Welcome Guest author G.P. Gottlieb with GF. V. Sweet Pea Basil Tahini and a giveaway!

 

Molly MacRae: It’s my great pleasure to welcome G.P. Gottlieb to the kitchen today. She writes delicious culinary cozies replete with recipes. Welcome, G.P.!

G.P. Gottlieb: I always loved descriptions of delicious food in novels but wished they included
recipes in the back of the book. Except when they were either unhealthy or included meat.

My recipes, at home and in my books, are usually packed with nutrition, including my desserts. When my children were young, they never knew that every fudgy chocolate brownie contained zucchini and applesauce. They never suspected their pizza and pasta sauces contained all manner of vegetables that looked and tasted like normal tomato sauce.

And when they came home from school, I used to present a tray of “hors d’oeuvres” comprised of pleasingly arranged cut-up vegetables with two different kinds of dips. They didn’t like the green ones as much as the ones that looked and tasted like Ranch dressing (but contained finely mashed celery, lettuce, and/or zucchini). And they liked my red pepper tahini, but this one was also a winner. 

Sweet Pea Basil Tahini GF. V.

At most 10 minutes to pull together!

 

Ingredients

2 cups frozen sweet peas

3 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)

3 TBSP water 

2 TBSP tahini

1 tsp powdered garlic (or 2 fresh, small, minced cloves)

1 or 2 large sprigs fresh basil with leaves and stem (about ¼ cup)

½ tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

Directions

In a small glass bowl, microwave peas for 2 minutes in about 1/3 of a cup of water. Remove and chill in an ice bath or under cold water for a minute. Then strain out the water. In a food processor, blend everything until smooth for about 1 to 2 minutes. (Taste and add more salt as needed.)

Alternative: For a Sweet Pea MINT Pesto,  skip the tahini and basil, add 2 large sprigs of fresh mint with leaves and stems, ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, and 2 TBSPs nutritional yeast. (It’ll already be salty from the nutritional yeast but add more if needed!)

 Except for fresh basil or mint, I always have the rest of the ingredients at home. Enjoy either version as a dip or add water to thin it into a sauce. I like to spread it on toast or drizzle it over vegetables, pasta, and fritters.

 

Speaking of winners – would you like to win a complimentary PDF of Battered, Smothered, or Charred?

And do you create any interesting, veggie-packed dishes? Any fabulous recipes you’re willing to share? Leave your answer in the comments with your email address. A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday June 24.

 

G.P. Gottlieb is the author of the Charred: A Whipped & Sipped Mystery (Anamcara Press, 2026), the third in her culinary cozy mystery series set in Chicago, following Battered, #1 and Smothered, #2. Pounded, Book #4 in the series, will launch later in 2026. 

Gottlieb is on the board of Sisters in Crime Chicagoland and a member of SinC Colorado, SinC Wisconsin, Mystery Writers of America, and Blackbird Writers. As host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network, she has interviewed nearly 280 authors. You can visit her on Facebook, Instagram, Substack, Blue Sky, and Medium.

If you enjoy cozy, culinary mysteries set in Chicago, the Whipped & Sipped Mysteries invite you into a world of friendship, coffee, pastries, and crime-solving without nightmares.