Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: 02/01/2014

Friday, February 28, 2014

Potato Something Else

by Sheila Connolly

Have I mentioned that I'm title-challenged? My choice seldom makes it to the cover of a book. So I had no idea what to call this dish, but it tastes good anyway.

Okay, you’ve served the big meal to friends and relatives, and at the end of it all you find you have half a bowl of mashed potatoes left over. You’re too thrifty to throw them out, but there’s not enough left to stretch for another meal. If you work from home, you might just microwave them and eat them for lunch. What a thrill—not!

A bonus picture--a peeler I
bought in Italy. It's a terrible
peeler, but it's so cute!

But! I have a recipe! You can use up your leftovers and have a tasty side dish! (Oh, all right, you can make new mashed potatoes to do this too. Or—gasp!—make them from a box.)

The leftover potatoes--not too exciting, eh?

3 cups of mashed potatoes

2 eggs

2 Tblsp melted butter

1/3 cup sour cream

1 heaping cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped chives or parsley

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a metal pan.

If the potatoes have been refrigerated, let them come to room temperature.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs, then mix in the sour cream. Stir in both cheeses (reserve a little for sprinkling over the top of the dish), the chives and/or parsley, and the melted butter. Add the mixture to the potatoes and mix well (it may end up a little lumpy, depending on the consistency of your potatoes, but it won’t affect the results—this is not a soufflé!).

Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese (you can dot the top with butter if you are so inclined). Bake 25- 35 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Before...and after

Remove from the oven and let the dish cool 5 minutes in the pan. Top with sour cream if you like.

I reduced this recipe by half (hey, there are only two of us eating it!) and it worked fine. You can experiment with different cheeses as well—I’ve been eyeing my goat cheese crumbles…

This goes well as a side dish for a simple sautéed or broiled meat, like pork chops.

Two weeks on the New York Times bestseller list!

But you may not have heard that my ebook Relatively Dead is currently on the top 100 Amazon Ebook General list and the top 100 USA Today General list!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Mini-Banana Splits for Book Clubs @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: Being a writer is very hard work, right ladies? I don't know about the rest of you, but one of the best rewards for having written is the chance to meet with readers-especially book clubs and groups!

Last week, I was invited to meet with a group that has been reading and discussing for over twenty years. All of the women live somewhere on the Florida Keys, at least part time. (Though we did have one wonderful woman who'd come all the way from Miami to meet me. That may not sound so far to you, but it's a four hour drive--on a good day!) We had a marvelous meal at the Banana Cafe in Key West, with lots of laughter and chatter about their friendships and their lives and food, and of course, the Key West mysteries. (By the way, there is a fun scene in DEATH AND FOUR COURSES that takes place at the Banana Cafe.) Oh, how grateful I am when readers love one of my characters, even to the point where they might begin to believe she's real:). They brought me a rose and bought me a delicious yellowtail snapper dinner--I felt like a star and it was delightful!

As an additional treat, Jan brought me a bag of mini-bananas from her backyard tree. I like bananas a lot, but my husband is an addict. And he pronounced these little guys the best he'd ever eaten. So I knew I had to made something special with them.

But I'm also on a crushing deadline. (That's writer-speak for way the heck behind!) Then it came to me--mini banana splits! So easy and forgiving:)

Ingredients:

Bananas, split
Ice cream
Other fruit of your choice, chopped
Nuts
Chocolate ganache or other syrup

Split the bananas!

Cut the fruit (I used strawberries and mango)

Arrange scoops of ice cream over the bananas

Sprinkle with nuts, nestle fruit around the edges

Drizzle with syrup. (I happened to have some homemade ganache on hand, but anything you choose will do!)

Enjoy!

Speaking of thanks, thanks to all the readers who bought MURDER WITH GANACHE over the past weeks. If you haven't gotten yours yet, GANACHE can be purchased wherever books are sold.
And please stay up on all the Key West foodie news by following Lucy on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

In this compelling mystery Burdette successfully balances the serious topics of homeless youth and divided families with bad tourist cuisine, excellent cooking, and a mother’s quest to find true love for her daughter. Hayley may lose her mind, her job, and possibly her life, but she will always have her family’s love. Not to mention an appreciation of excellent food. Kings River Life

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Is it stew or beef Bourdelaise?

From Daryl / Avery:

Last week's winner for the book giveaway is:

Linda R!

Congrats! I'll be in touch via email.

Look below for this week's giveaway!

I'm gearing up for the release of the next Cookbook Nook Mystery: INHERIT THE WORD. It releases next week! Have you pre-ordered?

In order to gear up for PR or writing this fun series, I start browsing cookbooks looking for recipes. I love going through cookbooks and cooking magazines.

But this week, I brought out my old trusty-dusty The Gourmet Cookbook Volume I. When I was a teen and I was really getting into cooking, my grandmother bought me this cookbook. She also bought me a subscription to Gourmet Magazine. Remember that one? Gone now, but so wonderful when I was receiving it. Filled with glorious pictures and recipes, some of which I’d make, others that I would dream about.

The recipe I’m sharing today is a go-to recipe for me. Stew. In Gourmet it’s called Ragoût de Boeuf Bordelaise (Beef Ragout Bordeaux). I'm not French. That title is just too hard for me...so, stew.

I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years. When I first was making this recipe, I didn’t eat bacon. I know, weird, right??? But I was sort of quirky during my high school years. I wanted to be skinny-skinny. I thought it mattered. Yes, I was anorexic (before people knew it was an epidemic). I am a Type-A personality; there's no doubt about it. I was lucky to survive the experience. Now I love to eat. Phew!! The recipe also called for turnips. I mean, c’mon, really? Does anyone like turnips?

So, I’ll make mention of what the original recipe calls (like bacon fat), but I’ll tell you what I used instead. Do what you will. J

No matter what, enjoy what you eat. Enjoy the experience of cooking. Have fun!

PS This recipe would make a great dinner for the Academy Awards...coming Sunday. I hope Ellen does a great job.

Ragoût de Boeuf Bordelaise

3 pounds beef stew cubes.

1 cup red Bordeaux (moderately priced red wine, like Gallo)

1 teaspoon salt

2 whole cloves (really important!)

1 large bay leaf

1 garlic clove, crushed

8 grinds of a peppermill

4 tablespoons oil (recipe calls for 4 slices of bacon, cooked *see below)

2-4 cups beef stock (I make sure mine is gluten-free)

1 teaspoon bouquet garni (I used Penzey’s; a mixture rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram, sage, tarragon, dill)

2 carrots chopped into slices

12 white onions (I used 1 large yellow onion, chopped into eighths)

12 mushroom caps

12 white turnip balls (did not say how many; can be omitted, IMHO)

1 ½ cups cooked peas, if desired (I love peas, but I don’t add these)
2-3 quartered potatoes (I use red potatoes)

Directions:

Put the meat in a deep dish and add 1 cup red wine, salt, cloves, bay leaf, crushed garlic, and crushed pepper. Stir and marinate for 1 hour in he refrigerator. Stir occasionally.

In a sauté pan, cook 4 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces, and fry them over low heat OR heat up 4 tablespoons of oil. Drain the beef cubes, RESERVING the marinade, and add the beef to the bacon fat or oil. Sear over high heat until the meat is almost black all over.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Transfer the meat and oil to a flameproof casserole, add the marinade and heat to boiling. Add 2-4 cups beef stock and bouqet garni. Bring to boil again and boil for 10 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the vegetables (HOLD OFF ON ADDING THE MUSHROOMS). Bake the ragout, covered, in a moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 1 ¼ hours. Add mushrooms now. If desired, stir in 1 ½ cups cooked green peas. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve hot.

By the way, INHERIT THE WORD got a great review in Library Journal:

"Readers will relish the extensive cookbook suggestions, the cooking primer, and the whole foodie phenomenon. Gerber’s perky tone with a multigenerational cast makes this series a good match for Lorna Barrett (“Booktown Mystery” series) and Nancy J. Parra (“A Baker’s Treat” series)." [High praise, indeed!]

For the book giveaway this week, leave a comment with your email included. If you tweet or share on Facebook, tell me in your comment and you'll be entered TWICE.

I'll give you your choice of one of the Cheese Shop mysteries, including the latest DAYS OF WINE AND ROQUEFORT, or a copy of FINAL SENTENCE, the 1st in the Cookbook Nook mysteries. I'll announce the winner next week. Good luck!

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

Friend Daryl on Facebook

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Check out our website.

Days of Wine and Roquefort
is out!
order here

Inherit the Word
is almost here!
preorder here

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so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

How to make Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites #dairyfree #glutenfree by Cleo Coyle

Chocolate and peanut butter make a classic combo. According to US sales, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the #1 candy in America, and our household definitely contributed to that stat. Last fall, I even blogged an easy recipe for Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cake...

To download my recipe for this Easy Reese's
Peanut Butter Cup Cake, click here.

My husband, Marc, is an especially devoted fan. Though he and I grew up in different Western Pennsylvania towns, we both well remember family trips to Hershey, PA.

We often throw Reese's minis in the freezer, especially in the summer months. They keep well and when you pop them in your mouth, they taste like an ice cream treat.

The problem? It's candy. Not the healthiest of daily treats.

A Healthier Alternative?

A few years back, Trader Joe's introduced Chocolate Covered Banana Slices. While this is a great idea, they sell out fast.

Today's recipe solved two problems for us:

(1) We can have chocolate covered banana slices whenever we want and...

(2) By adding peanut butter, these treats
nicely replace our Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cravings.

After a night in the freezer, the chocolate-enrobed
banana slices become wonderfully creamy, much like
ice cream. The flavor of banana becomes less pronounced,
letting the more powerful notes of chocolate and
peanut butter drench your tongue with that classically
satisfying combo.

This is a treat I make all the time.
I hope you enjoy it as much as Marc and I do...

~ Cleo

Cleo Coyle is author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries.
Learn more by clicking here.

Cleo Coyle's
Frozen Chocolate
Peanut Butter
Banana Bites

Trader Joe's went bananas a few years ago by introducing frozen chocolate covered banana slices, and many people went bananas over them.

Making your own is easy and economical. Even better, you can be selective about the ingredients and make them as healthy (or as decadent) as you like.

My two little contributions to this relatively simple process are...

(1) The addition of peanut butter sandwiched between the slices and...

(2) The use of Almond Milk in creating the chocolate coating.

Almond Milk not only contributes wonderful flavor to the chocolate, it also lets dairy-free eaters enjoy the treat.

FYI - Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate has great health benefits, but ingesting dairy milk with it can lessen those benefits

If you are a dairy-free eater, be sure to purchase dairy-free chocolate for the recipes. Below is just one example of a product that can help you out...

The "Enjoy Life" brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips are dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free, click here to learn more, read reviews, and/or purchase.

The recipe below is easy but can be tricky. I included some tips that I hope will help you get the best results. May you eat with joy...and in good health!

~ Cleo

To download this recipe

in a PDF document that

you can print, save,

or share, click here.

Click here
to download.

Makes 10 to 12 Banana Bites

Ingredients:

1 banana, ripe but still firm (medium to large)

2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons peanut butter or almond or cashew butter

3 ounces chocolate chips (depending on their size, that's usually 1/2 cup to a heaping 1/2 cup in volume)

1 tablespoon Almond Milk (darker chocolates may need more)

Health notes on options for chocolate and peanut butter...

*Chocolate note: You can use any chocolate chips you like: milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet, or dark. In my photos today, I used Nestle Dark Chocolate Morsels. If you are a dairy-free and/or gluten free eater, be sure to pick up chocolate chips that say dairy-free or gluten free on the packaging.

*Healthiest chocolate choice: Dark chocolate has wonderful health benefits, click here to read more about them. Note that you may need to use more Almond Milk for darker chocolates.

*Peanut butter note: Use any peanut butter you like--or almond butter or cashew butter. For a healthy suggestion, try Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter. One of this blog's followers, Libby D., recommended it, and I agree with her. It's one of the best-tasting natural peanut butters on the market. No sugar or preservatives. Just two ingredients: peanuts and a small amount of salt. For more suggestions on natural peanut butters, see the link in the caption to the right. >>

To read a brand vs. brand comparison

on "Natural" Peanut Butters, click here.

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1 - Create the PB banana sandwiches:

Cut your ripe but firm banana into thin slices, pairing slices by size. Make sure you have at least 12 pairs (24 slices). Smear peanut butter on half of the slices, one for each pair.

Put the slices together like little sandwiches. You should now have 12 little peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

Step 2: - Melt the chocolate: Pour the chocolate chips into a clean, dry, shallow microwave-safe bowl. Pour the almond milk over the chocolate and stir to coat the pieces well.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave with care. Once you boil or burn chocolate, its taste is ruined and there is no saving it. Zap it for 20 seconds, stir. Zap again in small bursts until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth (see my photos).

Step 3 - Troubleshoot (adjust): If the chocolate seems a little thick for dipping, try the following. Pour a very small amount (1 teaspoon) more of the almond milk onto the chocolate. DO NOT MIX IN. Place the bowl back in the microwave and zap for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove and stir. The chocolate should be looser. If you it's still too thick, repeat until you get the desired consistency. If chocolate becomes difficult to work with, return it to the microwave and re-warm it.

Double-Boiler option: You can also place a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water and create a double boiler. Place the chocolate and almond milk in the bowl and stir until melted. Then dip the banana bites into the bowl. While a little more trouble, this method has the advantage of keeping your chocolate warm and pliable through the entire dipping process.

Step 4 - Dip and freeze: One at a time, drop the PB banana sandwiches into the bowl of melted chocolate.

Using two forks, gently flip the little banana sandwich, moving the chocolate around it until it is coated. Lift the coated banana bite with one fork, allowing the chocolate to drip off...

Be patient and get as much excess chocolate off the bite as you can. Place on a flat pan or plate that's been covered with parchment paper or wax paper.

WARNING: If you don't use wax paper or parchment paper, the chocolate will stick to the surface of your dish or pan as it dries and freezes.

Ask me how I know. :)

Place your finished bites in the freezer for about 3 hours
or overnight. These are frozen treats, delicious right out
of the freezer. Think of them like ice cream bites.

If serving for a party, keep them frozen
as long as possible. Like ice cream, they will
begin to melt after about 15 to 20 minutes
out of the freezer.

To download
Magic Shell recipe,
click here.

MAGIC SHELL OPTION

I like the fudgy chocolate this recipe produces because it re-creates the

chewiness of a rich candy.

If you'd rather make a crisp, thin, hard "Magic Chocolate" shell for your banana slices, that's an easy variation. Just use coconut oil instead of almond milk. For the correct ratios, see my Coffeehouse Banana Split recipe by clicking here.