Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Zucchini Pancakes with Parmesan

12:00 AM 0 Comments
It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious!


Summertime...so many fruits and veggies are plentiful right now, but no bounty can match the output from a solid zucchini garden at this time of year.


If you're swimming in summer squash right now, here's a fun and delish way to use some up.

ZUCCHINI PANCAKES WITH PARMESAN


INGREDIENTS
1 large egg 2/3 cup finely chopped onion or shallot 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes)1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 2 cups seeded and shredded zucchini
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
 DIRECTIONS
Beat egg in a large bowl. Stir in shallots, parsley, salt and pepper. Strain and squeeze shredded zucchini to drain off liquid. Add squash and cheese to the bowl; stir until mixed. 


Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop 1/4-1/3 cup of the mixture into pan, flattening and shaping into a thin (1 inch thick or thereabouts) pancake. Cook over med heat until golden brown and crispy on the bottom, then flip and continue cooking on the other side. Drain on paper toweling. Repeat with remaining mixture until used up. Makes roughly 4-6 pancakes, depending on size.
Don't know how to seed a zucchini? It's simple. Slice the squash in half lengthwise (so you have two long halves). Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeded centers of each half.
I like this with dollops of sour cream or a drizzle of ranch, but they're great plain too.
Enjoy!
 
~~~

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than thirty books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night. Connect with her on Twitter or Goodreads. She loves talking to people!

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Berry Yummy Yogurt Pops

12:00 AM 0 Comments
It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious!


Ice cream is a frequent downfall of my diet, especially since summertime in my locale means frequent temperatures above 100 degrees. I can pack away a lion's share of ice cream-and all the calories and sugar that goes with it.  So this year I decided to cool off with a healthier alternative. 

These super easy yogurt pops can be made with plain yogurt and no added sugar, sweetened with a bit of honey, or just use your favorite flavor. I like Greek yogurt with a swirl of organic honey, or else some organic vanilla yogurt.


Berry Yummy Yogurt Pops

Ingredients
6 strawberries, chopped fine
1/4 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)

1/2 cup yogurt

Directions

Combine ingredients in a bowl and spoon into popsicle molds. Freeze a few hrs until firm. Makes 8-12 pops.



~~~

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than thirty books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night. Connect with her on Twitter or Goodreads. She loves talking to people!

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Superfood Salad

12:00 AM 0 Comments
It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious!


My daughter wanted to hit up the local burger joint recently, but I wanted something a bit lighter. On their menu, they offered a salad that was loaded with superfoods. I loved it and wanted to try it at home. Thought I'd share my version with you after last month's fry-heavy tempura recipe!

Superfood Salad

 Ingredients

1 cup of baby spinach
1 cup of chopped kale
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup baby carrots, chopped
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 Tbsp Chia or flax seeds
1/2 cup cooked quinoa


Your choice of salad dressing (I like raspberry vinaigrette, a spoonful of plain yogurt, or lemon juice tossed with olive oil.)


Directions

Combine greens in a bowl, toss in remaining ingredients except quinoa if you prefer to serve it in a scoop on the side. Drizzle with dressing. Serves 2.


~~~

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than thirty books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night. Connect with her on Twitter or Goodreads. She loves talking to people!

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Homemade Tempura Batter

12:00 AM 0 Comments
It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious!


While I do try to highly restrict the amount of fried foods I eat, I am a sucker for a good tempura. The combo of crispy skin and barely tender vegetables or meat inside is hard to resist. So of course I had to learn to make it at home.
Lots of veggies work for this. My favorites are sweet potato, zucchini, and whole mushrooms. 

Homemade Tempura Batter

 Ingredients

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. melted butter
Your choice of items to dip in batter: veggies cut in uniform pieces, peeled/deveined shrimp, whitefish.


Directions

Beat eggs briefly, then stir in milk and butter. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a medium bowl; stir into egg mixture and combine all until batter is smooth. 

For deep fryer:
Heat fat to 360 degrees. Dip vegetables/shrimp/fish in batter and place in strainer in fry basket. Fill only 1/3 full to keep batter from overflowing basket. Lower into oil and use spoon or tongs occasionally to keep items from sticking together. 

If you don't have a deep fryer, use a wok or saucepan filled with a couple inches or so of oil. 

Fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Note: if doing both seafood and veggies, do the veggies first so they don't pick up a fishy odor.


~~~

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than thirty books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night. Connect with her on Twitter or Goodreads. She loves talking to people!

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

London Broil Crockpot Style

12:00 AM 0 Comments
It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious!


Sometimes, we get a hankering for red meat at our house. By "we," I especially mean my husband. By "sometimes," I mean he craves it every week. When steaks and pot roasts have been trotted out on the menu a bit too often, I have a super easy, but flavorful dish that he loves...and all it takes is a few seasoning packets plus my crockpot.

I ran across this recipe on the internet quite a few years ago. You can see the original, along with reviews from folks who've tried it, HERE on Cooks.com. Serve with biscuits or rice to sop up the gravy, or mashed/riced cauliflower if you're avoiding grains/carbs.

London Broil Crockpot Style

 Ingredients

1 London broil roast (average size)
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix
1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix
1-1/2 cups water

Directions

In small bows, combine the package mixes together with water and whisk until smooth and dissolved. Set roast in crockpot and pour the mixture over top. Cool on LOW heat overnight or until tender. Serves about 4.

~~~

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than thirty books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night. Connect with her on Twitter or Goodreads. She loves talking to people!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

No-Flour, No-Fuss Chocolaty Goodness Cake

12:00 AM 0 Comments
It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious!


After going pretty much off the rails with my diet over the holidays, I've been trying to be super good with my diet...and bam, Valentine's Day rolls around, taunting me with all its chocolaty goodness. I wanted a treat I could indulge without guilt, and this flourless chocolate cake is just the thing!

This batter whips right up in the food processor and produces one small round (9") cake that is fudgy and pretty dense, not tall and fluffy like other cakes. This I like, because the richness satisfies. After seeing the premise of a flourless/black bean cake elsewhere, I grabbed this version from the Hungry Girl website. I'm not a fan of the artificial sweetener she calls for, so I adjusted the sweetening here.  I'm also not opposed to egg yolks, especially coming from nice, fresh organic/cage free eggs. 

If you don't have applesauce on hand, double the amount of canned pumpkin and you should be okay. If you're out of pumpkin, on the other hand, doubling the applesauce will change the texture and affect this setting up a little. But you could give it a try. Maybe drain the applesauce a bit first? 

If you're not "too" concerned about calorie count, serve with whipped cream. I like strawberries sliced on top.

No-Flour, No-Fuss Chocolaty Goodness Cake

 Ingredients

One 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs OR 4 large egg whites
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar or alternate sweetener (honey, maple syrup)
1  1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like the Enjoy Life vegan chips)


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a round cake pan (9-inch) with foil and grease generously (I use coconut oil. Gives a nice, bare hint of flavor...and I found it in spray form).  Put the above ingredients in a food processor except the chocolate chips, and pulse until batter is smooth.  Gently stir in 1 tbsp. of the chocolate chips. Spread mixture into pan, smoothing with spatula or back of a spoon. Evenly sprinkle on remaining chocolate chips, lightly pressing into batter. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out pretty much clean, 35 - 40 minutes.  This will remain fudgy no matter what, so don't worry about a smidge of batter clinging to the toothpick. But if it's coated in the stuff, bake a little longer.

Let cool completely before cutting into this, if you can stand it. Otherwise you might find yourself digging in with a spoon. Enjoy!

~~~

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than thirty books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night. Connect with her on Twitter or Goodreads. She loves talking to people!

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Chicken Adobo

12:00 AM 0 Comments
It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious!


When my husband and I were newly married, he got a hankering for a favorite recipe from his childhood. His grandmother made large pots of adobo, a Filipino dish, frequently for the family. I got on the phone to acquire the recipe, and we've been having this on occasion ever since.

Adobo is a savory, vinegar-based meat dish that's wonderful served over rice. You can adjust the amount of vinegar according to taste. We like ours pretty tangy! Coke, honey, or broth can cut the vinegar if you've gone a bit heavy on it. You can also make this with cubed beef or pork.

Chicken Adobo

 Ingredients

1 whole chicken (cut into eighths)
1 whole garlic, chopped
Oil for frying (I use olive or coconut oil)
1 tsp pepper
4 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup vinegar

Directions

Wash chicken and pat dry, season with salt. Heat oil in a large, deep fry pan or a heavy pot pot (which is what I prefer) and saute garlic until golden, about 1 minute. Add chicken to hot oil in batches to sear both sides, removing from pan to a bowl while the rest are being seared.  Return all pieces to pan, including drippings from bowl, and add pepper, cloves, bay leaves, soy sauce, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is done.

Taste and adjust to suit. This should be tangy!

Serve over cooked rice.

Serves 3-4.
~~~

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than thirty books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night. Connect with her on Twitter or Goodreads. She loves talking to people!

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Festive Holiday Punch: #Holiday #Recipe Exchange

12:00 AM 1 Comments
Instead of my usual Too Yummy Tuesday posts,  I’ll be featuring yummy recipes and delicious blurbs from some fellow romance authors throughout the holidays!

Today’s recipe comes from Brenda Sparks, author of Alpha Lover.



Festive Holiday Punch
Make a day in advance to allow the flavors to meld.

Ingredients

·         1/3 cup white sugar
·         1 quart cranberry juice
·         2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
·         3 tablespoons almond extract
·         1 (2 liter) bottle Lemon/Lime soft drink such as Sprite
·         1 pint of cranberries
·         Vodka (optional)

Directions

1.      In a large container, mix together sugar, cranberry juice, pineapple juice and almond extract. Refrigerate for 1 day.
2.     To serve, pour juice mixture into a punch bowl. Stir in Lemon/Lime soft drink.
3.     Garnish with cranberries
Optional:
4.     To make an alcohol version stir in vodka to desired taste


*~*~*~*~*~*

Alpha Lover
(Book 3 in the Alpha Council Chronicles series)
by Brenda Sparks   
Paranormal Romance

Starved for blood, vampire, Nicholai Peterhof is greatly relieved when two tourists decide to grace his restaurant, but one sip from the pretty brunette and his world is forever turned upside down. Juliette Staint-John is everything he could have asked for in a heartmate; pretty, smart, built with curves in all the right places…and totally unavailable.

Juliette doesn’t want anything to do with the handsome, young-looking Nicholai. As if their differences aren’t enough, the acute grief over the loss of loved ones keeps her heart guarded. He may be her fantasy, but that’s all he can ever be.

To get past Juliette’s defenses and in order to keep her safe, Nicholai must prove himself worthy of her love and trust. Unbeknownst to the couple, her personal demons are not the only ones threatening their relationship. Hiding virtually unseen by the vampires, Demon Royalty plots to destroy not only the couple but the entire vampire breed. Luckily, Nicholai will do anything for Juliette—even if it means sacrificing himself.

Excerpt:

     She had only a second to realize Nicholai stood in the doorway before Desmond’s powerful thighs brought him to the door in a single bound.
He grabbed Nicholai’s shirt with one hand, his other made a fist that landed squarely on Nicholai’s jaw.
Nicholai’s head snapped back. Shock took his face. With a mighty push, Nicholai threw Desmond backward across the room into one of the flowery couches. It moved under his weight, crashed into the end table, and the Tiffany lamp tumbled to the floor.
Julie’s eyes went wide. The two men became a blur of motion, bodies flying apart then back together. She had to concentrate to make out the shapes of hard forms in the powerful whirlwind.
Connor pulled, lunging at the whirling mass. His deep growls and barks added to the chaos as the two males swirled around the living room. They spun around the room like a tornado, moving so fast Juliette’s eyes did not register their kicks and punches. However, she heard bones crunch and the slap of skin while the two exchanged blows.
The furniture that exploded when the blurry mass neared evidenced the fierceness of their battle. Julie watched one piece of furniture after the next burst into pieces. First her delicate coffee table, next the end table where the Tiffany lamp had been, then the rocking chair. When the mass moved toward the antique credenza, Juliette screamed.
Her beautiful roses sprayed about the room. Red petals floated slowly to the floor in surreal contrast.

Buy Links:

Amazon buy link: http://mybook.to/AlphaLover

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alpha-lover-brenda-sparks/1124934443?ean=2940156932726

iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/alpha-lover/id1173716918?mt=11




About Brenda Sparks:
Born in Virginia, Brenda Sparks now resides in the Sunshine State.  Balancing her professional commitment to the local school district with her writing is challenging at times, but writing suspenseful paranormal romances is a passion that won’t be denied. Her idea of a perfect day is one spent in front of a computer with a hot cup of coffee, her fingers flying over the keys to send her characters off on their latest adventure.  Brenda loves to connect with readers.  Please visit her online or stop by her website to say hi.

Author Links:
Facebook Fan Page: 
http://www.facebook.com/forBrendaSparks
Twitter : @brenda_sparks https://twitter.com/brenda_sparks

Monday, December 19, 2016

Goat Cheese Tartlets with Spiced Apple-Fig Compote: #Holiday #Recipe Exchange

12:00 AM 0 Comments
Instead of my usual Too Yummy Tuesday posts,  I’ll be featuring yummy recipes and delicious blurbs from some fellow romance authors throughout the holidays!

Today’s recipe comes from Kathleen Rowland, author of Deadly Alliance.
 



Goat Cheese Tartlets with Spiced Apple-Fig Compote
This festive appetizer has 50 calories per serving and makes 30 tartlets.

Ingredients

30 item(s) mini phyllo shell(s)
1/3 cup(s) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/3 Tbsp soft-type goat cheese, softened (1/3 cup)
1 item(s) egg white(s)
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, coarsely grated (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup(s) jam, fig variety
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/4 cup(s) mint leaves, fresh, for garnish

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange phyllo shells on a cookie sheet.
2.     In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, goat cheese, egg white, honey and flour until thick and creamy, about 5 to 6 minutes; spoon 1 teaspoon of filling in each shell. Bake until set, about 15 minutes; remove from oven and let cool.
3.     Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine apple, jam and allspice; set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until jam melts and mixture thickens slightly (juice from apples will evaporate); remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Just before serving, spoon 1 teaspoon apple compote onto each tart; garnish with mint. Yields 1 tartlet per serving.


*~*~*~*~*~*

Deadly Alliance
by Kathleen Rowland 
Romantic Suspense

Finbar Donahue, former Army Ranger, walked on the wild side in Iraq, but now he lives in the shadows. After his evasive partner, Les, was shot in a random drive-by, Finn discovers cash is siphoned monthly. He fights to keep his investment company afloat. When the late partner’s girlfriend, Amy Kintyre, applies for his bookkeeping job, Finn suspects she knows about his company drain and hires her.


Amy needs a nine-to-five with free evenings and weekends to get her fashion design business back on track. She unearths Les’ s secret bank account and alerts Finn. Freezing of the money laundering account sets off havoc within an Irish gang. Amy witnesses a gang fight between a brutal ISIS fundraising organization and the Irish. Desperate to escape a stalker’s crosshairs, she seeks refuge with Finn. As danger heats up, sparks fly hotter.

Excerpt:

     Finn’s phone vibrated, but he killed the call and darted into the first door he saw, the one with the frosted pink window. He spotted Amy at the sink and pointed his index finger up.
He took off his coat and wrapped it around his fist. After rapping on the glass, he wound up and threw a hard punch through the window. Glass splintered as he connected with the thug’s nose. Prepared to jump aside, he opened the door.
Amy followed and jumped over the guy spread on the floor, holding a hand over his bleeding nose.
 He struggled to stand. Finn patted him down, took his gun, and pointed it at him. After the guy stood, Finn walked him to a chair. “Don’t move.”
“I’ll phone the police.” A high-pitched squeal came from the back of her throat. “Never mind. Police are here.”
From the street, the blue light of a cop car radiated across the club’s interior like a strobe. Uniforms burst through the door.
The first officer made radio contact with homicide, and the second, much younger, rushed to the nearest thug and pulled out flex-cuffs.
“Stand over there, Amy.” Finn motioned toward a corner.
She rolled her eyes and dashed toward Burlie who wrestled with the Arab and tried to keep him from moving toward the young rookie. Amy pulled an item from her purse. A Swiss army knife? Out came a miniature cork screw.
The rookie cop turned the Arab around to be handcuffed and leaned him against a wall. The thug used the hard surface as leverage to throw himself against him.
Finn saw it coming. A switchblade sprung from the Arab’s sleeve. In a split second, he drove it into the cop’s shoulder, but Amy stabbed him in the back with the wine opener.
The Arab spun and pulled a knife from his jeans’ pocket. Amy dodged, but he thrust it into a cop’s gut before running.
Finn waited for an opening and shot him in the hip.
 Howling about uncivilized barbarians, he dropped.
Up from his chair, the loser with the broken nose swung his fists, raining blows and a kick to the nuts which Finn deflected.
“Don’t make me shoot you.” Finn stunned him with a chop to the neck, caught him in a headlock. With a gun at his back, he marched him forward.
Amy broke into the center of the room and turned around, taking in the menacing scene. The girl-next-door had street smarts, competency with the corkscrew, and fearless determination.
He walked over and touched her weapon-holding hand. “You didn’t have pocket-knife experience on your resume.” It didn’t make her invincible. Nor did it mean he should hire her.
She shook her head. “Never used it this way. It’s handy when hiking She looked at her pocket knife, folded and stuffed it in her pocket.  Her eyes blinked in frenzy in spite of her bravery.


Buy Links:

Amazon US
http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Alliance-Kathleen-Rowland-ebook/dp/B019EE5OP8/

Amazon UK

Nook:



About Kathleen Rowland:
Kathleen used to write computer programs but now writes novels. She grew up in Iowa where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and raced her sailboat on Lake Okoboji.  Now she wears flip-flops and sails with her husband, Gerry, on Newport Harbor but wishes there were lightning bugs in California.

Kathleen exists happily with her witty CPA husband, Gerry, in their 70’s poolside retreat in Southern California where she adores time spent with visiting grandchildren, dogs, one bunny, and noisy neighbors.  While proud of their five children who’ve flown the coop, she appreciates the luxury of time to write. 

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