Wednesday Writer's Spotlight: Favorite Recipes

Each week we try to get to know our Inkspell authors a little more in many different ways. Today we've asked them to share with you their favorite recipes. Not only will you get to know our authors but in this blog, you will get some tasty treats!

Kristy Centeno:
The Puerto Rican Coquito is a traditional punch served at Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. The drink is similar to eggnog with rum. This particular recipe does not call for raw eggs. Nor does it call for you to crack open a fresh coconut. It's a very simple mixed drink.
 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
 
Ingredients:
•2 15-ounce cans cream of coconut
•2 14-ounce cans condensed milk
•6 ounces white rum (use less if you like)
•1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract
 
Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients in a blender.
2. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Serve cold.
 
Serves: This recipe makes about 36 ounces.
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T. Michelle Nelson:
VEGETARIAN BLACK BEAN SOUP:1-2 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
1/2 carrot
1/2 red bell pepper
1-2 tomatoes
4-5 cups of black beans
splash of vegetable stock
lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
salt to taste 
dash of cumin
dash of chipotle chili powder
couple splashes of worcestershire sauce

Finely chop first five ingredients and puree 1-2 cups of the black beans.  Add the first six ingredients together (the chopped items, the pureed beans and the whole beans) together in a pot and heat for 5 minutes with the veggie stock.  After the five minutes, add in the salt, lemon juice, chipotle chili powder and cumin.  When it becomes thick splash in the worcestershire.

Some people dice in some celery as well, and you really can't even taste it once it's cooked, but I rarely remember to buy it, and well... celery sucks.
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Brooke Moss: 
Here's a recipe for cheddar broccoli soup that my family loves during the fall! 
4 heads broccoli, chopped
16 oz. Velveeta cheese, chopped
2 c. onions, chopped
4 c. water
2 cans cream of celery soup
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix chopped broccoli and onions and 4 cups of water and boil. Allow mixture to boil for 5 minutes. Pour 2 cans of cream of celery, 1 can of cream of mushroom and 2 cans of cheddar cheese soup into mixture. Stir and turn heat to low. Put chopped Velveeta cheese on top slowly while stirring.
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Annabelle Blume:
Savory Mashed Potatoes

This is a Thanks Giving recipe handed down from my Grandmother. Honestly, there isn’t much I enjoy about her cooking, as her turkeys tend to be undercooked and her veggies  are usually overdone (don’t cringe, she’ll never read this), but these have always been the best part of any holiday meal at her house.

4lbs potatoes
1 cup sour cream
8oz cream cheese (softened)
2 tsp salt (for water)
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 chives
1 tbs butter
1 clove of garlic (minced)

Add salt to a large pot filled with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add the potatoes (peeled and cubed) to the water. Boil until tender. Remove from water, drain, and mash. In a large bowl combine potatoes, sour cream, cream cheese, minced garlic, and white pepper. Mix with electric beaters until smooth. Top with chives and butter. Bake at 350 until headed through.

 
We hope you've picked up some delicious treats for the season.  Inkspell authors are a diverse group who love sharing their favorites with you! Stop by for more favorites of Inkspell each week! 

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