Welcome guest author Kate Carlisle + book #giveaway

Homemade Garden Rolls ala Kate Carlisle, Author of Eaves of Destruction

Kate Carlisle is the New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries. Kate's Fixer-Upper Mystery series is being brought to the small screen by Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, starring Jewel and Colin Ferguson. The latest book in the series is EAVES OF DESTRUCTION, available November 7. Read Chapter 1 for free at www.KateCarlisle.com.

BOOK GIVEAWAY DETAILS BELOW!

Take it away, Kate!

*

I'm always honored when Mystery Lovers Kitchen invites me to spend the day with you, but slightly intimidated, too, because the truth is, I don't cook much. More now than I used to, when we lived closer to lots of restaurants, but I tend to carefully follow recipes written by someone else. Since I'm an author, I have an overdeveloped sense of respect for other people's intellectual property, which means I don't want to share someone else's recipe on a public forum like this.

So… every time I come here, I create a brand new recipe inspired by two or three recipes I find online.

Are you impressed?

My goal each time is to create a recipe that is somehow inspired by my latest book which, this time around, is Eaves of Destruction, Fixer-Upper Mystery 5.

Shannon is hired by rival homeowners who will do anything to win Best in Show in Lighthouse Cove's annual Victorian Home and Garden Tour—until murder throws a wrench in the works. The small town’s corrupt building inspector is found dead on one of Shannon’s jobsites, and plenty of suspects come out of the woodwork. It's up to Shannon to nail down the details and build a case against the killer.

Home and Garden Tour… Home and Garden Show… Homemade Garden Rolls!!!

This recipe was inspired by a very clumsy homonym. Hey, I'm a writer. That's the way I roll—pardon the pun.

Homemade Garden Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Peanut Dipping Sauce:

¾ cup peanut butter

½ cup hot tap water

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

3 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp Tabasco

2 cloves garlic, minced

Whisk together all ingredients. Add more hot tap water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Garden Rolls:

10 spring roll wrappers (aka rice paper)

2 small avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced

½ carrot, cut into matchsticks

½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks

¼ red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

½ cup bean sprouts

4 green onions with tops, sliced or cut into matchsticks

½ cup cabbage, thinly sliced

½ cup fresh basil, sliced

½ cup fresh cilantro, sliced

Cooked and diced meat, if desired (pork, chicken, or shrimp)

If you don't like any of the vegetables mentioned above, then use whatever you like. This really is an "anything goes" kind of recipe. One very popular herb used in spring rolls is mint, so you might want to try that, too.

Fill a shallow bowl that is wider than the spring roll wrappers with warm water. Lay one wrapper in the water for 15 seconds, then move it to a wet plate. Place approximately ½ cup of mixed vegetables and meat, if using, on the side of the wrapper that's closest to you. Roll once, keeping it as tight as possible, tucking in the filling. Fold the edges of the wrapper toward the center, then continue rolling like a burrito. The rice paper feels delicate, but it's stronger than it seems. Just be careful not to let it stick to itself. You'll get the hang of it quickly.

Set aside and cover with a damp towel while you continue to wrap the rest of the garden rolls. No cooking is required. Serve with peanut dipping sauce.

Note: you should be able to find spring roll wrappers or rice paper in the Asian/international section of your grocery store. If not, you can buy them online. This is the kind I used:

Have you ever made spring rolls before? If so, how did they turn out? If not, does this recipe inspire you to give it a try?

GIVEAWAY!

Kate is offering a copy of DECK THE HALLWAYS, the #4^th book in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series plus a Fixer-Upper Mystery measuring tape to one commenter. Remember to leave your email address (even cryptically) so we can contact you if you win.   

Remember you can touch base with Kate here:

www.katecarlisle.com

www.facebook.com/KateCarlisleBooks

and on twitter:  @katecarlisle