Author: Gail

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Lox and Bagels! Whenever I serve this for an impassioned brunch, I make an extra effort to use top-quality ingredients. For starters, I choose an over-sized gourmet sesame seed bagel freshly baked that morning at the local Bagel Shoppe. The lox is traditionally smoked Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, sliced thin. It smells divine when I break the seal. The creamy Neufchâtel cheese can either be plain or infused with fresh dill. Herbs make everything better, in my opinion. Red onion slices add a slightly sweet taste while the imported nonpareil capers liven up the open face creation with a salty punch that shatters like a fireball in your mouth. Well done!
LOX AND BAGELS
Ingredients:

2 sesame bagels, split and toasted

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

1/4 red onion, sliced

4 ounces applewood smoked salmon

2 tablespoons imported capers, nonpareil

Fresh dill sprigs
Instructions:

Mix the Neufchâtel cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, light, and creamy. Slather onto a toasted bagel. Top with red onion slice, smoked salmon pieces, and imported capers. Garnish with fresh dill sprig. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Kidney Bean Salad! I find this chilled high protein dish a complement to any menu. It is especially delightful for Summer road trip outings, lake-side picnics, and cookouts on the deck. Store it in a glass jar for easy serving or make up individual potluck portions. For an exciting, easy, and often overlooked alternative that is vegan and gluten-free, add these ingredients to your grocery list and take a trip on the wild side. 
KIDNEY BEAN SALAD
Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 

1 smidgen sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

1 can red kidney beans, drained

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
Instructions:
Mix mayonnaise, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend in onions. Add celery, beans, and relish. Chill two hours before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Johnny Cake! When my kids were younger, I made them Johnny Cake for breakfast. It was right-out-of-the-oven steaming hot cornbread topped with real butter and maple syrup. Growing up in the country, my mom made me Johnny Cake for breakfast once a week. And when she was a little girl, her mom made it for her, too. I guess that’s why it’s considered a comfort food. As Dr. Seus once said, “You will know the true value of a moment when it becomes a memory.” Family traditions are to be cherished. 
JOHNNY CAKE 
Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal 

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray an 8″x8″ pan with nonstick oil. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, milk, and egg with a wire whisk until well mixed. Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt at one time. Stir just until moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly in pan and smooth top of batter Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Serve warm topped with butter and maple syrup. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter I

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Iced Sorbet Bombe! This dessert is refreshing, cold, and light. It is so versatile, any combination of ice cream, fruit sherbet, frozen yogurt, or gluten-free sorbet can be used. No baking is necessary, assembly is a snap, and the presentation is spot on! Make it as healthy as you choose….or as decadent as you deserve. Everyone wins! Be warned, you may find yourself tip-toeing to the freezer for “just a bite” now and then. It doesn’t take long to disappear until the next one is made. No worries. 
ICED SORBET BOMBE
Ingredients:

1 pint raspberry sorbet, softened

1 pint lemon sorbet, softened

1 pint pomegranate açai blueberry sorbet, softened

1/4 cup raspberry jam

1 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur, optional

1/3 cup frozen raspberries

Fresh mint for garnish
Instructions:

Choose a fluted jello mold, small bundt pan, or glass bell jar. Step one: pack the raspberry sorbet into the bottom of the mold. Smooth the top to keep the layer even. Transfer the mold to the freezer for one hour or until sorbet is firm. Step two: pack the lemon sorbet on top of the raspberry layer. Smooth the top to keep the layer even. Freeze again for one hour. Step three: repeat process with the pomegranate açai blueberry sorbet. Make sure the final layer is completely smooth. It is helpful to cover the mold with foil and place a plate on top to double check. Freeze for two hours. Warm the raspberry jam just enough to make it a thick sauce. Add the Amaretto liqueur and stir. Gently fold in frozen raspberries. To un-mold the Bombe, dip the upright container in warm water to the rim only. Invert onto a decorative plate. Tap to release and carefully raise the mold. Garnish with raspberry sauce and fresh mint. Slice to serve. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter H

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Hot Dog Heaven! Summer brings visions of baseball games, afternoons at the pool, picnics in the park, roasting marshmallows over the fire pit, and hot dogs any way you like them. Some people prefer premium Angus franks, others want fat-free turkey, German brats, or Italian sausage. Hold the ketchup? Maybe. Mustard only? Sometimes. Sweet relish? Extra onion? No bun? There have to be a bazillion ways to serve up a hot dog. For your back yard cookout, save yourself the agony of being a people-pleaser. Bring out the kid in everyone. Offer a condiment bar where the guests can congregate and “build-your-own” version of bliss. 
HOT DOG HEAVEN
Ingredients:

1 pound wieners, standard beef

Condiments of your choosing

Hot Dog Buns
Instructions:

Heat the grill to medium temperature. Grill franks 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until heated through and slightly charred. Remove with grill tongs and let sit for a minute or two to retain juices. For a toasted bun, toss the buns, cut side down, onto the grill for about 15-20 seconds; longer if you want them slightly charred. Watch carefully. 

Great Art is Inspired by Love

“I love that Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh,

and Jesus all said…

that Love is really the driving principle

of the creative art. In fact, 

they would say that great art

is always inspired by Love.”

~ Erwin McManus 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Griddle Golden Pancakes! Dust off that old iron skillet you’ve shoved to the back of the cabinet; you’ll never use the electric griddle again. The benefits? Foods brown beautifully holding the cooking temperature steady, plus cleanup is a snap. Just saying. The results are light, fluffy, and golden brown pancakes that would make your grandma proud. 
GRIDDLE GOLDEN PANCAKES 
Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Vegetable oil for skillet
Instructions:

Heat an iron skillet on medium to low heat. This may take about 5-8 minutes. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt in a bowl. Form a well in the center. Add egg, milk, vanilla extract, and butter. Mix until a few lumps remain. Brush vegetable oil evenly onto the skillet. Using a 1/4 cup, drop batter into the oiled skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes on side one. Bubbles will appear on the surface before flipping over. Then cook 1-2 minutes longer. Serve with warm maple syrup and butter. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter F

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Florentine Meatball Pasta! When you talk about a meal in minutes, this one ranks at the top of the list. After all, some days the family schedule runs tight between daily obligations and evening commitments. In the time it takes to cook the pasta, everything else can be thrown together. Utilize the microwave in conjunction with the stovetop for time-saving results. Ready-Set-Go!
FLORENTINE MEATBALL PASTA
Ingredients:

1/2 pound rigatoni pasta

6-8 Italian meatballs, pre-cooked

12 ounces spaghetti sauce, any chunky style

2 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved
Instructions:

Cook rigatoni pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, microwave Italian meatballs according to package directions. In a large skillet on medium heat, combine chunky spaghetti sauce and Italian meatballs. Cook until bubbly, then reduce heat to simmer, stirring gently. Add cooked rigatoni; toss to coat pasta. Turn off heat. Add baby spinach to the skillet. Toss to combine and cover. The steam will wilt the spinach. Right before serving, add Parmesan shavings.