Today I have the lovely Daryl Wood Gerber here on Books-n-Kisses to share a yummy recipe for her new book, Stirring The Plot. It sounds so delicious and I can’t wait to try it out myself. 🙂 Take it away, Daryl.
I write the Cookbook Nook and Cheese Shop mysteries. In both, I include recipes. Who knew when I started writing mysteries that I’d also have to cook? Luckily, I like to cook. And eat.
In the Cookbook Nook series, my protagonist Jenna isn’t much of a cook. But she, like me, loves to eat. Throughout the series, she is learning to cook. In FINAL SENTENCE, she starts out with five-ingredient recipes. If she can dump all the ingredients into one bowl, all the better. By the third in the series, STIRRING THE PLOT, the book that’s coming out September 30, Jenna is up to ten ingredients and more complicated steps. She even makes candy!
Anyway, for Jenna, and for my fans, I like to come up with easy recipes. Now, this one doesn’t look easy because of all the ingredients and steps, and it might give Jenna the heebie-jeebies, but it is pretty easy. It’s your basic “cook all the stuff” and “assemble.” In honor of my Cheese Shop mysteries, this contains, you guessed it, cheese.
It also includes kale, what many pundits are calling the “good for you” or “super” food. Now, I am not big on eating kale “raw.” It’s a little hard to chew. Truly. Hard. Crunchy. And not in the fun way like a potato chip. But when cooked in a lasagna, it’s delish. You could probably substitute spinach if you’re not a kale fan. But try it. I think you’ll like it.
Enjoy!
KALE CHICKEN LASAGNA
(serves 6-8)
FOR THE SAUCE
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup chardonnay (white wine)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
FOR THE LASAGNA
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound lasagna noodles
(*real; not no-boil) (gluten-free okay)
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
2 cups kale, stems removed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
30 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup MORE chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground pepper
4 cups grated Mozzarella cheese (about 1 lb)
2 cups grated Asiago cheese
Directions:
To make the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large (and I mean large) skillet over medium heat; add the chicken and cook until browned. Turn every minute, for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped onion, chopped garlic, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups water, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and parsley. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 50 minutes. Using a spoon, break up the chicken. Cook another 20 minutes, until thickened. Remove the bay leaves.
Meanwhile:
Prepare the lasagna according to the package. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook (about half what the label directs). Drain the noodles and drizzle with olive oil; set aside.
Meanwhile:
Place the kale in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add ½ cup water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until tender, about 3 minutes on high. Drain and rinse under cold water. Press out all the excess water. Stir in the eggs, ricotta, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, and the extra chopped parsley. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 4-5 grinds of the pepper.
In a separate bowl, toss the Mozzarella, Asiago, and the remaining Parmesan.
Turn on oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with 1/3 of the noodles. Overlap, layering long ones first and then short ones crosswise. Cover with half of the kale-ricotta mixture. Then 2 more cups sauce. Cover with half of the Mozzarella cheese mixture.
Repeat the layers (noodles, kale-ricotta mixture, sauce, cheese).
Set on a baking sheet. (This will bubble over.)
Loosely cover with foil (you don’t want the foil to stick to the cheese). Bake 40 minutes, then uncover and bake another 25 minutes. You might want to raise heat to 400 degrees F.
Let stand 30 minutes before serving.
Great reheated the next day. One hour at 300 degrees F.
About the Author:
DARYL WOOD GERBER writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mystery series featuring a cookbook store owner who is an avid reader and admitted foodie, set on the coast of California. As AVERY AAMES, she pens the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling Cheese Shop Mystery series featuring a cheese shop owner amateur sleuth, set in the fictional town of Providence, Ohio. Daryl’s short stories have been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, and other awards. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl has appeared in “Murder, She Wrote” and more.
Website/Twitter/Facebook
Halloween in Crystal Cove, California, is a big deal, involving a spooky soiree where the Winsome Witches, a fund-raising group, gather to open up their purse strings and trade superstitions. But party magicians, fortune-tellers, and herbalists are only the beginning of this recipe for disaster…
Jenna Hart has packed The Cookbook Nook chock-full of everything from ghostly texts to witchy potions in anticipation of the annual fund-raiser luncheon. But there’s one unexpected addition to the menu: murder.
When the Head Priestess of the Winsome Witches is found dead under mysterious circumstances, there’s no logical answer and plenty of blame to go around. With her aunt, Vera, unable to call on her ability to foresee the future, Jenna will have to use more than just sleight of hand and a few magic tricks to conjure up the truth…
Amazon/B&N
Jennifer’s Review of Stirring The Plot
Review (4 Stars): Stirring The Plot is the third title in the deliciously charming Cookbook Nook mystery series and I love spending time with the entertaining residents of Crystal Cove. Halloween is quickly approaching and Jenna is gearing to participate in the festivities put on by the Winsome Witches, a group of ladies who turn the spooky holidays into a fundraising event each year. Pearl Thornton, a therapist and the high priestess of the Winsome Witches, turns up dead in her home and Jenna’s aunt becomes the number one suspect in the murder. Jenna can’t believe that her Aunt Vera is involved but Vera starts acting strangely and it is up to Jenna to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Stirring The Plot is a fun, charming holiday mystery that will keep you guessing. With the well-written plot twists, cookbook recommendations and descriptions of delicious food, this series will be a winner for all mystery lovers. For me, I love Jenna and the quirky characters of Crystal Cove and look forward to spending more time with them with each new release of the series. I enjoyed the Halloween ideas sprinkled throughout this story and learning which cookbooks Jenna favored this holiday season for her store. I will definitely be picking up a few of the cookbooks that were mentioned in Stirring The Plot because everything described made me hungry while reading this book. I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Gerber and see what happens next to Jenna and the residents of Crystal Cove.
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