butter

Vidalia Oven-Roasted Onions

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Vidalia Oven-Roasted Onions! When Georgia Vidalia onions are in season, I can always count on my husband to bring home a 3-pound bag. It might be once a week, it might be less, depending on how fast they disappear. New recipes seem to pop up in my feed every season, too. These naturally sweet onions have a way of grabbing attention when served on burgers, deluxe pizza slices, grilled steaks, and in appetizing cheesy dips, bacon jams, and tasty spreads for toasted baguette slices. The fun never ends. 

VIDALIA OVEN-ROASTED ONIONS 

Ingredients: 

3 medium Vidalia onions, skins left on with tops and bottoms trimmed 

2 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 thin pats 

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

3 bay leaves

Balsamic vinegar, for finishing 

Instructions: 

Spray an oven-proof casserole dish with nonstick oil. Arrange the three onions in the baking dish. Broil on High setting 10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and slightly charred. Watch carefully. Remove the baking dish. Turn the oven setting to 400°. Place a pat of butter on top of each onion. Press the chopped rosemary into the butter, allowing bits to fall over the onions as the butter melts. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Tuck the bay leaves around the onions. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake the onions for 60-70 minutes or until very soft and sweet. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Spoon the drippings over the baked onions. Serve immediately. 

Tequila Drunken Shrimp

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Tequila Drunken Shrimp! Don’t you love being an adult and being able to choose if you want cereal for dinner or something a little bit more upscale? No justification is needed. No whining. No excuses. And sometimes, even, no sharing. Betcha wanna share this little specialty though, especially on stay-at-home Date Night. This tequila based shrimp dish will elevate any meal to the realm of endless possibilities. The garlicky, slightly spicy, and definitely cheesy flavors go nicely with the tequila-infused shrimp. Better plan on eating an entire baguette. You’re going to want to soak up every bit of the aromatic juices. 

TEQUILA DRUNKEN SHRIMP 

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon Italian herbs

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup tequila

Juice of one lemon

1 pound precooked large shrimp, deveined and tails removed

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Baguette slices, toasted

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large skillet, warm butter over medium heat. Once melted, sauté the minced garlic in seasoned salt, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes. Add the tequila and lemon juice. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp; turn the heat to low for 3-5 minutes. Transfer the shrimp mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Layer the shredded mozzarella cheese over all. Bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gooey. Spoon warm shrimp and cheese mixture over toasted baguette slices. Add a spoonful of extra juices, if desired. Enjoy. 

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Slow Cooker French Onion Soup! Ever have one of those days when errands and appointments have you running nonstop? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a home cooked meal with a glass of dry red wine when it’s finally time to put your feet up? Look no further than your trusty workhorse, the slow cooker. Not only does it welcome you with aromatic flavors, but the taste is something you just can’t duplicate in 30 minutes. Bask in the reward of a make-ahead dinner. Leftovers can be eaten the next day, or frozen for up to three months. Problem solved. 

SLOW COOKER FRENCH ONION SOUP 

Ingredients: 

3 pounds sweet onions, peeled and sliced into quarters

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

10 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons cognac, if desired

Baguette slices, toasted

2 cups Gruyère cheese, divided

French fries crispy onions, garnish 

Green onion snips, garnish

Diced tomatoes, garnish

Instructions: 

Place cut onions in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add melted butter, olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat. Cover; cook on Low setting for 12 hours, or overnight. Onions will appear caramelized and dark golden-brown. Stir in beef broth and balsamic vinegar. Cover and cook on Low setting for another 6-8 hours. Add cognac, if using. Preheat the oven to 350°. Ladle hot soup into oven-safe bowls. Place on a baking sheet. Add one toasted baguette slice to each bowl. Top with Gruyère cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes or until cheese melts. Broil 2-3 minutes until bubbly and golden. Garnish with French fried crispy onions, green onion snips, and diced tomatoes. Serve immediately. 

Quiche, Basque-Style

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Quiche, Basque-Style! For a creamy egg center filling that you will seriously roll your eyes over, think outside the box with two impressive ingredients, Greek yogurt and real mayonnaise. These protein rich substitutes will have your friends thinking you’re a gourmet French chef who spent all day creating edible art. The velvety texture is similar to that of a savory custard. Notice the deeply caramelized brown crust. Some call it burnt; I call it rustically charming. It actually highlights the rich interior and draws your eye to the molten custardy center. 

QUICHE, BASQUE-STYLE 

Ingredients: 

9-inch premade deep dish pie crust

5 slices deli tavern hickory-smoked ham

8-ounces Gruyère cheese, or Swiss Cheese, thinly sliced

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup mayonnaise 

3 eggs and 1 yolk

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/8 teaspoon Italian herbs 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 10” pie plate with nonstick oil. Carefully mold the pie crust into the prepared pie plate. Cover pastry, alternating with the ham slices and the cheese slices. In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, eggs, seasoned salt, and melted butter. Mix well. Pour over the ham and cheese. Sprinkle with Italian herbs. Bake for 50-60 minutes until set. Check near the end to prevent over-baking. 

One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! Imagine, if you will, a time years ago when mothers stayed home to raise children, cooked homemade meals, cleaned the house, washed clothes (and ironed them) all as part of the weekly chores. Evening dinner, or supper to some, was followed by a daily dessert. No exceptions. The cookie jar was always full, you didn’t dare ask for a bowl of cereal for dinner, and you cleaned your plate at every meal. About that time my mom decided mixing chocolate chips into a butter-based dough produced a loaf of banana bread that literally became the envy of all the neighborhood kids. Some things were meant to last. 

ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas, peeled and crushed

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan with a nonstick oil containing flour. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and crushed bananas. Mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir just until batter is combined. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips, if desired. Bake one hour or until tester comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and then remove banana bread from loaf pan. Cool longer on a wire rack.

Natural PB Banana Rice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Natural PB Banana Rice Cake. Did you know the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, Elvis Presley, absolutely loved peanut butter and banana sandwiches? It’s true. Sometimes he would mash the bananas; sometimes he would add fried bacon to the mix, and sometimes he would eat them for days on end as a comfort food. Over time, this quirky sandwich became known as “The Elvis” on menus across the South. Fast forward to today. Puffed rice cakes can replace white bread as a lower calorie, crunchy alternative, especially for those watching their weight. I treat them as a guilt-free afternoon snack and so can you. 

NATURAL PB BANANA RICE CAKE 

Ingredients: 

1 rice cake, apple cinnamon variety 

1-2 tablespoons natural peanut butter, creamy texture 

1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced 

Ground Cinnamon, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Spread creamy peanut butter onto the apple cinnamon puffed rice cake; swirl. Top with banana slices. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Serve immediately. 

Jambon-Buerre French Baguettes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Jambon-Buerre French Baguettes! You can practically hear the music playing “Là Vie en Rose” in the memory-banks of your mind as you prepare this authentic version of a classic French picnic lunch. Discovering a French bakery stateside that bakes French baguettes is a gift beyond measure. I walked out with a market bag of assorted European bakery breads anticipating the delicacies that would soon follow. Such a delight! In hindsight, I teasingly referred to these scrumptious sandwiches as a common “Happy Meal” when purchased at the local patisserie. How spoiled am I? 

JAMBON-BUERRE FRENCH BAGUETTES 

Ingredients: 

1 traditional French baguette

2 -3 tablespoons French sea salt butter

1 tablespoon mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons caramelized onion jam

6-8 slices Emmental cheese 

6-8 slices prosciutto or jambon

Sweet gherkins, sliced in half horizontally 

Instructions: 

Cut the French baguette in half horizontally and separate. Butter cut sides with sea salt french butter. Spread mayonnaise and Dijon mustard on the top half. Spread caramelized onion jam on the bottom half. Cut slices of Emmental cheese on an angle and lay on the bottom portion of the baguette. Peel off the prosciutto, or jambon, and layer on top of the cheese. Arrange the halved gherkins over all. Place the top half onto the bottom half of the sandwich. Wrap with parchment paper and tie into place. These sandwiches can be eaten right away, or packed for a picnic. 

Icewine Cream Cheese Frosting

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Icewine Cream Cheese Frosting! I have fond memories of a trip to Canada where my hotel stay included a decadent piece of Icewine chocolate every single night. I had never heard of such a thing. I soon learned that Icewine is a dessert wine made from grapes that have frozen on the vine before they are picked. The water in the grapes freeze, while the sugars don’t. When the juice is pressed from the frozen grapes, and then fermented slowly, they produce a naturally sweet concentration of flavor that tastes like frozen honey. Interesting, isn’t it? As you can imagine, dark chocolate, soft cheeses, and fresh fruits make Icewine a popular companion as a decadent dessert. A little cordial goes a long way in satisfaction. 

ICEWINE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 

Ingredients: 

8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 

3 tablespoons Icewine Gewürztraminer wine

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions: 

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, unsalted butter, and Icewine on medium-high speed until light and smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Drizzle frosting over slices of pound cake, angel food cake, or lady fingers. Garnish with diced strawberries. Serve. 

Hasselback Rainbow Carrots

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Hasselback Rainbow Carrots! If you haven’t tried rainbow carrots yet, you’re missing out. The antioxidants are reason enough to give them a whirl. Personally, I like the natural sweetness they provide. It’s the vibrant colors in these rainbow beauties that piqued my interest from the onset. It’s the bundles of purple, yellow, red, and orange that draw attention on the dinner plate. I like adding a drizzle of acacia honey. It’s kinda like icing on a cake. 

HASSELBACK RAINBOW CARROTS 

Ingredients: 

1 pound organic rainbow carrots

4 tablespoons butter, unsalted

1/2 tablespoon rosemary leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon acacia honey

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x9” glass dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. Thoroughly clean rainbow carrots. One at a time, place a carrot on a soup spoon. Using a knife, carefully cut each carrot into slits without cutting all the way through. The spoon should stop the knife from cutting deeper. Repeat until all the carrots have hasselback cuts. Blanch the carrots in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain completely and allow the carrots to dry. Lay the carrots in a single layer in the prepared casserole dish, cut side up. Melt the butter. Using a pastry brush, cover each carrot with butter, paying attention to drip the butter into the slits of the carrots. Sprinkle with rosemary leaves, sea salt, and black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then baste again with remaining butter. Brush acacia honey over the surface. Bake 10 minutes longer until cooked. Serve immediately.