butter

Paleo Pepper Steak

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Paleo Pepper Steak! Before you delete this post, hear me out for sec. Paleo does not mean blah, boring, and tasteless. In fact, this recipe gives you permission to only eat the stuff you crave. No hidden sauces or funky herbs. Basically, what you see is what you get. (Disclaimer: Pay no attention to that slice of garlic bread. It was put in the photo by my alter ego who loves carbs.) The green and red peppers are so fresh you may feel like nibbling on one or two as you slice them into strips. And the caramelized onions compliment the taste of steak, in my opinion.  

PALEO PEPPER STEAK

Ingredients:

1 large green bell pepper, sliced and seeds removed 

1 large sweet red pepper, sliced and seeds removed

1 large yellow onion, skin removed and sliced

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2-6 ounce filet mignon steaks

Sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder steak to taste

1 pat of butter

Instructions:

Salt and pepper both sides of the steak while the gas grill is preheating from 450°-500°. At this time sprinkle the steak with garlic powder as well. The salt begins to draw out a little bit of moisture which makes the steak sizzle when it hits the grill grate, sealing in the flavor. For accuracy in grilling, my husband sets the timer on his cell phone, which is quite handy. Grill the steak for 2 1/2 minutes on one side before flipping over for the remaining 2 1/2 minutes. The finished steak will be medium-rare. Now this is the most difficult part. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. The juice will reabsorb back into the steak to give you that moist and meaty taste. 

Meanwhile, sauté pepper and onion slices in olive oil and seasonings in a large skillet on medium heat. Turn often to gradually brown the vegetables and avoid burning. They will be tender in about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low simmer to keep warm. Before serving, surround the steak with peppers and onions. Finish with a pat of butter.  

Nigella Seed Cheesies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Nigella Seed Cheesies! One of the benefits of making friends in the blogosphere is meeting other foodies who share the same love of cooking….and eating!  This recipe comes directly to you courtesy of Lyn at http://lynzrealcooking.com/2015/10/28

She posted this wonderfully cheesy snack and it went viral! Because it is called “Cheesies”, you can use a wide variety of cheese options, including your own personal favorites. Thanks, Lyn!

NIGELLA SEED CHEESE BITES

Ingredients for Dough:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup butter, softened 

1-8 ounce Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature 

Ingredients for Filling:

2 cups Nigella seed string cheese

1/2 cup Colby cheese, finely shredded 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine Neufchâtel cheese and butter. Mix well. Add flour and stir until smooth. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for one hour. Remove and divide into four equal-sized balls. Roll one ball at a time into a flat shape larger than a pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and fold ends to seal. With seam side down, transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Using a knife, slit each loaf where it will be cut into serving pieces. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve.*

*As a garnish, I sprinkled a mixture of Parmesan cheese and dill weed over the top during the last 5 minutes of baking. 

Loaded Lettuce Cups

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Loaded Lettuce Cups! Eating with your fingers is so much fun!  Here’s an idea for supper that is not only kid-friendly, but has an Asian flair that adults adore. By toasting the rice and noodles in butter, it gives the food a nice crunchy taste complimented by sesame and soybean undertones. Add chicken and water chestnuts for a healthy meal. The mere fact that it’s all wrapped up in the soft, buttery Boston lettuce leaves make it an all-star hit! 

LOADED LETTUCE CUPS 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup instant white rice

1 1/2 cups fine home style noodles

10-ounce can chunk chicken breast, drained

14-ounce chicken broth

4 green onions, chopped

8-ounce can of slivered water chestnuts, drained

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup soybean seasoning sauce

Boston lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Melt butter in a deep skillet. Do not burn. Add white rice and thin noodles. Coat well. Cook them over medium heat 3-5 minutes, turning often until golden brown. Stir in chicken broth and chicken chunks. Cover. Simmer 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Add chopped green onion with tops, water chestnuts, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and soybean seasoning sauce. Mix well and serve in Boston lettuce cups. 

Judy’s Pumpkin Sea Salt Caramel Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Judy’s Pumpkin Sea Salt Caramel Sauce! I always get excited when I receive the gift of food. My friend, Judy, thrilled me beyond measure when she shared this treat from her kitchen. It’s the perfect combination of sea salt caramel and pumpkin purée. It not only transforms a cup of coffee into a pumpkin spice addiction, but it also tastes incredible on a breakfast muffin. If you ask my husband, he’ll say you can eat it over ice cream by the spoonful.

JUDY’S PUMPKIN SEA SALT CARAMEL SAUCE 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon water

3/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup pumpkin purée 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

In a 2-quart heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat, combine sugar and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring often to avoid scorching. Continue cooking until sugar turns light amber in color and all sugar crystals have dissolved, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and mix well. Change utensils to a heat-resistant whisk and quickly whisk in the cream and pumpkin. Lastly, add cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, removing all lumps. Transfer to a jar. Cool at room temperature, seal, and store in the refrigerator. 

Havarti Mashed Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Havarti Mashed Potatoes! The best kept secret for staying organized during the flurry of activity of family gatherings is “make-ahead” recipes that have the oven doing most of the work. By creating this side dish the day before, you eliminate everyone hovering in the kitchen while you whip it up at the last minute. And leftovers are a breeze because they automatically become Divine Duchess Potatoes.* Do yourself a favor, enjoy that glass of wine with your guests while the mashed potatoes bake in the oven. 

HAVARTI MASHED POTATOES 

Ingredients:

10 potatoes, peeled and cut up

4 tablespoons butter, softened 

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup yogurt 

1/2 teaspoon rosemary 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

1 cup Havarti cheese, shredded

1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded 

1 tablespoon parsley

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Place potatoes in a 4 quart pan. Cover with water. Salt if desired. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low and cook potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Add butter and mash. Slowly add milk beating slowly to eliminate lumps. Add yogurt, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Beat vigorously until potatoes are fluffy. Fold in Havarti cheese. Transfer to casserole dish and top with cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes. Garnish with parsley. 

*Leftovers can be used to make Divine Duchess Potatoes. See link

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/11/13

Easy Energy Balls

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Easy Energy Balls! Do you ever get those mid-morning blahs where all you want to do is go back to bed? Well, here’s a way to get a tasty boost of energy without the guilt of a candy bar.  By choosing pure and organic ingredients, you not only reap the health benefits, but you also gain the satisfaction your tummy needs in order to feel full. Make up a batch in minutes, store in the refrigerator, then Grab and Go! 

EASY ENERGY BALLS

Ingredients:

1 cup organic creamy dark roasted peanut butter 

2/3 cup pure honey

2 cups flaked coconut 

2 cups old fashioned whole grain oats

1 cup organic flaxseed 

1 cup dark chocolate chips

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 cup ground nuts

Instructions:

Warm peanut butter just enough to blend well with the honey. Remove from heat and add coconut, oats, flaxseed, and chocolate chips. Mix well. Sprinkle in cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly. Roll into 30 bite-size balls, coat in ground nuts, and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. 

Divine Duchess Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Divine Duchess Potatoes! Sometimes it’s fun to mix things up when serving leftovers. Take mashed potatoes, for instance. By adding a few more ingredients, you can serve them again with first-class results that would make a Frenchman proud. With the holidays coming up, I find this recipe invaluable. I used leftovers from Gail’s Kitchen “Havarti Mashed Potatoes” recipe simply because it was quick and easy. Take a shortcut that treats your family like royalty. 

DIVINE DUCHESS POTATOES 

Ingredients:

3 cups mashed potatoes*

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick oil. Combine mashed potatoes, egg yolks, and cream. Blend well. Transfer to a pastry bag or piping tool with a large star tip. Pipe and swirl upward to form a cone shape in each muffin cup. Brush with melted butter before baking 10 minutes. Switch oven to Broil for a golden brown finish. Watch carefully. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before serving. 

*Havarti Mashed Potato recipe  was used for this preparation since it was seasoned with cheese and herbs.  Please follow the link. 

http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2015/11/19

Allspice Apple Butter

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Allspice Apple Butter! Nothing makes your house smell better than warm bakery spices filling the air. Apples are in abundant supply at every turn, whether it’s a nearby orchard, farmers market, co-op center, or local grocery store. This easy-to-follow recipe gives you a jumpstart on making two small jars of homemade apple butter.  Share one with a friend and keep the other for yourself. Win! Win!

ALLSPICE APPLE BUTTER 

Ingredients:

23 ounces unsweetened applesauce 

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1/4 teaspoon allspice, ground

1/8 teaspoon ginger, ground 

1/8 cloves, ground 

1-2 sugared ginger discs, sliced (optional)

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped 

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a reduction pan or medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Watch carefully. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Do not scorch. Remove from heat, cool and transfer to two small jars. Store in the refrigerator. 

Zillionth Cinnamon Roll Recipe

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Zillionth Cinnamon Roll Recipe! Every once in a while, my husband will send me a TikTok video of that 40-year old guy with a quirky idea of how to “tweak” old favorite recipes into amazing new ideas. He’s funny, entertaining, has a Kentucky accent, and isn’t afraid to try something different. Alright, I thought, I’m game and I have a willing guinea pig right here in my own house. I chose a Saturday morning for this little experiment just in case he had a sugar crash and got lazy the rest of the day. How did it taste, you ask. Exactly like a bakery cinnamon roll on steroids. It took us several days to nibble our way through the recipe because, you know, you can’t let all that cinnamon go to waste. In case you’re wondering…..the champagne provided a crisp acidity to cut through the rich, buttery, super-sweetness of the pastry. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. 

ZILLIONTH CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE 

Ingredients: 

I tube prepared cinnamon roll dough

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/4 cup butter, melted 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

10-ounce can prepared cream cheese frosting, optional 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a deep dish pie plate with nonstick oil. Separate and arrange the cinnamon rolls. Pour the heavy cream over the dough, filling in the gaps between rolls. In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Drizzle the mixture over the cinnamon rolls. Bake according to package directions. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and drizzle with packet of enclosed icing. Add extra cream cheese frosting on top, if desired. Serve warm.