It's

Cozy Food Friday!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 

another great cozy mystery!

This week's recipe is from

Jody Rath

author of the Cast Iron Skillet Mysteries

the latest of which is Book 7

PORK CHOPPED TO DEATH

You know what they say, you are what you eat, and Jolie and Ava are about to turn into everything they have been craving including pounds of chocolate, pizza, pickles, and ice cream.Mafia, urban sprawl, gentrification, newborn babies, and the lives of the Leavensport villagers will be altered forever. Change is inevitable. Jolie Tucker is a Type-A perfectionist with fanatic tendencies who detest the very thought of change. Regardless of what she wants, change is a comin' along with a grizzly discovery of murder of one of the village’s most beloved, mayhem between the villagers and the urbanites of Tri-City, and new dynamics of family dysfunction. Get ready for a roller coaster ride from the peaks of new life, yummy food, and blossoming relationships to the lows of slayings, chaos, and war. The residents of Leavensport are in for the battle of their lives, and it’s up to Jolie, Ava, and their crew to determine the future of their village.

Welcome to Leavensport, Ohio, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!

🍽🍽🍽🍽🍽

Today, Jodi is sharing with us her recipe for

Ryder Chen’s Cast Iron 

Cashew Chicken Noodle

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked thick rice noodles (I use Udon noodles)
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (I use shredded white chicken in a can from Sam’s Club—makes the dish SUPER quick to make!)
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 6 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup unsalted cashews
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (we use Melinda’s Thai Sweet Chili Sauce—it is DELICIOUS!!!! Also, I put about SIX to EIGHT tablespoons of this sauce in—do so at your own risk!)
• Toasted sesame seeds, optional (we do this, and it’s great!)
• We garnish with fresh green onions and some chili flakes.

Directions

·         Cook rice noodles according to package directions.

(Jodi was excited to be cooking this dish for us on her new stove!)

·         Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, cornstarch, and garlic. Add chicken. 

     In a large cast-iron or another heavy skillet, saute the chicken mixture in peanut and sesame oils until no longer pink. Add onions; cook 1 minute longer.

·         Drain noodles; stir into skillet. 

    Add cashews and chili sauce and heat through. If desired, top with toasted sesame seeds. 

Cooking with Cats and the Hubby

~ Jodi Rath

Y’all, my life is tough. I mean, it’s very, extremely tough. Part of my job entails trying out new cast iron skillet recipes every month or so and then—wait for it—yes, we then MUST eat the food too. Ugh, right? Lucky for me, I’ve always been a bit on the thick side with lots of curves and love handles—so it’s not like I’m trying to maintain a certain weight! LOL!

First, apologies to all of you who do NOT have pets or those who feel pets belong outside. At the Rath home, we have eight cats that pretty much rule the roost—all inside. As you browse the pictures of Mike and me making this dish, you find NO cats hanging around—it’s as if they knew this was a working recipe! Truthfully, full-disclosure—we usually eat around noon, BUT we waited until 3:30 PM today—why? That’s when all the cats are napping! Hehe!

 

The newest surfer dude in Leavensport Ohio, Ryder Chen, is taking Carlos’s place as new chef of Cast Iron Creations and boy, does he ever serve up some delicious dishes! Ryder is proud of his Chinese heritage, and the women in his family have passed down recipes from generation to generation—kind of like Jolie’s family has done.

Ryder, Jolie, Ava, and I hope you all enjoy Ryder’s Cast Iron Cashew Chicken Noodle dish. As you can see from the pictures, my hubby and I enjoyed it immensely!

I want to thank Jodi and her husband, Mike, for going above and beyond for taking and sharing these wonderful photos with us! Aren't they fun?

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If you haven't already read Jodi's Cast Iron Skillet Mysteries, please check them out!

 

Book 1                                    Book 2

Holiday Book                         Short Story

Book 3                                Book 4

      Book 5                                Holiday Book

Book 6

 

Book 7 Available today!

Holiday Book Available October 29

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