almonds

Devils on Horseback

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Equal Measures: Devils on Horseback! The name itself is a conversation starter. I know, right. The colors themselves resemble the “dark side” of our personalities. The small savory dish is made with pitted dates, smoked almonds, and crispy bacon or prosciutto. It’s pretty simple to prepare and is often served as an appetizer at social gatherings. Popular as a finger food, this hors d’oeuvre is perfect for small conversation at backyard parties. Watch yourself. Eating too many may find you a little mischievous.

DEVILS ON HORSEBACK

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup brown sugar

24 pitted dates, whole

24 smoked almonds, whole

3-ounce package prosciutto, deli sliced and cut in half lengthwise or 12 slices thin bacon, cut in half width wise

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine soy sauce and ground ginger. Mix well. In a second dish, place brown sugar. Take a pitted date, open carefully, and stuff it with a smoked almond. Wrap the date with a half slice of prosciutto or half bacon slice. Dip it into the soy sauce mixture. Roll it in brown sugar and place seam side down into the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all dates are prepared. Bake in the preheated oven until the prosciutto or bacon is crisp, 15 to 25 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter A

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Asian Noodle Salad! Not only does this dish make a stunning presentation of color, it also boasts a crunchy taste of the Orient. The sesame and ginger dressing is so yummy, you’ll find yourself making excuses to eat this salad every week.

ASIAN NOODLE SALAD

Ingredients:

1 package ramen noodle soup mix, any flavor

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup almonds, sliced

1 pound of shredded broccoli and carrot slaw mix

3/4 cup roasted Cardini’s Gourmet Asian Sesame Dressing*

2 green onions, sliced

Instructions:

Melt butter in a medium skillet over low heat. Remove noodles from soup mix. Discard seasoning mix. Break up uncooked noodles. Add to the skillet, along with the almonds. Stir to combine and brown until slightly toasted and brown. Do not burn. Remove from heat. In a large bowl add broccoli/carrot slaw and the noodle/almond mixture. Pour salad dressing over all and toss until combined. Garnish with green onion snips. Serve immediately. Leftovers may be refrigerated but the noodles will lose their crunch.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning Cardini’s Gourmet Asian Sesame Dressing.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake! You know you love chocolate. Who doesn’t? If you find yourself avoiding baked goods due to its wheat content, worry no more. This cake is completely flourless. The results are rich, chocolaty, and extremely satisfying for any sweet tooth craving. Dust it with powdered sugar and garnish each slice with fresh strawberries for a gourmet finish. Hurray for Chocolate!

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

15-ounce can organic garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for dusting

1/4 cup almond slices (optional)

Whipped cream

Fresh strawberries, garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″ round cake pan. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes on high. Stir after 1 minute. Repeat until chocolate is melted and smooth. In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans and eggs. Blend until smooth, about 4 minutes. Add sugar and baking powder. Pulse to mix. Pour in melted chocolate and almond extract. Blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed. Transfer batter to the cake pan. Bake 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar. Sprinkle with almond slices. Garnish with whipped cream and strawberries.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter A

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Arugula Cherry Salad! Handpicked cherries, at the peak of ripeness, set the stage for an appealing salad that is sure to be delightful. Don’t have an orchard nearby? No worries. Check the local Farmer’s Market, fruit stand, or supermarket for the season’s bounty. Timing is everything. You’ll want to have enough ripe cherries on hand to pair later with wine and perhaps a little chocolate. Spoiler Alert: I’ve set aside a portion of juicy red cherries to feature in a decadent dessert. Stay tuned.  
ARUGULA CHERRY SALAD
Ingredients:

6 ounces baby arugula 

16 ripe cherries, stems removed and pitted

1/4 cup almonds, sliced

1 tablespoon tarragon, leaves only

1 tablespoon sherry cooking wine 

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil 

Sea salt to taste

Cracked black pepper to taste

4 ounces Bleu cheese, crumbled
Instructions:

After the pits are removed, cut the cherries in half. Combine arugula, cherries, almonds, and tarragon in a large bowl. Toss gently. In a small bowl, whisk together sherry cooking wine, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Drizzle over salad and gently toss. Divide into serving bowls. Finish with Bleu cheese crumbles over top. Serve immediately. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter T

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Tarragon Chicken Salad. If you’re tired of the same thing, here’s a gourmet twist on an old favorite. It can be served on a buttery croissant, a bed of mixed greens, or a wedge of sweet cantaloupe. You decide. 
TARRAGON CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients:

1 10-ounce can of Premium Chicken Breast in Lemon Pepper sauce 

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Fresh Tarragon 
Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, grapes, nuts, and mayonnaise. Gently fold in snipped tarragon leaves. Refrigerate until ready to use. Top with crunchy garlic croutons. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter C

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Crêpe Expectations! From sweet to savory, appetizers to dessert, this amazing little confection will not disappoint. It is the French cousin to the American pancake. Stack it, roll it, or fold it into a triangle. No matter how you fill it, the result is a pleasure for the palate. Make a batch to keep on hand. Then get creative!
CRÊPE EXPECTATIONS 
Ingredients:

4 eggs, beaten 

1 cup flour

1 cup 1/2 & 1/2

2 tablespoons butter, melted 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Filling:

8 ounce Neufchâtel cheese

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup marshmallow creme 

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 

1/2 cup sliced almonds
Directions:

Combine eggs, flour, 1/2 & 1/2, butter, and sea salt. Beat until smooth. Let stand 30 minutes. For each crêpe, pour scant 1/4 cup batter into hot, greased 8-inch skillet rotating to distribute batter evenly. Cook on one side. Flip and lightly brown. Stack on plate to cool. 
For filling combine softened Neufchâtel cheese and butter; mix well. Stir in marshmallow creme. Add sugar and extract; mix well. Fold in nuts. Fill each crêpe with 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture; roll up. Add sliced strawberries, raspberries, seedless grapes. Top with whipped cream.  

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Baked Brie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Baked Brie! I typically serve this as an appetizer, with French preserves and almonds on top, but it also makes a wonderful dessert with a light fruity wine. 
BAKED BRIE
Ingredients:

14 ounce wheel of Brie*

1/4 cup apricot preserves 

2 tablespoons almonds, sliced

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

* Camembert is a milder substitute. 
Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Remove Brie wheel from package and slice off the top surface of the rind. Place the wheel in a small oven-proof dish. Lightly score the cheese. Spread the apricot preserves over the exposed cheese surface. Sprinkle with almonds. Pour the butter over all. Garnish with red pepper flakes on top. Bake the Brie uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is soft and heated through. Serve in the same dish to keep it warm. 

Sliced fruit, deli crackers, and crusty baguettes make a nice compliment to the rich, creamy flavor. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter M

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Moroccan Stuffed Dates! The next time you throw together a Charcuterie Board, surprise everyone with an elegant delicacy of royal ancestors. Their natural sweet flavor and crunchy texture make pitted dates ideal for snacking. And who doesn’t love finger-food? When stuffed with an amazing almond paste, and a sprinkling of rose water, a superior appetizer is born. Impress yourself by turning ordinary into absolutely delicious. 
MOROCCAN STUFFED DATES
Ingredients:

8 ounces pitted dates

3/4 cup natural almonds

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

dash of cinnamon 

1 teaspoon rose water

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-2 teaspoons water

12-16 walnut halves

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions:

Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon; mix well. Add rose water, almond extract, and one teaspoon of water. Pulse until mixture becomes a paste, adding another teaspoon of water if necessary. Fill each date with the almond mixture, using a demitasse spoon. You want the paste to form a slight bulge over the top of the slit. Repeat until all dates are filled. Place the stuffed dates on a serving platter. Garnish with a walnut half and a dusting of powdered sugar. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter F

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Financier Almond Cake! Not everyone lives around the corner from the best pastry shops in Paris. So we manage by baking at home. My son, Johnny, and his wife, Katie, treated me to their gluten-free version of a popular French sweet. Know what you get when you combine ground natural almonds, luscious brown butter, and airy egg whites? Clue: It’s a French pastry chef’s dream! By choosing a small cupcake mold or ramekin, this springy honey-sweet dessert becomes a star attraction at the end of a meal. Drizzle it with a lightly sweetened St~Germaine glaze, top it with a fresh raspberry crown, and you’re bound to feel a tiny bit Parisienne. Ooh-la-la!
FINANCIER ALMOND CAKE
Ingredients for Cake:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sliced almonds 

1/4 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 egg whites

1 tablespoon natural honey

1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 2 ramekins or coat a 6-count muffin tin with butter or nonstick oil. Set aside. Melt the butter over medium heat. Do not burn. Simmer until brown bits begin to form. Lower heat and simmer, stirring frequently to scrape the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until butter turns dark brown, not burnt, for about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile pulse the sliced almonds and coconut flour in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Transfer flour mixture to a medium bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar. Fold in the egg whites, mixing until smooth. Gently stir in the honey. Finally, fold in the cooled brown butter. Stir until batter is smooth. Spoon into the greased ramekins or muffin pan. Spread batter evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. If using a muffin pan, invert after 5 minutes to remove mini-cakes from pan. 
Ingredients for Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons St~Germaine liqueur 

Fresh raspberries for Garnish

1 teaspoon ground almonds for Garnish
Instructions:

Sift powdered sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in St~Germaine liqueur until a smooth consistency is reached. Gently spoon the glaze over the top of the cakes. Garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprinkling of ground almonds.