Cooking with the Authors of Summer Heat Read online

  Cooking with the Authors of Summer Heat

  Edited by

  Rebecca York

  INTRODUCTION

  Let the authors of Summer Heat tempt you with some mouth-watering recipes. Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Pistachios, Decadent French Toast, Marinated Steak, Devil’s Food Cake, Beer-Steamed Mussels, Baked Apple with Custard Sauce, White Chocolate Cherry Scones. These are just a few of the wonderful dishes you’ll find in this unique cookbook. Each is linked to a novella in Summer Heat, a collection of sixteen sexy romances by New York Times, USA Today and other Bestselling Authors. The food is great, and each recipe will whet your appetite for one of the stories in the boxed set by giving you insights into the life of the author’s hero and/or heroine. So enjoy the fabulous food along with the outstanding prose from a seasoned group of authors.

  Contents

  INTRODUCTION

  Apricot Pineapple Soy Sauce Glaze

  French Toast Baked in Honey-Pecan Sauce

  Green Tea Poached Salmon with Sensual Salsa

  Beer Steamed Mussels

  Tex-Mex Dip

  Savory Salad with Peanuts and Oranges

  Baked Apples with Custard Sauce

  Chocolate- and Banana-filled Crepes

  Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons

  The Screw-up – A Well-loved Egg Recipe

  The Pig and Pickle – A Well-loved Egg Recipe

  Banana Dessert

  Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning for Grilled Steaks

  Flank Steak Marinade

  White Chocolate Cherry Scones

  Jolie’s Allergy-safe No-bake Cookies

  Ken’s Spicy Garlic Shrimp

  Mini Crab Cakes

  Tangy Cole Slaw

  SQ’s Special Guacamole Dip

  SQ’s Zippy Lemonade

  Grilled Lobster Tail with Herbed Butter

  Grilled Shrimp Taco

  Almost Instant Gelatin Salad

  Rich and Dark Devil’s Food Cake

  Salmon Fish Cake

  Bara Brith Welsh Cake

  Real Men Make Quiche

  Awesome Potato Soup

  A Note from the Authors

  Apricot Pineapple Soy Sauce Glaze

  from Sex, Lies, and Apple Pies

  by Kathy Ivan

  Slade Coleman takes Wendy Cunningham back to his condo after the day's shooting for the television show/competition they're both judging. Since he's a chef, he volunteers to whip up something quick and makes apricot pineapple glazed pork chops. Because the way to a gal's heart is through having somebody else doing the cooking, right?

  This is the glaze recipe that he uses on these quick and easy (and delicious) pork chops.

  Tips: To lower the salt in the glaze, use light soy sauce. Also, if you do not have an oven-safe skillet, you can brown the chops on the stove top, then transfer them to a casserole or baking dish.

  Makes enough glaze for 4-6 pork chops (depending on size). This glaze works well on a baked ham too!

  1 cup apricot pineapple preserves (I use Smuckers). If the apricot pineapple is unavailable, you can use 1/2 cup of apricot and 1/2 cup of pineapple preserves.

  Zest (grated peel) from 1 orange

  Juice from half the orange

  2 to 3 Tbsp soy sauce

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  2. In medium-sized bowl stir together the apricot pineapple preserves and orange zest. Add juice from half the orange. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Taste. If it is too sweet, add another tablespoon of soy sauce.

  3. Brown the pork chops in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Brush about half the glaze over the chops, and place in heated oven. After ten minutes, brush the chops with the remaining glaze.

  4. Bake until chops are cooked through and serve, about 15 to 20 minutes for 1-inch-thick chops. (I like to serve with baked sweet potatoes and asparagus. Enjoy!)

  Bacon-wrapped Dates Stuffed with Pistachios

  from Sex, Lies, and Apple Pies

  by Kathy Ivan

  Always a party favorite, these appetizers are quick, easy and really delicious. Plus you can get creative with the filling if you want and substitute almonds or a sliced water chestnut.

  30 large pitted dates

  60 shelled and salted pistachios

  1 pound lean bacon, sliced in half (half a strip for each appetizer)

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

  2. Using a sharp knife, slice a slit in each date and stuff two pistachios inside. Wrap a strip of bacon around each to envelop the date.

  3. Transfer the dates to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake until bacon is crisp, about 10-12 minutes, flipping each wrapped date after the first 8 minutes.

  4. Transfer to paper towels to drain off excess bacon drippings. Skewer with party toothpicks and voila!

  These can be made ahead of time and frozen. If frozen, bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, flip and bake an additional 10 minutes longer.

  French Toast Baked in Honey-Pecan Sauce

  from Jared: The Justice Brothers Series

  by Taylor Lee

  Credits for the following recipe and to the aphrodisiac importance of honey to Intercourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook

  From the Kama Sutra to the Perfumed Garden to the Bible, honey has been connected with love, sex, and sexuality extraordinaire. The following recipe is the ultimate experience in French Toast. For delectable results, stray not from the recipe, preparing it the day ahead with thick slices of a baguette. The eggs and cream and sweetness saturate the bread overnight, and then puff up to a golden, sticky ecstasy in the morning’s hot oven.

  Makes 2-3 Servings.

  4 large eggs beaten

  3/4 cup half and half

  1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

  1 tsp almond extract

  1 tsp vanilla extract

  4 thick slices French bread

  1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

  1/4 cup brown sugar

  1/4 cup honey

  1/4 cup maple syrup

  1/4 cup chopped pecans

  1. Combine eggs, half and half, brown sugar, almond extract, and vanilla in a small bowl.

  2. Pour half the mixture into a baking dish. Place bread in the baking dish, and cover with the rest of the egg mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

  3. Next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  4. Melt butter in a 9” x 13” baking dish, and stir in brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and pecans. Add soaked bread slices. Bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed and brown. Serve the puffed clouds of ecstasy immediately.

  Green Tea Poached Salmon with Sensual Salsa

  from Jared: The Justice Brothers Series

  by Taylor Lee

  Credits for the following recipe and notes to Fork Me, Spoon Me: The Sensual Cookbook

  Salmon, green tea, ginger, basil, and, of course, mango—all touted among the world’s most potent aphrodisiacs—transform this simple dish into a veritable Viagra salad.

  For the salmon:

  3 sprigs each fresh basil, thyme and cilantro

  Juice and zest from 1 medium lemon

  2 Tbsp fresh ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped

  2 cups strongly brewed green tea

  2 4-oz salmon fillets

  For the Salsa:

  1/2 mango, peeled and chopped

  1 ripe apricot, pitted and chopped, or 1 canned apricot

  1 scallion, thinly sliced

  1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

  1 tsp lemon zest

  1 Tbsp lemon juice

  1 Tbsp minced crystallized ginger

  Salt to taste

  To Serve:

  1 cup baby greens, preferably arugula

  For the Salmon:

  1. In a sauté pan, bring herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest, ginger, and tea to a stimulating simmer. Add salmon fillets and poach for 7 minutes or until opaque.

  For the Salsa:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Hand-toss fleshy fruit and season with salt. (finger licking required).

  To Serve:

  1. Rest each cool, pink fillet on a bed of baby greens. Lubricate with two tablespoons of Sensual Summer Salsa. Enjoy!

  Beer Steamed Mussels

  from Under the Boardwalk

  by Caridad Pineiro

  Chase Smith loves his wife Natalie and wants to salvage their marriage by rekindling the passion they had once shared under the boardwalk. Chase plans a very special weekend for them, and these tasty beer steamed mussels are just the kind of meal to bring back memories of hot summer nights and boardwalk fun. You can substitute a fish broth if you’re not a beer kind of person, but the beer does offer some zing to the dish. Also try substituting beer for broth/water when making dishes like yellow rice, paella or chicken and rice.

  Makes 2 servings.

  Steaming Liquid:

  1 or 2 beers

  Handful of chopped fresh parsley

  3 to 4 chopped garlic cloves

  1 chopped small onion

  Pepper to taste

  1 or 2 bay leaves

  If you want to add a little zing to the liquid, slice up a s
mall lemon and put that in as well.

  Seafood:

  2 pounds cleaned and debearded mussels

  (If you want to turn this into a clambake, add 2 lobsters, 12 clams, 2 ears of corn [broken in half], 4 small potatoes)

  1 stick of butter, melted

  You’ll need a pot big enough to hold the steaming liquid and your shellfish. Before you steam, make sure everything is clean with a quick scrub with a plastic brush. If you’re also adding clams to the dish, put them in salted ice water for about 15-20 minutes so they spit out any sand. Do the same with the mussels. A lot of mussels are farm-raised now, so they are relatively clean and beardless with little to clean. If there are any clams/mussels that don’t close up after being in the iced salt water, discard them.

  1. Put one or two beers in the bottom of your pot, depending the size of the container. Add parsley, garlic, onion, pepper, bay leaf, and lemon if using. Place a steamer insert above it (one of those little collapsible ones you find in the dollar stores). If you’re adding the extra shellfish, layer your shellfish with the bigger pieces at the bottom, like the lobsters. Then add the mussels, clams, etc. If you want to use some corn and potatoes, put them right above the bigger pieces and below the mussels, etc.

  Cover the pot and crank up the heat to high. Once the pot is steaming, it shouldn’t take more than about 8 to 10 minutes to cook all your shellfish. If you’ve got big lobsters down on the bottom, you may need to do 15 minutes or more depending on the size of the lobster. If there are any clams/mussels that don’t open up after steaming, toss them. They’re dead!

  2. Make sure you’re melting some butter while the shellfish is steaming!

  3. Once you take the pot off the stove, place the shellfish in a big bowl and ladle just a bit of the steaming liquid over them. Also, put a little bit of steaming liquid in a small bowl or cup, and put some butter in a second small bowl or cup. This way you can dip your shellfish in the steaming liquid and then the butter.

  Tex-Mex Dip

  from Under the Boardwalk

  by Caridad Pineiro

  Chase Smith and Natalie Ramirez from Under the Boardwalk have spent many a delightful night with each other and friends along the boardwalk and the Jersey Shore. One of the quick and easy dishes they share with friends while hanging down the Shore is this tasty layered Tex-Mex Dip. It’s a great dip, but it’s also wonderful on top of hamburgers or as a salad topping. Note that if you like guacamole, you can add it as another layer right after the bean layer below.

  Tip: If you like a very spicy dip, add a few drops of Tabasco sauce to the sour cream topping. Substitute Monterey Pepper Jack cheese for the regular Monterey Jack cheese. Also add some jalapenos in the same layer as the pimientos.

  Makes 4 servings.

  (These sour cream topping ingredients are enough for a double batch. Use only half for a single batch and put the excess into a bowl for people to use as a dip)

  Sour Cream Topping:

  1 pint sour cream

  1/2 cup mayonnaise

  1 packet (1-oz to 1 1/4-oz) taco seasoning mix

  Additional Ingredients:

  1 16-oz can refried beans, spicy if desired and preferably fat-free

  1 8-oz. can of pimientos, finely chopped

  2 scallions, finely chopped

  2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped and drained in a sieve

  1 16-oz. can black pitted olives, drained and finely chopped

  4 oz grated sharp Cheddar cheese

  4 oz grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos

  1. Mix sour cream topping, and let stand for one hour.

  2. To assemble the dip, place refried beans in a flat dish, spreading them out to form the base. (A 10- to 12-inch round or oval dish works well.) Add pimientos and scallions

  3. Add half of the sour cream topping if you are doing a single batch, and spread out.

  4. Add tomatoes and black olives

  5. Combine grated cheeses. Spread over the top.

  Serve with tortilla chips of your choice.

  Savory Salad with Peanuts and Oranges

  from Pool Boy Wanted: No Experience Preferred

  by Dani Haviland

  Benji was only twelve years old when he was kidnapped by Sept, Eight, and Niner (Atholl Grant MacLeod VII and his two sons). Snatched away from his loving parents in Scotland, the tall youth gave his kidnappers a false address for the ransom note and led his parents to believe he was dead. He was alone as he could be for five years; then another victim—petite and youthful-looking Michael—was abducted by the MacLeods. The lazy and despicable men hired out their hostages as laborers, collecting their wages, keeping them in abject poverty and ignorance about their whereabouts. Good food was just a dream…

  “A huge green salad, with romaine lettuce and young spinach, tossed with fresh mandarin orange segments and honey roasted peanuts, sprinkled with Chinese noodles and a savory soy sauce dressing. Benji could feel the crunch and taste the salty sweetness of real food. The scent of fresh baked apples wafted through the air. 'Eat your salad first, dear,' his mother said. 'I’ve got custard sauce for the apples when you’re done.'”

  Makes 2-4 servings.

  Dressing:

  1 tsp minced garlic

  2 Tbsp soy sauce

  2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

  2 Tbsp vegetable oil (preferably avocado oil)

  1 Tbsp peanut butter

  1-2 Tbsp orange juice

  Salad:

  2 cups torn or sliced romaine lettuce

  1-2 cups baby spinach or chopped spinach

  1-2 Mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented or same, canned and drained

  Honey roasted peanuts (or other nuts or seeds: almonds, pecans, etc.)

  Chinese crispy noodles (usually sold in bags or cans)

  1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor, blender, or Magic Bullet®, and pulse until blended. Add more juice if you like it sweeter.

  2. In a large bowl, toss romaine and spinach (or use a salad mix) with orange segments. Pour blended salad dressing over salad and toss. Serve in individual bowls, and top with a fistful of honey roasted peanuts and crispy-style Chinese noodles.

  **Also works great as a main meal if you add chopped cooked chicken to the dressing before adding to salad mix.

  Baked Apples with Custard Sauce

  from Pool Boy Wanted (No Experience Preferred)

  by Dani Haviland

  Tip: A glass measuring cup makes a good “bowl” for cooking in the microwave since you can use the handle to keep your hand away from the hot glass.

  Makes 2 servings.

  2 apples, cored and cut into one-inch chunks (approximately 2 cups)

  Cinnamon as desired

  1/2 cup milk, divided

  1 Tbsp sugar

  2 tsp cornstarch

  1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  1 large egg, slightly beaten

  1. Core and cut up apples, and put in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and toss. Cover bowl with vented lid, waxed paper, or plastic wrap. Microwave on full power for 2-3 minutes, stopping halfway through cooking time to stir. Set aside, leaving the cover on the bowl.

  2. In a large glass bowl or 4-cup measuring cup, whisk 2 tablespoons of the milk with the sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla, making sure the cornstarch is blended. Stir in remaining milk, and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Remove 3 tablespoons of hot milk mixture, and add to beaten egg (tempering). Slowly add this egg mixture to the milk mix until smooth. Microwave on full power until it thickens (about one minute), making sure to stir every 30 seconds. DO NOT boil.

  3. To serve: place apples on individual serving plates. Spoon custard sauce on top and enjoy!

  Chocolate- and Banana-filled Crepes

  from The Geek Gets the Girl

  by Michele Hauf