Michelle Griep – Recipe for Romance – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Speculative romance author, Michelle Griep shares a romantic dinner her husband prepares for her. Take note guys–recipe included. Comment on any post dated May 30 – June 3 for a chance to win a download of Michelle’s time-travel e-book, Undercurrent. Deadline: June 4, 11:59 PM central time. Here’s Michelle:



Close your eyes. Picture in your mind the man of your dreams. Is he tall and broad shouldered? Toting some sculpted muscles and tanned to perfection? Dark haired? Blonde haired? Blue eyes or green?
Perhaps you envision that Prince Charming mounted on a white steed, but let’s get real, girls. There’s nothing more attractive than a man vacuuming your carpet…except for a man cooking your dinner!
And occasionally, that’s what my hunk-of-man does for me. Mark, my soul-mate for the past 28 years, took a cooking class with my youngest daughter. Every now and then, he pulls out one of the recipes he mastered and whips up a romantic din din. Here’s my personal favorite in case you’d like to pass it along to your favorite fella.

Braised Chicken

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (or 2 thighs & 2 legs)
2 small onion, chopped
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 clove of garlic, skinned and smashed
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
1 dried bay leaf
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
chopped fresh basil
lemon zest
fingerling potatoes or small reds

1. Heat your pot until it is very hot; add the olive oil and heat for about 30-40 seconds before adding the chicken. Fry for 10-12 minutes until deep brown; take out chicken pieces and set aside until later.
2. Turn heat down to medium and toss in onion. Add in shiitake and stir. You may need to add a little extra oil. When mushrooms begin to brown, add the garlic and put the chicken back into the pot.
3. Add chicken broth, white wine, bay leaf and potatoes. Bring to a boil then turn down heat to very low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Remove the food to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Turn the burner up to high and reduce the liquid until it is very concentrated. Add butter and cream and stir until it’s incorporated.
5. Grate a bit of lemon rind (zest) over the top then pour sauce over the dish of meat and vegetables.
6. Sprinkle with parsley and basil.

Delicious…and when combined with candlelight, romantic as well. However, for those nights when hubby’s working late and you’re eating leftover pizza, romance doesn’t have to fly out the window. Just grab a napkin, wipe the leftover greasy remains off your chin, and curl up with my latest book, UNDERCURRENT, a tale of a love so strong, it crosses the boundaries of time.
About the book:  Successful linguistics professor Cassie Larson leads a life her undergrad students hope to attain, until she tumbles into the North Sea and is sucked into a swirling vortex…and a different century. 
Alarik, son of a Viking chieftain, is blamed for a murder he didn’t commit—or did he? He can’t remember. On the run, saving a half-drowned foreign woman wasn’t in his plans. 
Ragnar is a converted pagan shunned by many but determined to prove his Cousin Alarik’s innocence. He didn’t count on falling in love with Cassie or the deadly presence of evil that threatens his village in Alarik’s absence.

UNDERCURRENT is a tale of the sacrificial act of forgiveness.

About Michelle: Michelle’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes…except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. Find out more at www.mmgriep.com, http://www.risenfiction.com/, and http://www.blacklyonpublishing.com/
Come back June 6th for Historical romance author, Kathleen Y’Barbo.
June Lineup:
June 8 – Lena Nelson Dooley
June 10 – Margaret Daley
June 13 & 15 – JoAnn Durgin
June 17 – Cynthia Hickey
June 20, 22, & 24 – Trish Perry
June 27, 29, & July 1 – Christine Lindsay