Whole Wheat Basil Rosettes

My next book is coming out on July 26. It’s called ONLY MINE, and it’s a funny, passionate romance set in the quirky small town of Fool’s Gold, California. You’d think that I would be Zen about book release day by now, but you’d be wrong. I’m very, very nervous. I wonder whether readers will love Dakota Hendrix as much as I do, her curious mix of sarcasm and vulnerability. I wonder whether readers will fall in love with handsome, rugged Finn, a family man who insists that he’s anything but.

At this point, it’s out of my hands. I have no control anymore. I have written the best story I could, a story that made me laugh out loud while writing it and with a happy ending that brought tears to my eyes. The book is edited, printed, and sitting in boxes in warehouses around the country. Now it’s up to my readers. Have they pre-ordered ONLY MINE or, alternatively, will they rush to the store on Tuesday to buy it? (Those first week sales serve as my report card, and I have always been an overachiever who wants an A on every test.)

There’s nothing to do but try to distract myself, to try to find ways to avoid obsessing about whether ONLY MINE will fly off the shelves next week… which is the only possible explanation as to why I made dinner rolls from scratch in the middle of July.

“It smells like Thanksgiving in here!” my husband exclaimed when he came home. Yeah, that’s because it makes sense to turn on the oven in November, when you want to heat up the house. Fortunately, here in Seattle, even in July it doesn’t get too hot. But if you live in Texas, you might want to save this recipe for autumn.

The rolls were delicious… but I’m still nervous. If you pre-ordered ONLY MINE or plan on buying it the first week, let me know. It’ll make me feel a lot better!

ONLY MINE on Amazon
ONLY MINE on Barnes & Noble

Recipe: Whole Wheat Basil Rosettes

(modified from a recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens 75th Anniversary Cookbook)
2 – 2 ½ C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
2 T garlic powder
1 package active dry yeast
1 C milk
1/3 C butter, softened
2 T fresh basil, minced
¼ C sugar
¾ t salt
1 egg
¼ C olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper

Combine 1 cup of white flour plus all of the whole wheat flour and the garlic powder in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, butter, basil, sugar, and salt. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is mostly melted (warm but not hot). Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid mixture and stir to dissolve.

Add the liquid mixture to the flour and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add the egg and beat just to incorporate the egg. Add more flour, half a cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough becomes elastic, about five minutes.

(You see what I’m saying? I kneaded dough in July. That’s how nervous I am!)

Pour 2T of olive oil into a bowl. Put dough in the bowl, swoosh it around, and turn the oiled side up. Cover and let rise until double, about an hour. Punch the dough down, then divide it into 24 pieces. (Divide in half, then divide that in half, and then divide that in half… and finally divide that into three pieces each.) Roll each piece of dough into a rope about 12 inches long. Tie the rope into a loose knot.

Bring the bottom end up and tuck it into the center.

Pull the top end around and tuck it under the roll.

Place the rolls on greased baking sheets (or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, put the remaining 2 T of olive oil into a small bowl with garlic and freshly ground black pepper. Do this now so the garlic flavor will infuse the oil while the rolls rise and bake.

Pre-heat the oven to 375. Bake the rolls until golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. Immediately remove them from the baking sheet to a wire rack and brush with the garlic-infused oil.

Aren’t they pretty?!

Donna Alward's Nacho Dip

I'd like to welcome Harlequin Romance author Donna Alward today as a guest cook on Susan Mallery Cooks! Today, we have not one but two of Donna's favorite recipes, which she shares below.

Donna is the author of A FAMILY FOR THE RUGGED RANCHER, a sweet and emotional story of a die-hard bachelor who falls hard for his new housekeeper. Free excerpt of FAMILY FOR A RUGGED RANCHER.

Instant family - just add Daddy!

Gruff rancher Luke Evans's new live-in housekeeper comes with an unexpected addition: a small son! Emily may be a pretty single mum - and even Luke has to grudgingly admit little Sam's quite cute - but a family is not on this die-hard bachelor's wish list!

Luke's plan? To spend as much time away from the house as possible. But, slowly charmed by Emily's sunny smile and Sam's infectious giggle, Luke begins to wonder if there might be room on his ranch - and in his heart - for a family after all!

Three Random Questions for Donna Alward

What was your favorite food that your mother used to make for you? Do you make it now for your family?
One of my faves was what we called Meat Pie but which is really a Beef Pot Pie. She'd cube up leftover roast beef, potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, and of course gravy and seasonings and put it all in a casserole and top with pie crust. I don't make it often for our family as it never tastes quite the same when I do it, but when we go home for a visit she often makes it because we all love it. She usually pairs it with baking powder biscuits. Yum!

What kind of car do you drive, and what does it say about you?
I drive an old Ford F150 pick up. When we first got it, it was my husband's vehicle and I had a minivan. But when we moved he bought a car and I "inherited" the truck. Which is fine by me. It gets me where I need to go (which usually isn't far, since I don't have any commute!) and it's quite practical for hauling around camping stuff or mulch or whatever we want to load into the bed. I expect I will drive it until it dies but when it goes I want another truck. I suppose what it says about me is that it is practical without a lot of fuss.

You love writing romances with rancher and cowboy heroes, such as your current Harlequin Romance, A FAMILY FOR THE RUGGED RANCHER. Who’s your favorite on-screen cowboy and what do you love about him?
Right now I'm REALLY taken with Tim Olyphant as Raylan Givens in JUSTIFIED. He's sexy, edgy, and a real cool customer. Plus he makes me laugh.

Recipe: Donna Alward's Hot Nacho Dip

Donna says, "It's summer time and one of our absolute favourite things to do is hang out next to our pool with friends. All that swimming (and floating and making margaritas) works up an appetite for snacks, so I often whip up nacho dip. Here are two recipes, one hot dip and one cold, both really easy and delicious."

1 250g tub cream cheese
1 can Stagg Chili
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack blend cheese

Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a pie plate. Layer on the chili and top with the cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly (you can also do this right on your barbeque!), and serve with your favourite chips!

Recipe: Donna Alward's Cold Nacho Dip

1 cup cream cheese
1 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup taco sauce
1 tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar
sliced pickled jalapeno peppers (optional)

Whip cream cheese and salad dressing together and spread on the bottom of a pyrex pan (9x13 is a good size). Then layer: taco sauce, salsa, cheddar, tomato, green onion, and jalapenos. You can eat it right away but it's even better if it's refrigerated a few hours ahead of time. Serve with your favourite chips!

Summertime Broccoli

For a printable version of this and lots of other great recipes, visit www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php.

I am especially proud of this recipe for Summertime Broccoli. Why? Number one, because it’s delicious; and number two, because it wasn’t inspired by any other recipe I’ve ever seen or tried. It started with me standing in the kitchen staring at a head of broccoli, wondering what I could do to give it an interesting twist.

I’ve been hard at work getting ready for the release of ONLY MINE, the first of this year’s Fool’s Gold books, as well as writing next year’s books, so I didn’t have a lot of time to cook. (You can read a free excerpt of ONLY MINE at www.susanmallery.com/excerpts.php.) I know a lot of my readers are busy women, too, and I wanted to create something fast, easy, and delicious. And healthy. Broccoli is such a rich green color, you know it’s got to be chock full of vitamins.

ONLY MINE, July 26 2011

Summertime Broccoli fits the bill on all counts. The nutty, salty flavor is a pleasant surprise. We ate it alongside a nice rib-eye, and I think it would be a delicious side dish for chicken or seafood, too. I think you’ll love it!

Recipe: Summertime Broccoli

4 C fresh broccoli, cut into half-inch chunks
1 T toasted sesame oil (peanut oil may be substituted)
1 t tahini (smooth peanut butter may be substituted)
1 clove garlic
½ t red pepper flakes
½ t Kosher salt
¼ C walnut pieces

Steam the broccoli for 5-7 minutes, until crisp-tender. Rinse under cool water, then drain completely. Mix together the oil through the salt. Pour mixture over the broccoli and toss, then add the walnut pieces. Serve warm or chilled.