Read Murder in the Pearl District (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) Online
Authors: Dianne Harman
Murder in the Pearl District (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) (13 page)
There's a surprise following the
recipes.
CHEF NICO’S LASAGNA (For the Home
Cook)
Meat Sauce Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage (mild flavor)
½ pound ground beef
1 box mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tsp. salt
½ tbsp. ground pepper
1 tbsp. dry Italian seasoning
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
6 cups marinara sauce (you can use
prepared type in jar, about 1 ½ jars)
2 tbsp. water, more as necessary
Ricotta Cheese Mixture & Pasta
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 lbs. ricotta cheese
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt plus salt for pasta water
¼ tsp. ground pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
16 oz. pkg. lasagna noodles
8 oz. diced mozzarella cheese (for
topping at end of assembly)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (for
topping at end of assembly)
Meat Sauce Directions:
Over medium heat cook sausage and
ground beef in large frying pan until brown and crumbly. Cook mushrooms in
separate small frying pan until they give off water and add to meat sauce. Add
salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Add marinara sauce and
water to meat mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 1 hour. Add more
water as necessary if mixture becomes too thick. Using a small spoon, skim
excess fat off surface of mixture.
Ricotta Cheese Mixture & Pasta
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large
bowl, beat eggs. Stir in ricotta cheese, 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, and
2/3 cup parmesan cheese. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
In pasta pan or large pan bring
salted water to boil (should be about as salty as ocean water.) Boil lasagna
noodles for approximately 15-20 minutes. Noodles are done when firm to the
bite. Drain and immediately place in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the
cooking.
Assembly of Lasagna Directions:
Use a 10” x 15” Pyrex baking dish.
Preliminary Note:
There will be 3 layers of
noodles. Lay 1
st
layer longways in the dish, the 2
nd
layer crossways, and the 3
rd
layer longways. Remove noodles from
cold water, dry off, and place in dish as directed below. Best to count the
number of noodles available for assembly and divide by 3 so you don’t run out
of noodles when you get to the last layer!
Assembly:
(1) Spread ¼ of meat sauce
in bottom of dish. (2) Top with 1/3 of noodles (longways). (3) Spread ½ of
ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. (4) Spread ¼ meat sauce over ricotta
cheese mixture. (5) Top with 1/3 of noodles (crossways). (6) Spread remaining ½
ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. (7) Spread ¼ meat sauce over ricotta
cheese mixture. (8) Spread last 1/3 noodles (longways) over meat sauce. (9)
Spread remaining ¼ meat sauce over noodles. (10) Sprinkle meat sauce with 8 oz.
diced mozzarella cheese and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese.
Cover assembled casserole with
aluminum foil and place on cookie sheet to catch any spills. Bake 30 minutes.
Remove foil and continue to bake until top is golden brown and bubbling, about
30–35 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting
into squares and serving.
Enjoy!
NICO’S SEAFOOD BUCATINI (For the
Home Cook)
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Manila clams
16 oz. bag frozen seafood mixture
(you can usually get this in the frozen section of the supermarket); usually
contains scallops, mussels, small shrimp, etc.
6 large precooked shrimp, tail on
2 cups marinara sauce
6 garlic cloves, diced
3 large green onions, diced (bulb
portion only)
1 med. onion, diced
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. saffron threads (I know
they’re expensive, but they keep forever!)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cups white wine
2 tbsp. chopped parsley for garnish
1 box bucatini pasta
Water for pasta and clams
Directions:
Sauce:
Sauté diced garlic 3 minutes in olive
oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 3 minutes.
Add diced green onion and cook one minute. Add 1 cup white wine, red pepper
flakes, thyme and saffron, seafood mixture, and large shrimp. Combine gently
and cook until shrimp turn pink. Add marinara sauce and stir. You can add wine
as needed to keep sauce from becoming too thick. Keep warm in pan until ready
to serve.
Pasta and Clams:
Bring water to boil in
pasta pot or other large pot. Boil pasta for about 20 minutes. When noodles are
firm to the bite, strain and set aside.
When pasta is approaching the end of
cooking time, bring 1 cup of wine and 1 cup of water to a boil in medium size
pot. Add clams. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes, steaming them. Remove clams from
heat when shells open. Throw away unopened ones (they may be bad, don’t eat
them). Drain clams and set aside while still in the shell.
Note
: Drain
and set aside clams before you drain pasta.
Place drained pasta in empty pan used
to cook clams. Pour sauce over the pasta, add the clams, and toss gently to
coat.
Serve on large family style serving
dish. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Enjoy!
FROZEN KEY LIME PIE
Crust Ingredients:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
6 tbsp. melted butter (3/4 of stick)
Filling Ingredients:
6 large egg
yolks
¼ cup sugar
14 oz. can condensed milk
2 tbsp. grated lime zest
¾ cup fresh lime juice
Topping Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. lime zest (garnish)
2 tbsp. lightly toasted slivered
almonds for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a
large whisk, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in bowl.
When combined, press into 9” Pyrex glass pie pan. Bake 10 minutes or until
golden brown. Cool completely. Beat egg yolks and sugar at high speed for five
minutes. If using a countertop mixer, use the paddle attachment. Reduce speed
to medium and add condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Mix for 1-2
minutes. Pour into baked pie shell and freeze.
After filling is frozen (about 2
hours) remove from freezer. Combine sour cream and powdered sugar. Spoon
mixture on top of frozen filling, smoothing and leveling. Sprinkle with lime
zest for garnish. Return to freezer (1 hour) or until ready to serve. To make
it easier to cut into serving pieces, remove from freezer for approximately 20
minutes before serving or until slightly softened. Sprinkle top with almonds
for additional garnish. Serve and enjoy!
COQ AU VIN (CHICKEN IN WINE)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. Applewood bacon
3 to 4 lb. chicken thighs and breasts
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ lb. carrots, cut diagonally into 1”
pieces
Yellow onion, sliced into 6-8 pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ bottle (375 ml) dry red wine such
as cabernet or burgundy
1 cup chicken stock
10 fresh thyme sprigs (leaves only)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter at room
temperature
1 ½ tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ pound frozen small whole onions
½ lb. brown mushrooms, stems removed
and quartered
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat the
olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot. Add bacon and cook over medium heat for
8-10 minutes, until browned. Remove bacon to a paper towel covered plate and
when cool, crumble.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Brown chicken pieces in batches in a
single layer in bacon fat, about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove
chicken to the bacon plate and continue to brown all the chicken pieces.
Add carrots, yellow onion, salt, and
pepper to pan and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until onions are
lightly browned. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add bacon, chicken, wine,
chicken stock, and thyme to pot and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and place
in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from
oven and place on top of stove.
Mash 1 tablespoon of the butter and
the flour together. Stir into chicken mixture. Add frozen onions. In medium
sauté pan, add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook mushrooms over medium low
heat for 5-10 minutes until browned. Add to chicken mixture. Bring to a simmer
and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with
chopped parsley. It’s also good served over mashed potatoes or rice.
Enjoy!
CARAMEL SAUCE FOR ICE CREAM
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
¾ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3/8 cup evaporated milk
Directions:
Put butter, brown sugar, and corn
syrup in saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat until it reaches the
soft ball stage (drop a small amount into a cup of water and when it forms a
soft ball on its own, it’s ready). Remove from heat and slowly add evaporated
milk. It thickens as it cools. Will save in refrigerator in a covered container
for quite some time. Serve over vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Here's an incredible book
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I wish I'd read it 40 years back. It
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The Best Book on
Money and
Success
That'll Take You to the Top
CHAPTER 3
- Plugging Massive Energy Leaks
CHAPTER 4
- Empty Yourself First
CHAPTER 5
- Resistance Explained
CHAPTER 6
- Sin, a Wretched Invention
CHAPTER
9 - Actionless Action - Act Without Acting
CHAPTER
10 - Mother's Special Recipe for Success (Reader's Favorite)
CHAPTER
11 - The Power behind a Choice or Decision
CHAPTER
12 - Why do some people never get what they want?
CHAPTER
13 - Be Very Selfish & Don't Forget the F Word
CHAPTER
14 - Reverse Engineering your Deepest Fear
CHAPTER
15 - Living in the Now & The Secret of a Billion Bits
A
New Beginning
It was the first week
of March and Spring was just around the corner, eager to burst forth and bless
everyone with life and warmth once more. A beaming sun and blue skies dotted
with white fluffy clouds greeted all those who had assembled. Smiles abounded,
and even those who were grouchy couldn't help flashing their pearly or not so
pearly whites.
The organization
catered to those who needed someone "to listen" to them in their
moment of crises, and in the long run steer them away, tactfully, from
committing suicide. It had been in existence for decades, tucked away in a
quaint house in a leafy neighborhood in the suburbs. What these callers didn't
realize was that
loneliness was killing them, slowly and softly.
