Food

Robust Tomato Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Robust Tomato Sauce! Tomatoes are my superfood. Slow-cooked tomatoes are my staple. Honestly, I can justify making tomato sauce all day long to anyone who would listen. What it “simmers” down to is a savory, garlicky, fragrance that fills the house with anticipation of what comes next. Call me a cheater, which I won’t deny, because I am a snob about beginning with San Marzano plum tomatoes grown in Italy. My eighth grade home economics teacher taught me to keep things simple. She said, “High quality ingredients can make an ordinary dish taste extraordinary. Always read the label!” To this day, I check the ingredient list because too often the additives can be artificial. And nobody wants that. 

ROBUST TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 garlic cloves, minced

28-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes

3 ounces tomato paste

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 tablespoon sugar

Instructions:

In a large pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add chopped onion and diced carrot. Sauté for 8 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add minced garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Purée tomatoes with sauce in blender. Add to the onion-carrot mixture in the pan. Stir in tomato paste, fresh basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, and sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low setting and allow mixture to simmer for 25 minutes. Footnote: Robust Tomato Sauce can be simmered on low heat for up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Quesadilla Chicken Lavash

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Quesadilla Chicken Lavash! By now you’ve no doubt heard that lavash Turkish flatbread is a healthier alternative to flour tortillas. Not only is it lower in calories, it is higher in fiber, especially if you choose the flax, oat bran, whole wheat variety. Choose your protein, in this case chicken, to help keep you full throughout the day. Add sautéed veggies, radishes green peppers, or mixed greens to ramp up the fiber even more. Flavor is your friend. Now you’re talking about healthy eating. Well done!

QUESADILLA CHICKEN LAVASH 

Ingredients: 

1 sheet of lavash flatbread

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 cup precooked chicken, shredded

1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend, finely shredded

Ranch dressing, for drizzle 

Cherry tomatoes and lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a silicone mat on a heavy baking sheet. Brush one side of the lavash bread with olive oil. Place the oiled side down on the silicone mat. Set aside. To prepare the cooked chicken, add it to a bowl. Sprinkle fajita seasoning over all. Add red pepper flakes. Gently toss the chicken mixture. To assemble the quesadilla, sprinkle half the shredded cheese over one half of the lavash bread. Arrange the chicken mixture over the cheese layer. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the chicken layer. Fold the empty half of the lavash over the filled half. Press down lightly. Bake the quesadilla for 5 minutes; flip and bake 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and the lavash is crispy. Remove the chicken quesadilla from the baking sheet. Slice it into wedges. Drizzle with ranch dressing. Serve immediately with cherry tomatoes and lime wedges, for garnish. 

Pine Berry Appetizer

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Pine Berry Appetizer! If you are a strawberry lover, think outside the box with a tropical twist this unique berry carries. The texture remains sweet and juicy, yet highlights subtle notes of pineapple, pear, and apricot. The creamy white flesh is an indication the berry is ripe enough to eat. I only mention that because on first glance you may suspect I am trying to encourage you to eat underripe strawberries. I think not. The “seeds”, so to speak, should appear red in color. For those who wonder, pine berries are the natural result of cross-pollination. This often does make them a little more expensive than regular strawberries. For special occasions, they are perfect! 

PINE BERRY APPETIZER

Ingredients: 

8 ounces Florida pine berries, washed, patted dry, and cut in half

4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon Tupelo honey

1 pinch sea salt (optional)

Fresh thyme, for garnish

Rosemary Sesame Flatbread Crackers, for serving

Instructions: 

In a mixing bowl, combine goat cheese, cream cheese, and Tupelo honey. Blend until thoroughly mixed and the consistency of whipped cream. Taste before adding a pinch of sea salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. To assemble the pine berry appetizer, slather a dollop of whipped cheese onto a rosemary sesame flatbread cracker. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme. Serve immediately. 

Onion Cucumber Tomato Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Onion Cucumber Tomato Salad! Here’s a creamy salad that makes your meal-planning easy. Anyone who has had a garden will tell you it’s a no-brainer and goes with practically any meal you have planned. Farmers Markets typically have an abundance of these ingredients, should you choose to visit them instead. There’s a debate over whether to salt the vegetables as you layer them or simply add it to the dressing ingredients. I’ve done both. The way I presented it here allows a thicker dressing. Salt will draw out the water in the cucumbers and tomatoes, making the dressing thinner. It also enhances the taste of the veggies, so you be the judge.  In any event, keep a spoon handy. You’re going to want to slurp the dressing in the bottom of the bowl anyway. 

ONION CUCUMBER TOMATO SALAD

Ingredients: 

1 English cucumber, skin on and sliced

2 ripe tomatoes, sliced and quartered

1/4 red onion, sliced and quartered

Dill weed, for garnish

Ingredients for Dressing: 

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 cup sour cream 

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions: 

In a large salad bowl, alternate layers of sliced cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, and red onions. In another bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper. Pour over vegetables and gently toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to one hour. Before serving, gently toss and sprinkle with dill weed. Enjoy! 

Neufchâtel Radish Sandwiches

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Neufchâtel Radish Sandwiches! How do you make a simple sandwich look appealing? Think, open-faced. Use colorful ingredients. Add texture, like the seeded bread. Fresh garnishes should be light, airy, and fragrant. And above all, be generous in presentation. Instead of a smear of whipped cheese, use a spoon to add a dollop swirled across the top. It doesn’t need to be spread all the way to the edges. By overlapping ingredients, it creates symmetry as it builds volume. All these things bring harmony to a simple sandwich with irresistible results. 

NEUFCHÂTEL RADISH SANDWICHES

Ingredients: 

8-ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoon chopped dill

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

8 slices avocado seed & grain bread

1 bunch radishes, washed and cut into thin slices

Cracked black pepper, if desired

Fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions: 

Using a hand mixer, cream the Neufchâtel cheese until light and smooth. Fold in chopped dill, chopped chives, and sea salt. Cut the avocado seed & grain bread slices in half.  Spread a layer of the herbed Neufchâtel cheese over each piece of bread. Arrange sliced radishes on top. Garnish with fresh dill. Sprinkle each open face sandwich with cracked black pepper. Serve slightly chilled. 

M&M Blonde Brownies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: M&M Blonde Brownies! I promise I did not make up the name of this dessert. Blonde Brownies have been around as far back as my childhood, and probably longer. I’m of the generation that had some form of dessert after supper, every single day. And it was totally guilt-free. I might also mention, nothing was super-sized back then either. And we played outside until dark. But I digress. Back to the blonde brownies. Basically they are not made with melted chocolate or cocoa powder.  Between the brown sugar and warm butter, the results are a soft, chewy, sweet dessert bar that tastes Yumolicious. Be creative: add chopped walnuts, caramel drizzle, a scoop of ice cream, or white chocolate morsels. Taste the batter and see. You’ll be hooked. 

M&M BLONDE BROWNIES

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup M&M* candies

Mini chocolate chips, optional

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x9” pan with nonstick oil. Set aside. Warm butter over medium heat; do not burn. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk thoroughly. Slowly add the butter mixture to the flour mixture. Add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with M&M candies. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until light brown and a tester comes out clean. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top, if desired. 

*I receive no recompense for mentioning this product.

Lobster Au Gratin

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Lobster Au Gratin! Go to any lobster hut along the eastern seaboard and you’re bound to see “Baked Lobster Pie” on the menu. Ask the server about it, and you may see her mouth drool and eyes roll back as she explains the buttery cracker topping mixed with luscious lobster chunks. And butter. Did I mention butter? Real butter. Just before she turns on her heel to sashay back to the kitchen to fill your drink order, she’ll mention an afterthought, “Of course you can order it without the cracker topping.” By that time you’ve already made up your mind and respond without thinking, “Um, duh. Why would I do that?” Her smile says it all. 

LOBSTER AU GRATIN

Ingredients: 

2-3 lobster tails, cooked and cut into bite-size chunks

1 1/2 cups Ritz* crackers, crushed

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons sherry

1/4 cup light cream

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Parsley, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 individual casserole dishes with nonstick oil. Place them on a baking sheet. Set aside. Combine crushed crackers, chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, melted butter, and garlic powder. Mix well. Set aside. In small bowl, combine sherry, light cream, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Divide the cooked lobster between the two prepared casserole dishes. Spread the buttery cracker topping evenly over the lobster. Carefully pour the cream mixture over the top. Do not overflow. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden brown. Remove the casseroles from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley. 

*I receive no recompense for mentioning Ritz crackers. 

Korean Smashed Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Korean Smashed Potatoes! What makes these delectable little gems taste different from ordinary potatoes? The outer skin is sweet and salty, making them tempting as well as chewy. You might think the high oven temperature would create a crispy skin, but that’s where the sauce makes all the difference. And before I forget, they are still soft and tender inside. Some recipes call for garlic and red pepper flakes, or gochujang. I’m going to leave the “tweaking” up to you. Make your batch umami-packed, nutty, savory, spicy, or whatever variety you choose. Either way, you probably won’t see any leftovers. 

KOREAN SMASHED POTATOES

Ingredients: 

3 cups baby potatoes with skins on 

1/4 cup soy sauce 

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 green onion, finely chopped

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Micro greens, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. Set aside. 

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup, and sesame oil. Fill a 4-quart pan with enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil potatoes for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain. Transfer potatoes to the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten several potatoes to expose the insides. Using a pastry brush, baste potatoes with the soy sauce mixture. Sprinkle green onions overall. Bake 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and baste again. Bake 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle Korean potatoes with sesame seeds; garnish with micro greens. Serve immediately. 

Jalapeño Spicy Cheese Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Jalapeño Spicy Cheese Dip! Some call it Tex-Mex, others call it Queso based on the ancient Aztec civilization. No matter what you call it, melted cheeses in a skillet of herbs and spices, plus a kick of heat can be my dinner any night of the week. Some nights I prefer original corn tortilla chips to scoop up the cheese. And other nights I go for the gold and crave a chili lime seasoned gourmet tortilla chip. Be unique and crank things up or calm things down. It’s all a matter of personal taste, so everyone wins. 

JALAPEÑO SPICY CHEESE DIP 

Ingredients: 

1 cup light cream

3/4 pound white American cheese, finely shredded

1/2 pound fontina cheese, finely shredded

1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, roughly chopped 

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Sliced radishes, for garnish

Jalapeño slices, for garnish

Cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

In an iron skillet over medium-high heat, warm light cream until bubbles form around the edge. Reduce heat to low setting. Gradually stir in American white cheese and fontina cheese, stirring constantly to make a smooth consistency and avoid burning. Continue stirring until cheeses are melted. Add chopped pickled jalapeños, cumin powder, ground nutmeg, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Place iron skillet in the oven. Broil on High for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese begins to bubble. Remove from oven. Garnish with sliced radishes, sliced jalapeños, and fresh cilantro. Serve with chili lime gourmet tortilla chips.