

I'm excited to announce that Essentials of Homicide, the third book in the Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries, released last week on September 8th! 

What it's about:

Hollywood has descended on Oak Creek Valley to film a murder mystery. Carissa Carmichael, owner of the Aromatherapy Apothecary, has a front-row seat to the bad-boy leading man’s escapades as she works with the production to bring soothing essential elements to the stressed-out crew.

When the movie set becomes a true crime scene, Carissa’s best friend becomes the star suspect. Instead of enjoying the thrills of lights, camera, and action, she’s thrust into untangling the secrets of the glamorous actors who all seem to hide something. While working behind the scenes to sniff out clues and clear her best friend’s name, Carissa must apply pressure and find the killer before someone else is written out for good.

Includes a recipe, plus essential oil and reflexology tips.

Purchase links:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

OTHER RETAILERS

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of Essentials of Homicide, I'm offering a collection of lavender products along with the first book in the series, Essentials of Murder! 

Contest ends 9/17/26 and is limited to US residents. Click on link below and enter via KingSumo.

ENTER CONTEST

Books available at most online retailers

 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Apple

 

Cupcake Catering Mysteries * Essentials of Murder* Essentials of Death

 

About the Author:

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.

Click here to sign up here for Kim’s newsletter: Newsletter

Connect with Kim: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Bluesky, Bookbub, Goodreads, TikTok, and website

 

Readers, what's your guilty pleasure breakfast treat?

Bara Brith (Welsh tea bread) From Guest Author Cathy Ace

Vicki here today, delighted to introduce you (although to many of you she needs no introduction) to my good friend the Canadian author, Cathy Ace. I’ve been friends with Cathy for a number of years and I always look forward to another of her literary adventures taking us around the world or to her native Wales.  Cathy and I will be on stage together at Bouchercon in Calgary on Saturday, October 24. We hope to see many of you there. 

Bara translates to English from Welsh as “bread”, and brith translates as “speckled”, which is an apt description of this easy-to-make teatime treat. It offers a moist mouthful, where most of the sweetness comes from the fruit itself, rather than added sugar, and even that is “cut” by the taste of the tea, so it’s never sickly sweet. More or less every home in Wales will have its own Bara brith recipe, so variations abound; the main thing is to keep the ratios the same, but feel free play with the fruit/combine dried fruits to the correct weight (NOTE: I stick with sultanas because they’re really juicy in the final product, and I think that currants don’t plump up as well, so this recipe uses only sultanas, but that’s because this is the recipe this Welshwoman grew up with in her home, so it’s the one she sticks with!) The fruit is usually soaked overnight, but I’ve made it the same day, putting the fruit to soak as I’ve made my breakfast tea, then making and baking it later on.

Bara Brith (Welsh tea bread)

 Ingredients

300g/10.5ozs sultanas (or currants, or a mix of dried fruits)

300 ml hot water

4 teabags Welsh Brew tea/English Breakfast tea (Orange Pekoe will do at a pinch, but use 5 teabags and allow it to steep for 15 mins, to make it stronger)

 250g/8.8ozs self-raising flour

(You can use plain flour with baking powder added at the ratio of 125g/4.4ozs plain flour plus 1 ½ tsp baking powder)

50g/1.8ozs dark muscovado sugar/brown sugar (golden will do, but using white means you lose some of the lovely “treacly” flavor)

2 medium eggs

 

Big wooden spoon

Spatula, for cleaning the bowl

Two bowls

Measuring jug

1kg/2lbs loaf tin

Butter/margarine for greasing the tin

Greaseproof paper to line the tin

 

Method

 

Step 1

Boil water and add to measuring jug, add the 4 or 5 teabags

Brew for at least 10/15 minutes

Remove and squeeze teabags (this is one time where you’ll prefer using teabags rather than loose tea)

Pull all the dried fruit in a bowl, add the tea

Mix together so all the fruit is covered by the tea

Cover, and leave at room temperature overnight, or for at least 5 hours

 

Step 2

Measure flour into a bowl

Add and mix in sugar

 

Add contents of cold tea/fruit mixture (including all liquid)

  

Mix well

Add one egg

Mix well

Add second egg

 Mix well

Grease/butter your loaf tin and line with parchment paper

 

 

Pour/spoon mixture into tin

 

 

Bake at 300F/150C for one and a half hours (until a fork comes out clean and the top is dark and glossy)

Allow to cool

 

Serving:

Slice thick to eat as a cake, slice thin to butter and eat as bread and eat as it is, or serve it with butter and a good, strong cheese...Welsh cheddar would be perfect (there’s an excellent brand, Colliers, you can usually find at Costco).

 

 

Storing:

You can store in an airtight tin, at room temperature, for up to a week (but we tend to eat it in a couple of days at our house!).

 This is exactly the sort of thing that the Dowager Duchess Althea and her housemate, retired army nurse and private eye Mavis MacDonald, would enjoy for tea at the Dower House on the Chellingworth Estate, in Powys, Wales. If you fancy joining them, why not try my WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries? They feature cozy Welsh murder mysteries, and, in addition to the titular case, there are always a couple of “side-cases” in each book for good measure. The thirteen in the series, The Case of the Petrified Potter, was published in July.

About Cathy:

Cathy Ace’s WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries feature four softly poached female PIs solving cozy cases from a Welsh stately home, while her Cait Morgan Mysteries feature a globetrotting Welsh Canadian criminal psychologist who solves traditional whodunits alongside her retired-cop husband, Bud Anderson (the TV production of the series is being developed by Free@LastTV). Shortlisted for Canada’s Bony Blithe Award three times, winning once, Cathy’s also won IPPY and IBA Awards, as well as the CrimeFictionLover Editor’s Choice Award for Best Indie Novel. She’s been shortlisted for Crime Writers of Canada Awards three times. Cathy migrated from Wales aged 40, and now lives in Canada.

Bara Brith is one of my go-to recipes. Let us know in the comments what your favorite sweet treat is to "whip up" when you need a bit of a "fix" for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of one of the books. Contest open to US and Canadian entries. Contest closes Wednesday September 16, 2026