Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
Two-Fer with BECKY CLARK!

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, BECKY CLARK, and Becky’s favorite recipes for CHICKEN POT PIE and NO-BAKE BROWNIES.

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BANANA BAMBOOZLE
A Dunne Dichl Novel
BY BECKY CLARK and TED HARDWICK

Blurb

After imbibing in one too many Banana Bamboozles at a backyard party, Cassidy Dunne is flabbergasted to recognize one of the partygoers as her teenage niece. When she points out the girl to her longtime best friend, Dan Diehl, he revokes her bar privileges, reminding her that one, she’s blotto, and two, the niece in question died in a tragic house fire as an infant fourteen years earlier.

Nevertheless, Cassidy becomes obsessed with confirming the girl’s identity, regardless of possible disastrous consequences.

Dan has been involved in thirty years of Cassidy’s bad ideas, but gets sidetracked by an accusation against him with the potential to destroy both his business and his reputation. Cassidy must handle this one alone.

Well, almost alone. Every problem in her life is accompanied — and medicated — by her secret stash of candy. Run-ins with an old high school nemesis. Booty calls with her ex-husband. Her first date in Justin Bieber’s lifetime. Shapeware. All tamed with a candy bar. Or three.

But all the chocolate in the world can’t help her figure out this puzzle. If she’s not prudent, she could ruin several lives.

And Cassidy isn’t prudent.

MARSHMALLOW MAYHEM
A Dunne Dichl Novel
BY BECKY CLARK and TED HARDWICK

Blurb

In this sequel to BANANA BAMBOOZLE, all Cassidy Dunne wants is a road trip to bond with her niece and some gooey campfire s’mores. What she gets is an extra serving of mayhem — marijuana brownies, creepy locals, an ardent admirer, a precocious canine cohort, and a dead body.

Driving an RV from California to Colorado in winter poses plenty of challenges, some of which can be solved, at least temporarily, by her secret stash of candy. But nothing can sugarcoat the clues pointing to her involvement in the murder.

BOUCHERCON, THE UNIVERSE, AND ME
Becky Blogs…

http://beckyclarkbooks.com/2015/10/14/bouchercon-the-universe-and-me/

About Author Becky Clark… 

Becky Clark is the seventh of eight kids, which explains both her insatiable need for attention and her atrocious table manners. She likes to read funny books so it felt natural to write them, too. Her newest mysteries are Banana Bamboozle and Marshmallow Mayhem. She surrounds herself with quirky people and pets who end up as characters in her books. Her stout-hearted dog keeps her safe from menacing squirrels and autumn leaves, but not plastic bags. Those things are terrifying.

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Links to Becky’s Website, Books, & Social Media:

Amazon/Banana Bamboozle: http://amzn.to/200OKRG

Amazon/Marshmallow Mayhem: http://amzn.to/1S49bH8

Amazon/Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Complete Cookbook: 
http://amzn.to/1V4ZzCt

Find out Becky’s least favorite words at http://beckyclarkbooks.com/bio and subscribe to her newsletter to win cool stuff, http://beckyclarkbooks.com/mailing.  All her books can be found here … http://www.amazon.com/Becky-Clark/e/B004NQO14I

I hope you enjoy the recipes Becky is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 256 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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CHICKEN POT PIE
[Makes 6 Servings @ 341 Calories Each]
[[Becky’s Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Complete Cookbook]]

A Note from Becky: Two recipes from my cookbook LAZY LOW CAL LIFESTYLE COMPLETE COOKBOOK. Cheap, easy, yummy, portion-controlled. If you can read, you can cook. And if you can cook, you can lose weight.

My grocery store sells 6 disposable foil pot pie pans with lids (5-inch diameter x 1 5/8-inch deep) which are perfect for this recipe. I reuse them, after making sure they haven’t been punctured by an over-zealous fork. Chicken leg quarters are handy because they’re cheap, flavorful, and easy to stew. Cook up a huge family pack and separate portions into freezer bags and you’ll always have quick chicken for casseroles. Before you begin this recipe, read through and note all of the ingredients, since they’re not all in one place like my usual recipes.

Ingredients:

2 chicken leg quarters, stewed and shredded into bite-sized pieces (approx 2C)
12-oz bag frozen pearl onions
12-oz bag frozen peas and carrots
12-oz bag frozen cut green beans
14-oz can fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
spices as you like

Combine chicken, veggies, broth and spices in large pot and bring to boil. Simmer until veggies are soft. (The filling simmers nicely until you’re ready for it. You really can’t overcook it.)

While filling is simmering, make crust using my “Simple Biscuits” recipe, which I’ve adapted here.

In large mixing bowl combine:

1 1/2C white whole wheat flour
2t baking powder
1 1/2t salt

Make a well in the center and add:

1 1/4C (10 oz) plain Greek yogurt

Pull flour into yogurt until dough forms. Turn it on to counter, kneading a few times to make sure it’s mixed well. Divide dough into 6 even portions and let it rest.

Now taste your filling to make sure it’s properly seasoned. When you’re happy, it’s time to thicken the filling. In small bowl, measure 1T cornstarch. Add a little bit of water and mix to form a thin paste. Add it to your still simmering filling and stir. The cornstarch should thicken your filling fairly quickly, but this is where your artful cooking comes in. If you like more gravy in your pot pie than what you’re seeing in your pan, add a half-cup of water and stir. You’ll probably want to thicken it with another round of 1T cornstarch paste. I’ve allowed for a total of 3T of cornstarch calories.

Let’s talk about cornstarch for a bit. It is a handy culinary tool, as long as you remember a couple of rules. First, never add it directly to whatever you want to thicken. Always make it into a thin paste and mix that in. Second, it only works to thicken hot foods.

Okay, back to the recipe. When your filling is perfectly seasoned and thickened, divide it into your 6 pot pie tins. Using your hands, pat the dough on the countertop until it’s large enough to crimp over the edge of your pot pie. Make it pretty like Grandma would, or flop it on there like I do — strictly functional. Make 2 or 3 knife cuts in the dough to allow steam to escape.

If you’re baking these right away while the filling is still hot, then bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and crust is lightly browned.

If you’re cooking them when they’re frozen (no aluminum in microwave!), bake at 350° for about an hour.

Variations:

• Melt 1T butter and brush the tops of the individual pot pies for 357 calories each
• Make 8 servings from one large pot pie for 256 calories per serving
• Melt 1T butter and brush top of large pot pie for 268 calories per serving

NO BAKE BROWNIES
[Makes 16 @64 Calories Each]
[[Becky’s Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Complete Cookbook]]

Note From Becky: I keep these in the freezer. They’re great for breakfast or an anytime low-cal healthy splurge. If you don’t have a food processor, simply mince the prunes by hand. It won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll be pretty close.

3/4C baking cocoa
3/4C unsweetened almond milk (chocolate makes sense!)
1C pitted prunes
1C oats
2t cinnamon

In a food processor, puree everything together. [My food processor is small so I cut all the ingredients in half and make two batches. I’ve never tried it, but I suppose I could just do the prunes and oats together then hand mix the rest.]

Coat 9-inch square baking dish with 0-calorie nonstick spray. Turn mixture into it. Spray hands with nonstick spray and press the mixture so it fills the pan evenly.

Refrigerate or freeze an hour or so until it’s firm.

Variations:

• substitute raisins for the prunes for 69 calories each
• add 1/8t of cayenne for a little kick

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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Becky is giving away one copy of LAZY LOW CAL LIFESTYLE COMPLETE COOKBOOK to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Becky, for sharing your story and recipes with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read these books!