Sweet and Sour Spicy Pork

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Sweet and Sour Spicy Pork! Too busy to cook? This is where the leftover meat from a pork roast comes in very handy. A little bit goes a long way, especially when paired with fruit, vegetables, and a yummy sauce. Dinner can be on your table in less than 30 minutes, leaving more time for your favorite programs on the DVR or Netflix.

SWEET AND SOUR SPICY PORK

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked pork, cut up

13-ounce can pineapple chunks, reserve liquid

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 pound mini carrots

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup water

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon corn starch

2 green onions, snipped

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions:

In a large skillet, combine ketchup, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, water, garlic powder, and chili paste. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes. Blend lemon juice and corn starch. Stir into skillet. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Add cut-up pork, pineapple chunks, green pepper, and mini carrots. Heat through. Garnish with green onion snips and toasted sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge in Nashville, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge in Nashville, Tennessee! Check out this popular watering hole named after a bridge that goes over the Flint River and holds special memories for Luke Bryan. As you stroll along iconic Broadway street in Music City, step through these doors where everyone becomes a friend and sunny optimism is a darn fine quality. Raise your glass to live music when single artists and talented bands give their all. Hungry for an afternoon bite? Lukes’s Elk Burger satisfies those pangs with ground elk, red dragon cheese, garlic aioli, pickle, and tomato. It’s mouth-watering goodness in every bite. From starters to sushi, steaks to dessert, Luke’s 32 Bridge has it all.

Rich Ricotta Cannoli

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Rich Ricotta Cannoli! For those of you like me, who can’t run down to the Italian bakery, try this recipe on for size. It’s perfect for the holidays and won’t leave you wringing your hands for something gourmet. By splurging on store bought cannoli shells, you can focus on the delectable filling instead. The results are astounding! Applause, applause!

RICH RICOTTA CANNOLI

Ingredients:

15 ounces ricotta cheese, whole milk

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

12 miniature cannoli shells, ready-to-fill

Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer on low speed, whisk the ricotta cheese and almond extract until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and nutmeg. Mix well. Refrigerate for one hour. To fill the cannoli shells, pipe the ricotta mixture into both ends of the shell, allowing the cream to fill the center. Garnish with mini chocolate chips. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Prepared cannoli may be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container up to three days.

Jason Aldean’s Kitchen and Rooftop Bar in Nashville, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Jason Aldean’s Kitchen and Rooftop Bar in Nashville, Tennessee! There’s nowhere else you can go for a cold brewski where the bar is built around an original 1961 John Deere tractor. But that’s not the only thing showcasing Jason Aldean’s Kitchen. Other artifacts include a 1952 Chevy Pick-up Truck hoisted above another eating area. These interesting quirks add to the atmospheric appeal while the creative menu aims to please the craving for bodily sustenance. Having a world-renowned chef translates to Southern food with a flare. Live music and rooftop views of Broadway guarantee an amazing nightlife that is sure to please.

Quatre Fromage Garlic Breadsticks

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Quatre Fromage Garlic Breadsticks! For all the bread-lovers out there, be aware. What may begin as a simple after-school snack can quickly escalate into an early supper. The aroma of freshly baked bread spreads into a room like magic. Turn things to your advantage. Pair these ooey gooey cheesy breadsticks with a garden salad or plate of fresh veggies. The end result is a contagious good mood, a full stomach, and the rest of the evening to pamper yourself. How’s that for a recipe that is spot on?

QUATRE FROMAGE GARLIC BREADSTICKS

Ingredients:

1 tube prepared pizza dough

1-2 tablespoons corn meal

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/3 cup Harvarti cheese, shredded

1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/3 cup Parmesan Reggiano cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon dill weed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll pizza dough. Place over cornmeal on baking sheet. Brush top side with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Layer four cheeses evenly over dough. Take a pizza cutter and slice the dough lengthwise into 10-12 strips. Then cut those in half. Do not separate. Bake 10-13 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheeses are gooey. Remove from oven. Recut each strip all the way through. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with dill weed. Serve warm with marinara sauce, garlic butter, or ranch dressing.

Hattie B’s Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Hattie B’s Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee! Chicken places can be a dime a dozen in the South, but Hot Spicy Chicken is a bird of a different color. Hattie B’s is a mom and pop food joint that rolls off the tongue with a southern drawl. Ask anyone on the street and they’ll point you in the direction for fried chicken at its best in Nashville. Five heat levels from no heat crispy chicken to eye-bulging habanero spicy are offered, so be prepared to eat your words. You’re going to need the coleslaw, pickles, and beans to tone things down long enough to finish the basket you ordered. For an explosion of flavor worth bragging about, head over to Hattie B’s. It’s something to crow about.

Pear Camembert Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Pear Camembert Flatbread! It’s seldom I get the cart before the horse, but I had to share this phenomenal flatbread with you, simply because I couldn’t wait any longer. Let’s refer to today’s recipe as a Prequel, shall we? Perhaps it will whet your appetite in anticipation of what lies ahead. As promised, the Tomato Jam recipe will be featured in the upcoming post entitled, Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter T. Some things are simply worth the wait.

PEAR CAMEMBERT FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon corn meal

1 prepared-dough naan round

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup tomato jam*

1 pear, peeled, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced

2 ounces Camembert cheese, diced

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Sprinkle corn meal onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick oil. Brush both sides of naan with olive oil. Place on top of corn meal. Bake 5 minutes; set aside. Spread tomato jam evenly over naan, leaving a crust edge. Arrange pear slices over crust. Scatter Camembert and mozzarella cheeses over top. Bake 10 minutes until pears are soft, cheese is bubbly, and crust is golden. Remove from oven. Cool slightly; then cut into wedges.

*Tomato Jam recipe is featured at the following link.

http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2016/11/21

Chuy’s Tex-Mex in Nashville, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Chuy’s Tex-Mex in Nashville, Tennessee. Where can you go and literally dish up drool-worthy nachos from the trunk of a full-loaded Nacho Car? Say again? You heard me. It’s the trunk of an Elvis-era classic car with a spread of tortilla chips, spicy salsa, creamy jalapeño, cheesy queso, and taco meat. And here’s the kicker: it’s FREE during Happy Hour Monday through Friday at Chuy’s. The restaurant decor is pure Elvis from velvet paintings, neon signs, shiny hubcaps, and nostalgic music. The menu boasts of Mexican favorites and then some of Elvis’s as well. After your fill of food and drink, there’s nothing left to say except, “Thank you, thank you very much”, in that ever familiar Elvis southern drawl.

Outrageous Oatmeal Fudgies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Outrageous Oatmeal Fudgies! Who doesn’t love No-Bake cookies? Forget about spending hours in the kitchen. This kid-friendly favorite can be ready in a flash. The toughest part is deciding if you want to top them off with a piece of candy corn, a walnut half, a maraschino cherry, or leave them plain. Either way, they won’t hang around long because…..(repeat after me)…Everyone loves peanut butter and chocolate!

OUTRAGEOUS OATMEAL FUDGIES

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Dash sea salt

1/2 cup natural peanut butter, crunchy

2 cups whole grain oats

1 teaspoon vanilla

Candy corn

Instructions:

Combine butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, and dash of salt in a 4-quart pan. Bring to boil over medium-high temperature. Stirring occasionally, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Quickly add crunchy peanut butter, whole grain oats, and vanilla. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Top with one piece of candy corn. Let stand until cool. Store in a covered container.