Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Faux Saag Paneer #recipe by @LeslieKarst

I came up with this recipe because I was making a curry dish and wanted something else to go with it. Since I had a lot of cottage cheese and fresh kale on hand, I thought: Why not use those to make a faux saag paneer?

True saag paneer is generally prepared with spinach (at least in the US; in India they often use greens such as mustard, collards, or fenugreek) and paneer, a fresh Indian cheese similar to Mexican queso panela or halloumi. But this version turned out to be quite delicious, indeed. And it’s pretty simple to make, to boot, so go ahead and try it out. Along with curry and rice, and some naan to scoop it all up, it will make for quite the Indian feast!

[Note that I'm currently in France, 9 hours ahead of Pacific Time, so my response to comments may be spotty. But I'll do my best, biensûr!]

Faux Saag Paneer

(serves 4)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon neutral oil for frying the kale

4-6 cups chopped kale (tough stems removed)

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon black pepper

salt, to taste (go easy on this, as the cottage cheese contains a lot of salt)

1 cup cottage cheese

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add half the kale. Fry the kale, stirring often, until it starts to wilt.

Add the rest of the kale and continue to stir fry, until it starts to brown and has become soft and wilted.

Add ½ cup of water and stir.

Continue to cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender and any errant stems are cooked through.

Add all the spices except the salt, and stir in.

Add the cottage cheese and mix in.

Taste, and add salt to taste, plus more spices if you like. (I added more garam masala at this point.)

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally. It will get watery as the cottage cheese releases its moisture, and then the liquid will start to cook away. Once the liquid has evaporated to your liking, the dish is done.

The faux saag paneer can sit on the stove for an hour or two and then be reheated right before service.

🌱 🍋 🌿

Just Released!

Orchid Isle Mystery #3

MURDER, LOCAL STYLE

Available for purchase here.

"The beauties and customs of Hawai‘i provide a striking backdrop for a murder with an unexpected motive."

Kirkus Reviews

🍍 🌴 🍹

Out now in paperback!

Orchid Isle Mystery #2

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

Buy link here.

2026 Lefty and Agatha Award Finalist

for Best Mystery/Contemporary Mystery!

"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."

Kirkus Reviews

Also available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery #1

Buy link here

2025 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Mystery!

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly.

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

--Publishers Weekly

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

Buy link here

Praise for Justice is Served:

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court."

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.

RELEASE DAY: Essentials of Homicide by Kim Davis #AromatherapyApothecaryMysteries

Congratulations to our own...

Kim Davis,

on the release of

ESSENTIALS OF HOMICIDE

the third book in the Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries!

Hollywood has descended on Oak Creek Valley to film a murder mystery. Carissa Carmichael, owner of the Aromatherapy Apothecary, has a front-row seat to the bad-boy leading man’s escapades as she works with the production to bring soothing essential elements to the stressed-out crew.

When the movie set becomes a true crime scene, Carissa’s best friend becomes the star suspect. Instead of enjoying the thrills of lights, camera, and action, she’s thrust into untangling the secrets of the glamorous actors who all seem to hide something. While working behind the scenes to sniff out clues and clear her best friend’s name, Carissa must apply pressure and find the killer before someone else is written out for good.

Includes a recipe, plus essential oil and reflexology tips.

Available at most online book retailers. Click on the links below to purchase:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

OTHER RETAILERS

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

CLEO COYLE BOOK & TOTE GIVEAWAY NEWS + Dairy-Free HONEY APPLE CAKE for #RoshHashanah

From Cleo Coyle: Before we get started on today's recipe, Marc and I would like to tell you about our EAT, DRINK, AND GET BURIED book & tote bag giveaway taking place as part of the pre-publication Blog Tour for our new Coffeehouse Mystery...

GIVEAWAY NEWS!

Enter by clicking one of the live links below...

👉 Dollycas Review & Giveaway Post

👉 Cozy Up with Kathy Review & Giveaway Post

👉 Blog Tour Review & Giveaway Page

☕

Cleo's Prize Package Includes:

👉 A signed print copy of Eat, Drink, and Get Buried

in its beautiful new hardcover first edition!

👉 A sturdy, canvas Coffeehouse Tote Bag.

👉 A set of glossy Cleo Coyle recipe cards.

Contest ends September 14th

☕

Good Luck, everyone!

Now, for today's recipe...

🍎 Dipping honey in apples is the traditional way to symbolize the hope for a sweet new year, which is why this delectable cake makes a wonderful dessert for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish holiday that begins this Friday evening.

This tender, mouthwatering cake is also an excellent treat for coffee and tea breaks, especially during apple season. So let's start get our Honey Apple Cake on!

🍏

Cleo Coyle writes two

bestselling mystery
series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

🍏 A Note from Cleo

Years ago, I developed this delicious dairy-free Honey Apple Cake in honor of Rosh Hashanah and shared it on my recipe blog.

More recently, I published it in our Coffeehouse Mystery Honey Roasted. As for making the cake, my suggestion on the best type of apple to use is Golden Delicious—not to be confused with Red Delicious.

Golden Delicious apples are slightly sweet and buttery and a very nice apple for baking. To see more reviews of apples for baking, click here to read a helpful at-a-glance post from Huffpost. Enjoy the recipe, everyone, have a beautiful fall season, and...

May you eat (and read) with joy!

~ Cleo

To download a free PDF
of this recipe that you can
print, save, or share,
click here.

Click here to download

Cleo's free Recipe PDF.

🍏

Cleo Coyle's

Honey Apple Cake

Dairy-Free (No milk, No butter)

Ingredients:

3 medium apples, peeled (I suggest Golden Delicious, see my Recipe Note above for the reason why.)
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (do not use fresh)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 large eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Pan prep step: Fit a 9 x 13-inch pan with a parchment paper sling (see my photo below). The excess paper that hangs over the sides will act as handles and allow you to lift the cooled cake onto a serving platter. (Tip: I like to spray the pan lightly with non-stick spray first to help the paper to stick better to the pan’s bottom and sides.) The sides without paper should be sprayed with non-stick spray also.

Step 1 – Make the honey-apple topping: Shred the peeled apples with a boxed grater or food processor.

Put the shredded apples in a saucepan and toss well with honey, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Cook and gently stir over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes. This pre-cooking will evaporate the excess moisture from the apples and soften and caramelize them for great flavor. When finished cooking, most (but not all) of the visible liquid should be gone from the pan; remove from heat and allow to cool while you create the cake batter.

Step 2 – Mix batter with one-bowl mixing method: Whisk eggs until slightly frothy. Add brown and white sugars, oil, salt, and baking powder, and whisk until well blended. Sift the flour into the bowl. Stir only enough until a smooth batter forms; do not over-mix or you will develop the gluten in the flour and your cake will be tough instead of tender. Batter will be loose.

Step 3 – Pour batter into pan and top with apples and honey: Pour the loose batter into the prepared pan and gently tilt the pan back and forth until the batter coats the bottom of the pan in an even layer.

Using a fork, gently pick up the shredded, cooked apple topping (from Step 1), leaving behind any visible liquid, and drop the apples in small mounds across the batter in the pan.

Use the fork’s prongs to separate these mounds and continue to spread the topping into an even layer across the batter.

Drizzle the final 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey over the cake top. (If using raw honey, warm it a bit for drizzling consistency.)

Step 4 – Bake: Bake in a well-pre-heated oven at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes. The time will depend on your oven. Cake is done when the batter has turned golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out free of batter. (Tip: The cake center will take a bit longer to cook than the outside edges, but take care that your cake’s edges do not over-cook.)

Serve: Cool the cake in the pan. Gently run a knife between the cake and the pan sides that are not covered with parchment paper (to loosen the cake and prevent sticking); and then use the parchment paper “handles” to gently lift the cake onto a cutting board or serving platter and slice into squares.

This cake is delicious on its own or with dairy-free whipped cream (made from coconut milk). If you’d like that easy recipe for making whipped cream (without milk or cream), click here to download a free PDF (give a few moments to load), and…eat with joy!