Hard Salami Corkscrew Pasta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Hard Salami Corkscrew Pasta! Tricolor pasta always makes me feel like a special occasion. The burst of natural colors in spinach and tomato keep the dish from becoming humdrum, in my opinion. By adding veggies, cheese, or pickles, the salad becomes a meal-in-a-bowl. Mix things up by substituting artichokes, hard-boiled eggs, or cucumbers. It’s really up to your personal preference and cravings of the moment. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days. As if. (smile)

HARD SALAMI CORKSCREW PASTA

Ingredients for Pasta Salad:

1 1/2 cups rainbow rotini corkscrew pasta, uncooked

4 ounces hard salami, cut into strips

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup green olives, halved

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/2 sweet bell pepper, chopped

Ingredients for Dressing:

3 tablespoons garlic wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Rinse under cold water. In a serving bowl, combine cooked pasta, hard salami, grape tomatoes, green olives, red onion, and bell pepper. Gently toss. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, sea salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, marjoram, and garlic powder. Mix well. Pour the dressing over the pasta. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for one hour. Serve.

Garlic Wine Red Snapper

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Garlic Wine Red Snapper! Before I begin, Rule Number One: When marinating fish, always refrigerate. As fish sits in a marinade at room temperature, it encourages bacteria growth, which can be a bad thing. The olive oil makes a wonderful tenderizer making the fish soft and juicy. When seasonings are added at the same time, the results elevate the flavor. By grilling the fish fillets at a high temperature, the meal transforms into perfection on a plate.

GARLIC WINE RED SNAPPER

Ingredients:

1/2 cup garlic wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 6-ounce red snapper fillets

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Juice of fresh lemon

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

Arrange the red snapper fillets in a shallow dish. Pour the garlic wine vinegar over the fish. Allow the vinegar to surround the fish. Pour olive oil over top. Sprinkle Italian seasoning blend and black pepper over all. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill to 450°. Transfer red snapper directly onto the grill grates. Close lid. Set timer for 4 minutes. Discard marinade. Using a fish spatula, flip fish and grill 4 minutes longer with lid closed. Meanwhile, melt butter and pour into individual cups. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into warm butter. Remove red snapper fillets from grill. Serve with melted lemon butter poured over top.

Foiled Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Foiled Potatoes! Have I mentioned how much I like my new outdoor kitchen? Living in Florida, the weather is so tropical it makes cooking outdoors an effortless way to prepare meals. Grilling seems to make food taste better and roasted potatoes easily become a star attraction. And the best part is dining alfresco. This is what I call a “stay-cation”.

FOILED POTATOES

Ingredients:

2 baking potatoes

1/2 sweet onion, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the grill to 400°. Wash the potatoes and pat dry. Pierce each potato with a knife. Microwave for 4 minutes on 100% power. Remove from microwave and allow to cool, slightly. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick oil. Cut the potatoes into 1/4” slices. Arrange potatoes on foil. Top with sliced onions. Add pats of butter over all. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Fold the packet to seal. Place the sealed foil packet directly onto the grill grates. Close lid. Cook for 10 minutes; carefully flip packet and cook 10 minutes longer. Transfer foiled potatoes to a platter. Be aware of steam when the packet is opened. Serve immediately.

Egg Noodle Bowl

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Egg Noodle Bowl! Cooking eggs in the microwave has spoiled me. No fuss, no mess, and practically perfect every time. Do-ahead noodles can be a time saver, as well. But back to the eggs. When using a custard dish, two eggs can easily be prepared in the same dish by increasing the time to 2 minutes. Always cover the dish with a silicone lid or paper towel in case the egg “pops”. Otherwise, it can be an annoying mess to clean up later. Trust me. Once the egg is finished, live boldly and add a dollop of sea salt butter to melt into it. That adds glorious flavor, without regrets

EGG NOODLE BOWL

Ingredients:

1 cup fine egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

1/2 cup grilled chicken strips, precooked and cut into chunks

1 tablespoon seasoned soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 green onion, chopped

1 egg

Pinch herb garlic seasoning

Sriracha sauce, to taste

Instructions:

Once the fine egg noodles are cooked, drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Microwave the chicken chunks on 40% for 2 minutes in the seasoned soy sauce sprinkled with red pepper flakes. Add to the noodle bowl; gently toss. Add the green onions. Set aside. Spray a custard dish with nonstick oil. Crack the egg into it. Pierce the yolk with a toothpick. Sprinkle herb garlic seasoning on top. Cover. Microwave egg on 40% power for 1 1/2 minutes, for runny results. Increase time at 12-second intervals for a hard cooked yolk. Transfer the egg to the top of the noodles. Top with sriracha sauce, to taste. Serve immediately.

Dutch Baby Buttery Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Dutch Baby Buttery Potatoes! These naturally buttery potatoes have a silky skin that can be eaten when baked. The creamy yellow flesh has a slightly nutty flavor that will give you reason enough to make an entire meal out of these gourmet nuggets. In fact, the aroma was so enticing, my husband and I did that exact thing. You see, once you’re an adult, you can make up any rule you want when it comes to meal-planning.

DUTCH BABY BUTTERY POTATOES

Ingredients:

24-ounce bag of Dutch Baby Yellow Potatoes

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Green onion snips, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Boil whole potatoes on the stove in a pan of salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and allow potatoes to cool enough to handle. In a glass baking dish, combine melted butter, garlic powder, parsley flakes, dried oregano, kosher salt, and parmesan cheese. Cut boiled potatoes in half lengthwise. Arrange in a single layer. Using a pastry brush, cover the potatoes with the herbed butter and cheese mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes until potato bottoms are crispy. Serve immediately.

Cold Brew Iced Coffee

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Cold Brew Iced Latte! Ever wonder why coffee tastes so much better at the local coffeehouse than at home? Know how you can duplicate that incredible brew at home, especially if it’s iced? Well, for starters, go back to that coffeehouse and buy a pound of the brand they use. If you don’t own a coffee grinder, no worries, they will coarsely grind it as a complimentary favor to you. (Plus it gives you, yet another, reason to buy a to-go beverage to sip on while you wait.) I discovered I’m crazy about a Colombian brand with medium notes of milk chocolate and orange grown in. When I was preparing for Hurricane Ian, I made a batch of cold brew to have on hand in case the power went out. I told you earlier….. coffee makes me happy.

COLD BREW ICED LATTE

Ingredients:

1 cup whole coffee beans

4 cups filtered water

Light Cream, to taste

Ice

Instructions:

Freshly grind the coffee beans on the coarse setting. Place the grounds in a quart-size jar or French press. Pour the water over the beans to saturate all the coffee grounds. As needed, use a spoon to gently stir the grounds, allowing them to be completely wet. Cover the cold brew and refrigerate it for 24 hours. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large measuring bowl. Pour the coffee to completely strain it. Discard coffee grounds. To serve, fill a glass with ice. Add cold brew, desired sweetener, natural flavoring, or light cream to taste. Store cold brew in the refrigerator.

Blue Plate Fish Sliders

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Blue Plate Fish Sliders! Switching from beef to fish has its rewards, especially when the fish is a fresh catch only hours ago. The fact that fish has less saturated fat is a bonus for me. I’m all about reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The delicate soft texture of fish practically melts in your mouth as it flakes off from one tasty bite to the next. The mini-version of a sandwich, in a world of super-size portions, makes sliders cute and fun as well. Whether you call it an appetizer or a meal, fish sliders are here to stay.

BLUE PLATE FISH SLIDERS

Ingredients:

4 4-ounce red grouper fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

Slider buns

Prepared Coleslaw

Mixed Greens

Instructions:

Heat outdoor gas grill to medium heat, approximately 350°. Rinse and pat each fillet with a paper towel. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Transfer to a platter. Oil the grill grates with a folded paper towel dipped in olive oil. Place each fillet directly on the grate. Close the grill cover. Cook 4 minutes. Using a flat spatula, slide under each fillet and carefully flip it over. Close the grill cover and cook 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a clean platter. Lightly toast slider buns, if desired. Assemble fish sliders with coleslaw, grilled fish, and mixed greens. Serve immediately.