Sunday, May 3, 2020

Roasted Carrots by Elaine Viets and a #Giveaway!


DENISE

My guest today is bestselling author Elaine Viets! I've known Elaine almost as long as I've been published, which is 20 years this month. When I invited Elaine to be my guest, she told me that she doesn't cook. I insisted that she had to have at least one recipe to share and she graciously accepted my invitation . 




ELAINE:  Me blogging for Mystery Lover’s Kitchen is like someone shooting baskets in a driveway and all of a sudden, drafted into the NBA.
I don’t belong here, but I’m honored to be here, and I’m awed by your creativity in the kitchen and at the computer.
I'm not much of a cook. I can whip up a good scrambled egg and broil fish, but that’s about it. Usually, I put the food on the stove and then wander off and read something interesting on the Internet, and before I know it, my kitchen is filled with smoke. I once burned boil-in-the-bag lima beans. It took forever to get the melted plastic out of the pot.
Lately, I've been making a lot of roast carrots. It started when a friend gave me leftover whole carrots from a restaurant that was forced to close because of the pandemic. The carrots were big and beautiful – nearly the size of fireplace logs.
I searched online for easy recipes and found this one for roasted carrots.

The only ingredients are sea salt, olive oil and carrots. I set the oven for 425 degrees.

First, I washed the carrot, then cut it into thin circles. 
















I added about a tablespoon of olive oil for a big carrot, and a couple of grinds of sea salt, and mix the ingredients in a bowl.













Then I transferred the mixture to a baking dish, and baked it for about twenty-five minutes. Thicker circles may take as long as 45 minutes. If you’re a distracted cook like me, BE SURE TO SET THE TIMER ON STOVE.



One big carrot serves one person.      
That’s it. Roasted carrots are a good side dish for lunch or dinner, and have a nice, nutty flavor.



Book Giveaway (for US readers only)


I’m giving away a signed hardcover of A Star Is Dead, my new Angela Richman, Death Investigator mystery. Leave a comment with your e-mail address for a chance to win.

Death investigators are like paralegals for the medical examiner. DIs are not doctors, but they work for the ME’s office. At a homicide, the death investigator is in charge of the body, and the police handle the rest of the crime scene. 
A Star Is Dead is the fourth in the series, following Ice Blonde, Fire and Ashes and Brain Storm. New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris called Brain Storm “a complex novel of crime, punishment, and medical malfeasance.”

Here’s what happens in A Star Is Dead.
Ageless Hollywood diva Jessica Gray is finishing the last leg of her one-woman show in St Louis, Missouri, and the nearby town of Chouteau Forest is dazzled. During the show Jessica humiliates three homeless women onstage, fires her entourage, and makes a bitter enemy of the Forest’s powerful patriarch.
Jessica collapses at an after-show party and is rushed to the Chouteau Forest hospital. Ignoring her doctors’ advice, Jessica discharges herself to return home to LA. On the way to the airport she suffers a deadly coughing fit. When Angela Richman’s friend, Mario, is arrested for Jessica’s murder and faces the death penalty, Angela is compelled to investigate.
Reviewers like A Star Is Dead:
“Sharp dialogue and well-sculpted characters punctuate A Star Is Dead,” reviewer Oline Cogdill says.  Oline’s review appeared in papers from California to Boston.
“Witty dialogue and well-defined characters,” Publishers Weekly says, “lift this wry look at the trappings of celebrity.”
Library Journal calls Star “an intriguing mystery featuring a character in the little-known job of death investigator.” 
“This continues to be a cleverly written mystery series that exposes the ugly underside of the wealthy elite and the pretenses money only superficially hides,” Kings River Life’s Cindy Chow writes.
Mother’s Day is coming! Get Mom a signed hardcover of A Star Is Dead from Murder on the Beach. The bookstore is closed, but it will ship your copy if you email murdermb@gate.net.
Also, help feed the hungry. I will donate $1 to Feeding South Florida (feedingsouthflorida.org) for every copy of A Star Is Dead purchased through Murder on the Beach bookstore.
You can also buy A Star Is Dead on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Angela-Richman-Death-Investigator-mystery-ebook/dp/B083M5G48C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27GQ92CHW1A2S&dchild=1&keywords=a+star+is+dead+elaine+viets&qid=1587655400&s=books&sprefix=Viets+A+Star+%2Caps%2C179&sr=1-1


 I’ve written 33 bestselling mysteries in four series: hardboiled Francesca Vierling, traditional Dead-End Job, cozy Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper, and Angela Richman, Death Investigator. A St. Louis native, I took the Medicolegal Death Investigator Training Course for forensic professionals at St. Louis University. My collection of short stories, A Deal with the Devil and 13 Short Stories, is published by Crippen & Landru. I’ve won the Agatha, Anthony and Lefty Awards. www.elaineviets.com


That’s it. Enjoy my books and your carrots. Just don’t go overboard. Eating too many carrots can cause “carotenemia,” which will turn your skin orange‑yellow.

Facebook: ElaineVietsMystery Writer
Twitter: @evmysterywriter



30 comments:

  1. Is there anything better than roasted carrots? I think Not! Love them...........and LOVE your books!!
    Main3(at)att.(net) Debbie M.

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  2. Sounds like a good book. And I do like roasted carrots and it's so easy. According to my mom, I liked carrots and squash so well as a baby that I actually did start to turn orange ��
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  3. Healthy and easy roasted veggie which I enjoy. Many thanks for this great giveaway. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  4. This intriguing story interests me greatly. Very compelling. Thanks for the lovely recipe and book feature. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  5. Utter simplicity in cooking.
    Yes, the key is to set a timer and not ignore it when it rings!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  6. I love the idea of a Death Investigator. I like to cook, but sometimes the idea of just cutting up vegetables, adding a few spices and olive oil and roasting is very appealing. Uses up all those old bits in the refrigerator, too. Thanks for the giveaway!
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. Elaine, I'm so proud of you! You wrote a recipe! And it sounds yummy.

    Missing seeing you this weekend, by the way. But looking forward to a new book by you. Great news!

    k maslowski at fuse dot net

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  8. Love roasted vegetables!

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  9. I love roasted vegetables, really brings out a great flavor. "A star Is Dead" sounds like an interesting book. I've never read a book featuring a death investigator, sounds like a great read.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. Yum & easy = perfect for me.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  11. I love roasted veggies! Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  12. Love roasted veggies will have to try the carrots. rmmoss2(at)gmail(dot)com

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  13. My mom used to make glazed carrots, which are similar to this. The sugar in the carrots makes them naturally sweet--yum!

    BTW, being able to make good scrambled eggs is actually the sign of a very proficient cook! (Just ask Julia Child.) I once burned a pot of hard boiled eggs I was making for Easter. Yes, a timer is perhaps the most important cooking utensil there is.

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  14. Now this is a recipe even I could make! And it sounds tasty too. mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  15. I love the roasted carrots. Thanks for the giveaway. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  16. Thanks for the recipe! We love roasted veggies. Book looks good too. The synopsis was most intriguing. And our Food Banks are really in need this year. deepotter at centurylink dot net

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  17. Not all recipes have to be long or elaborate. Since hubby doesn't care for carrots at all, this recipe is just right for me. I won't usually bother with something if it's just for "me" at the great frustration of hubby because I cook things just for "him" all the time. This recipe gives me ways to eat my carrots with not much hassle at all.

    Thank you for the fabulous opportunity to win a copy of "A Star Is Dead"! Sounds like a wonderful book and one I would really enjoy having the chance to read.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  18. I'd love to read A Star Is Dead! It sounds like a book I'd really enjoy. I've read a number of your books from the Dead-End Job series and the Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper series. I think that roasted vegetable are delicious! I like to make a big batch of roasted vegetables on a sheet pan that I can use all through the week for meals.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  19. I would love to read that book.

    kaye.killgore(at)comcast(dot)net

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  20. I love your books and am looking forward to reading this series. karengreen1121@gmail.com

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  21. Absolutely love books by this author! Would LOVE to win! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  22. I must try roasted carrots soon. Thank you for the recipe. The book sounds interesting. Thank you for the chance Donakutska7@gmail.com

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  23. I just never have thought about putting carrots in the oven what a great recipe. Thank you for posting! ptclayton2 at aol.com peggy clayton

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  24. I really like roasted vegetables of any kind. My mom told me that she fed so many carrots to my brother when he was a baby that he turned orange. 😬

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  25. Love roasted carrots better than raw! tWarner419@aol.com

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  26. Hi Elaine! We love roasted veggies. I'm a fairly good cook but I live by timers...I have 2 in the kitchen and one in the bedroom/office by the laptop and desktop computer. Otherwise I get too distracted and "forget" what's going on in the rest of the house! The book sounds intriguing! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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  27. The book sounds interesting and is set in my area! Tllakbeard@yahoo.com

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  28. The recipe sounds easy and delicious.
    The book sounds really good too!
    madamhawk at gmail dot com

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  29. This is so funny I had been given a big bag of carrots and I have never roasted before but this is what I am going to do tomorrow...Thank you...love ebooks

    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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