Peaches and Fennel Salad #recipe from Linda Wiken, author

There's nothing that says summer more than peaches. OK, maybe that's not really true because there are many fruits that would qualify. But to me, the peach is so versatile, from grilled to fresh, it adds bursts of flavor anywhere it's added.

I've decided it will be a summer of salads and by that, I mean experimenting with different combos. So, here's my first one. It's based on a recipe I found in the online Epicurius digest (I think). And it's a wonderful hit of freshness with any meal.

I really cut down on the amounts and even so, had enough to serve three. The recipe called for a mild red pepper flake to be sprinkled over the salad before serving but the second time around, I decided to add thinly sliced red peppers instead. I found the flakes added too much zing but you may want to give them a try. And, I added a dollop of plain Greek Yogurt to the top. It was a welcome balance to the lemon juice and white wine vinegar.

I also love the fresh look of the dish. And did I mention, it was fast and easy. (My advice -- don't use a mandolin unless you take precautions! J)



Here's what you'll need:

2 large peaches  sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
1 1/2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 fennel bulb, slice thinly; keep some fronds to dress the dish
1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
red pepper flakes (or thinly sliced sweet red pepper)
extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over top
sea salt to taste

Here's what to do:

1. In a large bowl, toss the peach slices with  half the vinegar and a pinch of salt.

2. Place the slices on a serving dish and drizzle with any leftover juices.

3. Slice the fennel, add to the bowl and add lemon juice along with remaining vinegar to coat the fennel.

4. Add the fennel to the peaches then drizzle the olive oil over it all. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes over it all. Top with the dollop of yogurt and add the fennel fronds.

 5.  Enjoy!

Dine out with the DINNER CLUB MYSTERIES

It's now here --

Marinating in Murder, book #3
Recipes included!

Here's a taste of the reviews:     

Wiken’s third entry to the Dinner Club series is a clever twist on the classic whodunit… The book will have you guessing until the very end…. All in all, an intriguing read by Wiken.” – RT Reviews

"Foodies will love this book and this series. Great recipes are included as well....A fun romp of intrigue filled with foodie fun." -- Open Book Society

ROUX THE DAY,  the second  Dinner Club Mystery is available in paper and as an e-book. 
Recipes included!

TOASTING UP TROUBLE, the first in the Dinner Club Mysteries is available at your favorite bookstore and on-line, as a paperback and as an e-book.  

Recipes included!

Writing as Erika Chase -- the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series are available on-line or at your favorite bookstore.

             

Visit Linda at www.lindakwiken.com

Love to hear from you at my Facebook author page and

on Twitter  @LWiken  

Also appearing at www.killercharacters.com

                                                                               

Visit Erika at www.erikachase.com 

 at my Facebook author page

and on Twitter  @erika_chase.

Fast 'n Easy Scrambled Egg and Grilled Cheese sandwich for any time of day! #recipe from Linda Wiken, author

It's been one of those days. A quick breakfast, which for me means a bottle of Ensure. I got hooked on the stuff when it was my mainstay for several days after oral surgery. Now it's my go-to when I don't have time for a real meal.

As the day continued in rush mode, I thought of scrambled eggs for lunch, again, fairly easy and fast. But then I read an online newsletter from Bon Appetit which showed a variation of grilled cheese and scrambled egg sandwich.

Unfortunately, I couldn't open the recipe portion so, I concocted my own. I enjoyed it so much that it's now on that list of fairly fast and really easy meals that can work any time of day.

The bread I buy is wheat-free, made of oats and spelt, that comes in an elongated shape. I don't use regular milk for scrambled eggs, and I know some use water, while others don't add anything liquid. My choice is almond milk. My usual grilled cheese has green relish spread in there, too but I love my jar of pesto, so decided to try adding it. And, I chose to brush the bread with extra virgin olive oil rather than use butter or even, nothing. My panini griddle did the rest!

I invite you to play around with the ingredients, too.

Here's what I used:

1 egg
1 tsp. almond milk
1 slice Smoked Gouda cheese
1 slice Prosciutto
Basil Pesto
2 slices bread
enough Extra Virgin Olive Oil to spread on the outsides of the bread

Here's what I did:

Preheat the Panini maker, if you're using one. Melt butter in a small frying pan then mix the egg with the almond milk, and pour into the heated pan. I read somewhere that for fluffy scrambled eggs it's best to keep folding them rather than stirring, so that's what I did.

Meanwhile, coat one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Slather Pesto on one piece, then add the cheese, the Prosciutto, and the scrambled egg. Top with the other slice (or add some more cheese first) and set in the Panini griddle for approximately 3 minutes, or until the cheese starts to ooze.

Of course, you can also do this in a frying pan, flipping it part-way through the cooking time.

Enjoy!

Dine out with the DINNER CLUB MYSTERIES

It's now here --

Marinating in Murder, book #3
Recipes included!

Here's a taste of pre-release reviews:     

Wiken’s third entry to the Dinner Club series is a clever twist on the classic whodunit… The book will have you guessing until the very end…. All in all, an intriguing read by Wiken.” – RT Reviews

ROUX THE DAY,  the second  Dinner Club Mystery is available in paper and as an e-book. 
Recipes included!

TOASTING UP TROUBLE, the first in the Dinner Club Mysteries is available at your favorite bookstore and on-line, as a paperback and as an e-book.  

Recipes included!

Writing as Erika Chase -- the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series are available on-line or at your favorite bookstore.

             

Visit Linda at www.lindakwiken.com

Love to hear from you at my Facebook author page and

on Twitter  @LWiken  

Also appearing at www.killercharacters.com

                                                                               

Visit Erika at www.erikachase.com 

 at my Facebook author page

and on Twitter  @erika_chase. 

Grilled Carrots with Cumin-Serrano Yogurt by Author Linda Wiken, @LWiken, Cozy mystery

What I love best about summer -- and the calendar tells me that's the season even if the weather doesn't agree -- is the bounty of local fresh vegetables and, my new barbecue. If you can combine the two, even better.

However, in this case, the title is misleading, I'll admit that right away. The recipe, which I found in  Bon Appetit magazine, calls for grilling but you know, it was pouring rain, so I opted to roast the veggies in the oven -- inside! I also made some other tweeks. The recipe called for spring onions or scallions but I knew one of my guests wasn't too keen on either, so I opted for King Oyster mushrooms, sliced. And then, I threw in some sliced red peppers for fun. The serrano chile was replaced by chilli flakes, because that's what I had in my cupboard. And, no cumin seeds either, so I used cumin powder. It turned out tasty and that's what counts. It also was relatively easy to do -- another big plus in my books.

The directions below are for how I did it. If you want to try it the original way, check out the magazine.

What you'll need:

3 lbs. carrots with tops trimmed to 1/2 inch
1 large red pepper, sliced lengthwise
2 King Oyster mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
4 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste (I used Himalayan salt for added flavor)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili flakes
1 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. chopped mint; extra leaves for garnish

What to do:

1.  Preheat oven to 375F. Scrub the carrots and trim the tops.
2.  Place the carrots, red pepper slices, and mushroom slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle 2 tbsp. olive oil over all. Sprinkle with salt. It takes approx. 25-30 minutes to roast once the oven is preheated.
4.  Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine yogurt, chili flakes, cumin, lime juice, chopped mint and 2 tbsp. olive oil.

5.  Spoon the yogurt mixture onto a serving dish and add the veggies. Garnish with mint leaves.

(The nice thing about the yogurt is it can be prepared in advance and kept up to two days in the fridge.)

Easy, right?

ROUX THE DAY, A Dinner Club Mystery is now available in paper and as an e-book. 
Recipes included!

The first in the Dinner Club Mysteries is available at your favorite bookstore and on-line, as a paperback and as an e-book.  

Recipes included!

Writing as Erika Chase -- the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series are available on-line or at your favorite bookstore.

             

Visit Linda at www.lindakwiken.com

Love to hear from you at my Facebook author page and

on Twitter  @LWiken  

Also appearing at www.killercharacters.com

                                                                               

Visit Erika at www.erikachase.com 

 at my Facebook author page

and on Twitter  @erika_chase. 

Fun with Frittatas, #recipe by Linda Wiken, author, #cozymystery

I thought about calling it the Kitchen Sink Frittata but realized that doesn't sound very appetizing. It follows the same principle though, and much like Sheila Connolly's post last week, I've included whatever I had on hand.

Some nights, a gal just doesn't want to get too creative  :) or cook anything extravagant. Here again, I can't say, 'not cook' because this does take some prep time even though actual cooking time is minimal.

And, I do love my eggs. In my house, they're not just for breakfast! So, what to do that was more than a soft-boiled egg and toast? An omelette was an option but that takes even more steps. So, I decided to have some fun with a Frittata.

This recipe is thrown together without accurate measurements, suitable for two. So, add or subtract as suits your needs. I am a dairy-free eater, so mixed my eggs with a tiny bit of water, instead of milk.

Again, please do what suits you best.

I'd be interested in hearing what ends up in your Frittata!

What you'll need:

4 eggs
dash of water
handful of fresh spinach, chopped
3 mushrooms (because that's all I had on hand), chopped
fresh basil, chives, and rosemary, chopped
4 orange grape tomatoes  (orange and only 4 was what I had on hand)
sweet red pepper
1 garlic clove, slivered
1 c. thinly sliced Chorizo sausage
1 tbsp. olive oil
pinch of sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
enough fresh grated Asiago cheese to cover but then melt in (again, use whatever cheese is your favorite)

What to do:

1. Heat olive oil in large frying pan. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the water.
2. Chop, slice, and sliver the veggies and herbs.
3. Saute all the ingredients, except for the eggs.

4. When the spinach has wilted and the mushrooms have that nice browned color, pour in the egg and water mixture, stirring all the while.

5. When the egg reaches a good scrambled eggs consistency, you're ready.
6. Dish onto plates and grate the cheese over top.
7. Serve with toast or as I did, some red pepper and sun-dried tomato Ciabatta bread.

ROUX THE DAY, A Dinner Club Mystery is now available in paper and as an e-book. 
Recipes included!

The first in the Dinner Club Mysteries is available at your favorite bookstore and on-line, as a paperback and as an e-book.  

Recipes included!

Writing as Erika Chase -- the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series are available on-line or at your favorite bookstore.

             

Visit Linda at www.lindakwiken.com

Love to hear from you at my Facebook author page and

on Twitter  @LWiken  

Also appearing at www.killercharacters.com

                                                                               

Visit Erika at www.erikachase.com 

 at my Facebook author page

and on Twitter  @erika_chase. 

Black Rice Coconut Milk Pudding with Diced Papaya #recipe by Linda Wiken, Author, #cozymystery

My Mom was a great one with rice pudding. It was a very frequent dessert in our house. Nowadays, since I avoid milk products, it’s the last thing I’d think of making. Until I found this recipe using Coconut milk in one of my favorite magazines, Food and Drink.

I think it turned out deliciously great and I'll definitely be making it again. Although I think next time, just to change it up a bit, I’ll try almond milk. I may even go for a different fruit, too. Just for fun.

It’s very easy to make and it tastes good hot or cold. I cut the recipe in half to serve two butI found even this amount can easily make four happy eaters.

What you’ll need:

¾ c. black rice

1 ¼ c. coconut milk

1 ½ c. water

2 tbsp. coconut sugar

2 tbsp. dried blueberries

1/3 c. diced papaya

1 tsp. lime juice

¼ tsp. chili flakes

Pinch of salt

What to do:

If you’re using a packaged black rice, follow the instructions using the ingredients above. Cooking time will vary but is between one hour and one hour 20 minutes. If you’re using bulk black rice, be sure to rinse it first.

In a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, add black rice, coconut milk, water, sugar, dried blueberries and salt. Keep it uncovered while you bring it to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer for the amount of time mentioned above. You’ll want the rice to be tender and most of the liquid absorbed. While waiting, dice the papaya into bite size pieces, add the lime juice, and sprinkle with chili flakes, if you’ve decided to use them.

Dish the rice into individual bowls and top with the papaya mixture. 

The recipe called for Thai basil leaves as a garnish but I used the regular basil growing, at a slow pace, in a pot. It would be fun to play with a number of different garnish and fruit mixtures. Enjoy!

ROUX THE DAY, A Dinner Club Mystery is now available in paper and as an e-book. 
Recipes included!

The first in the Dinner Club Mysteries is available at your favorite bookstore and on-line, as a paperback and as an e-book.  

Recipes included!

Writing as Erika Chase -- the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series are available on-line or at your favorite bookstore.

             

Visit Linda at www.lindakwiken.com

Love to hear from you at my Facebook author page and

on Twitter  @LWiken  

Also appearing at www.killercharacters.com

                                                                               

Visit Erika at www.erikachase.com 

 at my Facebook author page

and on Twitter  @erika_chase.