Food

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad! Either you can use a recipe or not. This salad is very forgiving if you wish to add or subtract ingredients. Some prefer to add crumbled feta cheese, others pass. Some prefer to remove the skins of the chickpeas, others eat them the way they come out of the can. If the skins rub off during the rinsing process, so be it. Either way, this no-cook meal can be ready in a few minutes giving you more time to sort through the day’s mail and play with the family dog.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup celery tops with leaves, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 baby seedless cucumbers, sliced

3 mini yellow sweet peppers, sliced

1 15-ounce can cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained, skins removed

Instructions:

To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside. In a serving bowl, combine sliced red onions, celery leaves and tops, cherry tomato halves, sliced cucumbers, yellow sweet peppers, and chickpeas. Mix well. Pour the dressing over all. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for half an hour before serving.

Lobster Risotto

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Lobster Risotto! Does anyone else smile when they hear the word “lobster”? To me, lobster looks good whenever someone is eating it. Think about it. In a restaurant you’re often draped with a disposable plastic bib that has a giant red lobster printed on it. Talk about drawing attention to yourself. “Look at me! I’m eating Lobstah! Bet you wish you were. More butter, please.” It doesn’t matter how big a mess you make, the bib gives you a pass. And just so you know, you can buy these on the internet, so the same feelings apply at home. I. Love. Lobster. 🦞

LOBSTER RISOTTO

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup Arborio rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons sea salt

2 6-ounce frozen lobster tails, thawed

4-ounce dry aged prosciutto , diced

1/2 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Lemon wedge, for garnish

Fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions:

Make risotto according to instructions for rice cooker using water, Arborio rice, and olive oil. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to a soft boil and add sea salt. Drop lobster tails in one at a time. Cook the lobster for 5 minutes. Set a timer to avoid overcooking. The lobsters will be bright red when done. Using metal tongs and a large strainer, take the tails out of the boiling water. Set aside. When the risotto is done, transfer to a bowl. Add diced prosciutto and sweet peas. Mix gently. Divide the risotto into two serving bowls. Add lobster tails. Garnish with lemon wedge and fresh dill. Serve immediately with melted butter.

Ka-Pow! Thai Curry Tacos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Ka-Pow! Thai Curry Tacos! Fusion foods get my vote every time. This is a perfect example of where the Mexican culture teams with a kick of Thai for a contrast that sends the taste buds spinning. Curry is the star attraction and the best kept secret to a spice sensation beyond your wildest dreams. When the ingredients overlap, they bring their own unique experience that transports you halfway around the world in a chemical reaction. Are you ready to travel?

KA-POW! THAI CURRY TACOS

Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas, street-size

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cups cooked turkey meat, shredded

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

8.5 ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and finely chopped

10-ounce bag broccoli slaw

1 cup sweet corn, off the cob

Lime wedge, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray each corn tortilla on both sides with nonstick oil. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside. Warm canola oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the Thai red curry paste, minced garlic, and chopped onion. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the garlic and onions are softened. Add the shredded turkey. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, lime juice, and sun dried tomatoes; simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. To assemble tacos, layer the broccoli slaw onto the crispy corn tacos. Divide the turkey mixture among the tortillas. Top with sweet corn. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Jalapeño Lime Dressing

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Jalapeño Lime Dressing! I’m telling you, flavored vinegars and olive oils make my life a breeze. Think about it. If you could open a bottle of zesty lime balsamic vinegar with spicy jalapeños, would you be tempted to splash it into a pitcher of margaritas? Don’t laugh. What if you turned it into a marinade with lime olive oil for a plate of grilled shrimp tacos? It’s sweet, slightly tart, and adds a zing of jalapeño heat to get the blood flowing. Whether you plan a garden salad, steamed rice, or roasted vegetables on the menu tonight, think outside the box with exotic pairings.

JALAPEÑO LIME DRESSING

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon jalapeño lime balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup lime olive oil

1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño pepper slices

Instructions:

In a blender, combine fresh parsley, cilantro leaves, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Dijon mustard, jalapeño lime balsamic vinegar, and lime olive oil. Pulse until all ingredients are finely minced and dressing has emulsified. Transfer to a jar. Add sliced jalapeños. Cover. Refrigerate one hour.

Italian Meatball Manicotti

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Italian Meatball Manicotti! Pasta tubes, known as manicotti, are mere vessels for holding melted cheese, savory meat, Italian herbs, and certain vegetables like spinach or mushrooms. The marinara sauce is spread on the bottom of the dish to prevent the pasta from sticking, or tearing, which would ruin the whole idea of creating the perfect pocket of delicious fillings. With a crowning layer of marinara sauce on top, it deserves a round of applause for the extra cheese sprinkled there for good measure. Cray, Cray!

ITALIAN MEATBALL MANICOTTI

Ingredients:

6 dried manicotti shells

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic

12 Italian meatballs, cut in quarters

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend

8 ounces marinara sauce, prepared

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray an 8.5”x5.5” baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. Cook manicotti shells in boiling water for 9 minutes. Drain and cool on a baking sheet pan. Set aside. In a skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic clove, meatballs, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and Italian herb blend. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove and set aside to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, spread half the marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Gently fold in meatball mixture. Fill each manicotti shell with meat and cheese mixture; place in the prepared baking dish over the marinara layer. Top with remaining marinara sauce. Cover dish with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Himalayan Salt Plate Shrimp Skewers

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Himalayan Salt Plate Shrimp Skewers! How to cook with an Himalayan salt plate can be tricky. The key is patience. This can be done on an outdoor gas grill very easily. First make sure the salt block is completely dry. Always begin on a low heat setting. Allow the block to heat at that temperature for 15 minutes. Then switch the heat to medium and let the block warm for another 15 minutes. Finally, turn the heat to high for the last 15 minutes. Then sprinkle a few drops of water on the block. Once it sizzles and immediately evaporates, you may add the prepared food. Let’s do it!

HIMALAYAN SALT PLATE SHRIMP SKEWERS

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, peel and deveined, tails intact

1 pound smoked sausage, skinless, cut into 1” pieces

2 tablespoons bacon olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning blend

Olive oil for brushing salt plate

Instructions:

Place one shrimp around a piece of smoked sausage. Thread combo onto a skewer and lay in a large baking dish. Repeat until all pieces are used. In a small bowl, whisk together bacon olive oil, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning blend. Brush onto shrimp skewers. Cover and refrigerate while Himalayan salt plate is warming up. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. At this time slowly preheat the Himalayan salt plate over 45 minutes.* See above. The internal grill temperature should be no higher than 450°. When ready, lightly brush the preheated salt plate with regular olive oil. Working in batches, place the shrimp/sausage skewers on the salt plate and cook, turning once, until the shrimp are pink, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Pieces will appear slightly charred. Transfer skewers to a warmed platter to prevent food from becoming too salty. Brush the salt plate with more olive oil between batches. Repeat. Serve immediately.

Guac-on-Rye

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Guac-on-Rye! Tired of boring early morning breakfast choices? I can only eat a hard-boiled egg or a dish of Greek yogurt so many days in a row before I want to switch things up a bit. Last week I picked up an avocado at the Farmers Market. Granted, it wasn’t quite ripe so I needed to place it in a brown paper bag for a couple days to hasten the process. Nevertheless, it created a level of anticipation that energized my imagination. What you see is what you get. It did not disappoint. Perhaps you may try it, too.

GUAC-ON-RYE

Ingredients:

2 slices marble rye bread, deli-style, toasted

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed

1/8 teaspoon everything but bagel seasoning

1/2 teaspoon lime juice

Baby spinach leaves, washed and patted dry

1 radish, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Place toast on a serving plate. Set aside. In a small bowl, slightly mash half the ripe avocado. Add everything but bagel seasoning and lime juice. Stir. Cut the remaining avocado into chunks. Gently fold chunks into the mashed avocado. Divide guacamole between the toasted marble rye slices. Add baby spinach leaves and radish slices. Serve immediately.

Flatbread Fiesta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Flatbread Fiesta! Do you ever tire of the same old pizza choices? I get in a rut the same way everyone else does. About that time I stand in front of the freezer, door open, peering into its contents searching for ideas to try something extraordinary. Sure, I’m the one buying the groceries (and should know what’s in the house) but that’s when I surprise myself with unexpected specials. Chorizo is one of those impulse items that make it into the cart. I often fry it up, crumble it for meals later on, label it, and then store it in the freezer for another day. It’s at times like this I pat myself on the back with congratulations for having such foresight.

FLATBREAD FIESTA

Ingredients:

1 naan flatbread

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup chunky salsa, prepared

1 cup Mexican cheeses, shredded

1/2 cup cooked chorizo, drained and crumbled

2 tablespoons yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons green chilies, chopped

2 tablespoons jalapeño peppers, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. Rub olive oil on bottom of flatbread. Spread with cornmeal, pressing into the dough. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Flip over and place this side down on prepared baking sheet. Brush top with remaining olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove flatbread from oven. Carefully spoon chunky salsa over flatbread, spreading to edges. Layer Mexican cheeses over top. Divide cooked and crumbled chorizo over salsa. Finish layering with chopped onions, green chilies, and jalapeño peppers. Bake 15 minutes longer to melt the cheeses for a nice crispy crust. Remove flatbread from oven. Cool slightly before using a pizza cutter. Serve with a tossed garden salad.

Egg Salad Chip Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Egg Salad Chip Dip! I learned a long time ago that egg salad makes a wonderful, light, and satisfying snack when unexpected guests stop by. At the time I served it with celery sticks, chicken-flavored crackers, and salty potato chips. I remember how awed my girlfriend was as she practically inhaled one scoop after another. She simply couldn’t believe egg salad was a finger food instead of a midday meal layered between two pieces of sandwich bread. It’s amazing what you can serve on a budget.

EGG SALAD CHIP DIP

Ingredients:

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 green onions, snipped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Paprika, for garnish

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, mash the hard-boiled eggs, using a fork. Fold in mayonnaise, green onion snips, sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Stir until well blended. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with a sprinkling of paprika. Refrigerate for one hour. Serve with lettuce leaves or sour cream and onion potato chips.