Roasted Pepper, White Bean, and Mozzarella Salad #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

If you’re having a busy day or a lazy day, this is a quick, convenient, customizable, and delicious supper. Especially on a hot summer night, which we had plenty of this summer. Use your own cooked beans and roasted peppers, or use cans and jars. Add your choice of greens. Toss in tomatoes or leave them out. Make it a bit spicy with Tajin or more Italian with fresh oregano along with the fresh basil.

 

Roasted Pepper, White Bean, and Mozzarella Salad

Adapted from Hetty Lui McKinnon in The New York Times

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 large garlic clove, finely grated (next time I'll use two)

Salt and pepper

1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained 

2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini beans, rinsed

1 pint tiny tomatoes, cut in half (or a couple of larger tomatoes cut into bite-size pieces)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

Baby arugula or other greens

Tajin (a chili pepper, lime, and salt seasoning), optional

Handful of torn basil leaves

 

Directions

To a large salad bowl, add oil, vinegar, and garlic. Season generously with salt, pepper, and Tajin (if using). Whisk to combine.

Tear the red peppers into strips, each about 1-inch thick. Add the peppers and beans to the bowl and toss to combine.

Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula, and basil. Toss to combine. Season with more salt, pepper, and Tajin.

Ready to get away from it all? Visit Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries.

Or travel to the Scottish Highlands in the Highland Bookshop Mysteries.

 

Spend time in northeast Tennessee in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, two stand-alone mysteries, and a collection of short stories.

 

Or travel from Cape Cod on the east coast to Monterey on the west coast, with a stop in Ohio along the way in my very gentle mysteries written as Margaret Welch.

 

Happy reading! 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Bean and Spinach Burritos #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

We love these burritos! The only cooking involved is to slip the pan of assembled burritos in the oven to bake. You might be tempted to stint on the 1/4 cup of lime juice. Don’t. It doesn’t make the filling too wet and it adds a great pop of flavor without being sour. The burritos are also good leftover for lunch the next day.

Black Bean and Spinach Burritos

Makes 8

 

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce) cans cooked black beans, rinsed

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and pressed dry

1 cup corn (frozen or fresh)

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

⅔ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 ounces)

⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 ⅓ teaspoon ground coriander

⅔ teaspoon ground cumin

⅔ teaspoon cayenne pepper

⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup lime juice (fresh or bottled)

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)

8 10-inch flour tortillas

Salt to taste (1-1 ½ teaspoons)

1 cup salsa (optional)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, spinach, corn, garlic, Monterey Jack, pine nuts, coriander, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Toss to blend. Add the feta cheese and toss again.

Place 1 cup of the mixture in the center of a tortilla; fold ⅓ of the tortilla’s lower edge over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up the tortilla. Place on the oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Bake burritos, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through and beginning to turn golden around the edges.

Remove from oven, serve, and (optional, pass the salsa.

 

Ready to escape into summer reading? Visit Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries.

 

Or travel to the Scottish Highlands in the Highland Bookshop Mysteries.

 

Spend time in northeast Tennessee in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, two stand-alone mysteries, and a collection of short stories.

 

Or travel from Cape Cod on the east coast to Monterey on the west coast, with a stop in Ohio along the way in my very gentle mysteries written as Margaret Welch.

 

Happy reading!

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.

 

Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad with Corn Tortilla Chips #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

Here's a quick, delicious summer supper, side salad, or offering for a potluck. The lime juice adds bright flavor. The corn chips add delightful crunch. Tomatoes fresh from the garden or market would be good, too. I love that there's no need to cook the corn but, if you have leftover grilled corn, wouldn't that be great? The original recipe calls for a teaspoon of sugar, which I dutifully added, but I’ll leave it out next time. That little bit of extra sweet wasn’t necessary at all.

 

Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad with Corn Tortilla Chips

 Adapted from Hetty Lui McKinnon in The New York Times

 

Ingredients for the dressing

2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh or bottled)

1 large garlic clove, grated

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sugar (I’ll omit this next time)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons oil (olive, corn, or safflower)

Salt and pepper

Ingredients for the salad

4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 large cobs)

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed

A big handful of cilantro leaves, chopped

4 cups (4 ounces) corn tortilla chips, lightly crushed

2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and roughly diced

 

Directions 

To a large serving bowl, add lime juice, garlic, cumin, sugar (if using), red pepper flakes, and oil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk to combine.

To the dressing, add the corn, black beans, avocado, and cilantro. Toss to combine, taste, and add more salt and pepper if needed.

To serve, add a handful of lightly crushed tortilla chips to each plate of bowl, top with salad, and mix.

Ready to escape into summer reading? Visit Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries. 

 

Or travel to the Scottish Highlands in the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. 

 

Spend time in northeast Tennessee in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, two stand-alone mysteries, and a collection of short stories. 

 

Or travel from Cape Cod on the east coast to Monterey on the west coast, with a stop in Ohio along the way in my very gentle mysteries written as Margaret Welch. 

 

Happy reading! 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky. 

 

 

Okra, Pepper, Red Onion Curry with Crispy Gnocchi #recipe from Molly MacRae

This ad-libbed dish was a great way to use the colorful assortment of vegetables that came to us from a generous friend and her CSA (community supported agriculture) box. The pretty peppers, green and red okra, and one cute little red potato helped create a delicious, warm, satisfying curry. Other vegetables could work just as well. Make the curry your own by adding or substituting fresh produce from your own garden, farmers market, grocery store, or generous friend!

 

Okra, Pepper, Red Onion Curry with Crispy Gnocchi

 

Ingredients

1 pound of shelf-stable gnocchi

16 okra pods (about 1/2 a pound), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

3 or 4 bell peppers of various colors (or the equivalent in a variety of peppers)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 a red onion, sliced thin (if I’d had a whole onion I would have used it)

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 small potato (optional), diced

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup tomato paste (each frozen lump in the photograph is 1 tablespoon of paste)

1 teaspoon lime zest

  

Directions

Heat a 12-inch well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add gnocchi, breaking up any that are stuck together. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring only once or twice so they have a chance to crisp and turn brown in spots. Remove gnocchi to a large serving bowl.

Add remainder of olive oil to the skillet. Stir in vegetables, curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Add the sauteed vegetables to the serving bowl with the gnocchi.

Now add the tomato paste, lime zest, and 3/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced slightly and a spoon drawn through it leaves a trail, about 10 minutes. Add a few more tablespoons of water if the mixture becomes dry and thick as it simmers.

Stir the tomato sauce into the gnocchi and vegetables in the serving bowl. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

 🍅🍅🍅

 

Are you ready for a summer reading trip? Visit Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina, in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries.

 

Or travel to the Scottish Highlands in the Highland Bookshop Mysteries.

 

Spend time in northeast Tennessee in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, two stand-alone mysteries, and a collection of short stories.

 

Or travel from Cape Cod on the east coast to Monterey on the west coast, with a stop in Ohio along the way in my very gentle mysteries written as Margaret Welch.

 

Happy reading!

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.