About:Nancy J. Cohen

Website: https://nancyjcohen.com Profile Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. Titles in this series have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won a Readers' Favorite gold medal, placed first in the Chanticleer Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Nancy’s instructional guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, was nominated for an Agatha Award. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, she is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys fine dining, cruising, visiting Disney World, and shopping.

Posts by Nancy J. Cohen :

Spinach Balls

Ingredients

(2) 10 oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups crushed herb stuffing mix
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
cup melted butter
4 green onions, chopped
3 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite mustard. Makes 20 to 24 spinach balls.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

(2) 16 oz. packages whole white mushrooms
3 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1⁄2 cup sour cream
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1⁄3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3⁄4 tsp. garlic powder
4 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and discard or save for another use. Clean mushrooms and pat dry with paper towel. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a small bowl. Add artichokes, spinach, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Fill each mushroom cap with 1 Tbsp. spinach mixture. Place mushrooms on greased baking sheet and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. Transfer to platter and serve warm.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
1 pound peeled butternut squash, cubed
1 carrot, diced
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
1 quart low-salt chicken broth
2 sprigs thyme
1 cup half-and-half
2 Tbsp. unsulphured molasses

Directions

Melt butter over medium heat in large soup pot. Add onion and cook until translucent. Then add squash and carrots. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Add spices and cook until vegetables start to caramelize. Add chicken broth and thyme. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and discard thyme sprigs. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (It can be frozen at this stage.) Stir in molasses to blend. Add half-and-half and mix to combine. Ladle into individual bowls and serve hot.

If frozen, defrost gradually and then reheat in large pot. Stir in molasses and half-and-half and serve as above.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

49 oz. container low fat chicken broth
28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
15 oz. can whole white potatoes, drained & halved
15-1/2 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
9 oz. package frozen cut green beans
8 oz. package shredded carrots
1 large onion, cut into chunks
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
3/4 cup Ditalini pasta

Directions

Combine all ingredients except pasta in large soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add pasta, cook for additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Sweet Onion Chowder

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
4 to 5 large sweet onions, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
11 oz. can white corn, drained
(4) 14 oz. cans Swanson’s low fat, low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. flour
½ cup half-and-half

Directions

Melt butter in soup pot. Add onions. Stir and simmer, covered, on medium heat until softened, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and mix again, cooking a few more minutes. Then add dill and corn. In a separate bowl, whisk flour into broth to blend. Pour into pot and whisk until smooth. Heat to a boil and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and gently stir in half-and-half. Ladle into individual bowls and serve hot.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups biscuit mix
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup low fat milk
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine biscuit mix, shredded cheese, and minced garlic in a large bowl. Stir in milk until moistened. Drop by the tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned. Meanwhile, mix together melted butter and garlic powder. Brush over warm biscuits and serve. Makes 12 biscuits.

Beefy Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients

14.5 oz. package Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup fat free milk
14.5 oz. can petite cut diced tomatoes no salt added
1-1/4 cups tomato basil spaghetti sauce
1 pound lean ground beef
½ tsp. minced garlic
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare macaroni and cheese dinner according to package directions for lighter prep using fat free milk and 4 Tbsp. butter as above. Set aside. Meanwhile, sauté beef and garlic in non-stick skillet until browned. Remove from pan. Mix together diced tomatoes with juice and spaghetti sauce to make 3 cups total.

In a greased 9-inch square baking dish, layer the macaroni mixture, sauce, meat, and mozzarella cheese. Bake until browned and heated through, about 20 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

2 lb. prepared garlic mashed potatoes
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 to 1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 Tbsp. flour
12 oz. can Heinz fat-free beef gravy or any leftover gravy
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. dried marjoram
14-1/2 oz. can peas and carrots, drained
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave potatoes as directed but omit adding milk or butter. In heavy large skillet, sauté mushrooms in oil and remove when wilted. Add beef, onion, and garlic to same skillet and cook on medium high heat until beef is browned. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Add mushrooms, gravy, parsley, marjoram, peas and carrots, and Worcestershire sauce.

Simmer until heated through. Transfer beef mixture into a greased 9-inch square baking dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over beef layer. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken Bean Stew

Ingredients

5 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
8 oz. fresh sliced carrots
1 tsp. chopped garlic
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
14.5 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry red wine (or more if needed to moisturize)
15 oz. can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle flour on a plate and dredge chicken pieces to coat. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a Dutch oven and brown chicken on all sides. Remove from pot. Deglaze with a bit of broth and add 1 Tbsp. oil. Stir in onion and carrots and sauté until onions wilt. Add garlic and stir. Add diced tomatoes. Place chicken on top. Pour broth and red wine over chicken.

Bring to a boil. Turn off burner, cover pot, and cook in oven for 30 minutes. Add beans. Cook for 30 minutes more or until chicken is done. Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

5 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
16 oz. fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup dry red wine
28 oz. can diced tomatoes

Directions

In a large skillet, sauté the chicken breasts in olive oil until browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add onion and bell pepper to pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and stir occasionally until mushrooms are tender. Sprinkle on basil and oregano. Pour in the red wine and bring to a boil.

Cook until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and add the chicken to the mixture. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over cooked noodles or rice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.