Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Tacos and Other Blackberry Recipes

On March 27, my next book – BAREFOOT SEASON – will be released. BAREFOOT SEASON is the first book of my Blackberry Island series. Blackberry bushes are a good metaphor for the Blackberry Island stories. The Blackberry Island slogan is “Where Life Is Sweet” – and it is – but before you reach that sweetness, you might have to fight your way past a few thorns. That’s certainly true for my characters.

Michelle and Carly grew up on Blackberry Island, as close as sisters, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal. As young adults, just as the women began to reconnect, they both fell deeply, desperately in love with the same man. He proposed to Carly, then seduced Michelle. As BAREFOOT SEASON

starts, Michelle returns to Blackberry Island for the first time since she betrayed her former friend. She has spent the past ten years serving in the Army, and she’s been battered physically and emotional by her last tour in Afghanistan. The women will have to fight their way past the thorns in their relationship to find the sweetness of friendship again – with the help of two terrific men and a dog who needs a second chance. (I do love a happy ending!)

Blackberries abound in the Seattle area. They’re considered a nuisance by some people because it’s hard to figure out what to do with the overabundance of fruit growing in your own back yard.

So you know I had to come up with some delicious blackberry recipes! You’ll find the actual recipes – including printable versions of them – at www.blackberryisland.com. While you’re there, read the first chapter of BAREFOOT SEASON, and put a note on your calendar for release day, March 27.

The blackberry recipes include:

• Blackberry Chipotle Sauce 
• Oven-Baked Pork Chops with Blackberry Chipotle Sauce 
• Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Tacos 
• Quick & Easy Blackberry Cobbler 
• Make-Ahead Berry French Toast Casserole 
• Blackberry Mousse Parfaits 
• The Bramble Fizz (alcoholic drink) 
• Blackberry Vinaigrette Cabbage Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette 
• Cinnamon Pita Chips with Walnut-Blackberry Dip 
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Blackberry Relish 

Citrus Shrimp with Pasta

A printable version of this recipe and lots more are at www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php!

My next book, BAREFOOT SEASON, will be out on March 27. Barefoot Season is the first book of my Blackberry Island series. On every island, seafood is a staple because it’s so readily available. Even on the mainland, shrimp is a great weeknight dinner. First of all, it’s delicious. And second, it goes from raw to cooked in five minutes. (From raw to over-cooked in six… oops!) This recipe takes about twice that long because of prep time… a little longer than that, when you factor in the time it takes to boil the water for the pasta. From start to finish, less than 20 minutes, and it’s impressive enough for company.

Next time, I’m going to make the sauce as a marinade for the shrimp, then cook the shrimp on skewers. I’m going to serve it as an appetizer, without all the carbs from the pasta. I bet it would be delicious cold in a salad, too. Maybe spinach with actual chunks of citrus. See, the shrimp was so delicious that I’m already thinking about making it again!

Recipe: Citrus Shrimp with Pasta

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and de-veined.

½ C olive oil
¼ C parmesan cheese
¼ C pine nuts + 2 T, divided
½ C fresh parsley, loosely packed
Juice of one orange
Juice of one lemon
Zest of half the orange
Zest of the lemon
1 dried red pepper, or ½ t red pepper flakes
½ t salt
¼ t black pepper
1 lb dried pasta (I used spaghetti)

Leave the shrimp in the refrigerator until just before you put it in the pan.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, combine the olive oil, cheese, ¼ C of pine nuts, and the parsley through pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times, until combined. Heat a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the citrus sauce. Once it’s simmering, add the shrimp and simmer until it’s no longer translucent, about five minutes.

Drain the noodles. Toss with shrimp, sauce, and remaining pine nuts.

Curry Chicken Enchiladas

ALREADY HOME was released last week, and I’m thrilled to finally get the book into readers’ hands. Jenna, the heroine of ALREADY HOME is a chef who has lost her confidence in the kitchen. Her ex-husband, also a chef, made fun of her every time she tried something innovative, and she began to believe him when he said she had no talent. So she gives up her lifelong dream of being a chef and opens a retail kitchen store in her Texas hometown.


Through the course of the book, she’s challenged in more ways than she can count by the unexpected and unwelcome arrival of her birth mother. Through the turmoil, she rediscovers her love of adventurous cooking. I won’t go into details about how this happens because I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Let me just say there’s a first date involved, with a fabulous, handsome man.

One of Jenna’s innovations is Mexican/Indian fusion cuisine. In the book, she came up with a recipe for Curry Chicken Enchiladas. When I wrote that scene, these enchiladas didn’t exist, but I knew readers would ask me for them. So I came up with this recipe, and I have to say, it turned out even more delicious than I’d hoped! Enjoy!


Click here to read Chapter 1 and 2 of ALREADY HOME for free: www.alreadyhomenovel.com

Recipe: Curry Chicken Enchiladas

3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (no seeds for mild, all seeds for hot)
½ t sugar
1 t cumin seed
2 T curry powder
1 bay leaf
½ t grated fresh ginger root
6 oz can of tomato paste
8 oz plain, unsweetened yogurt
½ C canned coconut milk
1 lb cooked chicken, cut into ¼-inch chunks
1 C cooked rice
¼ C cilantro
4 oz can of diced green chilies
4 oz shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
8 corn tortillas

Heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, and jalapeño until onion is translucent. Add sugar through coconut milk and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside ½ C of the yogurt sauce. To the remaining sauce, add the chicken, rice, cilantro, chilies, and half the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the tortillas with a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Divide the chicken mixture evenly into the corn tortillas and place them seam-side down in a lightly greased 8-inch square pan. Pour the reserved yogurt sauce over the enchiladas. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and cook until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.

Serve with naan chips, peach salsa, and spiced chickpeas and tomatoes. More free recipes can be found at www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php.

(Confession: I forgot to take a picture, but the enchiladas looked like this stock photo I bought online. Next time I make them, I’ll get a picture. In the meantime, if you make them, I’d love for you to send a photo to my assistant at jenel@susanmallery.com.)

Slow Cooker Cheesy Beef

Download a printable version of this recipe for free – and lots of other recipes! – at www.susanmallery.com/recipes.php

Everyone knows I’m on a diet. Slow Cooker Cheesy Beef is not diet food. Which is sad for me because it’s really, really delicious, and I could only have a taste. The thing is, my husband’s not on a diet, and I’m a good wife.

Also, not all of my readers are on a diet, and I created the recipes page on my website as a gift for the readers who have been such enthusiastic, wonderful fans. Every month, I get a report from my webmaster that shows me where readers go when they visit SusanMallery.com. The free excerpts of my books are the most popular pages, thank goodness, but the recipes have been a big hit, too. One of the recipes that’s been downloaded the most is for Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes (PDF). So I bought a four-pound chuck roast, brought it home, and thought, “How am I going to make something new and interesting with this in the slow cooker?”

I opened my cabinet, and angels smiled down upon me. There, right at eye level, sat a can of cheddar cheese soup and a box of onion soup mix. Nothing bad could possibly come of that combination! I mixed them together, added a couple spices, then threw them over the beef, onions, and mushrooms in the slow cooker.

The only thing that would’ve made this better would be if I had thrown in some potatoes, too. But I’m a good wife, not a great wife. I couldn’t stand to watch my husband eating potatoes while I denied myself.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Cheesy Beef

1 chuck roast, about 4 pounds
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 packet onion soup mix
1 t dried thyme
1 t black pepper
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
3 T flour
1 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1 C sour cream

Mix together the soup, soup mix, thyme, and pepper. Layer the bottom of the slow cooker with onions and mushrooms, and put beef on top of them. Pour the soup mixture over the beef. Cook on low about 8 hours.

Remove the roast and vegetables from the slow cooker and set aside. Pour 3 cups of the liquid into a saucepan. Discard the rest of the liquid. Heat the liquid to boiling, then add the flour, a little at a time, stirring with a whisk to remove lumps. When it’s nice and thick, stir in the cheddar cheese until it’s melted. Then stir in the sour cream. Return the beef and vegetables to the slow cooker and pour the cheese mixture over it. Cook on low another half hour to an hour.

Don’t forget, ALREADY HOME will be released on March 29!

Members Only Refer-a-Friend Contest

Friends who read together are The Best of Friends! Invite your friends who love to read romance to join the Members Only area at www.susanmallery.com. If your friend joins, you’ll both be entered to win a pair of matching coffee mugs and some fun little surprises. (Including free books, of course!) When the prizes arrive, you can call each other and giggle over what you got.

The contest is open to fans around the world, and I want to know where you’re from! There will be nine pairs of first place winners. Three pairs of second place winners will win a Fool’s Gold goodie pack. We will also have one GRAND PRIZE winner for the person who refers the most friends who join my Members Only area. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com!

To refer your friends, click here: Refer-a-Friend Contest.

Flour-Dusted Roast Chicken with Asparagus in Lemon-Curry Sauce

Yesterday, THE BEST OF FRIENDS was released, and I wanted to celebrate with a really good meal. In the morning, I happened upon a Food Network show on which they were making roast chicken with olives and onions. I came upon the show in the last few minutes, so I didn’t know how to make their recipe, but roast chicken sounded like a very nice way to celebrate my latest book. (Read Chapters 1 and 2 for free here: THE BEST OF FRIENDS excerpt)

One of the most popular recipes I’ve shared so far was the Crispy Baked Parmesan Ranch Chicken, and I wondered if there was a way to roast a whole chicken and make the skin as crispy and delicious as it was on that recipe.

My flour-dusted roast chicken recipe turned out delicious. It would be wonderful served with mashed potatoes and gravy made from the drippings. If only carbs weren’t evil.

I served it with roasted asparagus and red pepper, and a lemon-curry sauce of my own devising. I actually devised two versions, one with wasabi, then decided I liked this one best. So I threw out the other one, only to realize I had thrown out the one that I preferred. Then I had to throw out the wasabi one, wash all the bowls and measuring spoons, and start from scratch. Which means that I can say definitively that this recipe is reproducible.

Flour-Dusted Roast Chicken

One 4-5 pound roasting chicken

¼ C all-purpose flour

2 t season salt or garlic salt

¼ t cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Place half of it in a bag that’s large enough to hold the chicken with room to spare. If you have nothing else, a plastic grocery bag should work, though you’ll want to work over the sink in case there are any small holes. Put the chicken in the bag, then toss in the rest of the flour mixture. Shake to coat the chicken all over. Remove the chicken from the bag and shake off the extra flour.

Lightly oil the rack in a roasting pan, and place the chicken breast side up on the rack. Roast on the lowest rack of the oven, basting occasionally with its own juices, until the thigh temperature reaches 170. The chicken will take about 90 minutes to 2 hours. Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Asparagus in Lemon-Curry Sauce

Lemon-Curry Sauce:
¼ C mayonnaise

¼ C plain, unsweetened yogurt

1 t curry powder

1 t soy sauce

1 t honey

1 t lemon juice

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Roasted Asparagus and Red Peppers:
1 lb. asparagus

1 red bell pepper

To prepare the asparagus, snap off about one inch at the bottom and discard. Snap the remaining asparagus spear into two pieces. Slice the red bell pepper thin. Toss the asparagus and the pepper with about half of the lemon curry sauce. Lay in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the asparagus is crisp-tender. Arrange a serving on a plate and then drizzle it with lemon-curry sauce.

THE BEST OF FRIENDS - Available today!

I'm thrilled to announce that my second women's fiction book, THE BEST OF FRIENDS, is available today! This is a fast-paced, emotional look at female friendship. As women, we need friends in our lives, but at times, our girlfriends make us so crazy we have to scream. In THE BEST OF FRIENDS, Jayne has always been the “go along to get along” kind of girl. Now that she’s started to stand up for herself, will her friendship with the glamorous Rebecca survive? Should it survive?

THE BEST OF FRIENDS – Find your sparkle! I’ve included a book club discussion guide in the book. If your book club chooses to read THE BEST OF FRIENDS and you’d like to talk to me about the book on the phone, please send me an email. I will be happy to set up phone calls with book clubs to chat about this book.

I'm making roast chicken tonight, so be on the lookout for a recipe later this week. In the meantime, find your sparkle with THE BEST OF FRIENDS!