Beef Stir Fry #Recipe by Maya Corrigan

My favorite beef stir fry is adapted from a recipe for Mongolian Beef that appeared in Gourmet in 1977, the first year I had a subscription to the magazine. I cut out the recipe and pasted it on an index card. Back in those days, the ingredients were incorporated with the instructions. 

The original recipe called for asparagus, but I've used the same sauce and techniques for whatever vegetables I have on hand, and almost always include mushrooms. 

Ingredients 

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons soy sauce (I use low salt, but either version of soy sauce works) 

2 tablespoon Hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon medium to dry sherry (or white balsamic vinegar)

2 teaspoons corn starch

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

For stir frying:

1 pound beef tenderloin tips or sirloin, cut into strips 1/4 inch thick or less 

1/2 to 1 teaspoon each of minced garlic and minced fresh ginger root

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms and/or other vegetables, cut in bite-sized pieces

Oil to coat the pan.

Sauce ingredients plus ginger and garlic for the stir fry

Combine the sauce ingredients. Toss the beef in it, and let it stand for 20-30 minutes.

While the meat marinates, cut up the vegetables and mince the garlic and ginger.

I like vegetables to be slightly crispy so I skip the steps in the original recipe of blanching the asparagus and cooking it in water. 
Heat the wok or a deep frying pan and add oil to cover the bottom. Saute half the garlic and ginger. Then stir fry the vegetables that take longer to soften before adding the faster cooking ones (e.g., asparagus or broccoli before mushrooms or greens).

Transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Wipe out the pan or wok. Add oil to cover the bottom and heat until hot. Saute the remaining garlic and ginger. Using a slotted spoon, put the beef in the pan.

Stir-fry the beef about two minutes or until it's just seared. Combine the vegetables and the meat in the pan and add any extra marinade. Stir until heated. Serve immediately.

Same recipe with bok choy, red pepper, and mushrooms

Serve over rice

This is one recipe that doesn't appear in my Five-Ingredient Mysteries featuring cafe manager Val and her grandfather. All the recipes in the books have only five ingredients. However, my sleuth's grandfather, AKA the Codger Cook, does use five-ingredient recipes that his wife made in years past, like the chowder in Scam Chowder and the fondue in Final Fondue.

FINAL FONDUE

When Granddad's houseguest is murdered while eating chocolate fondue, he and Val must stop a killer bent on re-creating Hitchcock’s creepy scenarios. 
​

​As Val helps her grandfather prepare for houseguests, visitors to Bayport’s Tricentennial Festival, he reminisces about the fondue parties of the 1970s and makes chocolate fondue to greet them. One of them eats her final fondue that night. In the dark the murderer might have mistaken her for another houseguest or even for Val. When a fondue fork and a kitchen knife disappear, Val and Granddad team up to keep the killer from making another stab at murder.

Read more about the book.

Do you make any recipes from decades ago? 

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Maya Corrigan writes the Five-Ingredient Mysteries featuring café manger Val and her live-wire grandfather solving murders in a Chesapeake Bay town. Maya lives in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. Before writing crime fiction, she taught American literature, writing, and detective fiction at Northern Virginia Community College and Georgetown University. When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, travel, trivia, cooking, and crosswords.

Visit her website for easy recipes, mystery history and trivia, and a free culinary mystery story.

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Have you modified older recipes over the years?

Cooking up crime with the Murder in the Mountains authors! #recipe #giveaway

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  A couple of weeks ago, in her Spotlight Sunday post, Tina Kashian mentioned the upcoming Murder in the Mountains: A Destination Murders short story collection by nine authors, including both Tina and me. Today, I'm delighted to welcome back Cathy Wiley, co-editor and a contributor, who visited us last spring with contributor Shawn Reilly Simmons to share recipes from the earlier volume, Murder at the Beach. I'm chiming in with a yummy taste of Montana, too.

From the cover: Whether you love spring, summer, fall, or winter in the mountains, you’ll be elevated by nine new stories from award-winning and bestselling cozy mystery authors Gretchen Archer, Leslie Budewitz, Karen Cantwell, Barb Goffman, Eleanor Cawood Jones, Tina Kashian, Shari Randall, Shawn Reilly Simmons, and Cathy Wiley.

With mountainous murders galore around the world, this anthology is full of peaks and valleys!

Climb every mountain, search low and high
For clues to a murder, and try not to die

(Oh, dear. That's the second Sound of Music reference I've read in about an hour. Guess that earworm is stuck now. At least it's a good one!)

Murder in the Mountains launches this Tuesday, February 1. There's still time to pre-order the ebook at a great price -- or choose the paperback if you'd prefer. TWO lucky readers will win an ebook in the format of their choice! 

CATHY WILEY:  When I decided to set my mystery for Murder in the Mountains at a Hot Cocoa Festival, I knew I’d need a unique recipe that included cocoa.  While I’d contemplated going savory, perhaps with a chocolate mole chicken dish, I decided to go sweet. Especially since I already had something sweet: my husband, who loves to bake.

So I asked him to put on his creative hat, and we taste tested various cookies to replicate hot cocoa in a dessert (we suffer so for our craft).

The cookie sandwich version was chosen after we tried frosting hot cocoa cookies with marshmallow creme.  That DID NOT work.  Since the marshmallow oozed off and stuck to everything, we realized sandwich cookies were a less sticky, but still delicious, option.

I hope you enjoy the cookies, and that they remind you of snuggling down with a nice cup of cocoa.

 Hot Cocoa Cookie Sandwiches

3/4 pound (3 sticks) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups of hot cocoa mix (typically 8 packets of individual cup size)

2 ½ cups flour

Marshmallow creme for filling (you can use store bought or find a recipe for homemade)

Mix the first five ingredients together. If you don’t have a kitchen mixer, you can use a hand mixer… or if you have serious arm muscles, a whisk. 

Put one-tablespoon portions (a cookie scoop is best to get consistent portions) on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for eight minutes.  Remove from oven and leave on pan for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Once the cookies are no longer warm, use cooking spray on a knife or spatula to spread the marshmallow creme. Only use a small amount in the center. The marshmallow will spread. 

Cathy Wiley is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. She’s written two mystery novels set in Baltimore, Maryland, and has had several short stories included in anthologies, one of which was a 2015 finalist for a Derringer Award for best short story. Right now, she’s working on the Food Festival Fatalities series, featuring a former celebrity chef trying to rebuild her career.

Cathy lives outside of Baltimore, Maryland, with one spoiled cat and an equally spoiled husband. For more information, visit www.cathywiley.com.

LESLIE: Readers of my Food Lovers’ Village books know that the huckleberry is a prized wild berry that makes great jam, syrup, and truffles, and is probably Erin’s favorite treat. It’s also a bit of a challenge to find, as the shrubs resist garden cultivation and bears, both black and grizzled, share Erin’s good taste. In “The Picture of Guilt,” in Murder in the Mountains, Erin and Adam decide to try their luck and go huckleberry picking at a favorite spot, only to make an unexpected discovery.

Chocolate mousse seems difficult to make but it’s not. This version is a variation of the on in Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan, which she says comes from the back of the Nestle’s Dessert Chocolate wrapper in France! 

Huckleberry syrup can be found in or ordered from specialty food stores; you can substitute a tablespoon of strong coffee or espresso, always good with chocolate, or raspberry, hazelnut, blackberry, or another syrup. Start with a teaspoon and adjust to taste. 

In season, I’d add a few berries and mint leaves for garnish. 

Huckleberry Chocolate Mousse

3-1/2 to 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 tablespoons huckleberry syrup

pinch of salt

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

whipped cream or creme fraiche, for serving (optional)

berries or mint leaves, for serving (optional)

Melt the chocolate using a microwave safe bowl, double boiler, or saucepan. Remove from heat and add the egg yolks, one at a time, and syrup. 

In your stand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until they start to form peaks. Continue to beat, gradually adding the sugar, until the whites are shiny and form stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.

Spoon about a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate and stir in gently. (This lightens the chocolate and makes folding in the rest easier.) Spoon the rest of the egg whites into the chocolate and fold with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overwork or deflate the mixture. A few streaks are fine. 

Spoon into a serving bowl or six individual bowls, cups, or ramekins. Garnish and serve, or chill to serve later.

Serves 6. 

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers' Village and Spice Shop Mysteries, and as Alicia Beckman, standalone suspense. She's a three-time Agatha Award winner, including the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story. The latest Village mystery is Carried to the Grave and Other Stories: A Food Lovers' Village Mystery short story collection. Watch for Peppermint Barked, the 6th Spice Shop mystery, in July 2022, and Blind Faith, written as Alicia Beckman, in October 2022. She's a regular blogger here at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, where you can find her recipes on the first, third, and fifth Tuesdays. 

Readers, do you like hot/warm drinks? What’s your favorite? Coffee? Tea? Hot Cocoa? Apple Cider? or??? Two lucky readers will win an e-book of MURDER IN THE MOUNTAINS in the format of their choice. Winner will be chosen Tuesday, February 1! Be sure to leave your email address.

MURDER IN THE MOUNTAINS is available for pre-order now and will be published in ebook and paperback on February 1^st. 

Baked Eggplant #Recipe @PegCochran

 

We love eggplant Parmigiano and eggplant rollatini but both are quite a lot of work, not to mention calories!  This baked eggplant dish gives you a lot of the flavor with less work and fewer calories!  You can serve it with marinara sauce or a sauce of your choosing.  I used this recipe to make a simple and quick tomato sauce.  This recipe appeared on thekitchen.com.

 

1 medium globe or Italian eggplant (about 1 pound)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or seasoning of your choice

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup fresh parsley

Marinara sauce

Place a large cookie sheet in the oven and heat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice eggplant into ½ inch rounds.  Place in a colander in the sink or over a bowl and salt liberally.  Let sit for 30 to 40 minutes to remove excess water from the eggplant.

 

Combine Panko, Parmesan and seasoning and place on a plate. Place flour and beaten eggs on separate plates.   

 

Dry eggplant slices thoroughly with paper towels.

Dip eggplant slices in flour, followed by the egg and finally dredge in the Panko. 

Remove heated cookie sheet from oven (be careful!) and add olive oil.  Spread to cover entire pan.  Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer.

 

Bake eggplant for 20 minutes then flip and bake 10 to 20 minutes more or until crisp and browned.

 

Serve with marinara sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.

 

COMING MARCH 1 - PRE-ORDER NOW!

Amazon

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A murder in her quaint British bookshop drops American Gothic novelist Penelope Parish into her deadliest caper yet.

Penelope Parish is ready to close the book on her amateur sleuthing—from now on, The Open Book’s writer-in-residence will be sticking to villains of the fictional variety while she puts the final touches on her new novel. But when an author is murdered inside the bookshop, all of Upper Chumley-on-Stoke goes on high alert.
 
Now it’s up to Pen and the quirky citizens of Chumley to stop a killer and protect the charming British town she’s begun to call home.

 Book #1

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Banana Walnut Pancakes from @MaddieDayAuthor #Giveaway

MADDIE here, delighted to bring you one of the original recipes from the Country Store Mysteries. The series began, ten books ago, with Flipped for Murder, and Robbie Jordan serving banana walnut pancakes to her new clientele at Pans 'N Pancakes in South Lick, Indiana.

I learned this version of pancakes from the owners of the inspiration for my country store restaurant, but I got the base recipe from The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown (1970), a gift from my sister Janet. We both baked whole grain bread from Brown's recipes during college - and still do.

As you can see by the condition of my copy of the recipe book, I've been using it for a long time. For, ahem, fifty years, in fact! The book also includes fabulous recipes for quick breads and for pancakes.

To celebrate the release of Batter Off Dead in four weeks - the tenth Country Store Mystery - I bring you Banana Walnut Pancakes, which Robbie Jordan still serves in her restaurant, all these books later. The pancakes are hearty, nutritious, and quite delicious. These flapjacks are so tasty, I even made them for dinner.

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes

Ingredients:

Note: I made a half recipe, as shown in the photos, which more than served two.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon  brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups milk or buttermilk (of any fat content)

1/2 cup oil

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 bananas, thinly sliced

Butter for cooking

Good maple syrup

Plain or vanilla yogurt, or sour cream

Directions:

Preheat a wide skillet or griddle to medium.

Mix the dry ingredients together. 

Make a well in the middle. Crack the egg(s) into the well and beat with a fork, then add the milk and oil and beat until smooth.

Fold in the walnuts and bananas.

Melt butter in the pan and spread it evenly.

Form pancakes of the size you like and cook until bubbles form and pop.

Flip the cakes and cook until done.

Serve with warm syrup and top with yogurt or sour cream, plus a slice of fried ham on the side. And, if you wish, a tasty bloody Mary! I usually like a glass of wine with my dinner, but pancakes just kind of called out for a spicy tomato-vodka concoction.

Readers: What's your favorite breakfast-for-dinner option? I'll send one lucky commenter a copy of No Grater Crime, the just-previous Country Store mystery!

My most recent release is Murder at the Lobstah Shack, the third Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery.

The next up is Batter Off Dead, Country Store Mystery #10, to release on February 22,  2022. Preorder your copy now!

We hope you'll visit Maddie and her Agatha Award-winning alter ego Edith Maxwell on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.

Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.