A guest blogger with two spicy recipes

Please welcome my guest, author Krista Ames. Krista lives in Northern Michigan with her husband, four children, two female chocolate labs, and a three-legged cat. Maybe in that cold country they need these recipes to keep them warm. Love the idea of crawdads in Michigan!

Hi everyone, I’m Krista Ames and first I’d like to thank the wonderful Judy Alter for allowing me to invade her blog space to share some nonsense from my world J
As for me with so many thanks to my wonderful hubby, I am a stay-at-home mom to four terribly ornery and lovable kids.  In my spare time I’m also a published author with a few houses, which was no easy feat.  I would love to share with you my most recent release but first…food.  One of my other loves is cooking.  In my house, there’s never enough food it seems whether it be feeding the six of us or even a house full of teenage friends that happen to show up unannounced and hungry. 

The first recipe I’d like to share is a creation of my husband’s but it’s one of my favorites.  Besides the fact I just love it when he cooks, and he’s so darn good at it.

New Orleans Style Pasta

1 lb. Fettuccini noodles

2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. crawdads
8 oz. cocktail shrimp without tails
Salt & Pepper and a pinch of Garlic
1 lb. Andouille sausage (or sausage of choice)
1 pint heavy cream

In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil and add pasta – cook to almost tender (just past al dente).  While pasta cooks, turn a 13” skillet on med/high heat and add 2 T. butter, 8 oz. crawdads and 8 oz. shrimp.  Sauté with salt & pepper & garlic for 2 to 3 minutes.  Cut sausage into bite size pieces and add to skillet and cook 2 to 3 more minutes.  Then add 1 pint of heavy cream to skillet and reduce temp by half. Add pasta to skillet, mix until sauce sticks to pasta.
Doesn’t that sound easy and yummy?  Trust me, it’s delicious and it does have a little bit of warmth to it just so you know.

Now for the second recipe…hmmm…I think I’ll give you this ~ a perfect summer meal and another one of my favorites J

 Spicy Peanut Chicken Salad

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite size pieces
2 Tbsp. butter
Lettuce (Romaine hearts work best ~ 6 cups, more or less per preference)
4 Tbsp. Spicy Thai-style peanut sauce, divided (we use House of Tsang brand but any will do)
1/2 cup Chow Mein noodles

Cut chicken into bite size pieces.  Put 2 T. butter in a 10” sauté pan.  Heat over med/med high heat until butter is melted and hot.  Add chicken and sauté until cooked thoroughly stirring often.  Transfer chicken to a bowl and refrigerate until cold.  Make sure there is no excess liquid before chilling.

With a clean knife and cutting surface, cut lettuce into 1” wide strips.  Place in large mixing bowl.  Once chicken is cool, drain any excess liquid off and add to lettuce.  Add 2 Tbsp. of peanut sauce to chicken and lettuce and mix together. Add ½ c. Chow Mein noodles and an additional 2 Tbsp. peanut sauce and fold in lightly. 

~ please feel free to add more or less of each ingredient according to your taste ~

I often post recipes on my own blog as well so please visit www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com and eave me a comment!

 As for as my writing, I have four short stories out with Turquoise Morning Press: “Love in an Elevator” in the Believe: Christmas Anthology 2010, “Love Takes the Cake” in the Be Mine, Valentine anthology, “Whiskey’s Sweet Revenge” in the All Bets Are On! anthology,  and “Surf’s Up” in the Summer Shorts anthology.  They can all be found at http://www.turquoisemorningpressbookstore.com/.       

My current release is a novella out with Ruby Lioness Press called…Second Chances

If you could get a Second Chance...

When the love of Dana's life leaves without a word, she is forced to move on with her life. Despite loving him, she believes she will never see him again but, little does she know, she's being set up for a night that will change her life forever.

Nicholas, a Navy man, did the only thing he could to save the woman he loved. Driven by a secret, he disappeared and returns, years later, with hope for love. With one opportunity, will he be able to make things right, or is it just too late? Will she deny any desire for Second Chances?

Second Chances can be found at:

http://rubylionesspress.com/shop/second-chances/
http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chances-ebook/dp/B007KO5OMI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332256535&sr=8-1
 www.smashwords.com/books/view/142186
www.allromanceebooks.com/product-secondchances-753069-149.html
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/second-chances-krista-ames/1109557099?ean=2940014310932&itm=1&usri=krista+ames
http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=bookDetail&bookid=24210

 

I can be found at various places as well….

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/kristaames
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/kristaames
Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/kristaames
Blog:  www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com
Web:  www.kristaames.com
Email:  krista@kristaames.com
Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Krista-Ames/e/B004FLQ9XM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
TRR Author Page:  http://www.theromancereviews.com/kkames

I love visitors so please stop in, sign up to follow me and leave me a message!!

Thanks,    Krista