Food

Oven-Glazed Pears

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Oven-Glazed Pears! Presenting a dessert as sweet as honey and as satisfying as a piece of pie. Make one for yourself or enough for a crowd. The recipe measurements below only need one pear, which is two servings. Perfect for dessert for two. The aroma alone will make your house smell amazing!

OVEN-GLAZED PEARS

Ingredients:

1 slightly firm pear; peeled, halved, and cored

2 tablespoons sweet dessert wine

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon butter, unsalted

Cinnamon to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange pear halves in a small baking dish, cut side up. Sprinkle cinnamon, then vanilla over pears. Dot each pear with butter. Drizzle honey over each pear half. Pour in the sweet wine. Roast for 40 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Tilt the dish so the juices pool in one corner. Take a spoon and baste the pears. Turn each pear over and return to the oven to roast 20 minutes longer or until a paring knife inserts easily. Baste occasionally for a caramelized finish. The sauce will thicken slightly. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream. 

Noodle Rigatoni

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Noodle Rigatoni!  When time is of the essence, and you need a fulfilling meal, this dish can be made in minutes. While the wine is slightly chilling, and you wish to keep the kitchen cool, everything works together between stovetop and microwave. Your tastebuds will be satisfied without salad or bread as well since this meal-in-a-bowl hits the spot. 

NOODLE RIGATONI

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage, ground

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fennel

1/4 teaspoon oregano 

1/4 teaspoon basil 

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon marjoram

8-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, cut-up

2 cups of Italian Roma tomatoes in sauce, cut-up

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

16 ounces rigatoni noodles

Instructions:

In a large skillet, brown Italian sausage until crumbled and cooked through. Drain and add garlic powder, pepper, salt, fennel, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and marjoram. Keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally. Warm separately the cut up tomatoes and the marinated artichoke hearts. Keep warm. Meanwhile, bring a 4-quart pan of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until tender; about 10 minutes. Stir often. It should be firm. Drain pasta. Place portions of rigatoni in individual serving bowls. Spoon tomatoes in sauce over noodles. Arrange artichoke hearts around edges. Lastly add crumbled Italian sausage over top. Garnish with feta cheese. 

Meatball Marinara Moat

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Meatball Marinara Moat! Lately we’ve been having some maintenance and home improvements done on the house. Whenever I have workmen around, I tend to offer them a bite to eat without hindering the project at hand. I needed something hearty and filling without anchoring them down afterwards. This savory sandwich sealed the deal when served with a portion of potato salad on the side. 

MEATBALL MARINARA MOAT

Ingredients:

1 4-pack hoagie rolls, top cut

16 Italian meatballs, pre-cooked

8 slices provolone cheese

24-ounce jar of all-natural tomato and basil sauce

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Place meatballs in a covered casserole dish. Add tomato and basil sauce. Heat through on 30% power for 10 minutes in the microwave. Slice an opening in the top of the hoagie roll, hollowing out a portion to create a “moat” for the fillings. Place two slices of cheese in each hoagie, allowing them to overlap. Spoon 4 meatballs with sauce into each sandwich, lining them in a row. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Carefully wrap each hoagie in foil and place in a warm oven until ready to serve. 

Lazy “Lobster” Wrap

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Lazy “Lobster” Wrap! When you don’t live at the ocean where lobster is in abundant supply, the next best thing is an imitation variety. Alaska pollock is not only heart-healthy, fat-free, and packed with omega-3 in every serving, it’s readily available at your neighborhood market. Amazingly, this mock lobster is a surprising alternative. Eat it now and with the money you save, you can stuff yourself with real lobster when you travel to the shore. 

LAZY “LOBSTER” WRAP

Ingredients:

7-ounce package of chunk-style imitation lobster

1 tablespoon lemon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

cracked pepper to taste

sea salt to taste

1 pat of butter

Vidalia onion slices

1 4-ounce container of crab dip, deli-style

2 flour tortillas 

Spring Mix Salad Greens 

Instructions:

In a medium skillet, sauté imitation chunk lobster and onion slices in lemon olive oil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. While still warm, add 1 pat of butter. Cook an additional minute to blend flavors. Remove from heat. To assemble wrap: Take a flour tortilla, spread on a layer of crab dip, top with salad greens, and add a spoonful of lobster mixture. Roll it together to form a wrap. Serve warm or cold. 

Kinky Red Cabbage Slaw

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Kinky Red Cabbage Slaw! When you need a little color, a satisfying crunch, and an extra dose of vitamin K, look no further than red cabbage. Its robust, hearty flavor can be combined with spices that have you feeling like the Queen of Sheba or the King of Siam. Make a healthy choice today. Opt out for red cabbage. It may provide just the twist you need. 

KINKY RED CABBAGE SLAW

Ingredients:

1/2 head red cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons celery seed

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon red onion, diced

Instructions:

Whisk together vinegar and sugar until dissolved. Slowly add oil, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Toss in cabbage and onions. Coat well. Refrigerate for one hour. 

Jalapeños Pickled

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Jalapeños Pickled! As you may recall, I live in the country. However, I’m really not much of a gardener. Thank goodness my husband is. He cultivates the ground, plants the seedlings, and kicks the weeds to the curb. Then I gather the produce and transform its bounty into wonderful surprises. This pickled recipe makes me feel like a pro. It’s quick, it’s easy, and most of all it’s super delicious!  The spiciness has you asking for more. 

JALAPEÑOS PICKLED

Ingredients:

15 jalapeño peppers, sliced

2 garlic cloves 

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine the garlic, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Heat to boiling. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved.  As it continues boiling, add the sliced jalapeños. Keep them submerged under the pickling liquids. Remove the pan from the heat. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the jalapeños and garlic to a clean jar. Ladle the pickling juices over top until the jar is filled. Let cool at room temperature before securing a lid and storing in the refrigerator.

Impressive Pizza Crust

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Impressive Pizza Crust! When it comes to making homemade pizza, two factors are critical to taste: Crust and Sauce. (We’ll address pizza sauce another day.) It becomes personal whether you prefer a thin and crispy crust or a deep dish pizza pie. Fortunately, my husband and I are partial to a thin crust. Choosing your “method of madness” takes practice as well. Experts recommend kneading the dough and getting pretty rough to develop the gluten. Others use a bread machine for maximum results. I found my food processor passed the test with this impressive crust. Later on, I may try another. 

IMPRESSIVE PIZZA CRUST

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour, plus more for work surface

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for work surface

1/3 teaspoon sea salt

Cornmeal for pizza pan

Instructions:

In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flour, sugar, and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. With machine running, slowly add water through feed tube. Process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.  Then add olive oil and salt to dough. Process until dough forms a satiny, sticky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, 30-60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl and knead briefly on a lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days. 

After 24 hours divide the dough into 2 equal portions. (Wrap one tightly with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator for later use if you are only making one pizza pie at this time.) Shape dough on lightly oiled baking sheet; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray. Let stand one hour. Preheat the oven to 425°. Then coat the ball of dough with flour and place on a well-floured countertop. Knead and stretch the dough without breaking. Spread olive oil lightly to grease pizza pan. Sprinkle corn meal over the olive oil forming a thin even layer. This keeps the crust from getting soggy and adds a nice crunch to the texture of the crust. Transfer dough to pizza pan. Using fingertips, gently flatten and stretch as you go, until it reaches the edges. Press down around the edges of the pan to create a border, which will keep the sauce and toppings from seeping while baking. Place in oven and bake crust for 10 minutes without toppings. Remove and add pizza sauce plus desired ingredients. Reduce oven heat to 400° and bake an additional 20 minutes until crust is crispy and toppings bubbly. 

Hot Dog Coney Island Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Hot Dog Coney Island Sauce! Sometimes it’s a treat to dress up an ordinary grilled hot dog with a thick tangy coney sauce bursting with flavor. Now you can make your own secret sauce to keep on hand for that weekend picnic…or any time. 

HOT DOG CONEY ISLAND SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons butter

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups catsup

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon basil, crushed

Instructions:

In a large sauce pan, lightly brown the onion and garlic in butter.  Remove from heat. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Return to heat and cook on medium until the beef is crumbled and cooked. Cover and simmer on low setting for one hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with grated cheese, green onion snips, and mustard. 

Gourmet Shrimp Conchiglie Pasta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Gourmet Shrimp Conchiglie Pasta! 

(Inspired by Other Bloggers)

Every once in awhile you have to pause and share the inspiration of fellow bloggers. Today is that day for me. My friend, Andrea, of http://oliveandpastel.wordpress.com/2015/06/24

posted a wonderful recipe for shrimp fettuccine recently. I used her recipe with the ingredients I had on hand in my pantry and created a different version of an old favorite. You can do the same with recipes you find on my blog. It’s really very simple, and the results are tastefully rewarding. Here’s my version. 

GOURMET SHRIMP CONCHIGLIE PASTA

Conchiglie is an Italian word which translates to “seashells”, which describes the shape of this pasta.  The gourmet part is the color wheel of flavors: spinach, tomato, squid ink, wheat. 

Ingredients:

1 cup Conchiglie Gourmet Pasta

1 pound shrimp, cooked, peeled, and tail shells removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay Style Seasoning 

1/4 teaspoon dill

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 jar Bertolli Parmesan Alfredo sauce

Instructions:

In a deep skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté shrimp in seasoning and dill. Remove from pan and brown mushrooms in pan drippings. Do not let pan go dry. If you need moisture, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice. (Water can be substituted.) Return shrimp to the mushrooms. Add Alfredo sauce and gently stir. Simmer while the pasta is cooking. Meanwhile, cook Conchiglie according to package directions. Drain well and add to the sauce. Mix completely. Simmer 5 minutes longer and then serve. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.