It's
apple week. We're celebrating apples. How fun is that? And in a minute, I'll turn to apples, but first I have to share that I was at Bouchercon Conference this past weekend where I was lucky enough to connect with librarians, booksellers, and lots of author pals and fans.
Some were bloggers and guest bloggers from Mystery Lovers Kitchen, like Lucy Burdette, Sheila Connolly, Mary Jane Maffini, Hannah Dennison, Rochelle Staab, and Julie Hyzy!
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| Authors: Tammy Kaehler & Lucy Burdette |
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| Me, Julie Hyzy & Sheila Connolly |
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Rochelle Staab & Julie Hyzy
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| Myself, Mary Jane Maffini, Hannah Dennison & Gigi Pandian |
By the way, Julie won the Anthony for best mass market paperback novel. Woo-hoo to Julie.
Others were simply fabulous friends who happen to be fabulous authors.
Cleveland was an interesting city. It was blowy the first day, wet the next, but I still made it out to take pictures, which I've shared on my
Facebook pages. And the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was fabulous! We went there our opening night.
You can't "read" them all, but what an array of signatures on this "art" guitar! Wow.
Now, I'm back and getting ready to crack down on my writing.
But first, back to APPLES!
Do you love them? I do - in all sorts of colors. Red, yellow, green, red-yellow, this list goes on.
I decided to make something really simple. Here's why. In
A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series (which comes out next July...9 months and counting), I'm writing a new character, Jenna Hart, who is an avid reader and admitted foodie, but she is not a cook. She's never had the confidence, never taken the time. When she moves home to Crystal Cove to help her aunt start up the Cookbook Nook and café, she needs to find herself and expand her likes and abilities. Cooking is one of those things. But simple is the best way to start for a new cook, don't you think? Here's what her aunt and chef-friend tell her: five items or less. Possible? Sure.
With apples and chicken, it was easy. This recipe turned out like baked apples. Warm, lovely. Not a lot of color after the apples were cooked, but homey and yummy.
I went to my local greengrocer, Tapia Brothers. They have fabulous produce and boxes upon boxes of freshly picked apples. Yum.
Now, the interesting thing about apples is they're pretty going into the oven, but once baked, the color sort of drains out. Luckily not the flavor, and by simply adding a bright green vegetable, the plating becomes beautiful and inviting. Enjoy.
FIVE INGREDIENT CHICKEN WITH BAKED APPLES
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken, cut up
1 large onion, sliced
3 apples (I used Gala), quartered, seeds removed (no need to take the skin off)
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons Bouquet Garni [
Penzey's Spices is a combo of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, dill, marjoram, sage and tarragon] If you don't have you can make a combination of any of the above.]
Directions:
Heat the oven to 300 degrees.
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| So pretty going into the oven |
Line a 9 x 13 pan with enough foil that you can pull it over the chicken. Place the chicken on the foil. Season with spices. Add the onions and apples, already sliced or quartered.
Fold the foil over the chicken and seal with a crimp so no steam will escape.
Bake for at least one hour. I did not do the following, but if preferred, open the foil, remove the onions and apples, and turn the oven to broil. Broil the chicken for 5-10 minutes until chicken turns golden.
Plate chicken, onions, apples and add a vibrant green vegetable.
You're done.
[If you prefer your apples a little sweeter, before baking, sprinkle the dish with 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar. But these apples were so sweet, the dish didn't need it.]
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| After baking, the color from the apples disappears. They become "baked." But oh, so sweet! |
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The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series:
TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE.
You can pre-order the book
HERE.
so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and
contests!
Also, you probably know about my alter ego.
DARYL WOOD GERBER...
Daryl's new series: A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series
debuts July 2013
"She" doesn't say all the same things "Avery" does. Promise.
Say cheese!
Chop the bacon and sauté in a large stockpot until crisp. Set this aside and blot out most of the grease. Add a little olive oil to the pan and saute the chopped red peppers, the scallions, the chipotle peppers, and the cumin until the vegetables are soft. (The chipotles are spicy and add a distinctive flavor, so you may want to start out conservatively.) Add the flour and cook for a few minutes, making sure to stir well.
Next gradually stir in the box of chicken stock, stirring thoroughly. It should begin to thicken like a white sauce. Add the potatoes and simmer about ten minutes. Add the chicken and both kinds of corn and heat through. Now stir in the cheeses, and finally the milk.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and bacon if desired. (We did!) 
