1/2 cup packed basil leaves, finely cut
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
In a large bowl, combine chicken, salt and pepper, olive oil, minced garlic, and other seasoning. Make sure the chicken is covered in the seasoning.
Grill chicken over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella cheese and cook another minute or so until melted.
Toss tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, and basil together. Top each chicken breast with about 3 tablespoons pesto, and then the tomato and olive mix. Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Easy Homemade Pesto
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons pine nuts or another type of nut if you prefer*
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
Preparation
To make the pesto, combine basil, garlic, nuts and Parmesan cheese in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the processor still running, add olive oil in a slow stream until thoroughly blended.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
*I’ve substituted almonds and pistachios on occasion, and the pesto is still delicious
Simple Garlic and Olive Oil Linguine
4-6 Servings
Ingredients
1 16-ounce box of linguine
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Preparation
Follow package instructions to cook linguine pasta to al dente in a large pot
When pasta is nearly cooked, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and cook for 10 seconds while stirring. Add the pepper flakes if you’re using them, stir again, and remove from heat
When the pasta is ready, remove it from the heat, drain well, and return it to the pot. Pour the warmed olive oil sauce over the linguine and toss until it’s coated. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss it again.
Serve on a platter topped with chopped parsley.
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Make it a meal!
12 oz grape tomatoes, halved
3 scallions (green onions), top trimmed, both whites and greens chopped
10–15 fresh basil leaves, torn
Zest of 1 lemon
6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, more if you like
Italian Cream Cake
Serves 20
Ingredients
For the cake
1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, softened to room temp.
1/2 cup vegetable shortening or coconut oil
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
5 beaten egg whites
For the frosting
1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, softened to room temp.
1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened to room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box (16 ounces) powdered sugar
1/2 cup toasted, flaked sweetened coconut for topping*
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans for topping*
*you can do it yourself if you can’t find these ingredients already toasted.
Preparation
For the cake
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl mix butter, shortening and sugar until smooth by hand or with an electric mixer.
Add in egg yolks one at a time, mixing with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer after each egg, until blended.
In a small bowl mix together buttermilk, vanilla extract and baking soda. Add 1/2 a cup of flour at a time, and 1/4 of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat this process until all the flour and buttermilk is added. Blend well each time you add an ingredient.
Gently stir in the pecans, sweetened coconut, and beaten egg whites, until well blended. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Reduce heat to 225 degrees F., and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
For the frosting
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, stir together butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and 1/4 of the box of powdered sugar.
Mix on high until smooth and add more powdered sugar. Continue this process until the box is empty and frosting is completely smooth.
Frost the cooled cake and top with coconut and pecans and serve.
Any leftovers need to be refrigerated.
Vegan Brownies
9 brownies
Ingredients
8 oz vegan chocolate
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
Chop the chocolate into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside half and melt the other half in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds.
Make the flax egg: combine the ground flaxseeds with the water in a small bowl and mix with a fork. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to gel.
In a medium bowl, add the sugar and vegan butter and whisk until smooth. Then add the vanilla, flax eggs, and melted chocolate and whisk until well-combined.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and fold with a spatula until all ingredients are combined. Be careful not to overmix. Then, stir in the reserved chocolate pieces.
Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.
Slice into 9 equal-sized pieces and serve.
Italian Lemon Drop Cookies (Anginetti)
Makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice, (1 or 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon lemon zest, (1 lemon)
1/3 cup milk
Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice, (1/2 lemon)
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest, (1/2 lemon)
Preparation
Cookies
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar for 1 minute or until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture. Beat until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as need
ed. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix to combine.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add the milk and mix to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated. The dough should be the consistency of a very thick, sticky cake batter.
Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to place cookie dough onto parchment paper or silicone mat lined cookie sheets.
Bake for 11-13 minute, or until the bottom edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 or 3 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Glaze
While cookies are cooling, in a medium mixing bowl beat together the powdered sugar, butter, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
Place the wire racks (with the cookies one them) over some foil or over a baking sheet.
Use a spoon to top each cookie with a heaping teaspoon of frosting. Use the back of your spoon to spread the glaze all over the cookie. Return the cookie to the wire rack and let the frosting finish coating the cookies. Let set until the glaze firms up a little, about 15-20 minutes.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Chocolate Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups almond flour or very finely ground almonds, sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
confectioners’ sugar, as needed
Preparation
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Stack two matching, heavyweight, light to medium colored cookie sheets one inside the other (stacking two cookie sheets together keeps the bottoms of the cookies from getting too brown). Line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt until completely mixed.
In a mixing bowl [or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment], whisk together egg whites and lemon juice until they hold soft peaks.
Add beaten egg whites and almond extract to the dry ingredients and stir until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough. Knead with your hands if necessary, to be sure ingredients are well mixed.
Lightly dust your hands with powdered sugar. Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Then roll in powdered sugar. Arrange on parchment or silicon-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until tops are cracked and bottoms are just starting to darken (Please note: If you are NOT using doubled cookie sheets your cookies will brown much quicker, and only need about 25 minutes, so watch them closely). Remove from oven. Let cool 2 or 3 minutes, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An award-winning, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author I hope you’ll join me snooping into life's mysteries with fun, fiction, and food—California style!
Life is an extravaganza! Figuring out how to hang tough and make the most of the wild ride is the challenge. On my way to Oahu, to join the rock musician and high school drop-out I had married in Tijuana, I was nabbed as a runaway. Eventually, the police let me go, but the rock band broke up.
Our next stop: Disney World, where we “worked for the Mouse” as chefs, courtesy of Walt Disney World University Chef’s School. More education landed us in academia at The Ohio State University. For decades, I researched, wrote, and taught about many gloriously nerdy topics.
Retired now, I’m still married to the same, sweet guy and live with him near Palm Springs, California. I write the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery Series set here in the Coachella Valley, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series set in California’s Central Coast, The Georgie Shaw Mystery Series set in the OC, The Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery Series set on the so-called American Riviera, just north of Santa Barbara, and The Calla Lily Mystery series that takes place in California’s Wine Country. I’ll be participating in the Witches Academy multi-author series in 2020, introducing Kitchen Magic featuring a gorgeous celebrity chef with a knack for cooking up magic—and not just in the kitchen.
Won’t you join me? Sign up at: http://desertcitiesmystery.com.
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