Chicken Mango Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Chicken Mango Salad! If you’ve ever been to a botanical garden, pay close attention to their delightful café tucked among the vibrant plants. Once you finish exploring the grounds, reward yourself with some of their signature dishes and special offerings. Among them, you may discover a garden staple that wins customers year after year. This mango chicken salad has been so popular, the recipe was posted in their quarterly magazine. Guess who decided it was time to make it at home?! Yours truly. 

CHICKEN MANGO SALAD

Ingredients: 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled, and cut into cubes 

1 English cucumber, seeds removed and cut into cubes

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 bunch green onions, chopped

2 sprigs fresh mint, cut into strips

2 sprigs fresh basil, thinly sliced

2 mangoes, peeled; seeds discarded 

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

Plantain Chips, for serving

Instructions: 

Assemble ingredients. Cut one mango into cubes. Place the second mango into a blender and purée. Add a splash of water, if needed to make it smooth. In one bowl, gently toss the chicken cubes, cucumber cubes, halved tomatoes, chopped green onions, strips of mint, thinly sliced basil, and cubed mangoes. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the mango purée, orange juice, and mayonnaise. Mix well. Slowly add the dressing to the chicken salad. Toss and coat. Scoop the mango chicken salad onto a bed of bib lettuce leaves. Serve with plantain chips. 

Boursin Stuffed Sweet Peppers

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Boursin Stuffed Sweet Peppers! Eat more veggies, the experts say. Get multivitamins, extra fiber, a little protein, and more flavor. It seems no matter where you turn nowadays, the mantra is the same. Nix the chips and processed foods in favor of healthier food options. Here is a painless way to follow your path without all the guilt. It actually might bring a smile to your face. Whether you mix up a batch for a neighborhood get-together, or simply reward your family with a colorful treat, stuffed peppers with Boursin cheese are a winning combination. 

BOURSIN STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS

Ingredients: 

16-ounces sweet peppers, mini assorted

5.3-ounce Boursin gourmet cheese, shallot and chives variety

1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Fresh basil, for garnish

Chopped tomatoes, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. Place each pepper on the cutting board to slice lengthwise to remove 1/3 of the pepper. This will allow you to scoop out the seeds and membranes on the inside and discard. Repeat until all peppers are hollow. Place the empty peppers on the prepared baking sheet. Fill each one with the Boursin cheese. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked and the cheese is melted. Transfer to a platter and garnish with chopped basil and tomatoes. Serve warm. 

Afternoon Bourbon Slush

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Afternoon Bourbon Slush! Whether you are a southerner or not, you can still enjoy this refreshing sweet-tart adult cocktail for one or for more. It soothes the mind and relaxes the body like a cool summer breeze. Brewed black tea is my choice of ingredients, however I have used green tea as well. The choice is yours. When it comes to bourbon there are many brands to choose from as well. 

AFTERNOON BOURBON SLUSH

Ingredients: 

1 cup sugar

2 cups hot strong tea, brewed

6-ounce can frozen orange juice, undiluted

12-ounce can frozen lemonade, undiluted

2 cups bourbon

6 cups water

Instructions: 

In a large freezer-safe bowl, combine sugar and hot tea. Stir to dissolve. Add orange juice and lemonade; stirring constantly until frozen juices melt. Add bourbon and water. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Cover tightly and freeze overnight. The beverage will not freeze solid, but forms a slush. Stir before scooping into cocktail glasses. Serve with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Store mixture in the freezer. 

*Serving Suggestion: 

For a crowd, empty contents into a punch bowl. Add a 2-liter bottle of carbonated lemon-lime soda drink, ginger ale, or sparkling water. Ladle this tasty beverage into cocktail glasses and you’ve suddenly become a very popular host for your next gathering. 

Test Kitchen Favorites

It’s no secret restaurants have a way of drawing people in with seasonal offerings and unique dishes. I’m guilty of trying to copycat a certain dish afterwards when the craving hits me out of nowhere. Practice makes perfect, you know, just as tweaking a recipe to match the food preferences in the daily menus. It doesn’t get more satisfying than that. In Gail’s Kitchen I have no one to blame if something goes awry. Pull up a chair and read on. With over ten years of daily posts, the response continues to amaze me on this journey of the palate. Thanks very much to all of my followers on http://snapshotsincursive.com for the uplifting support and moving words of encouragement. I’m also on Instagram @gail_dorna and Pinterest @gaildorna. Please check it out. It’s an easy way to save recipes you favor. Ready? Set? Go! Take a deep breath, inhale the aromas, and join me on a tasteful journey entitled, “EATING MY WAY THROUGH THE ALPHABET: TEST KITCHEN FAVORITES!”

Ziti Baked Spinach

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Ziti Baked Spinach! Four simple ingredients are baked together to create a timeless Italian favorite: ziti pasta, tomato sauce, spinach, and cheese. The rest is simply embellishment for the palate. The short tubular shape of ziti grabs onto chunky sauces, making it a distant cousin to penne, which may be easier to find in the grocery aisle. However, I visited a specialty store where I chose an authentic organic brand of ziti pasta made in Italy. Buona Saluté!

ZITI BAKED SPINACH 

Ingredients:

8 ounces ziti

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, finely shredded 

16 Italian style meatballs, halved

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced and sautéed

24 ounce jar of basil spaghetti sauce

1/8 teaspoon oregano 

1/8 teaspoon marjoram 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8″x8″ casserole dish. Cook pasta according to package directions, al dente. Drain in a colander. Sauté mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Combine spinach, bread crumbs, egg, olive oil, 1/4 cup cheese, and ziti. In a large skillet, mix spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, Italian sausage, oregano, marjoram, and garlic powder. Simmer for 10 minutes until heated through. Layer a third of the meat sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Fill the next layer with the spinach ziti mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over all. Bake for 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve. 

Yummy Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Bars

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Yummy Sea Salt Caramel Cookie Dough Bars! “Honestly, you had me at Salted Caramel”, someone exclaimed to me recently. If you crave chocolate or adore peanut butter, this dessert will grab your attention. Although its golden caramel layer is dotted with mounds of cookie dough infused with white and dark chocolate, underneath lies a layer of peanut butter, oats, and toffee bits. Oh my! You may need a scoop of natural ice cream on top just to cut the sweetness. Trust me when I say, “A little goes a long way!”

YUMMY SALTED CARAMEL COOKIE DOUGH BARS

Ingredients for Cookie Dough:

3/4 cup butter, unsalted

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup instant oats

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup toffee bits

Ingredients for Caramel Topping:

11 ounce bag of caramels

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″x13″ pan with nonstick oil and line with parchment paper. Using a food processor, cream butter and sugar together. Add peanut butter and blend well. While running, add one egg at a time, thoroughly mixing in each egg. Add vanilla. In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Fold in chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and toffee bits. Spread 2/3 of the dough on the bottom of the pan. Meanwhile, unwrap caramels and place in a saucepan with butter and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are fully melted. The mixture will be smooth. Slowly pour caramel sauce evenly over dough. Flatten the remaining 1/3 dough like a pancake, cut into squares, roll into balls, and drop randomly over caramel sauce. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle coarse sea salt over all. Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

Xtreme Sloppy Joes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Xtreme Sloppy Joes! Some days you crave a sweet and savory warm sandwich over a lunchbox ham and cheese on wheat. Sure, it can be a little messy, but pile it high anyway and add a mound of shredded cheese. Then watch things melt together.

XTREME SLOPPY JOES

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons pimento, diced

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

2 cups ketchup 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion, and green pepper seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until meat is in crumbles. Reduce heat. Add diced pimento. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Mix well. Transfer to an ovenproof covered dish and bake in the oven for one hour.