Showing posts with label summer dishes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer dishes. Show all posts

Thursday, June 10, 2021

FAUXTATO SALAD #Low carb #summer salads




FROM MARY JANE MAFFINI    

Around here, summer meals, barbecues and casual outdoor dining with family almost always included potato salad.  One of the biggest hurdles we faced in our low carb program was how to overcome the problem of no potato salad. Luckily we found the solution. Everyone in the family loves this delicious cauliflower-based salad and it’s very close to potato salad in taste. Cauliflower is one very talented veggie! 

The recipe is adapted from Dana Carpender’s 500 Low-Carb recipes, the first edition (but there are versions in some of her later cookbooks too) I have been thinking I might try it with a bit of bacon next time, although it’s delish as is, and I see that there’s a Southwest version.  Mmm.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium cauliflower, cut into ‘cubes’ the size of potato chunks in  potato salad

1 1/2 cups finely diced celery  

3/4 cup finely diced red onion

2 cups good-quality mayonnaise

3/8 cup apple cider vinegar  

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp Dijon vinegar

2 tsp Swerve or your favorite sweetener to equal two tsp.

½ teaspoon pepper

½ tsp sharp Paprika or ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tablespoon or more chopped fresh chives

4 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped 

 DIRECTIONS:

Put the ‘cubed’ cauliflower in a microwaveable dish with just a tablespoon of water, and cover. Cook on “high” for seven minutes, and let sit, still covered, for another three to five minutes or so, until tender, but not mushy.  

Dice the red onion and celery.

 

Drain the cooked cauliflower and combine with the celery and onions in a large bowl. We add the red onion before the cauliflower has cooled because it seems to have a milder taste that way, but you can also wait until it’s cool and add with the celery. 

Mix the mayonnaise, Dijon, vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika or cayenne, and Swerve/sweetener. 

Pour over the cauliflower mixture and combine well.  

Add chives and mix throughout.



Add the coarsely chopped eggs last and stir lightly.  








Chill before serving. 

Reports are that it’s very good and even better the next day.  You may have noticed it’s not a low-calorie recipe, merely low-carb and that’s perhaps why even those who avoid diet or low-carb food are still keen.

Drop in and let me know what you must have in your potato salad.  Perhaps it’s potatoes? But that could change.  And if it must be potatoes, I bet this dressing and veg combo would be great with regular potato salad.  


 Mary Jane Maffini is the award-winning author of three and a half mystery series: the Camilla Maffini mysteries, the Fiona Silk capers and the Charlotte Adams organizer mysteries – number six coming soon!  The first five Charlotte Adams are being reissued by Beyond the Page Publishing. Recipes have been added and of course, the organizing tips continue! The Charlotte Adams books have recently been optioned for television films.

Organize Your Corpses was be released as an e-book and a trade paper on May 18. There's a great deal for the e-book.   You can order it HERE!

And watch for the reissue of The Cluttered Corpse on June 15th!




With her daughter Victoria Maffini, MJ collaborated on The Book Collector Mysteries as Victoria Abbott. Victoria Abbott spent several happy years on Mystery Lovers Kitchen. MJ  is very glad to be back and Victoria is waving at you all!


Don't forget to check out MJ's Canadian books:  Camilla MacPhee features a fortyish widowed lawyer who runs an advocacy agency for victims of violent crime, in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. Life would be easier if she didn't have the world's worst office assistant, the world's bossiest sisters and, arguably, the world's greatest stubborn streak. If you like your mysteries a bit edgy with a side order of humor, these could be for you.  


Keep up on the news!  You can sign up for updates about MJ and Victoria plus fun and prizes through our newsletter HERE 



Tuesday, July 9, 2019

10th Anniversary - Cleo Coyle's Coffee Marinated Steak with #Bookgiveaway + Tote Bag



Happy 10th Anniversary!

Cleo Coyle has a partner in
crime-writing—her husband.
Learn about their books
by clicking here and here.

I am so proud to be one of the founding members of Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. Back in July 2009, I was already posting recipes online for my Coffeehouse Mystery audience, and I was thrilled to help launch this site to spread the foodie joy. 

At that time (2009), my husband and I had written seven national bestsellers in our culinary mystery series, set in a landmark coffeehouse in New York's Greenwich Village. Our publisher had successfully moved us into hardcover with Espresso Shot, the novel that earned our Coffeehouse series its first starred review, and we were preparing for the publication of book #8, Holiday Grind, our first holiday-themed mystery. 


To learn more about
Cleo's books, click here.
Our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries were also going strong. In 2009, we were celebrating the publication of book #5 The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion...


FLASH FORWARD TEN YEARS: 

Marc and I have re-opened our Haunted Bookshop with a brand new entry in the series, The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (now an actual bestseller).

As for the Coffeehouse Mysteries, we’re still happily writing them (we're about to sign a brand new contract with Penguin Random House), and we’re looking forward to seeing book #18 Brewed Awakening released in December 2019!



Now for our retro recipe...



Because Mystery Lovers Kitchen was born in the heat of 2009's summer, and because Marc and I are (obviously) coffee mavens, we knew the perfect recipe to help launch the blog. We’re delighted to share that original post with you today, as we say…


Happy 10th Anniversary, MLK!



Time Machine - July 24, 2009

Cleo's first blog post...

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen
Friday, July 24, 2009

ENJOY MY RETRO RECIPE BELOW.

(With the modern addition of a free, downloadable PDF.)


Here’s a simple tip for making an economical cut of meat delicious—and a nice use for your leftover joe, too, because why not make use of every last drop?

Why I love this recipe: Grilling is a cooking process that too often overly dries thinner or less expensive cuts of meat. My coffee marinade imparts a wonderful, earthy character to the meat while also plumping it up, keeping it moist throughout the grilling process. Sure a super-fat T-bone steak would retain its moistness, but who can afford cuts like that for the whole family? As an experiment, I grilled my top round coffee-marinated steak alongside a rib eye steak treated only with dry rub. The top round was half the price, but tasted twice as good, thanks to its little bath in bean juice!

"Can't you just hear the sizzle?"



Ingredients: 

Steaks for grilling or broiling (I use top round)
Cold coffee
Salt & Pepper
Worcestershire sauce (optional) 
Scallions or shallots (optional) 
Steak dry rub (optional)

Step 1: Purchase meat
Go for an economical cut. (I use top round steak.) Pound the steak out with the spike side of a meat hammer. If you don’t have a meat hammer, then put your steak in a plastic bag and pound it with a regular hammer or the back of a ladle – and then prick it all over with a fork. This starts the tenderizing process. (It also gets all kinds of frustrations out. Who needs therapy when you can pound meat?)

Step 2: Cover with coffee
Place your steaks in a glass or plastic container and pour enough cold coffee over them to cover. You can use any kind of coffee. Just save the last dregs of your coffee pot for a few days (store in fridge) and you should have enough for the marinade.

Step 3: Add a little seasoning 
Add a tablespoon of salt (I like sea salt), a dash of pepper, and (optional) a couple of diced scallions or shallots along with a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Cover the container with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 to 3 hours. No longer.

Step 4: Remove and grill 
Pull the steaks out of the container and discard the liquid. Do not rinse. Just apply a favorite dry rub. There are many dry steak rubs available in your grocery aisle. (My favorite is Szeged brand Steak Rub in the cute little black metal can.) Cook your coffee-marinated steaks on a charcoal or gas grill, or broil the meat in the oven. OR cook it on a stovetop...

Through the Grinder
To learn more or buy,
click here!
When my amateur sleuth, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi, made a version of this dish in Through the Grinder, she cooked it in a cast iron skillet on the top of her stove. The stovetop is a great option, too, because it allows for pan drippings, which means...gravy. So I couldn’t resist having Clare whip up a delish side dish of Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Hearty Coffee Gravy. Yes. Coffee gravy! You can find those recipes in the back of Through the Grinder, too.

To find out more about my culinary mystery series, visit my Coffeehouse Mystery Web site, where you’ll find more recipes, as well.

Cheers, everyone,
have a great weekend!

~ Cleo






To download this recipe in a
free PDF that you can print, save,
or share,
click here.
Click here for the free Recipe PDF.

Eat (and read) with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author
of 
The Coffeehouse Mysteries &
Haunted Bookshop Mysteries


Alice and Marc in Central Park. 
Together we write as Cleo Coyle. 

Learn more about us here.
Friend us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
Visit our online Coffeehouse here



Cleo is now working
on her next book!

Don't miss her news...


To sign up for Cleo Coyle's
Coffeehouse Mystery Newsletter
and get the latest news on
Cleo's books, 
bonus recipe,
and 
fun giveaways!



--------------------------------------------------------------



ENTER OUR 10th ANNIVERSARY

10-BOOK (+ TOTE BAG) GIVEAWAY!


And you can carry your books in this clever
tote bag with a special crossword puzzle 
featuring Mystery Lovers' Kitchen authors!



To enter our giveaway,
you must first use
the form below.

Then be sure to leave a
blog post comment.

You must do both
to be entered.

-------------------------------------------------------


------------------------------------------------------------------


2-WEEKS OF FAVORITE, RETRO POSTS!


We're throwing a two-week party to celebrate a decade of blogging at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. Every day (through July 13), one of the authors of MLK will post a retro "anniversary" recipe from our blogging past. Stop back each day to see what we post. Each time you leave a comment on a post, you'll earn an extra entry in our drawing and increase your chances of winning our grand prize package. Be sure to use the entry form above to register with our contest *and* be sure to leave a blog post comment. (You must do both to be entered.)


GOOD LUCK and...

HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY,

MYSTERY LOVERS' KITCHEN!

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Saturday, August 22, 2015

SMOKED CORN SALAD #recipe #bookgiveaway from author @abbottmysteries






BY VICTORIA ABBOTT






It’s corn season here in Ontario and we’re picking it up almost every day and loving it.  Here's our neighbor, Anne, at the corn stand on the corner. How's that for friendly convenience?




 We often eat corn on the cob, but we love to change it up with salads.  All you need to do is cook three extra and you’ve got the main ingredient.  This year’s version is grilled on our smoker, but you can get that same smoky taste with a handful of hardwood chips.

Soak your corn for about thirty minutes.  We took out the silk and tied the ends of the husks with tinfoil.  



To cook the corn:  Prepare your barbecue/grill and add about ½ cups of hardwood chips. Follow the directions on your package of hardwood chips.

Remove the corn silk and husks if you want or leave the husks on.  This time we left the husks on, but in the past we have grilled without them.  This gives a smokier taste and a nice charred look. Try it both ways.

SMOKED CORN SALAD

All you need is:

3 ears of fresh corn, smoked and shucked
3 green onions, sliced thin, green and white part ( or 1/3 finely chopped red onion)
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can of black beans, well-rinsed
3 – 4 tablespoons, chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons green chillies (about half a small can) or substitute your favorite spicier pepper. Live dangerously, if you dare
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of two limes  (we like it with lots of lime)
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste.
All you do is:


Scrape your corn kernels from cob. Place kernels in a bowl with the black beans and red peppers and onions. Should be looking pretty already,



Juice the limes.  We like our new stainless reamer.


Add the rest of your ingredients and toss.  


Don't forget a nice sprinkle of salt.  We like this pink Himalayan salt, a gift from our friend Barbara Fradkin who has been a guest here at MLK>


Refrigerate.  This is better the next day when the flavors have blended.
Enjoy!




WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? 


That shadowy body known as Victoria Abbott is actually us: artist and photographer Victoria Maffini and her mother Mary Jane.  Together we write the book collector mysteries. We are very happy to announce that THE MARSH MADNESS, the fourth in the series, is now available for pre-order by clicking the links below or through your favorite source of books!


Of course, the corn isn’t the only think we’re ready to harvest!  Our fourth book collector mystery is ready to be picked on September 1st.   Today we’ll draw for a review copy.  Simply leave a comment here and your name goes in the hat.  We’ll draw on August 23rd to give you breathing space. 

 


Good luck!  If you win it and you've already pre-ordered, we'll arrange a substitute book.  Be lucky, friends.





We'd love it if you would friend us on Facebook where there's a lot going on.
 

Check us out on Pinterest: 

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE!