There was dead silence on Kelly’s end of the line. It was so long Mike finally said, “Kelly are you there?”
“I’m here Mike, but I’m in shock. Somehow it doesn’t seem right that she got that job. I suppose it will be interesting to see what happens. An even fuller circle would be if she and Matteo ended up together. However, as focused on wine as I understand Caitlin is, I don’t think that’s a likely possibility.”
“From the tone of your voice, I’m getting the impression you hope that will never happen.”
“I do. I think Matteo deserves more.”
“Only because he reminds you of your son. Speaking of children, when I get home I want to call Julia and see how Ella’s doing. I also want to start making plans for our trip to Disneyland. I can’t decide whether we should stay in that hotel that has a tram that goes directly to the park or at some beach hotel, so the girls can play in the ocean. What do you think?”
“I think we need to have a long talk. Love you, Sheriff, I mean General Custer.”
“Love you, too.”
RECIPES
MEXICAN SALAD WITH RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE DRESSING
Ingredients:
1 skinless boneless chicken breast
1 tsp. olive oil + ¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. coriander
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 head Romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
¼ cup canned corn
1 small red onion, diced
4 small corn tortillas, cut into strips ½ inch wide, 3 inches long (If you prefer, you can use packaged strips.)
4 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 ½ cups Raspberry Chipotle sauce (The one I use is Fischer Wieser and comes in a plastic bottle. It’s available online, but I get it at Costco. I’m sure you can find something similar.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees if you’re going to make your own tortilla strips.) Using a sharp fillet knife, butterfly the chicken breast into 2 separate pieces. Cut each of the them into thin pieces, so you have 8 to 10 pieces ½ inch wide by 3 inches in length. (Don’t worry, this isn’t about precision. Irregular pieces or nuggets work fine).
Sprinkle cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper on both sides of the chicken pieces. Coat a frying pan with 1 tsp. olive oil and fry the chicken pieces over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan and cut them into bite size pieces.
Brush the tortilla strips with olive oil, place on a cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Whisk the Raspberry Chipotle sauce and ¼ cup olive oil together to make the dressing.
Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl with the exception of the dressing and gently toss. Plate the salad and drizzle the dressing over the top. Enjoy!
GOLD STAR MOTHER’S DAY DESSERT
Ingredients:
4 oz. mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
4 oz. whipped topping, such as Cool Whip (If you’re so inclined, you can whip your own.)
¼ cup white chocolate chips (I like to use the best I can find, but it’s not necessary. Any brand will do.)
2 dozen fresh strawberries, hulled and diced (Reserve 4 strawberries for garnish. If you prefer, you can use raspberries.)
1 cup fresh blueberries
4 parfait glasses or other type of clear glass containers
Directions:
Microwave the chocolate chips for about 15 seconds or so. Stir until melted and add the mascarpone cheese. Stir until smooth and add the whipped topping. Stir gently to combine.
Assembly:
Divide the ingredients equally by adding a spoonful or two of the diced strawberries into the parfait glasses. Top with a dollop of the cream mixture. Add a layer of blueberries and another layer of cream. Continue layering until everything has been used. Depending on the size of the glasses, you may have some leftover, so make extras! Garnish with a strawberry. These can be made several hours in advance. Refrigerate. Serve and enjoy!
MUFFIN MEAT LOAVES
Ingredients:
1 ½ lb. lean ground beef
1 ½ cups shredded zucchini
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried Italian seasoning
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ cup bread crumbs (You can use fresh, but I’m a fan of Panko crumbs.)
¼ cup water
¼ cup barbecue sauce (Everyone has their favorite brand. Mine is
Sweet Baby Ray’s.)
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the cup in a 12-cup muffin tin. In a large bowl thoroughly combine all the ingredients but the barbecue sauce. Place about 1/3 cup of the mixture into each of 12 medium muffin cups. Press down lightly. Spread a little barbecue sauce on top of each one.
Bake about 25 minutes, or until no longer pink. Serve and enjoy!
NOTE: I was worried I’d get an excessive amount of grease in the muffin cups, since I use pork when I make meat loaf. With the lean beef, that’s not a problem, and they come out of the tins quite easily. You could also use mini-muffin tins to make appetizers, just adjust your cooking time.
PAPPARDELLE CARBONARA
Ingredients:
12 oz. pappardelle pasta
8 slices prosciutto, thinly sliced (That’s probably two packages.)
1 tbs. olive oil
3 eggs (I like jumbo.)
¾ cup cream
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions in a large pot of boiling water (put enough salt in it so it tastes like the ocean) until tender. Drain and reserve ½ cup liquid. Return the pasta to the pan over low heat.
While the pasta is cooking, cook the prosciutto in olive oil in large frying pan until crisp.
Combine eggs, cream, and cheese in a mixing bowl. Add the mixture, the reserved cooking liquid, half the parsley, and half the prosciutto to the pasta, lightly tossing.
Serve pasta topped with remaining prosciutto and parsley. Enjoy!
TOMATO TAPAS
Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes
1 baguette
8 garlic cloves, papery coating removed, and finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
8 fresh basil leaves, rolled together and finely chopped
Directions:
Slice the tomatoes into rounds, discarding the ends. Slice the baguette lengthwise and then slice each half into four pieces. Put 1/8 of the garlic on each piece and top with ½ tbsp. olive oil. Distribute the tomato slices evenly over the pieces and top with ½ tbsp. balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the basil over all. Serve and enjoy!
NOTE: I have used several kinds of baguettes and all work fine. I have also used bagels. What doesn’t work is bread. It’s too soft, and the whole thing becomes mushy and unappetizing. Matter of fact, we have fresh tomatoes most of the year, and it’s my go-to breakfast!
*****
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ABOUT DIANNE
I live in Huntington Beach, California, with my husband, Tom, a former California State Senator, and my boxer dog, Kelly. My passions are cooking, reading, and dogs, so whenever I have a little free time, I am either in the kitchen, playing with Kelly in the back yard, or curled up with the latest book I'm reading.
Her other books are available below:
Amazon: Blue Coyote Motel
Amazon: Coyote in Provence
Amazon: Cornered Coyote
Amazon: Coyote Series
Amazon: Kelly’s Koffee Shop
Amazon: Murder at Jade Cove
Amazon: White Cloud Retreat
Amazon: Marriage and Murder
Amazon: Murder in Cottage #6
Amazon: Murder in the Pearl District
Amazon: Murder and Brandy Boy
Amazon: Murder in Calico Gold
Amazon: The Death Card
Amazon: Murder at The Cooking School
Amazon: Murder & The Monkey Band
Amazon: Murder at The Bed & Breakfast
Amazon: Murder at The Secret Cave
Amazon: Murder in Cuba
Amazon: The Blue Butterfly
Amazon: Trouble at the Kennel
Amazon: Murdered by Words
Amazon: Murdered by Country Music
Amazon: Murder at the Big T Lodge
Amazon: Murdered in Argentina
Amazon: Murder on the East Coast
Amazon: Murder at the Clinic
Amazon: Murder at the Polo Club
Amazon: Alexis
Amazon: Trouble at the Animal Shelter
Amazon: Murder in Calistoga
Amazon: Murder on Bainbridge Island
Amazon: Murder & The Movie Star
Amazon: Murder in Whistler
Amazon: Murdered by Plastic Surgery
Amazon: Murder in Seattle
Amazon: Murdered by Wine
Please feel free to follow me on these social media sites:
Website: http://www.DianneHarman.com
Blog: http://www.DianneHarman.com/blog
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @DianneDHarman
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Facebook Author Page Cozy Mystery
Amazon Author Page
Blue Coyote Motel, an Amazon Kindle Best Seller, was a quarterfinalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award Contest and was also a Goodreads Psychological Thriller of the Month Book.
Murdered By Wine: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 13) Page 14