Month: May 2016

Dining Outside the Home: El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant in Richmond, Indiana 

Dining Outside the Home: El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant in Richmond, Indiana! One foot in the door and it is apparent a celebration of Mexican heritage, culture, and pride exists on Cinco de Mayo. Between the lively mariachi music and the clink of margarita glasses as big as fishbowls, the atmosphere is hypnotic. Spicy aromas envelope the crowd in south-of-the-border savory dishes. Hardworking employees pass by with sizzling hot plates carefully stacked all the way up their arms without missing a beat. Lively conversation bubbles in our midst as we make our way to a treasured vantage point of activity, celebration, feasting, and of course the classic jumbo margarita. Olé! 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Potato Chip Potluck! This one-dish wonder is so yummy, it can be packed in a picnic basket and taken along on your next adventure. With the double crunch of water chestnuts and potato chips, it almost seems like a party dip. Wrap it in foil and you’re good-to-go. Kids love the salty chips and adults appreciate the herbed chicken chunks. 
POTATO CHIP POTLUCK 
Ingredients:

3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

3 green onions, snipped

8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves

Sea salt to taste

Dash of pepper

1 cup extra sharp cheese, sliced or shredded

1-2 tomatoes, sliced

1 cup potato chips, crushed
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine chicken, mayonnaise, onions, water chestnuts, lemon juice, celery seed, tarragon leaves, salt, pepper, and half the cheese. Mix lightly. Spoon into a casserole dish. Layer with sliced tomatoes. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and potato chips. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: OMG Nachos! The first time I heard about putting tator tots on nachos, I thought, “What’s up with that?”. Curiosity got the better of me. So I tried it and OMG Nachos were born! If you like cheese and potatoes, you’re going to love, love, love this! I pulled it all together in an iron skillet by arranging one layer of corn tortilla chips on the bottom and then around the edge of the pan to form a bowl. Next, I filled it with all the goodies. Fifteen minutes later I was wiping my chin from the incredible taste explosion in my mouth. OMG, you gotta try it. 
OMG NACHOS 
Ingredients:

1/2 bag of tator tots

Corn tortilla chips, café style

1/2 cup black beans, drained

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup jalapeño slices

3 green onions, snipped

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces Havarti cheese

Salsa to taste

Guacamole to taste

Sour cream to taste
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Place tator tots on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes; turn over and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and set aside. In an iron skillet, place one layer of corn tortilla chips on the bottom of the skillet and then arrange chips around the edge of the pan to form a bowl. Layer remaining ingredients, including tator tots, alternating with cheese. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and dig in. Top with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream to taste. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Nonpareil Thumbprint Cookies! Ask my husband what his favorite candy is and without hesitation, he’ll respond “Nonpareils”. Think about it… dark chocolate buttons sprinkled with tiny beads of white candy. And they’re French! With today’s recipe, the nonpareil takes center stage crowned over a dark chocolate thumbprint cookie as rich as a brownie. Dusted in powdered sugar, it’s just the right size for nibbling. 
NONPAREIL THUMBPRINT COOKIES 
Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

 1 cup butter, softened 

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar for rolling

40 nonpareils
Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, add yolks, cream, and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture just until combined. Roll balls using 1/2 tablespoon sized scoops of dough. Roll each ball in powdered sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Press gently in the center to form an indentation. Bake 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven. While cookies are warm, place one nonpareil in the middle of each cookie. Let cool before transferring to wire rack. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter M

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Marble Rye Deli Classic! One of the most sophisticated breads around is the marble rye with its identifiable dark swirls in geometric design. Did you know that cocoa powder is responsible for this transformation? Truth. Another little secret about marble rye is when eaten for breakfast, it actually keeps hunger pangs at bay for the rest of the morning. I like that idea, which is why an egg salad sandwich on rye is often my choice. The next time you pass by the deli, pick up a loaf of bakery fresh marble rye bread. 
MARBLE RYE DELI CLASSIC
Ingredients:

4 slices marble rye bread

1 tablespoon butter

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

Salt and pepper to taste

2 slices red onion

Curly endive lettuce 
Instructions:

Toast and butter the marble rye bread. Set aside. Using a mini chopper, pulse the eggs to bite size crumbles. Mix together the chopped egg and mayonnaise. Fold in celery seed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. To assemble sandwich, place the lettuce on the rye bread. Next spread the egg salad. Layer with red onion slices. Top with another slice of buttered marble rye bread. Voilà! A Deli-style egg salad sandwich.