Tasty Tuesdays–Quick Oven Quesadillas

Tags

books, Catherine Castle, entrees, food blog, Mexican food, Oven Quesadillas, Recipes, Tasty Tuesdays, The Nun and the Narc

The other day I wanted a quick easy meal, so I peeked into the pantry to see what I had on hand. I found cans of chicken, green chiles, corn, black beans and cream of chicken soup, and some tortillas, so I set out to create something. Here’s what I came up with. We liked it, and I hope you will too.

Quick Oven Quesadilla

Ingredients: 

• 2 12.5-oz canned chicken, drained and broken up
• 1 4-oz can diced green chilies
• 1 2.5-oz can sliced black olives, drained
• 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-11-oz can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1/2 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 or less cup water (start with a smaller amount. You only need enough water to allow the condensed soup to mix with the other ingredients )
• 1 cup finely shredded Mexican style cheese.
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning, or to taste if you like it spicier.
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 high-fiber large tortillas (or corn tortillas) or  enough to fit a straight sided cake pan, or 2 high-fiber street tacos to make individual servings in a smaller pan

Directions:

• In a skillet over medium high heat brown the tortillas on both sides.
• While tortillas are browning, mix chicken, corn, beans, chilies, olives, soup, cheddar cheese and water. Heat the mix in a large saucepan stirring until well mixed and beginning to bubble.
• Lightly spray the bottom of a cake pan or baking sheet. Lay one tortilla in the pan, top with about 3/4 cup mix (for a large tortilla, less for smaller tortillas) onto top of browned tortilla, spreading mix almost to the edge. Top with 1/4 cup of finely shredded Mexican cheese.  Repeat with other tortilla and 3/4 cup mix. (You will have mix left over for another day’s use, or you can double the tortillas and make a bigger meal the first time)
• Bake in 350 degree oven about 10-15 minutes or until cheese on top has melted and you can see filling bubbling. (I’ve also baked this for a shorter time at a higher temp when was in a hurry.) Turn off oven and switch to the high broil setting on the oven and broil until cheese on top begins to brown.
• Remove from oven. Cut and serve with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, onions, guacamole, salsa or other Mexican side toppings.

If you want to make several stacks at a time lay the base tortillas on a baking sheet and assemble as many as your ingredients allow. Number will depend on the size of your tortillas.

If you only make one stack, or 2 smaller individual servings, the first time you can use the remainder of the filling for a second quesadilla meal or as filling for enchiladas. It will make about 4-6 enchiladas depending on the size of your tortilla. Warm your ingredients before assembling the stacks or enchiladas to cut down on heating time in oven. Make a cheese sauce, or other Mexican sauce to cover the enchiladas and top with shredded cheese. Heat in a 350 degree oven until cheese has melted and is beginning to brown. 

While your dinner is cooking, check out Catherine’s multi-award-winning Inspirational Romantic Suspense The Nun and the Narc. Partially set in Mexico, the heroine, Sister Margaret Mary, an adventurous novice, dines on some unusual marketplace snacks.

The Nun and the Narc

by Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

Buy Links Amazon and Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

 

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Tasty Tuesdays–Medieval Stuffed Eggs from Olivia Rae

Tags

A Life Redeemed, Christian Historical Romance, Medieval Stuffed Eggs, Olivia Rae, recipe, Tasty Tuesdays

Since I write mostly romantic Christian historical books, I started researching and looking up old Medieval recipes to use in my newsletter. I was surprised how many of them evolved into the foods we eat today. For summer, I thought it would be fun to share my Medieval Stuffed Egg recipe (with a few of my own changes). It has a nice fresh exotic taste!

Medieval Stuffed Eggs

Ingredients:

6 to 12 eggs

¼ tsp. Cinnamon, ground

½ tsp. ginger, ground

¼ tsp. pepper, ground

¼ tsp. sage, finely chopped

1 tsp. parsley, finely chopped

1 apple, peeled and finely chopped

bread crumbs

small amount of milk

A small amount of mayo (optional)

Method:

Boil eggs, allow to cool, peel and cut in half

Remove yolks and place in bowl with spices and mix with mayo

Take egg whites and place in milk and then coat with bread crumbs

Drop egg whites in hot oil or butter for a few minutes until bread crumbs are brown

When whites are cooled scoop in egg mixture. You can also not include the mayo and fry the egg whites with the egg yolk mixture inside the egg.  Your choice!

Enjoy this great Medieval summer treat!

When you’re ready to enjoy this new treat, grab your plate and check out Olivia’s Romance  A Life Redeemed.

A Life Redeemed

By Olivia Ray

Everyone has a secret, who can a queen trust?

Upon Queen Elizabeth’s order, Audrey Hayes travels to the borderlands of Scotland to learn where the fierce Laird Armstrong’s loyalties lie. Is he aligned with his mother’s English roots in support of the queen, or does he hold with the beliefs of his father, who wishes to see Mary of Scots on the English throne? The fate of Audrey’s family rests on her success in finding the answer.

After losing his lands in a wager and being betrayed by his kin, Gavin Armstrong entered a loveless marriage to obtain the funds to buy back his family home, Warring Tower. Now a widower, struggling against countless border wars, he is on the verge of losing his home and lands again. With few resources, he reluctantly makes another risky wager, one he cannot hope to win without trusting the secretive Audrey Hayes, a woman he suspects is an English spy.

As the two work together to save Warring Tower, their attraction to one another grows. But when Audrey finally gains the information she seeks for Queen Elizabeth, she realizes that the only way she can save her family is to betray the man she loves.

Want to read more?

A Life Redeemed is available on Amazon:  Barnes and Noble:  Apple:  Kobo:

About the Author:

Olivia Rae is an award-winning author of historical and contemporary inspirational romance. She spent her school days dreaming of knights, princesses and far away kingdoms; it made those long days in the classroom go by much faster. After becoming a teacher, she decided to breathe a little more life into her childhood stories.

Olivia is the winner of the Angel Awards, Book Buyer’s Best Award, Southern Magic Award, New England Readers’ Choice Award, the Golden Quill Award, the American Fiction Award, and the Illumination Awards.

Connect with Olivia on her  Website: Twitter: Instagram: Facebook

Tasty Tuesdays–Zucchini Spaghetti Carbonara ala Catherine from Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, Catherine Castle, Catherine Castle's Food blog Tasty Tuesdays, food recipe, Italian food, main entree, spaghetti carbonara, Sweet romantic comedy, Tasty Tuesdays

Traditional Carbonara has an egg and cheese sauce added to the spaghetti just before serving. I don’t care for eggs added to things at the last minute, so I eliminated the eggs and sauce and came up with my own version of Carbonara. I hope you’ll like it as much as we do.

Zucchini Spaghetti Carbonara ala Catherine

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (or you can use edamame spaghetti for a dish with more fiber in it)
• 2.5 ounce can of sliced black olives, drained
• 1 cup diced or chunked  ham
• 1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise and then thinly sliced
• ½ grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 slices thick bacon

Directions:

1. Divide bacon into 4 and 2 slices. Prepare 4 slices for microwaving by placing between 2 paper towels on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 3 minutes until crisp. Remove from paper while still warm and crumble.
2. Dice remaining 2 slices and place in a large skillet, cooking until crisp.
3. While bacon is cooking, boil water for spaghetti and cook as directed on package until pasta is firm. Drain fully when cooked.
4. While pasta is cooking, sauté zucchini with diced bacon until zucchini is tender.
5. Drain any excess liquid from the pan.
6. Add olives and cooked drained spaghetti to zucchini and bacon, tossing to mix.
7. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese, tossing quickly to keep cheese from clumping.
8. Top with crumbled bacon and serve.

Makes 2 generous main dish servings or 4 side dishes.

Note: additional cheese may be sprinkled on top of pasta after serving, if desired.

This dish makes up quick, so you won’t have time to read a book while it’s cooking, but after the dishes are done, check out Catherine’s sweet romantic comedy with a touch of drama, A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

About  the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Tasty Tuesdays–Pumpkin Bundt Cake from Amanda Cabot

Tags

Amanda Cabot, clean romance, Dessert, Dreams Rekindled-Historical Christian Romance, food blog, low-fat cake, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, recipe, Sweet romance, Tasty Tuesdays

Once upon a time, many long years ago, I found a Kellogg’s recipe called Choco-Dot Pumpkin Cake which soon became a family favorite. As the years passed and I adopted a lower fat diet, I stopped making it. This past Thanksgiving, I remembered how much we’d enjoyed the original recipe and wondered if I could tweak it to make it a bit healthier. I reduced the sugar, substituted applesauce for oil, eliminated the chocolate chips, and substituted GrapeNuts for the walnuts. Here’s the result, which we found to be absolutely delicious.

Please note that, as is the case with most lower fat baked goods, it’s important to do all mixing by hand.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour large Bundt pan. (I use a floured spray like Pam or Baker’s Joy.)

Beat well:      

4 eggs

Add and mix well:

2 cups canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling

1 ½ cups sugar

Stir in:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup Kellog’s All-Bran

1 cup Grapenuts

Mix and fold in:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp allspice

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

¼ tsp ginger

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack to complete the cooling.

Enjoy!

While you’re waiting for the cake to bake, check out Amanda’s Historical Christian Romance Dreams Rekindled.

Available at Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Christian Book Distributors

Dreams Rekindled

By Amanda Cabot

He’s bound and determined to find peace . . . but she’s about to stir things up.

Dorothy Clark dreams of writing something that will challenge people as much as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin seems to have. But in 1850s Mesquite Springs, there are few opportunities for writers—until newspaperman Brandon Holloway arrives, that is.

Brandon Holloway has seen firsthand the disastrous effects of challenging others. He has no intention of repeating that mistake. Instead of following his dreams, he’s committed to making a new—and completely uncontroversial—start in the Hill Country.

As Dorothy’s involvement in the fledgling newspaper grows from convenient to essential, the same change seems to be happening in Brandon’s heart. But before romance can bloom, Dorothy and Brandon must work together to discover who’s determined to divide the town and destroy Brandon’s livelihood.

About the Author:

Amanda Cabot’s dream of selling a book before her thirtieth birthday came true, and she’s now the author of more than thirty-five novels as well as eight novellas, four non-fiction books, and what she describes as enough technical articles to cure insomnia in a medium-sized city. Her inspirational romances have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists, have garnered a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and have been nominated for the ACFW Carol, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers Best awards. A popular workshop presenter, Amanda takes pleasure in helping other writers achieve their dreams of publication.

Connect with Amanda on  her Website: Facebook: Twitter @AmandaJoyCabot: and her Blog

Tasty Tuesdays- No-Tomato Crockpot Chili from Catherine Castle

Tags

arthritis menu, Catherine Castle, entrée, food, nightshade-free recipe, No-Tomato Crockpot Chili, Tasty Tuesdays

Recently tomatoes have been cut from our diet. I love tomatoes and many of the recipes I cook are tomato based. Here’s the issue: tomatoes are part of the nightshade family, along with a few more of my favorite foods such as peppers and eggplants. In some people the nightshade plants make arthritis worse and eliminating nightshade foods can help keep arthritis at bay.  The problem comes when one family member loves tomatoes and the other one now has to avoid them.

There are very few, if any substitutes for tomatoes, so I’ve been on the hunt for ways to make my favorite dishes without tomatoes for the non-tomato eating half of our family, yet please the tomato-loving member. It’s been tough, especially with chili season upon us.

So, I set out to conquer the problem. Here’s one of the recipe I came up with: No-Tomato Crockpot Chili. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 

photo from the kitchen of Catherine Castle

No-Tomato Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can beefy mushroom soup (I used Campbell’s soup)
• ½ large onion, diced
• 2 cans of beans with the canned liquid. The bean liquids help make up for the loss of the volume of the tomatoes. You can use seasoned or unseasoned chili beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, or lentils. Your choice and you can mix and match beans types.
• 1 small can diced chilies, if the non-tomato eater can eat them without issues
• One garlic clove, diced (optional)
• Chili powder to taste
• ¼ cup water, or less if you want a thicker chili
• Salsa, your heat preference for the tomato-eating family members
• Cheese for topping (optional)
• Spaghetti (optional)

Directions:

1. Break up ground beef in a large skillet and brown along with the diced onion and garlic.
2. Add beans and bean liquid, diced green chilies, soup and water to crock pot. Stir to mix well.
3. Drain beef mixture of fat and place in a crock pot. Stir to mix
4. Cook on high for 2 hours or until hot, or on low 4-6 hours or until hot.

At serving time, place spaghetti in bottom of bowl and add beef chili.  For those who can eat green chilies and tomatoes, top their bowls with ¼ to ½ cup of salsa and 1 teaspoon of green chilies to each cup of the beef-soup-based chili.  Stir lightly to combine.

While your chili is cooking settle into a comfy chair and check out Catherine’s multi-award-winning, inspirational romantic suspense book, The Nun and the Narc. It’s not your usual inspirational romantic suspense. Here’s what one reviewer said:

“You know that you aren’t supposed to laugh during a romantic suspense book, right?  And it’s a different kind of Inspirational Romance, too.  There were times in this book that I was rolling with laughter.  We needed the laughter considering that Maggie and Jed were dealing the Mexican drug cartel, trying not to get killed in the process and coming to terms with their faith and each other.  Oh and falling in love…

… Ms. Castle wrote some the most dramatic scenes that I’ve read in a while.  She could write an action/thriller movie with no problem.  I really felt like I was the fly on the wall and actually cringed, ducked and held my breath.  I will also say the James Bond references were spot on.  Jed Bond!  LOL!  Priceless and needed when you are dealing with the cartel.  Also, the humor that she writes helps with the tension and action sequences, too.

Don’t worry about the book being “preachy” or heavy handed.  Ms. Castle wrote a book that everyone can relate to in one way or another…” From Harlies Books.

The Nun and the Narc

By Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

The Nun and the Narc is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Tasty Tuesdays–Epiphany Frangipane Chocolate Spice Cake from Catherine Castle

Tags

A Groom for Mama, almond paste, Catherine Castle, Dessert, epiphany cake, food blog, King cake, recipe, Sweet romance, Tasty Tuesdays, three king's cake

Two years ago in late December, I discovered almond paste and went down a cake rabbit hole. My family celebrates Christmas on New Year’s Day most years, but that year we were celebrating after January 6, which is Epiphany. Epiphany is the traditional date the Wise Men visited the Christ Child, and to celebrate the event a special cake, with a plastic baby or bean hidden in the cake, is served. The Epiphany cake, often referred to as a King cake or the Three Kings cake, has many forms, flavors, and even many trinkets hidden in it. It is also a tradition in many countries, especially those with a Catholic background.

I’d never heard of a King cake, except in reference to Louisiana Mardi Gras celebrations. After some research, I decided to come up with my own version of an Epiphany King cake using almond paste. It took several tries to create something that showed off the frangipane I’d made from the almond paste. On my first attempt, using a yellow cake recipe, the frangipane melted into the cake batter and didn’t give me the definition I wanted.

So I began experimenting. I decided I’d make a chocolate spice cake with a frangipane layer. That worked. I’m calling it Epiphany Frangipane Chocolate Spice Cake. If you don’t want to make it an Epiphany cake, complete with trinkets, just call it Frangipane Chocolate Spice Cake

Here’s the recipe, just in time for you to make your own Epiphany cake for tomorrow’s celebration. So rush out to the store, get what you need and bake. Or just bake it any time you like and celebrate the Wise Men worshipping the Christ. There’s never a deadline on worship of Jesus.

Frangipane Chocolate Spice Cake

Ingredients:

Optional:

• 1 bean, or 1 plastic small baby figurine, or several small trinkets. Be sure to tell your guests these items are hidden in the cake!
• Chopped maraschino cherries or chopped candied fruit for decorating the cake. You can  add the chopped candied fruits to the baking pan before you add the batter, scattering them evenly around the pan, or you can reserve them and scatter them over the top of the bake cake adhering them to the cake with a bit of confectioner sugar glaze.

Cake ingredients:

1 cup shortening

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup buttermilk, divided into ¾ cup and ¼ cup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs, room temperature

Almond Cream Frangipane ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

¾ cup almond flour

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Make your frangipane first!

• Add all ingredients for the frangipane into a mixing bowl. Combine ingredients on medium, then on high until fully combined.
• Refrigerate frangipane until cake batter is ready.

Then make the cake batter:

• Combine sifted flour with spices and cocoa
• In another bowl, cream shortening until fluffy. Add 1 cup sugar and mix again, then add 1 cup flour and spices. Mix and beat until combined, adding ¾ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup at a time, as needed to make batter mixable.
• Add remaining flour and sugar and buttermilk until combined. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Keep batter scraped down from sides and bottom on bowl while beating.
• Add eggs and remaining ¼ cup of buttermilk. Beat 2 more minutes on medium.
• In a lightly buttered, easy-release Bundt pan, gently pour 2 cups of batter into cake pan, smoothing out until batter is level if necessary.
• Drop frangipane by teaspoonfuls onto batter, taking care to center in in batter. Or alternately you could pipe frangipane onto batter.

• Gently cover frangipane with 1 ½ cups batter, leveling out if necessary.
• Add another layer of frangipane in same manner as before.
• Cover with 1 ½ cups cake batter.
• Put upper rack in the lower third of oven. Preheat to 350 degrees.  Bake cake for 60-65 minutes or until wooded skewer inserted in cake comes out clean. Note: you will need a long skewer, not just a toothpick to test for doneness.
• Cool pan upright for 5-10 minutes. Invert onto a wire cooling rack, Cool cake completely on wire rack.

Note: You will have extra batter and frangipane with this recipe. To use remaining mixes, make cupcakes.

• Spoon 1/8 cup batter into a cupcake line
• Top with 1 teaspoon frangipane, centering it in batter
• Cover frangipane with another scant 1/8 cup batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean.

I hope you’ll enjoy my cake. While it’s baking check out my romantic comedy with a touch a drama, A Groom for Mama. There’s cake in this book, too. Wedding cake.

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

A Groom for Mama is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Tasty Tuesdays–Mom’s Cucumber and Onion Salad from Catherine Castle

Tags

Catherine Castle's Food blog Tasty Tuesdays, cucuber and onion salad, food, recipe

This dish, with fresh cucumbers from the garden, was a summer favorite in my childhood home. Mom always peeled her cucumbers, but I like to use organic English cucumbers when I can get them and leave on the outer skin. It adds color to the dish. You can choose to use non-organic cucumbers and leave on the peel, but sure to wash them thoroughly to remove pesticide residue.

Mom’s Cucumber and Onion Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• ½ English cucumber (or you can use a whole regular cucumber) sliced into rounds
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 or 3 slices of onion, separated into rings and cut into 2-inch pieces. (I prefer a sweet white onion but other white or yellow onions will work as well)

 

Directions:

• Place cucumbers and onions slices into a glass bowl. Stir to mix.
• In a large measuring cup, stir salt and sugar into 1 ½ cups water until dissolved.
• Add vinegar to water mix.
• Pour liquid over cucumbers and onions, making sure they are covered.
• Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator 2 hours or more to blend flavors. Can be left in overnight if you wish.
• Serve cooled, drained vegetables as a salad or side dish.

Cook’s note:

After you’ve eaten the first batch of cucumbers and onions, don’t throw away the liquid. You can cut more vegetables and place them in the leftover vinegar water. Chill and serve the next day.

This recipe doubles easily for company.

While you’re waiting for the flavors to blend pick up a copy of Catherine’s multi-award-winning inspirational romantic suspense The Nun and the Narc.

 

The Nun and the Narc

By Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

 

About the Author/Cook:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charoset—A Passover Dish You’ll Want to Eat All Year from Catherine Castle

Tags

Catherine Castle, Charoset, passover recipe, Recipes, Tasty Tuesdays, The Nun and the Narc

Since January, I’ve been steeped in the Jewish traditions of the Passover feast. My husband and I are the directors and authors of an original Easter drama depicting the Lord’s Last Passover Supper and some of the events surrounding the meal. Our church has presented the drama for the past three years. A condensed version of the Passover meal is the centerpiece of the drama, focused around the part of the celebration that Christians now celebrate as the Lord’s Supper.

While we don’t have the traditional Jewish Seder meal onstage, we do have Jesus and Judas dip the bitter herbs (Romaine lettuce) into the haroset, also spelled charoset, to portray the fulfillment of Jesus’ statement, “One who had just eaten with me is the betrayer.” For the play we use applesauce instead of real charoset. It is much easier to manage as a prop food.

One year, for the cast party, I decided to make some charoset. I thought the cast members would enjoy eating the real thing instead of the applesauce we used during the performance. The dish was so tasty I wanted to share it with you. Although charoset is an annual tradition in the Jewish faith, the recipe is so good we feel has a place on the table anytime of the year.

 

Charoset

• 2 apples
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (If you don’t like walnuts you could use any chopped nut)
• ½ cup raisins-golden or dark raisins
• ½ cup sweet red wine (You can use pomegranate juice if you want a non-alcoholic version)
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg

Peel and finely dice the apples. Mix in the chopped nuts, raisins, wine and spices. Refrigerate until serving. Add a little more wine immediately before serving.

While you’re waiting for the charoset to marinate, hop over to Amazon and read a sample of Catherine’s multi-award-winning inspirational romantic suspense The Nun and the Narc.

 

The Nun and the Narc

By Catherine Castle

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

 

About the Author:

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre, and quilting. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her books The Nun and the Narc and  A Groom for Mama on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Chocolate Chips Scones from Author Chris Pavesic

Tags

Chocolate chip vanilla scones, Chris Pavesic, Recipes, Tasty Tuesdays

Chris Pavesic is in the virtual kitchen today with her chocolate chip vanilla scones.

These vanilla scones feature chocolate chips, which melt slightly into the dough around them as they bake, making for an especially enticing presentation. Top with sparkling course sugar or my family’s favorite–salted caramel chocolate truffle spread.

SCONES

Photo by Florencia Viadana on Unsplash

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
6 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ cup vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. Key Lime juice
Milk a few tbsp.
2 tbsp. course sparkling sugar to sprinkle on top, optional
Salted caramel chocolate truffle spread, optional

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Lightly grease the scone pan.

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly using an electric mixer or spoon. Gently mix the chocolate chips with the dry ingredients.

Stir together the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and Key Lime Juice. Add to the dry ingredients and stir very gently, just until combined. The dough will be resemble cookie dough.

Scoop the dough into the scone pan. Sprinkle the top of each scone with milk and (optional) sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar.

Bake the scones for 20 to 24 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into a scone comes out dry. Remove from the oven, and serve warm.

Optional: Top with salted caramel chocolate truffle spread and let it melt slightly before eating.

Scones can be stored at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

Check out Chris’ latest novel Travelers Zone , book two in The Revelation Chronicles series, while you delight in your scones.

In Starter Zone Cami kept herself and her younger sister Alby alive in a post-apocalyptic world, facing starvation, violence, and death on a daily basis. Caught by the military and forcefully inscribed, Cami manages to scam the system and they enter the Realms, a Virtual Reality world, as privileged Players rather than slaves. They experience a world of safety, plenty, and magical adventure.

In the Traveler’s Zone magic, combat, gear scores, quests, and dungeons are all puzzles to be solved as Cami continues her epic quest to navigate the Realms and build a better life for her family. But an intrusion from her old life threatens everything she has gained and imperils the entire virtual world.

Time to play the game.

AMAZON BUY LINK

SMASHWORDS BUY LINK

 

Want to learn more about The Revelation Chronicles? Click HERE for updates on this and the other series by Chris. Watch the video on YouTube.

Chris Pavesic is a fantasy author who lives in the Midwestern United States and loves Kona coffee, steampunk, fairy tales, and all types of speculative fiction. Between writing projects, Chris can most often be found reading, gaming, gardening, working on an endless list of DIY household projects, or hanging out with friends.

Learn more about Chris on her website and blog.

Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Author Sally Brandle’s Caramel Cake

Tags

cake recipes, Catherine Castle's Food blog Tasty Tuesdays, clean romance, clean romantic suspense, Emma Sprins Series, Mom's Double Caramel Cake, Recipes, Sally Brandle, Torn by Vengance

Author Sally Brandle is in my virtual kitchen today with a yummy Caramel Cake that even tempts me, and I’m not a great caramel fan. This, however, looks really scrumptious!

 

 

Mom’s Double Caramel Cake

 

Combine in a sauce pan:

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

 ¼ cup butter

  2 tbl water

 ¼ tsp salt

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a little syrup forms a soft ball in cold water (234 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and add:

1 cup Evaporated milk (not sweet/condensed)

 2 tsp vanilla

 

Cool well. Sift together in a mixer bowl:

 2 ¼ cup sifted all-purpose flour

 1 tsp each: baking powder, baking soda, salt

 

Add and mix for 1 ½ minutes:

½ cup butter (at room temperature)

  Cooled caramel sauce

Add 3 eggs. Beat at low speed to blend, then medium speed 1 ½ minutes more. Pour into 2 greased 9” pans or one 9×13” pan. Bake in a 350 conventional or 325 convection oven for 30 -35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake.

 

Caramel Frosting

In a saucepan combine:

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

 ¼ tsp salt

 ½ cup milk

 

Bring to a boil and cook slowly for five minutes or until slightly thick. Remove pan from heat and add:

3 tbl butter

 1 tsp vanilla

 

Cool slightly and add:

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

 

Beat until smooth and spreadable. Add a few drops of milk if too thick, a bit of powdered sugar if too thin. I frost the cake while slightly warm. Enjoy this heavy cake with vanilla ice cream.

 

This favorite recipe of my mom’s, went missing back in the ’60’s. She turned to Saginaw’s longest running (still going) radio program, Listen to the Mrs., to see if any listener had a similar recipe. A lovely woman mailed a typed copy (think manual typewriter) of her recipe—in red ink. For the amount of milk she’d typed ‘2’, tried to erase it, and typed ‘1/2’ next to it. Mom read it as 2 1/2 cups of milk and didn’t realize her mistake until further into the process. Being a child of the depression, she wasn’t about to dump the batch and start over. She quadrupled ingredients and made five caramel cakes. I snickered at her cracking a dozen eggs. Mom never scolded, but she uttered to me, “If you’re going to laugh, you’ll have to leave my kitchen.” I buttoned up and licked my lips as five glorious caramel cakes took shape. It was a sweet summer.

This recipe isn’t difficult, but a bit tedious. Grab your candy thermometer and plan a good 90 minutes. My family feels the effort supports the delicious and rich, frosted cake. Let me know if you agree.

 

Happy trails,

Sally

 

Torn By Vengeance    

Book 2  Love Thrives in Emma Springs series

By Sally Brandle

 Look over your shoulder. He’s watching.

Corrin Patten is solidly on a path to make partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm when an ominous threat from her past turns deadly. She can handle circumstances necessitating a temporary move to the backwater town of Emma Springs, but its charming physician is another matter, as she’s issued a permanent moratorium on men.

Dr. Kyle Werner revels in trust from patients he regularly treats in a community he’s never wished to leave. Yet, Emma Springs lacks one thing, a woman to share his perfectly bucolic life. He’s read about pheromone attraction, but never experienced desire until meeting Corrin. They make an unbeatable team, but convincing her that his interest is sincere while they dissect layers of deceit requires the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Can they defeat the wealthy stalker bent on mistaken revenge against Corrin and destruction of the peaceful Montana setting?

If you thrive on tenacious heroines, sizzling attraction, and a shadowy villain with a grudge, you’ll love this prescription for thrills.

Torn by Vengeance is available on Amazon

 

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves clean, slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to bring to life stories motivating readers to trust their inner gifts. She’s currently editing her third book, The Targeted Pawn, featuring a heroine who’s earning a living as a welder but bakes to ease her frustrations.

 

 

Website: http://http://www.sallybrandle.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012840931763

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallybrandle/