Food

Crisp Asparagus Radish Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Crisp Asparagus Radish Salad! If you can justify the high cost of asparagus, savor every bite. My husband absolutely loves asparagus. When a restaurant offers it as a vegetable option over zucchini, he’ll swallow the up-charge every time and forge ahead like a mighty warrior. So, when I buy a pound of asparagus at the farmer’s market or nearby grocers, I usually have more than one meal planned for it. This time it’s in the form of a side salad. 

CRISP ASPARAGUS RADISH SALAD

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 green onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add asparagus. Cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain; immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. Transfer asparagus to a bowl. Add thinly sliced radishes and green onions. To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. 

Buttery Stuffed Haddock

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Buttery Stuffed Haddock! If you’re looking for a break from red meat, look no further than fish. I used to think I only had only two choices when it came time for a homemade fish dinner: either bake it or fry it. Now that I have easier access to fresh fish, I’ve expanded my thought process beyond the ordinary. While I’m having fun with the outdoor kitchen, sometimes I want a little more than that as well. I’m here to say that stuffing is no longer just for turkey. Fish offers options like mixing in shrimp, crab, vegetables, herbs, or rice. How crazy is that? Stick around; I’ll show you how it’s done. 

BUTTERY STUFFED HADDOCK

Ingredients for Haddock:

2 – 6 ounce haddock fillets

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

Ingredients for Stuffing:

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

1 onion, finely chopped 

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped 

1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped 

1 pound precooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped 

1/4 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon diced pimentos 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon chives, minced

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large skillet, warm butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped celery, and chopped green pepper. Sauté until tender. Add shrimp; stir 1-2 minutes. Add beef broth, diced pimentos, Worcestershire sauce, dill weed, minced chives, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Heat through. Remove from heat and gently fold in bread crumbs. Divide the stuffing between the haddock fillets. Roll up; transfer stuffed fillets to the prepared baking dish, placing seam side down. Drizzle with melted butter and lemon juice. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately. 

Alex’s Porgy Fish Favorite

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Alex’s Porgy Fish Favorite! Just because a fish species is plentiful and easy to catch by local fishermen is no reason to ignore its flaky sweet flavor when cooked. In fact, you can herald porgy’s role in sustainable seafood. The more porgy that is caught, the better chance other wild-caught fish can multiply. Porgy is smaller, too, so one person can often eat an entire serving. Leave the fillet method to the skilled cutters. They can clean, skin, and fillet porgy to eliminate all those tiny bones. Alex is a member of a crew of local fishermen who work together to make each their fresh catch affordable and ready-to-cook when purchased. What more could anyone ask?

ALEX’S PORGY FISH FAVORITE 

Ingredients:

2-6 ounce porgy fillets, skinned and deboned

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

Melted butter, for garnish

Fresh Lemon, for garnish

Instructions:

Spray an enameled cast iron grill pan with nonstick oil. Warm olive oil and butter in the grill pan over medium high heat. Add porgy fillets to prepared cookware. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Cook two minutes; flip over and cook two minutes longer. Transfer to a platter. Serve with grilled asparagus and fresh tomatoes. Drizzle melted butter over all. Garnish with lemon slices. 

Graze or Gobble

Are you a slow eater or a fast eater? Depends on the day. Is Time a factor that makes you practically inhale a plate of food on your way from one commitment to another? Maybe you planted yourself in front of the tv to stream the latest season of a popular series and before you knew it, dinner was gone. (Some blame it on the dog.) Me? I say, if the food didn’t look so appealing, I wouldn’t devour it. On the other hand, as a grazer, I’ve been known to be “Chatty McChat Chat” in conversation lingering over a meal. It’s a tipsy-turvy world. We all have those days when we eat too quickly. Sooooo, the next collection of recipes gives you the opportunity to graze or gobble. Only you can decide. Some of my posts have been favored by the “Food Network” on Twitter X (Snapshotsincursive @DornaGail) as well as Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa, on Instagram (gail _dorna). You can even find me on Pinterest at Gail Dorna. I’d love to connect with you there as well. I also met Chef Michelle Tribble of Hell’s Kitchen reality cooking show. Fun times. Experience different flavors and textures one bite at a time. Catch a glimpse of “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Graze or Gobble”. This remarkable journey of the palate is unique because it gives me a few moments with you. Thanks very much to all of my guests and followers on http://snapshotsincursive.com for the uplifting support, award nominations, and moving words of encouragement. 

Zapiekanka Polish Pizza

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Zapiekanka Polish Pizza! Open-faced sandwiches, especially made with crusty artisan breads, are incredibly satisfying when craving a pizza-like meal. Although now there are a bazillion variations of the traditional Polish snack originally sold by street vendors, this recipe serves as a starting point for something new and different. Sauces may range from tomato ketchup to spicy sriracha to garlic mayo. It’s all about the cravings of the moment.

ZAPIEKANKA POLISH PIZZA

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced lengthwise

8 ounces button mushrooms, chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 ounces provolone cheese, sliced

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place baguettes on baking sheet. Scoop out a well in each baguette slice; discard filling. Set aside. In a large skillet, warm olive oil. Sauté chopped mushrooms and onions for 10 minutes, until browned. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Layer the provolone and sharp cheddar cheeses over baguettes. Arrange the sautéed mushrooms and onions over top. Bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown. Drizzle tomato ketchup over all. Serve hot.

Yearly Cranberry Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Yearly Cranberry Sauce! When you are the only one who likes cranberries, one recipe can seem like a lot to consume. Go ahead and make the sauce anyway. Here’s why. It can be a special treat for other meals, besides Thanksgiving. Plus it freezes well. For example, swirl it into your morning yogurt, then top with crunchy granola. Or add a little maple syrup and slather it onto a stack of pancakes. Turn your morning fruit smoothie into a delicious beverage-on-the-go. As an appetizer or late night snack, toast baguette slices, smear on softened goat cheese, and add a dollop of cranberry sauce sprinkled with orange zest. Are you getting the idea? When the family asks what you’re eating, just smile and say, “Oh, don’t worry….you wouldn’t like it.”

YEARLY CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, optional

Instructions:

Rinse cranberries thoroughly. Drain; set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add cranberries. Return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cranberries will soften as the skins begin to pop. Cook 10 minutes longer. Add Grand Marnier. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Sauce will thicken. Remove cinnamon sticks; discard. Transfer cranberry sauce to a covered storage container. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.

“X” Marks the Spot Toast

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: “X” Marks the Spot Toast! Wake up your mornings with crunchy toast points slathered in guacamole. That’s what I do when I have a ripe avocado begging to be used. By adding the tomatoes, lime juice, and seasoning, it jumpstarts my day with zest and creaminess that makes me smile. If you’re a brave warrior, sprinkle on some red pepper flakes and slay the day!

“X” MARKS THE SPOT TOAST

Ingredients:

1 large ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled

1 tomato, diced

1/2 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

4 slices wheat bread, toasted and cut into four points

Instructions:

In a shallow bowl, mash ripe avocado with a fork. Leave small chunks for flavor. Fold in diced tomatoes and lime juice. Season with sea salt and garlic powder. Gently mix. Divide the mashed avocado among the toast points. Arrange toast into an “X” on each plate. Serve immediately.

World Class Steak Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: World Class Steak Salad! There’s nothing more satisfying than a bowl of fresh salad greens, crumbled cheese, and garden veggies…unless you add a juicy grilled steak. Suddenly, the meal becomes restaurant-worthy. It’s filling, protein-rich, and pretty! It seems like a lot is going on there, but once you plan it out, the assembly takes mere minutes. To save money, you can use flank steak instead of sirloin or ribeye, as long as you tenderize it in a marinade. Giving you options makes everything taste better. Wouldn’t you agree?

WORLD CLASS STEAK SALAD

Ingredients for Steak:

1 pound flank steak

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients for Salad:

2 cups iceberg lettuce

2 cups romaine lettuce

1 cup Campari tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1 ripe avocado, sliced

1/4 teaspoon lime juice

3 strips precooked bacon, crumbled

1/4 cup bleu cheese, crumbled

1 green onion, sliced

Everything But Bagel seasoning

Instructions:

In a shallow dish, combine olive oil, garlic wine vinegar, kosher salt, and black pepper. Coat both sides of flank steak. Cover dish with plastic wrap and marinate steak for one hour. Meanwhile, prepare the salad. In a serving bowl, layer the iceberg and romaine lettuce leaves first. Leave a small area for the grilled steak. Arrange Campari tomatoes, red onion slices, and avocados around the edge of the bowl. Sprinkle lime juice over avocado slices to prevent browning. Top salad with crispy bacon pieces, bleu cheese crumbles, and sliced green onions. Sprinkle Everything But Bagel seasoning over all. Refrigerate salad until ready to serve. To grill the steak, preheat grill to 450°. Remove the steak from the marinade and place directly on grill grates. Close lid; cook for 3 minutes. Discard marinade. Turn steak and grill 3 minutes longer with lid closed. Transfer steak to a cutting board. Allow to “rest” for 5 minutes. Slice meat and place onto the prepared salad. Serve with bleu cheese dressing.

Very Cheddar Potato Gratin

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Very Cheddar Potato Gratin! It’s no secret some of us have a love affair with cheese. It’s not enough to sprinkle a handful of cheese on top of scalloped potatoes before sliding them into the oven. Sometimes you have to be downright sneaky about it. And you can blame me for it, if need be. By hiding grated cheese between two layers of sliced potatoes, and then sprinkling more cheese across the top of these mini casseroles, you not only guarantee a cheesy, ah-mazing dish, you have one that is comfort-food all the way to your favorite spot on the couch. Now where’s the remote?

VERY CHEDDAR POTATO GRATIN

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup light cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Everything But Bagel seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray single two serving pans with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a bowl, combine chicken broth, light cream, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, black pepper, and thyme. Mix well. Layer half the potatoes in the prepared dishes. Sprinkle half the cheese over each; divide half the liquid over top. Repeat with remaining potatoes, cheese, and broth. Transfer cookware to a baking sheet. Cover each pan with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 30 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender when tested with a knife. The top will be crispy. Sprinkle with Everything But Bagel seasoning. Cool slightly before serving.