Category Archives: Foodie Friday

I like food! I like guests! Stop by every Friday to see what my friends and I are cooking up. Will it be haute cuisine? Will it be something we made from left-overs and that thing we found in the freezer? There are no rules, it’s just about the food.

Kelly Jensen: Bunkhouse Chili Recipe & Giveaway

Kelly’s back! She’s got an awesome chili recipe you can either eat right away or age for primo flavor the next day. (And y’all, I just love  the kind of dishes that get better overnight.) She’s also got a peek at her new release – a fun paranormal, Best in Show, (on my e-reader, now!) AND she’s giving stuff away (scroll down!).  Now, aren’t you glad you stopped by?


 

Bunkhouse Chili Recipe by Kelli JensenKELLY: Sleep On It!

Sleeping on it is practical advice for big decisions. Sometimes we need a little distance before we commit. This is something Julian Wilkes understands very well—he’s a methodical man. As a mystery writer, he’s used to plotting, cataloguing facts and considering everything before committing. He orders his days by moving from one comfort zone to another. He plans his meals a week in advance and spends a day cooking. Adopting a pet will disrupt his ordered life, but Julian is above all else a people pleaser, so if his sister thinks he needs a pet, then he will get a pet.

Enter Macavity Birch, Julian’s opposite. Mac is impulsive, disorganised and directionless. He never sleeps on it. Why, when opportunity is right there? While his reckless nature often lands him in trouble, Mac has a sweet and generous heart, however. His pranks aren’t ill-intentioned. More, he’s simply looking for his place in the world, for his thing. For something he cares about more than the fun of day to day.

When he is adopted by Julian (who thinks Mac as a cat is just a rather large, but ordinary ginger tabby), Mac feels an instant affinity with the mystery writer. They seem to have nothing in common, but Mac can see that Julian is a Nice Guy, and…that appeals. Really, really appeals. Mac finds he enjoys being cared for, and in return, he enjoys returning that care. He also really enjoys Julian’s cooking, in particular, Julian’s chili.

Here’s Julian’s recipe, which comes from my own personal collection! Like most stews and casseroles, this is one you’ll want to sleep on. It’s delicious the day you make it, especially if you make it in the morning and let it sit on the stove all day. Just heat it through before serving. Or make it the day before so that the flavours have all night to mingle.

 

Bunkhouse Chili

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Alice Orr: Two Generations of Spicy Rubbing

Hey, y’all. Please welcome Alice Orr back to the blog!  I know how you all like the spice, and Alice has just the thing for your summer barbecues!


Make your own spice rub with these ingredients - recipe by Alice OrrAlice:

Even though I write Romantic Suspense novels, this isn’t a post about love scenes.  The rubbing reference has to do with cooking. Specifically, dry rubbing. Okay. Simmer down. I can hear your smirks all the way over here.

I use dry rubs a lot. I like to apply them early in the day and let them sink in deep. I said, “Simmer down, and I mean it!” All right. Let’s start again.

The following two recipes are from myself and my daughter. She’s more to the point and calls hers an All-Purpose Rub because it can be used many more ways than just to season a cut of meat for barbecue or roasting. I use mine whenever I want to add a little pizazz to something. I heard that snigger in the corner by the way.

I add my rub to salad dressings, sauces, egg dishes, casseroles and definitely soups. Also to anything that tends toward blandness, like certain fish fillets or almost any cut of pork. Even meatloaf benefits from a teaspoon or tablespoon sprinkled in, to your particular taste.

Be creative to suit your palate and your family’s tummies. For example, my ingredient combo is less spicy than my daughter’s, and she toned hers down for my husband. She prefers dishes that have “Diablo” in the title. Not me. Each recipe makes approximately a cup and a half of rub.

So, add or subtract at will and definitely experiment, as long as all of the additions are dry, not moist or liquid. Which I know has a naughty connotation too. I write in a naughty genre after all.

Alice’s Herb-Spice Rub

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Kelly Jensen: Sweetheart Scallops Recipe for Valentines

Happy Valentine’s Day weekend!  Kelly Jensen is here with a scallop recipe that is elegant enough for a Valentine’s Day meal and easy enough to make any time. I’m drooling a little right now and seriously considering having Bones make this recipe for our own Valentine’s Day. (I will assist by uncorking the wine!)

Don’t forget to check out Kelly’s new book, When Was the Last Time.

Enjoy!


 

Kelly Jensen's Sweetheart ScallopsKelly:

My husband and I have a Valentine’s tradition we cherish. We plan a menu, cook together, and we eat in the proper dining room instead of in the kitchen. Our menus vary. We both like to cook and we’re both adventurous eaters, so our planning usually begins with a theme: a style of cuisine, the food of a particular country or region, or an ingredient we’d both like to try. We’ve roasted, broiled and fried, made chocolate truffles, rolled up sushi, and learned how to poach fish. We’ve eaten a lot of good food—but sometimes the simplest recipes are the most memorable.

Sweetheart Scallops take about ten minutes to make. No kidding. Prep consists of chopping a shallot and a green onion, juicing a lemon and dropping a little flour into a dish. That’s it. Oh, and opening a bottle of white wine—a glass for you and half a cup for the sauce.

You can serve anything alongside these scallops. Their flavour is delicate, so keep that in mind. We usually go for a little linguini or polenta—both work well with the sauce—and a green vegetable. You could also soak up the sauce with some crusty bread. On to the recipe!

Sweetheart Scallops Recipe

Serves 2. Prep: 5 minutes, Cook time: 5-7 minutes

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