Food

Edamame Chicken Breast

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Edamame Chicken Breast! If it is time to make a few minor adjustments to your dietary needs, think edamame. These little green cousins of the pea are high in essential vitamins, minerals, and slightly nutty. Their subtle sweet flavor offers a freshness that can add depth to any meal. Anyone looking for a meatless option can double the portion of edamame and skip the chicken. I believe everything is good in moderation.

EDAMAME CHICKEN BREAST

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons garlic wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon za’atar seasoning

1/4 red onion, sliced

1 cup edamame, steamed

1/4 cup radish slices

Green onion curls, for garnish

Instructions:

Place chicken breasts in a single layered shallow dish. Combine olive oil, garlic wine vinegar, and za’atar seasoning. Mix well. Pour over chicken breasts. Cover; Marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Preheat gas grill to 400°. Oil the grates to keep the chicken from sticking. Place the marinated chicken on the preheated grill. Discard marinade. Close the grill lid. Cook 6-8 minutes, then flip the chicken with grill tongs. Close lid and cook 6-8 minutes longer, or until the internal temperature of the chicken breast is 165°. Transfer chicken to a platter; allow to rest before cutting. Meanwhile, place edamame in a microwave-safe dish with 2 tablespoons water. Cover. Microwave on High for 3 minutes. Drain. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Divide edamame onto two dinner plates. Place a chicken breast over top. Add sliced red onions and sliced radishes. Garnish with green onion curls. Serve.

Double-Shot Espresso Whip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Double-Shot Espresso Whip! Are you tired of the calorie-laden coffee drinks that leave you sluggish from a sugar high instead of energized for your next project? Perhaps it’s time to fall in love with an espresso machine that delivers rich flavor along with a frothy texture thick enough to handle a whipped cream crown. You’ll never find anything better than this. But it’ll cost you in time and money, initially. The challenge lies in finding the right espresso machine for you. The rewards are totally worth it.

DOUBLE-SHOT ESPRESSO WHIP

Ingredients:

2 double shots espresso toast coffee

Whipped cream

Pinch cinnamon

Ingredients:

Fill two demitasse cups with double shots of freshly brewed espresso. Top with swirls of whipped cream. Sprinkle cinnamon powder over all. Serve immediately.

Coctel de Camerones

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Coctel de Camerones! Two of my favorite foodstuff cravings time after time lead me to cocktail shrimp and Mexican cuisine. A friend shared his secret recipe, adding clam juice, to enhance the liveliness this dish creates for the taste buds. For now, I put it on pause to use at a later time. The spicy Bloody Mary concoction is bold beyond measure. It is also all-natural, gluten free, and contains no high fructose corn syrup. Treat yourself to the real thing.

COCTEL DE CAMERONES

Ingredients:

2 cups Spicy Bloody Mary mix

1/3 cup medium chunky salsa

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Everything But Bagel seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 ripe avocado, chopped after skin and pit discarded

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 yellow sweet onion, chopped

12 jumbo precooked shrimp, tails removed

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Tortilla chips

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine Spicy Bloody Mary mix, medium chunky salsa, Worcestershire sauce, Everything But Bagel seasoning, kosher salt, dried Italian herbs, lime juice, chopped avocado, chopped tomato, and chopped sweet onion. Mix well. Divide “cocktail sauce” equally between four stemmed glasses. Place three jumbo shrimp in each glass. Top with chopped cilantro. Chill for one hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Blackberry Griddle Pancakes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Blackberry Griddle Pancakes! There’s a couple of hard-fast rules for fluffy homemade pancakes. Do not over stir. As much as it comes from habit, don’t do it. Also, always combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately before folding them together. It means more dishes, but it’s worth it. Baking soda and baking powder actually create that wonderful light texture that fills the pancake with air. So, that being said, are you ready to give it a whirl? Remember: a good cook still eats the mistakes.

BLACKBERRY GRIDDLE PANCAKES

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat griddle to 375°. For gas stove griddles, set knob at medium-low setting for 10-15 minutes. While griddle is heating, sift flour into a bowl. Add sugar, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. In another bowl, combine milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, cider vinegar, sour cream, and eggs. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently fold together, without over mixing. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes. The batter will be thick and bubbly. Lightly oil the heated griddle with butter. Gently pour 1/4 cup pancake batter onto the griddle. Do not overcrowd. Allow the pancakes to cook until bubbles appear around the edges, about 4 minutes. Then flip pancakes and cook 2 minutes longer until done. Remove from griddle and serve warm pancakes with creamy butter, fresh blackberries, and pure maple syrup.

Aubergine Ginger Slices

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Aubergine Ginger Slices! When you’re looking for a meatless meal, think eggplant, or aubergine. The flesh, when cooked, magically transforms into a buttery soft, custard-like consistency that practically melts in your mouth. How to choose a ripe aubergine? Simply press your finger on the skin. Once released, the indentation will bounce back.

AUBERGINE GINGER SLICES

Ingredients:

1 aubergine, skin on; sliced into 1/2” discs

1/4-1/3 cup cornmeal

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

2 green onions, finely sliced

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

Cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

Coat each aubergine disc in cornmeal; set aside. Warm vegetable oil on medium heat in an iron skillet. Fry each coated aubergine in the iron skillet for 5 minutes, without crowding. Flip and repeat discs for a golden brown color. Remove and set aside. Rinse the iron skillet and return to the heat. Add a drizzle of vegetable oil. Add minced garlic, minced ginger, finely sliced green onions, sugar, and soy sauce. Stir occasionally. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Transfer the fried aubergines to the sauce; simmer 5 minutes longer, flipping halfway through to absorb the sauce. Remove the aubergines. Serve with steamed rice. Drizzle remaining sauce over all.

Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat.

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? No matter how many kitchen utensils I have, it seems I am still drawn to another pretty silicone tool, olive wood spoon, unique cutting board, artisan pottery, and so forth. Call me quirky. I can easily justify new kitchenware the same way another woman justifies adding another pair of shoes to her wardrobe. It’s not about need; it’s about want. So, crank up the music, dance in bare feet, and twirl that fancy spatula like it’s a karaoke microphone. Cooking is fun! Some of my posts have been favored by “Le Cordon Bleu” and the “Food Network” on Twitter-X (Snapshotsincursive @DornaGail) as well as Ina Garten’s The Barefoot Contessa, on Instagram (gail _dorna). You can even follow me on Pinterest at Gail Dorna. I’d love to connect with you. I also met Chef Michelle Tribble of Hell’s Kitchen reality cooking show. Fun times. Experience different flavors and textures as you eat with your eyes. Catch a glimpse of “What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen: Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat.” 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 daily words of encouragement. I couldn’t have come this far without you.

Zucchini Onion Chips

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Zucchini Onion Chips! We all know how versatile a meal can be once you add zucchini to the menu. But have you ever thought about an appetizer using a can of those classic crispy fried onions? It’s definitely a game-changer. Hear me out. Forget the holiday green bean casserole for a minute as you dip a fork into the can to nibble on these crunchies before tossing them onto a garden salad. Who can resist a sampling of that unique onion flavor? Not me. Now send everyone out of the house so you can work your magic. When they return, their mouths will begin to drool at the aromas from the kitchen. I’m guessing no one will suspect you disguised heart-healthy zucchini wrapped up in a delicious onion crust.

ZUCCHINI ONION CHIPS

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds

Coarse salt

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 cup crispy fried onion rings, crumbled

Ranch dressing, for dipping

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Place a single layer of zucchini rounds on top. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover with another layer of paper towels. Press down. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. In a wide skillet, add vegetable oil to be 1/4” deep. Warm oil over medium-high heat. In a shallow dish, combine flour, breadcrumbs, and crumbled onion rings. Mix well. Dredge one zucchini round in beaten egg and then breadcrumb mixture, coating completely. Place in the skillet; repeat until skillet is full. Do not allow zucchini rounds to touch each other. Cook 2 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown. Transfer zucchini chips to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Repeat with remaining zucchini. Serve immediately with ranch dressing for dipping.

Yellowfin Tuna Nachos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Yellowfin Tuna Nachos! I’m not much of a canned tuna fan, but I do appreciate sushi-grade tuna, even if it’s found in the freezer section of the grocery store. Yellowfin and Ahi are two favorites than have delicious flavor. Being mild, yet firm, they work well raw, cubed, seared, or grilled. Be adventurous. Who knows? You may occasionally substitute a beef burger for a tuna burger. But that’s a recipe for another day. Don’t knock it till you try it.

YELLOWFIN TUNA NACHOS

Ingredients:

Corn tortilla chips

1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded

1 tomato, diced

1 avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 4-ounce yellowfin tuna steaks

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

1/2 cup Ranch dressing, prepared

2 tablespoons wasabi paste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray a baking dish with nonstick oil. Layer with corn tortilla chips. Next, layer Mexican shredded cheese over tortilla chips. Divide diced tomatoes and avocado chunks over all. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and dried oregano. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a grill pan on high heat. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of the tuna steaks with black sesame seeds. Sear steaks on the grill for 3 minutes; flip and sear 2 minutes longer. Remove to a plate and tent with aluminum foil for 2 minutes. Then slice yellowfin tuna steaks against the grain. Remove nachos from oven. Arrange sliced yellowfin tuna over nachos. In a small bowl, combine ranch dressing and wasabi paste. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over nachos. Serve immediately.

Xavier Dumpling Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Xavier Dumpling Soup! Everyone loves dumplings, those little flavorful puffs of dough soaked in chicken broth, surrounded by fresh vegetables. Xavier soup got its name in honor of the patron saint of missionaries and may be served on the feast day celebration in December. I like the soup so much I can’t wait all year before making it again. Taste it once and you’ll see what I mean.

XAVIER DUMPLING SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1/4 cup matchstick carrots

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

4 ounces evaporated milk

10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup, concentrated

20 ounces chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tube buttermilk biscuits

2 tablespoons flour

Parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

In a Dutch oven, warm butter over medium-high heat. Do not scorch. Add diced onions, sliced celery, matchstick carrots, and minced garlic. Sauté until tender, 6-8 minutes. Add shredded chicken, evaporated milk, condensed cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cut the biscuits into quarter pieces; lightly toss in flour. Add the biscuit chunks to the pot; Cook 8-9 minutes. Once the biscuits are cooked through, ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.