NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Saucy, sweet and simply divine

IT'S WEDNESDAY WARMERS: The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their seasonal recipes ... mmmmmm!

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: SIX BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

               



JULIE WACHOWSKI shares PIRANHA ARTICHOKE DIP

1 can of Artichokes
1 can of chopped green chilis
½ cup mayo
½ cup parmesan cheese (+ some for sprinkling.)
1 teaspoon (or more if you like) Dill
Pinch of pepper 

Drain and rough chop the artichokes. Mix the artichokes with the chilis, mayo, dill & cheese.
Add a pinch of black pepper. Pile everything into a small shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with a little more cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until it’s brown & bubbly.
Serve with sturdy crackers or sliced baguette.
Stand back after serving. (A piranha like feeding frenzy has been known to ensue, hence the name.)
(Makes a great spread for a leftover turkey or ham sandwich too!)


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J. B. LYNN shares KITCHEN SINK CRANBERRY SAUCE 
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 small can mandarin oranges (drained and chopped)
1 apple & 1 pear - peeled, cored and diced
1 cup chopped nuts (walnut/pecan mixture)
1 cup chopped dried mixed fruit
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup water
                  
Boil water and stir in sugar until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to simmer, and add cranberries, orange, apple, pear, dried fruit, nuts and spices. Stir. Cover, and simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst. Remove from heat, and let cool.

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CLARE LONDON  shares MINCE PIES(because people keep asking what these UK pies are all about!)

225g cold butter, diced
350g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar
280g mincemeat
1 small egg, beaten
icing sugar, to dust


(1) To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
(2) Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon the mincemeat into the pies.
(3) Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).
(4) Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.


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JB Lynn
Julie Wachowski
Website
Clare London
Writing … Man to Man

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Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

SIX BOOKS TO DATE!







Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London
Dead Silent - Shirley Wells
Sea of Suspicion - Toni Anderson
Under Fire - Rita Henuber
The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube
No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

28 comments:

Mike Keyton said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the Piranha dip. Wonderful. Have copied and pasted it

Anonymous said...

A person who does not know what a mince pie is will also quite possibly not know what "mincemeat" is! It is not minced meat (or ground beef) but a very particular blend of chopped fruit and spices. It no longer contains meat, though it used to. It has been around since the 15th century.

Toni Anderson said...

LOL--great recipes. We're having a sherry and mince pie party on Sunday. I wonder if our neighbors have a clue what they are in for (we're in Canada now). :)

JB Lynn said...

I'm loving the collection of recipes. Now I'm wondering if I can find mince filling in the States...

Rita said...

Clare,
you have to tell us exactly what mincemeat is. How do we make it?

Rita said...

Gosh these recipes are great! Copying them and putting them in a file. Thank you ladies

Kathy Ivan said...

Terrific recipes again! I love trying new things and these are definitely going to be added to my collection. Thanks Ladies!

Toni Anderson said...

You can get mincemeat in the states. It's usually sold in a jar and it is called mincemeat. Honest :)
Mine is by E.D. Smith (in Canada). It should be in the baking aisle of the grocery store. They might put in near jams or pie fillings but it should be in baking.

Anne said...

Yum, the artichoke dip sounds like a nice varietion on the artichoke and spinach dip that's been so popular the last few years. I'll have to send it to my dad.

Check your baking aisle near the other canned pie fillings for mince meat. You might have to go to a more upscale store.

Maureen A. Miller said...

JB and Clare, your recipes look awesome. But Julie, you're killin' me! I want that right now. :)

Rita said...

Ooookay Toni. Is that stuff any good? I mean --it's what you use?

Toni Anderson said...

Rita, it's usually fine :). If you want to make your own try: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/home-made-christmas-mincemeat-with-cranberries.html

books4me said...

Y'all are killing me! Why, WHY, WHYY did I start a diet before the holidays?!?!

books4me67 at ymail dot com

Elise Warner said...

The cranberry sauce sounds like a winner. I did picture the piranhas swimming in the dip waiting to take a bite our of me.

Marcelle Dubé said...

Thanks for sharing your favourite recipes, ladies!

Cynthia Justlin said...

Okay, no fair! You guys are making me hungry! :) I'm glad someone pointed out what mincemeat is, because I was totally going to ask. LOL.

Clare London said...

*lol* I knew the mince pies would cause confusion ... thanks, Toni, for clarifying what mincemeat is, and even more for the Delia recipe! Delia Smith is a goddess in our house *g*.

CathyP said...

Timing is everything - ack!
I needed the Piranha dip yesterday for a last minute, bring an appetizer party.
Sounds like a reason to have another party!

Rita said...

Cathy,
my the best appetizer recipe is to call the restaurant that has my favorite appetizer in order take out.

Jane said...

I, too, have been wondering about the mince pies.

Julie Moffett said...

OMG!! Yummy, yummy stuff here!! Wonderful! I had mincemeat pie a long time ago and it was delicious and sweeter than I expected! Thanks for the recipes, guys!!

Julie Moffett said...

OMG!! Yummy, yummy stuff here!! Wonderful! I had mincemeat pie a long time ago and it was delicious and sweeter than I expected! Thanks for the recipes, guys!!

Sarah said...

They all sound so yummy

Sarah

Unknown said...

So glad the confusion over mincemeat has been cleared up, LOL. Being a Brit, I live on mince pies from about the 4th of December. I'll eat them hot or cold, with or without cream - yum. :)

Mike Keyton said...

Shirley, somebody told me they were 400 calories apiece : )

Karen C said...

These are amazing recipes - not sure which I will try first!

Chrissy said...

Thank you for the mincemeat pie recipe, Clare. It smells so good when baking!

Fedora said...

Mmm... OK, those recipes look completely delicious! And I've never had a mince pie, but have read about them and thought they sounded quite the treat! May have to try this recipe and find out for myself!

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