Red Potatoes with Cheddar

Color. I love color. Don't you? A color can describe your life on any particular day. Some days you're a red, some days blue, some days black as a moonless night.

I just went to a writers and fans conference, called Left Coast Crime. It was set in colorful Santa Fe, New Mexico. I'd never been to the area. It was 7,000 plus elevation. The air was thin. The sky crystal blue.The colors of the adobe buildings oranges and reds and dusky browns with splashes of turquoise. We were hit with wind the first day that nearly blew me over.

Though most of a conference is spent indoors at seminars and meals, I took the time to wander the town. It is filled with artisans, churches and museums. It was first lived in by Pueblo Indians and then conquered by the Spanish, but in the 20th century, it became a haven for artists. Georgia O'Keefe, Gorman, and so many more. They embraced the colors and the ways of the Pueblo Indians.

Today, though the town feels like it caters to tourists (and therefore there's lots of stuff for sale at prices that can vary through the day), there were still a few places that felt untouched, holy, and essential.

[This staircase is in the Loretto Chapel and has a miraculous history to it. Click this link if you want to know more.]

Inspired by the colors and flavors of the week, I made a simple dish that will go well with anything you serve. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Red potatoes with cheddar has a zest that makes this side dish stand out from the crowd.

[Note: you can't see the bacon because I put it on the potatoes first and then covered with the mound of cheddar and sprinkled with paprika. After all, cheddar is my main focus.]

RED POTATOES WITH CHEDDAR

Ingredients:

1 red potato, diced

2 slices bacon

½ yellow onion, chopped fine

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons bacon grease

2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon paprika

Directions:

In sauté pan, cook bacon, five minutes on medium high. Flip and cook another five minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels. Reserve grease.

Dice onion and potatoes. (Do not remove the skin of the potato). Saute on LOW in the reserved bacon grease for ten minutes. Season with salt and white pepper. Cook another fifteen minutes on medium low.

Divide into two portions. Top with bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and paprika.

[**You can also set paper towels on a plate, lay out the bacon in strips on top, cover with another piece of paper towel, and bake in your microwave. I start with 2 minutes on high, check, and cook another minute at a time until done to your taste. But if you do this, you will need to use 3-4 tablespoons of oil in the recipe to saute.]

Enjoy!

**********

By the way, as I approach the launch of LOST AND FONDUE I'm going to do a blog tour. I'll be offering a number of different "prizes" for those who comment on the tour. Check out my event calendar to get in on the contests. The first is April 11.

Also, a SNEAK PREVIEW of LOST AND FONDUE is up on my website. Click here to read.

If you'd like to know more about A Cheese Shop Mystery series and want to download a few other recipes from me (on recipe cards), click on this link to my website: Avery Aames. I've posted recipes in the "morsels" section. There's lots of other fun stuff, as well.

And last but not least, sign up for the mailing list to get in on the next contest...I'll be having a big launch contest for May 3.

Say cheese!

*******

So what color is your life today and why?

Quick Bacon and Mushroom Pasta

Ah spring! The young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love—and mine turn to volunteering. :)

Spring is a busy time of year for my children. There are field trips, band competitions, camping trips and more. I try to help out and be part of the fun when I can.

Tomorrow I’m going to Raleigh, North Carolina (our state capital) on a field trip with my daughter’s 4th grade class. We’ll be learning all about state government—and even taking a detour to a museum of natural history. It’ll be a full day there—pre-dawn until nightfall.

These trips are a lot of fun, but they do require a little schedule maneuvering. And I like to make things as easy as possible for myself leading up to the outings— cooking easy meals that I know by heart, for example. Meals like bacon and mushroom pasta.

This dish also reheats nicely—a good thing, since any leftovers will be ready for my husband and son to heat up for supper while my daughter and I are away. You could use broccoli instead of peas, linguini instead of rotini, half-and-half or heavy cream in place of the cream cheese, and a variety of different cheeses for the topping. It’s a good go-with-the-flow kind of recipe.

Quick Bacon and Mushroom Pasta

1/2 lb. pasta (I used a whole-wheat rotini)
4 slices chopped bacon
4 oz.cubed cream cheese
small can sliced mushrooms
1 stalk green onion
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup milk
¾ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp Red pepper flakes (cayenne pepper)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Fry bacon until crisp, then remove it from skillet, reserving 2 T of drippings. Drain bacon on paper towels.

Add green onions, mushrooms, and peas to the skillet, cooking for several minutes before adding the milk, red pepper, and cream cheese to the pan. Cook on low heat until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture is heated through.

Drain the noodles and stir in the bacon and cream cheese mixture, sprinkling the Romano cheese on the top before serving.

Have fun and enjoy the spring!

Riley/Elizabeth
Delicious and Suspicious (July 6 2010) Riley Adams
Pretty is as Pretty Dies –Elizabeth Spann Craig

Maple Madness: Smoky-Sweet Maple Vinaigrette from Cleo Coyle



Stack your pancakes, everyone. All that frigid, white stuff that blanketed the Northeast this winter is going to give us a banner year in maple production, according to a recent story in The Wall Street Journal.

Cleo Coyle, mad for maple,
is author of The
Coffeehouse Mysteries

"Icy nights and warmer days are essential to a good syrup season," wrote reporter Kristen Miglore. "The end-of-winter rhythm of freeze and thaw coaxes sap from the trees for as long as they can resist the urge to bud, usually four to six weeks..."

That's right, this is the season for tapping trees and boiling down maple syrup. For far too many years, I mistakenly thought winter was the time for maple syrup production. (My romantic notion was, no doubt, engendered by the plethora of bucolic photos showing snowy Vermont woods with slate gray buckets hanging from craggy, brown tree trunks.)

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Spring is the season of sugar! One fine year, I hope to visit a maple syrup farm in Upstate New York or New England. Until then, I'll have to content myself with the fruits of the farmers' labors via online shopping (or a trip to my local market). On the other hand, thanks to our friends at YouTube, we can take a *virtual* trip north anytime...

For those of you interested in how
maple syrup is made, take a *virtual* trip
with me to the Bushee family farm in Vermont...

With all that sweet maple syrup on its way, I’ll be sharing some maple recipes with you over the next few weeks, starting with a few suggested by chefs quoted in The Wall Street Journal...

Maple Ice cream Topping

New York Chef Gabrielle Hamilton (of restaurant Prune) told The Journal she enjoys serving butter pecan ice cream "drowned" in a pool of syrup, finished with a shower of coarse salt. I haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds like heaven—and surely looks like that legendary Yankee treat of "sugar on snow" when hot maple syrup is poured over a bowl of freshly fallen snow.

Maple Marinade

Once again, according to The Journal, the cooks at the Vermont restaurant Michael’s on the Hill steep trout in a maple brine, along with caraway, fennel, and celery leaves. The trout is then smoked over maple chips and served with a horseradish crème fraiche. A lovely idea to try at home with trout or pork or...well, The Journal suggests that anything from "duck breast to pigs’ feet" can benefit from long soak in maple and salt.

Maple Dressing

When Chef Tony Maws (at Craigie on Main in Boston) suggested maple as an "almost sinister substitute for honey in a vinaigrette," I had to try it that night for dinner. Unfortunately, Chef Maws didn't share a specific recipe, so I experimented with a favorite honey-mustard dressing and came up with a delicious smoky-sweet salad dressing that I've been enjoying for a weeks now. I hope you do, too...

Cleo Coyle's

Maple Vinaigrette

Maple can offer a smoky-sweet note to many dishes. In this salad dressing, it serves as a sultry substitute for honey.

For a free PDF of this recipe, along with a bonus recipe for my Leftover Champagne Vinaigrette, click here.

 

Servings: This recipe makes about ¼ cup of dressing, enough to dress 4 small salads or 2 large ones

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 teaspoons maple syrup
4 teaspoons lemon juice*
Sea salt and ground pepper (to your taste)

*Yes, there is no vinegar in my maple vinaigrette, but I really do prefer the flavor of the lemon juice in this dressing.

Directions: First, please note that I'm using both Tablespoons and teaspoons in this recipe, so be sure not to confuse those measurements. Using a fork, whisk up the olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Pour over fresh greens and toss. Add sea salt and ground pepper to your taste. (See below for my favorite salad using this dressing.)

Cleo's Spinach Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Servings: This recipe makes 4 small salads or 2 large ones

Ingredients:

9 - 10 ounces (about 12 cups) fresh, raw spinach (see my note)*

¼ cup maple vinaigrette (see recipe above)

2 - 3 slices bacon (I use thick-cut) cooked crispy and chopped

1 hard boil egg, chopped

*I often use the "triple-washed" packages for convenience. Fresh, bunched spinach is delicious, but be sure to wash at least three times to remove all grit.

Directions: Toss spinach leaves with vinaigrette. Garnish with bacon bits and chopped eggs, and...

Eat with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To get more of my recipes, win free coffee,

or find out more about my books, visit me
 at my *virtual* coffeehouse:

CoffeehouseMystery.com

 

Click on the book covers above
to learn more about Cleo's culinary mysteries.



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

A final, quick note for our mystery reading fans.
The latest Mystery Readers Journal with the theme Hobbies, Crafts, and Special Interests is now available.

The issue, edited by Mystery Fanfare's Janet Rudolph, includes many mystery authors who have guest posted for us over the past year. You can check out the contents by clicking here, which will also give you info on how to purchase a copy (hard or electronic) for yourself.

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

Carrot Purée

Not too long ago, a family member had some painful dental work done and couldn't chew for a few days. Soups and puddings were on the menu at first, but there came a time when something with a fresher flavor was definitely necessary.

I had never made Carrot Purée before, and now I can't figure out why I never bothered. It's a comfort food! This is a very simple recipe but it's delicious. So far all my taste testers have gobbled it up, and I suspect it's going to be on the menu at my house frequently because we enjoy it so much.

The first time I made it, I cooked the carrots with a dash of ginger, but I really don't think it made a difference. If you're a ginger fan, you might try cooking them with a slice or two of fresh ginger.

In the interest of eating healthy, I was tempted to omit the butter, but that's what makes it smooth and soothing. This serves three normal people, or two piggies with a couple of dollops left for the next day.

Puréed Carrots

8 average size carrots
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Peel carrots and cut them into chunks. Bring to a boil and cook until easily pierced with a fork.

Preheat oven to 350.


Purée the cooked carrots with the butter, lemon juice, and nutmeg. (If you have the KitchenAid food processor, use the small bowl.)





Pour the puree into an oven to table serving bowl and bake for 30 minutes.




Serve as a side dish with almost anything!

Enjoy!

Welcome Guest Blogger - Libby Fischer Hellmann!

A quick note from Julie ~

Chicago mystery authors are a pretty tight bunch and I'm very pleased today to be able to feature my friend Libby Fischer Hellmann here on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. I've known Libby since before my first book came out and I've been constantly amazed by her willingness to volunteer, her tireless promotion on behalf of others, and - of course - her writing talent.

I blame ... er, I mean, thank ... Libby for getting me involved as an officer of the Midwest chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Seriously, I enjoyed all four years of service as veep and then president. I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world.

Libby has a brand new book out, SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE (it's excellent!), but I'll let her tell you more about it.

Take it away, Libby ~

______

I consider cooking a creative sport, and, unfortunately, one at which I don’t excel. Most of my creative energy goes to writing, but I do envy those of you who can cook, invent recipes, and write mysteries at the same time. I can’t. Now that both my kids have flown the coop, I don’t cook often. In fact, when I had to cook every night, I remember asking my sister for a list of side dishes, beyond an obligatory can of LeSueur peas and salad.

That isn’t to say that over the years I haven’t stolen – er-- developed a few dishes that I cook well and often. I have a very fancy Cornish Hen recipe on a bed of spinach with a cranberry glaze and cous-cous, and if you beg, I’ll give you the recipe. I also have a recipe, allegedly from Bon Appetit, for the best Caponata you’ve ever put in your mouth.

But in the spirit of keeping it real, and, more important, easy, I’d like to share one of my favorite dishes that you can literally throw together in minutes for family or guests.

Chicken Marsala

¼ cup flour for coating

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp oregano

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs olive oil

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

½ cup Marsala wine

¼ cup cooking sherry

Chicken pieces (up to 8)

Combine spices and flour. Coat chicken on both sides.

Melt butter and olive oil in fry pan. Brown chicken on both sides. Add mushrooms, liquids. Simmer on stovetop 15 mins or to taste

Serve with pasta or whatever

Speaking of Chicken…

There just happens to be a significant scene in SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE that involves cooking fried chicken. For those of you who don’t know, STNOF is my 7^th novel and first stand-alone thriller. It’s set mostly in the present but the middle section goes back to the late Sixties, when 6 activists lived together in Chicago’s Old Town. One of the young women is from a wealthy family and has never cooked before, so the other young woman is teaching her how to fry chicken, and, at the same time, raise her political consciousness.

Here’s the excerpt…

The chicken crackled, sending a hearty aroma through the apartment. Alix was draining a few pieces on paper towels when Rain said, “Alix, we need to talk.”

“About what?”

Rain turned from the stove. “Have you ever wondered why we’re the ones always cooking and cleaning, and the guys don’t...”

“That’s just the way it is.”

“Well, it shouldn’t be.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve been organizing down at The Seed.”

“Organizing what?”

“A women’s caucus. We do all the grunt work. But men make the decisions and take the credit. That has to change.”

Alix reached for the spatula. “What does a women’s caucus do?”

“It will start to raise consciousness that women are just as oppressed as—the blacks, say—and need to be liberated.”

“Oh, come on, Rain. Black people and women are equally oppressed?”

“Come on, you. Who’s in the kitchen frying chicken? Do you see any of the men helping? We aren’t much more than cooks to them. Or wombs.”

“You can’t change biology.”

“Biology gave us brains as well as vaginas. We are half the population. Have you ever thought what the world would be like if women had an equal voice? We need to create our own power base.”

After a pause Alix said, “I don’t know, Rain. You know I’m not political.”

Rain’s glasses reflected the light, making them sparkle. “This isn’t politics. It’s survival.”

“I just don’t know. Between Billy, and the jewelry, and Dar . . . ”

From the living room, Billy coughed again. Alix stiffened.

Rain turned back to the frying pan. “Oh, never mind. You’re hopeless.”

Btw, that really happened. I hope it resonated with you. And thanks, Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen for having me!

DESCRIPTION:

Someone is trying to kill Lila Hilliard. During the Christmas holidays she returns from running errands to find her family home in flames, her father and brother trapped inside. Later, she is attacked by a mysterious man on a motorcycle. . . and the threats don't end there. As Lila desperately tries to piece together who is after her and why, she uncovers information about her father's past in Chicago during the volatile days of the late 1960s . . . information he never shared with her, but now threatens to destroy her. Part thriller, part historical novel, and part love story, Set the Night on Fire paints an unforgettable portrait of Chicago during a turbulent time: the riots at the Democratic Convention . . . the struggle for power between the Black Panthers and SDS . . . and a group of young idealists who tried to change the world.

REVIEWS:

"A tremendous book - sweeping but intimate, elegiac but urgent, subtle but intense. This story really does set the night on fire." --Lee Child

"A brilliantly-paced thriller, transitioning seamlessly from modern-day Chicago to the late '60s. First-rate characterization...Best to start early in the day, as it is easy to stay up all night reading it." --Foreword Magazine

"RT Top Pick for December: "Electric... a marvelous novel."
--RT Book Reviews

"Set the Night on Fire is a compelling story of love, truth and redemption. This will be a break-out novel for this talented writer. Highly recommended." --Sheldon Siegel, NYTImes bestselling author of Perfect Alibi

"A top-rate thriller that taps into the antiwar protests of the 1960s... A jazzy fusion of past and present, Hellman's insightful, politically charged whodunit explores a fascinating period in American history."
--Publishers Weekly

(There are an additional 20 reviews on Amazon)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Libby Fischer Hellmann is the award-winning author of four Ellie Foreman mysteries and two Georgia Davis mystery-thrillers, as well as the two volume short story collection, Nice Girl Does Noir. She also edited the highly praised crime fiction anthology, Chicago Blues. She has lived in the Chicago area for over thirty years. Set the Night on Fire is her first stand-alone novel. More at http://libbyhellmann.com

Frugal and Healthy II: Black Bean Chilaquiles

Many threads of my life are leading me to this particular recipe at this particular moment in time.

First, Julie posted that wonderful idea for using leftover baked chicken yesterday, and that got me thinking "frugal" and "healthy". This recipe definitely fits the bill.

Second, I've been thinking a lot about my dear friend Liz lately. Liz is not much of a cook, so when we get together for TV and dinner, it is often at my house. I made chilaquiles for her a few times and eventually she asked for the recipe (specifically, she asked for the recipe for "nacho casserole," but I knew what she meant). She's not much of a cook, my friend Liz. But this is something she can handle. In fact, she had a big party at her house last summer, and she made chilaquiles for 20!

When I had my surgery last summer, Liz brought a pan--a beautiful celadon ceramic pan--of chilaquiles over for Mr. Wendy and me to have for dinner. Shortly thereafter, she left on a Fulbright scholarship in Ireland. Somehow in the chaos of her packing up to leave, we never got her pan back to her. So, while she's been gone, Liz's celadon ceramic pan has become the official Wat-Hawk Household Chilaquile Pan.

Every time we make them, which is often, I think of her. And when she returns this summer, we may have a fight on our hands ... she'll probably want the pan back, but it's really just perfect.

Anyway, I'm once again laid up with my bum foot, and tonight Mr. Wendy is making--you guessed it--chilaquiles for our dinner. In the celadon ceramic pan.

Healthy, frugal, AND it makes me think of a wonderful friend. What more could you ask for from dinner?

Black Bean Chilaquiles

(Adapted from a recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.)

Printer Friendly Version

2 c. crushed baked tortilla chips*

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 c. frozen corn

1/2 jalepeno, seeded and minced (optional) OR a dash ground chipotle

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

approximately 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice (optional)

8 oz. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

2 c. jarred picante or salsa

* I prefer to make my own. I use 14 extra thin corn tortillas for this recipe. Preheat oven to 375. Lay tortillas on the middle rack of the oven and bake, rotating and flipping, for 4-5 minutes, until light brown and crisp. You will have to do this in 2-3 batches.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix beans, corn, tomatoes, garlic, pepper, spices, and lime juice in a large skillet or saute pan. Cook over medium heat until hot and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Spray a 9 inch square pan with non-stick spray. Crush and sprinkle half of the corn tortillas (or chips) in bottom of pan. Using a slotted spoon (to leave behind the liquid), spoon the bean mixture into the pan. Drizzle with 1/2 the picante or salsa, then sprinkle with half the grated cheese. Top with remaining chips, remaining cheese, and remaining salsa. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cheese has melted and started to brown.

Eat Healthy and frugally! Chicken Tortilla Roll-Ups

Not exactly a recipe today, but more an idea of how to creatively use leftovers while still trying to eat healthy.

I made chicken the other day. I used one of my favorite (and easy) methods because it always goes over well with the poultry eaters here. It's not enough of a recipe to actually post, but I'll tell you what I do:

Cut up boneless chicken breasts into thirds (kinda). Place them in a Ziploc bag. Pour in some Wishbone Italian Salad dressing. Smoosh the bag around so they all get coated. Place Ziploc in baking pan in refrigerator for at least an hour. I like it to marinate for at least four. Remove baking dish from fridge. Pour entire contents into baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees until chicken is done. I can't remember exactly how long. Until the chicken juices run clear. You'll know.

See why this isn't a real recipe?

Okay, so we had that the other day with salad, veggies, etc. The whole dinner thing.

But I realized I'd made too much. We'd all had plenty but there was a *lot* of chicken leftover. What to do?

Well, I had some tortillas here. A whole pack in fact. Unfortunately, they weren't the whole grain kind, they were plain flour tortillas (me, I prefer corn).

A light bulb went on. I tore (er, I mean, sliced) the leftover chicken into bite size pieces, placed a scant smear of mayo on the tortilla, added fresh sliced green, red, and yellow peppers, and (CHEESE - forgot to mention this earlier... so this is a correction. I also added a little cheese!) then rolled them up. I secured them with toothpicks, covered the plate, placed them back in the fridge and whenever anyone was hungry - which happens a lot around here - they had a quick and tasty snack. Perfect.

BTW, I added onions to about 1/3 of them. I love onions on just about anything but my husband doesn't really tolerate them well anymore. I think he overdid it early in life... just saying...

Anyway, I offered these to the family and they went nuts. They loved these. I mean, they raved about them. I couldn't get over it. Honestly? I think the idea of having something quick to grab that they didn't have to put together themselves was what sold them. But I had to admit, they were pretty good. I was very happy with them, myself.

Don't you just love improvising? I do!

Speaking of which, I'm just beginning to write Grace #3 (improvisation, for sure!), which I'm tentative calling GRACE AMONG THIEVES. I like that. I hope Berkley does, too.

Have a great weekend!

Julie

By the way, I'm still offering bookmarks for GRACE INTERRUPTED - The book comes out in June and I'm asking readers to take five bookmarks to share with friends. If you'd like some bookmarks, just send me an email at JulieHyzy (at) gmail (dot) com. More than 5 is okay, too, just let me know how many you'd like and where to send them. U.S. addresses only, please!

Fruit au gratin - delish!

I'm at Left Coast Conference starting today. This is a fun writers' and fans' conference, set in the beautiful town

of Santa Fe. I've never visited Santa Fe before, but I'm looking forward to drinking in the local atmosphere. I hear the colors are fabulous. There are a number of chocolate shops and a few local co-op markets I intend to check out for cheese. I will report back.

In the meantime...

I ADORE SPRING. I love the temperatures, blue skies, and the aroma of fresh fruits and flowers. I had family over for a little barbecue (always needed to ring in the onset of spring), and decided to try a new fruit tart that I'd seen in the newspaper Food Section. The recipe included mascarpone cheese. I had to try it, right?

So, I liked the recipe, but I decided to tweak it by adding Amaretto liqueur. Glad I did. It gave the tart a smoothness that was incredible. But of course, it can be made without it. :)

This is easy, quick, and delicious cold for breakfast (if you have an extra one left over). Oh, yeah. I love "leftovers."

FRUIT AU GRATIN

Ingredients:

Serves 4

8 amaretti cookies, crumbled

2 cups fresh fruit, in bite-sized pieces (more if desired)

1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese, room temperature

4 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

Heat broiler an set the rack about four inches from the heating element.

Divide the amaretti cookies into the 4 gratin or ramekin dishes. Divide the fruit evenly over the top and press down to make fruit “even.”

In a large bowl, whis the mascarpone, the honey, the liqueur and cornstarch (or potato starch) until evenly combined. Dollop the cheese mixture onto the fruit. Spread with a spoon. It will be sticky and probably won’t cover the whole thing evenly. That’s fine.

Put the dishes on a tray and set under the broiler for 1 -2 minutes, but watch them like a hawk. You do NOT want them to burn.

Remove from heat and cool for three minutes before serving. Dishes will be warm.

Note: Amaretti cookies are almond macaroons. I found them in the grocery store in a sealed tins.

Note: Mascarpone can be subbed out with cream cheese or crème fraiche.

***********

By the way, as I approach the launch of LOST AND FONDUE I'm going to do a blog tour. I'll be offering a number of different "prizes" for those who comment on the tour. Check out my event calendar to get in on the contests.

Also, a SNEAK PREVIEW of LOST AND FONDUE is up on my website. Click here to read.

If you'd like to know more about A Cheese Shop Mystery series and want to download a few other recipes from me (on recipe cards), click on this link to my website: Avery Aames. I've posted recipes in the "morsels" section. There's lots of other fun stuff, as well.

And last but not least, sign up for the mailing list to get in on the next contest...coming every two weeks as I approach the launch of L&F in May.

Say cheese!

Chicken Crescent Rolls

Do you have favorite recipes to fall back on? I have a lot of them. I think that’s because my memory isn’t the greatest and sometimes I’ll be at the store and trying to find ingredients to piece together a supper for the family…and I forgot to make a list. Fortunately, there are quite a few recipes that I prepare enough to know by heart.

The recipe for chicken crescent rolls is one of those fallback recipes for me. I thought I surely had already made it or a variation of it for Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen—but after a thorough search, I was surprised to find that I hadn’t! I’m going to make amends right now and share it with y’all. It’s another quick and easy concoction and you can make it a variety of different ways. You could even make smaller amounts or cut them in half and serve these as appetizers.

Chicken Crescent Rolls
Printer-friendly PDF

Ingredients
6 oz cooked, chopped chicken
4 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped mushroom
2 T diced green onion
1 pkg crescent rolls (can of 8)
1 T melted butter
3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine chopped chicken, chopped mushroom, green onion, and softened cream cheese in a bowl.

Unfold crescent rolls into rectangles. Separate until there are 2 rectangles (perforations pinched together) to form a larger rectangle (there will be 4 rectangles, total). Add a 1/2 cup dollop of the chicken mixture to the center of each of the 4 rectangles.

Pull the dough up over the mixture and pinch the dough closed. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with crushed croutons. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes at 375, covering loosely with aluminum foil until the last five minutes.

Feeds 4 (or one teenage boy. Sigh.)

Riley/Elizabeth
Delicious and Suspicious (July 6 2010) Riley Adams
Pretty is as Pretty Dies –Elizabeth Spann Craig

A Writer's Snack: Crust-Free Pizza from Cleo Coyle

Yes, you're right. I promised you crust free pizza, and I aim to deliver. 

I'm showing this little pizza first for those of you who really, really need that crust.

In that case, this baby should make you happy. The pizza pictured is actually a frozen, grocery store pizza "doctored" with fresh mushrooms and sausage.

To read my Frozen Pizza Doctor post, which gives you tips on an Rx for your favorite frozen pizzas, click here and have fun...

For those of you up for a
"crust-free" pizza, well, here's what
I'm talking about today...

Cleo Coyle, fan of faux pizza,
is author of The Coffeehouse
Mysteries

Cleo Coyle's
Crust-Free Pizza

What is pizza? At its most basic, the tastes in your mouth are bright tomato sauce topped by sweet cheese and lively herbs like oregano and basil, both of which are carried on a bed of bread--three ingredients that go so well together. But, when you write for a living, spending hours and hours in front of a computer screen, a steady diet of pizza would be deadly. And so...in the spirit of "two out of three ain't bad," comes my crust-free solution.

This easy (and healthy) snack idea came to me when I was enjoying a delicious pizza bianca from a local pizzeria. The Italian cooks put fresh ricotta on the "white" pie, and I absolutely loved the combination of tangy tomato and sweet, fresh cheese.

First we'll need tomatoes. Yesterday was the first full day of Spring. Living in the Age of Irony (not to mention a town that never stops with the practical jokes), I actually watched snow fall on New York City. Oh, to see the sun again. :) Sadly, as winter lingers, so does the dearth of fine produce.

Tomatoes may be blah at this time of year, but even the blandest of tomatoes can be transformed into a truly delicious treat by the simple addition of caramelizing heat. That's why I make these babies year round, and that's the best thing of all about this healthy snack...




Cleo's Crust-Free
Pizza Bites

To get a free, illustrated PDF of this recipe that you can print, save or share, click here.




Makes 8 mini crust-free pizza bites

Ingredients

4 tomatoes
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (whole milk or part skim)
Dried oregano (sprinkling)
Sea salt, to taste
(optional additions) dried basil, dried rosemary, or an Italian Seasoning mix
Grated finishing cheese like Pecorino Romano or Parmesan

Step 1 - Slice and prep tomatoes: I like to use plum tomatoes because they slice into little oval boats that remind me of potato skins... (see picture below). Roasting these babies will create a bit of a mess. To make clean up easy, simply line the pan with aluminum foil and coat the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Place the tomatoes on the foil and coat the them with non-stick spray, as well. (You won't need to add extra oil if you do this.)

  

Step 2 - Sprinkle on spices and salt: I use sea salt and plenty of dried oregano. Certainly dried basil and rosemary would be delicious, too. Or try a pre-made "Italian Seasoning" mix from the spice aisle, whatever evokes the flavor of pizza sauce.

Step 3 - Roast the tomatoes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and roast the tomatoes for at least an hour. Do not UNDER roast these babies. You are not simply baking them, you are roasting them to the point when they caramelize and become sweet. Trust me, I've done this many times. If you do not reach a point where the tomatoes' acidic nature transforms into something sweet (as you would taste in a well-cooked pizza sauce), the combo of ricotta and roasted tomato just won't taste as good.

Step 4 - Finish with ricotta: Remove the sizzling, caramelized tomato halves from the oven. Plate them and add a tablespoon of fresh ricotta on top of each half. Garnish with another sprinkling of oregano (or Italian Seasoning mix) and your favorite salty, finishing cheese like Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, and...

Eat with joy!

 ~ Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

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The issue, edited by Mystery Fanfare's Janet Rudolph, includes many mystery authors who have guest posted for us over the past year. You can check out the contents by clicking here, which will also give you info on how to purchase a copy (hard or electronic) for yourself.

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