Wild Chilean Shrimp Stuffing

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Wild Chilean Shrimp Stuffing! You’re probably wondering what is so special about Wild Chilean Shrimp. First of all, it is a cold water shrimp, rich in nutrients, caught wild along a small band of Chile. These shrimp contain no additives, making them a simple sustainable seafood option. The quality tastes better knowing each shrimp is hand peeled. The difference, you wonder? Here again the sweet briny flavor of the sea comes out in every bite. As the shrimp is cooked, it retains its flavor, color, and texture. With any product, tasting is believing. Perhaps the next time you spot these ocean treasures, you’ll pick up a bag. Discover how shrimp-ly wonderful they are. 

WILD CHILEAN SHRIMP STUFFING

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

12 ounces Wild Chilean Shrimp, fully cooked, peeled, deveined, and tail off

1/4 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon pimentos, drained and diced

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 350°. Grease a one-quart casserole dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm butter. Add finely chopped onions, chopped celery, and chopped green pepper. Sauté until tender. Add wild Chilean shrimp; heat through. Add beef broth, diced pimentos, Worcestershire sauce, dill weed, minced chives, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir occasionally to heat through. Remove from heat. Fold in soft bread crumbs. Transfer stuffing to the prepared casserole dish. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Serve warm. 

Vermouth Chicken Breasts

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Vermouth Chicken Breasts! Have you ever cooked with vermouth? It almost comes across as a magic potion transforming the ordinary into the sublime. As a deglazing tool, vermouth lifts the sweetness that builds up during the cooking process of meats and vegetables while enhancing the earthy wine flavor. You’ve heard of people using wine in cooking. Well, it’s basically the same principle. Go ahead, check the back of the liquor cabinet. More than likely you probably already have a bottle of vermouth just waiting to be used. 

VERMOUTH CHICKEN BREASTS

Ingredients for Chicken:

4 tablespoons butter

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin removed

1/2 cup dry vermouth

Ingredients for Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion, chopped 

4 ounces canned mushrooms, drained

1/4 cup dry vermouth 

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

Instructions:

Warm 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Pour in 1/2 cup dry vermouth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. To make the sauce, warm 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté chopped onions until soft and translucent. Add mushrooms; heat through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup dry vermouth and sour cream. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Warm through, but do not boil. Remove pan from heat. When chicken is done, pour sauce over all. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the sides and bottom of the skillet to release any browned bits into the sauce. Serve with angel hair pasta. 

Udon Noodles With Shrimp

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Udon Noodles with Shrimp! Everyone goes crazy over noodles. Udon noodles, made popular by the Japanese culture, offer the chewy thick texture associated with comfort food. Basically made from flour, salt, and water, they can take on the flavor of whatever ingredient you add to it. Being a shrimp-lover and mushroom fanatic, the choices here were not even up for debate. My kitchen, my choice. But I can tell you this, the sauce alone is slurp-worthy. 

UDON NOODLES WITH SHRIMP

Ingredients:

7-ounce package udon noodles 

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/3 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

8-10 large shrimp, precooked and tails removed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt 

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

1 green onion, chopped for garnish

Ingredients for the Sauce:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce 

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar 

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 

Instructions:

Make the sauce first by combining oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Whisk until smooth. Set aside. Boil the udon noodles, according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside. Warm one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Increase heat to medium-high setting. Add sliced mushrooms. Stir 2-3 minutes until cooked. Add chopped yellow onions and cook 2-3 minutes longer, or until soft. Transfer vegetables to a platter. In the same skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add large shrimp. Sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes. Sauté both sides of the shrimp. Add the udon noodles to the skillet to heat through. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and noodles. Stir. Add mushrooms and onions; gently toss. Turn off heat. Fold in the baby spinach leaves; allow them to slightly wilt. Scoop noodle mixture into individual bowls. Garnish with green onion pieces. Serve immediately. 

Three Bean Pasta Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Three Bean Pasta Salad! Yippee for meal prep. This tasty salad is one you can make ahead on the weekend for a delicious lunch at work. The dressing gives it gourmet flavor similar to the corner café, without the cost of an Uber. Add a few gluten-free pretzels or pita crackers to satisfy that munchtime craving. The slightly sharp buttery flavor of provolone cheese works well with the pasta. I know what you’re thinking…..would a bottle of wine be appropriate? Probably. Just not at work. 

THREE BEAN PASTA SALAD

Ingredients: 

4 ounces uncooked shell pasta

15-ounce three bean salad, drained and chilled

1 tablespoon pimento, chopped

4 ounces provolone cheese, cubed

2 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons garlic wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon natural honey

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/4 cup olive oil 

Instructions:

Cook shell pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cool water; drain well. Combine shell pasta, three bean mixture, chopped pimento, and provolone cheese cubes. Gently toss. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine scallions and garlic wine vinegar. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Add Dijon mustard, natural honey, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until well combined. Pour dressing over pasta salad and serve slightly chilled. 

Sheet Pan Cilantro Nachos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Sheet Pan Cilantro Nachos! We like crispy nachos at my house. To my family, there’s nothing worse that a soggy tortilla chip, even if it is covered in melted cheese. I experimented by spraying the top and bottom of the chips with nonstick oil and then sprinkling them with sea salt. The method below works very well. It really made a difference. In my defense, I typically buy an off-brand of tortilla chips, which can have more of the natural corn flavor and a sturdiness to support extra toppings. As always, check the ingredient list to make sure you’re getting what you want. I prefer no preservatives. 

SHEET PAN CILANTRO NACHOS

Ingredients:

Layer of Corn Tortilla Chips

Nonstick oil

Sea Salt, to taste 

8 ounces Mexican Cheese Blend, shredded

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

2 green onions, chopped 

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Fresh cilantro, for topping

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Arrange a single layer of corn tortilla chips on the sheet pan. Repeat with a coating of nonstick oil and sea salt. Evenly distribute the Mexican Cheese Blend over the tortilla chips. Add chopped tomatoes and green onions. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Bake 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and gooey. Remove nachos from the oven and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Serve immediately. 

Rise & Shine Breakfast

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Rise & Shine Breakfast! It’s no surprise America has turned to breakfast as the nutritional meal of the day. Especially with the rising cost of food. Eggs provide enough vitamins to justify a well-balanced diet. What I’ve noticed more than anything, is the fact that I feel fuller throughout the day and less apt to snack. I’m told it’s the power of protein, and I believe it. 

RISE & SHINE BREAKFAST 

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1-2 tablespoons butter

2 slices honey wheat toast

2 slices, applewood smoked bacon, baked until crispy 

Fresh Strawberries 

Instructions:

Warm butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack each egg into a small bowl; this will eliminate bits of shell from being poured into the skillet. Pour the eggs over the melted butter. After one minute, the outer edges of the white appear opaque. For sunny-side up eggs, do not flip. Cover the skillet with a lid  and lower the heat for 4 minutes. The steam will gently cook the top of the egg, leaving the yolks runny. Sprinkle with seasoning or herbs. Serve with toast points, bacon, and fresh fruit as desired. 

Quail Eggs 101

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Quail Eggs 101. You may have noticed, at the grocery, a row of miniature egg cartons featuring cream-colored brown speckled eggs next to the typical domesticated chicken varieties. Introducing quail eggs. As I picked up a carton to place in my shopping cart, the woman next to me asked, “What are you going to do with those?” Sparing her the nutritional value of a super-protein food, I simply smiled and replied, “Oh, I’m going to hard-boil them and then roll each one in za’atar seasoning.” Her face lit up, her head nodded in approval, and she responded with delight, “Yes. Za’atar.” Prepare to pay a little more for these coveted jewels. They are about a third the size of chicken eggs. For special occasions, though, quail eggs are definitely a conversation-starter. 

QUAIL EGGS 101

Ingredients:

12-15 count quail eggs

Ideas for Serving:

Quail Egg Morning Smoothie 

Deviled Quail Eggs

Pickled Quail Eggs

Omelets or Frittatas 

Salad Toppers or Garnish

Bacon-Wrapped Quail Eggs

Fried Quail Eggs

As you can see, quail eggs can be the star attraction. Cracking them can take a little practice, due to their size. Avoid using undo force to avoid crushing them into the palm of your hand.