Murder for the Halibut (31 page)

“You’re now looking at the assistant head of field operations for Texas.”

She twisted around to hug him. “Congratulations, Alex. What exactly does that mean
as far as where you’ll live?”

“That’s the good part. I asked for and received permission to stay in Ranchero in
that little house I rented earlier this year. I love it because it has so many great
memories.”

He winked and Jordan felt her face flush. The small house on the other side of town
did hold fond memories, especially the bedroom.

“Since I will be traveling most of the time anyway, they decided the hour’s drive
to Dallas wouldn’t be so bad. Starting tomorrow I will officially be a Ranchero resident—and
not a minute too soon, I might add.”

“What do you mean?”

“I forgot to tell you the best part. I belong to the Italian American Foundation,
and every year they have a huge weekend-long festival where members from all over
the world get together to party. This year they chose Plano as the locale.”

“When is it?” Jordan was getting excited now.

“At the end of August when the Texas heat hopefully won’t kill those old guys from
Italy. I’ve attended the festival only once before since most of them take place in
Europe, and I’m more than a little excited about it. One of my great-uncles from Palermo
is coming.”

“It’s wonderful that you’ll have your own place then, but you could have stayed with
me, you know.”

He smiled. “I do know, but I’m not sure you have enough room for three houseguests.”

She looked confused. “Three? What are you talking about?”

He squeezed her shoulder. “My sister Kate works for a group of lawyers who represent
the organization. She’s been given the assignment of overseeing the entire festival,
from preparation to final cleanup.”

The thought of finally meeting Alex’s sister both excited and scared Jordan. What
if Kate hated her? Knowing how close Alex was with all his sisters, Jordan feared
Kate’s disapproval would be the kiss of death for her and Alex’s relationship.

“Wait a minute. You said
three
houseguests. You and Kate make two. Who else?”

“Oh, did I forget to mention that my mother is coming with Kate and that she’s dying
to meet you?”

ANNIE ROTH’S PIGS IN THE BLANKET

(My mother’s famous recipe: Not for beginning cooks)
Yields 12–15 stuffed cabbage rolls

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions until
translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, salt, pepper,
and tomato sauce. Add the rice and the onions and mix well. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove the core from
the cabbage: cut around it with a paring knife and then use the tip of the knife to
gently dislodge the loosened core and pull it out. Place the entire head into the
pot of boiling water, cored side up. Boil for 3 minutes or until the outer leaves
are slightly translucent and pliable. Remove the cabbage from the water and peel off
the outermost leaves. If necessary, use the paring knife to cut the leaves away from
the head. Then, put the head back into the water and boil for 2 minutes more or until
the next layer of cabbage leaves is translucent and pliable. Once again, remove the
cabbage from the water and peel off the outer leaves. Repeat this process until you
have all the leaves you need.

On a flat work surface, lay out one cabbage leaf lengthwise and spoon about a
¹
⁄
₄
cup of the meat mixture onto its center, adjusting the amount according to the size
of the leaf. With the hard-stem end of the leaf facing you, flip first one long side
of the leaf and then the other toward the middle to partially cover the meat mixture.
Starting from the hard-stem end, roll the leaf away from you to
create a compact bundle. Use toothpicks to keep the leaf closed, if necessary. Repeat
the process with the remaining leaves until all the filling is used. Place the “pigs”
in layers, seam side down, in a Dutch oven or a large greased casserole dish and,
if desired, top them with some of the leftover cabbage leaves, coarsely chopped.

In a medium bowl, mix together the tomato juice and the tomato soup and pour over
the pigs. The mixture should almost cover them. Cover the dish and bake for 2
¹
⁄
₂
hours or until the cabbage is tender and the meat is cooked. Serve with mashed potatoes
using the red sauce as the gravy. Cabbage rolls freeze well before and after cooking.

• • •

TROPICAL MANGO VINAIGRETTE

Yields 2 cups

Place the first four ingredients in a blender and pulse until the mixture is smooth.
Add the two ice cubes, one at a time, pulsing after each addition until the ice is
mostly
pulverized, about 1 minute total. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

• • •

SINFULLY SWEET CHOCOLATE KAHLÚA BROWNIES

Yield: Approximately 20 brownies

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine the cocoa and baking soda. Stir
in 1⁄3 cup of the melted butter. Add the boiling water and Kahlúa, stirring until
well blended. Stir in the sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla, and the remaining 1⁄3 cup of
butter, then the flour and salt. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips, and pour the
batter into a greased 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Bake for 35–40
minutes or until the brownies are firm and begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool
completely before cutting into squares.

• • •

ROSIE’S CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Pollo Fino Revuelto

Serves 6

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook for
5 minutes or until the carrots are tender crisp. Drain and allow to cool. Cut the
carrots into bite-size pieces and set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the
mushrooms for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and add the orange and yellow
peppers, onion, celery, and sugar snap peas. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce
over the vegetables and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables
are tender but still crunchy. During the last minute of cooking, add in the carrots
and mushrooms. Remove the vegetable mixture to a bowl and keep warm. Wipe out the
skillet with a paper towel.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons
of the peanut sauce. Toss to coat.

In the large skillet, heat
¹
⁄
₄
cup of the olive oil. Add the coated chicken, breaking up any pieces that stick together.
Stir-fry for 4 minutes or until chicken is brown on all sides and cooked through.

Pour the remaining peanut sauce into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for
20 seconds. For each serving, place approximately 1 cup of the cooked rice on a plate
and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the warm peanut sauce over it. Place approximately 1
cup of the mixed vegetables over the rice and top with approximately
¹
⁄
₂
cup of the cooked chicken. Drizzle 2 additional tablespoons of peanut sauce over
top.

Note:
The peanut sauce has a bite, so use according to your taste. This is a recipe I made
up after one of my favorite restaurants took it off the menu. I think mine is better
than theirs!

• • •

JUMBLEBERRY DELIGHT

Serves 6–8

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, blueberries,
and raspberries. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the tapioca and mix well.
Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the berries and toss well. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another small bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon,
making sure to break up any lumps in the brown sugar. Stir in the melted butter to
coat.

Pour the berry mixture into a greased 11-by-7-inch baking pan and spoon the flour
mixture evenly over the top.

Bake for 45–50 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping. Refrigerate any leftovers and microwave
to reheat.

• • •

KING RANCH CHICKEN

Pollo de la Hacienda del Rey