cheese

Enchilada Cheesy Hash Browns

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Enchilada Cheesy Hash Browns!  This time-honored recipe came to me from a friend who had perfected the art of authentic Mexican food. Monica shared some of her trade secrets on more than one occasion, but warned me about one unwary pitfall. “Once you perfect these traditional recipes, your husband may be less willing to take you out to dinner as often.”  So be forewarned. Choose this perfect alternative for those nights you need a “meatless” meal. 

ENCHILADA CHEESY HASH BROWNS

Ingredients:

4 baked potatoes, peeled and shredded into hash browns*

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

3/4 cup Spanish onion, chopped

10 ounces baby peas

1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

10-count package corn tortillas

15 ounces tomatillo salsa

Green onions for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″x13″ glass baking dish with nonstick oil. Pour tomatillo salsa into a pie plate. Set aside. Place the corn tortillas on a plate nearby. In a large skillet, sauté onions in olive oil. Add hash brown potatoes, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook until slightly crisp. Add peas and mix well. To assemble enchiladas, dip one tortilla into tomatillo salsa on both sides. Transfer to a dinner plate and fill with potato mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of each cheese. Gently roll enchilada and place seam side down in glass dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Drizzle remaining salsa over all. Spread cheese over top of enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and brown cheese 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Garnish with green onion snips. Olé!

*If time is of the essence, you may substitute with frozen shredded hash browns. 

Bleu Plate Special

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Bleu Plate Special! As the day winds down, the kids are fed, and the sunset turns to burnt-sugar orange, take some time out for yourself. Make a delightful cheese plate filled with inviting textures balanced by a range of flavors from aged and smoky to salty and sweet. Pair with a glass of sweet wine (or fruity spritzer) for an amazing taste sensation. Sink back into a comfy chaise lounge and let soft music fill the room. Remind yourself this is a classic French dessert, and prepare to be pampered. 

BLEU PLATE SPECIAL

Ingredients:

Wedge of Bleu Cheese (or any aged cheese variety)

Bunch of Green Grapes (or any seasonal fruit)

Smoked Almonds

Water Crackers (or crusty breads)

Instructions:

Choose a platter where all ingredients can be arranged in a simple way, leaving space between choices. Identify cheeses if offering more than one kind. Rule of thumb: Place one cheese knife or spreader for each type of cheese. Keep it simple. 

Zinfandel Pairings

Eating My Way Through the Holidays. Festive Food Gifts: Zinfandel Pairings! Just when I thought I’d seen it all, there in the produce department perched on the bottom shelf below its green and red cousins, was a small bin of larger-than-life black seedless grapes. Immediately I was intrigued. The hand-scribbled sign boasted sweet and tart beyond your wildest dreams. That’s it. Nothing more than “Product of USA” on the package. It didn’t matter. It was love-at-first-sight. I knew immediately that a Zinfandel wine and tangy cheese would join the impromptu Date Night that was forming in my mind. Later on, after I got home, I read all kinds of powerful benefits these precious little gems do for the body, mind, and soul. What a perfect prologue for guilt-free delicacies. 

ZINFANDEL PAIRINGS 

Ingredients:

1 pound black seedless grapes

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

4 ounces feta cheese, block

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup honeycomb 

Multigrain French Bread slices, lightly toasted 

Raw Honey, for drizzling

Lemon Thyme, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a small dish, combine olive oil, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper. Wash cluster of black grapes; pat dry. Place grapes on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, generously coat the grapes with the olive oil mixture. Roast for 30 minutes. Grapes will release juice and begin to wrinkle. Remove pan from oven to cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Break the feta cheese into rough chunks. Transfer to a baking dish sprayed with nonstick oil. Sprinkle with olive oil and lemon zest. Drizzle with raw honey. Bake for 15 minutes until softened. Broil until slightly golden. Watch carefully. To serve, spread warm cheese on toasted baguette slices. Top with a piece of honeycomb. Place a roasted grape over the cheese. Drizzle with raw honey. Garnish with lemon thyme. Serve with a slightly chilled glass of red Zinfandel. 

Neufchâtel Nibblets

Festive Food Gifts: Neufchâtel Nibblets! Instead of serving the traditional large cheese ball at your next group gathering, think about individual portions. As a centerpiece on a buffet table, a cheeseball makes a great focal point until someone digs in. Then it immediately loses its form. On the other hand, nibblets remain appealing. Finger food is always a good idea, in my opinion. Not only are they fun to eat, they make things easier for walking around the edge of a party. Grab a few crackers and nibble away. 

NEUFCHÂTEL NIBBLETS 

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons Neufchâtel cheese, softened

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

Carrot sticks, cut 3 inches long

Celery sticks, cut 3 inches long

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. In a mixing bowl combine Neufchâtel cheese, softened butter, Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, and smoked paprika. Mix well. Using a cookie scoop, form mixture into balls, transfer to prepared baking sheet, and refrigerate one hour or until balls are firm. In a shallow dish, combine fresh chives and chopped pecans. Gently press chilled cheeseballs in nut mixture. Insert vegetable stick into each cheeseball. Arrange a platter and serve. 

ZZ “Zucchini” Topped Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: ZZ “Zucchini” Topped Potatoes! This recipe is going to be rock music to your ears. (If you pre-bake several potatoes on the weekend, it’ll eliminate one step during the week.) Create a fast meal by loading baked potatoes with yummy ingredients. Then top them off with sautéed zucchini, sweet onions, and hickory-smoked bacon. Can you feel the beat? Put this toe-tapping favorite in your recipe box…….and Rock On!

ZZ “ZUCCHINI” TOPPED POTATOES

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes, baked

Sea Salt

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup milk

2 green onions, snipped

1/4 cup butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Wash potatoes, pat dry. Pierce each one on top. Spray with nonstick oil and sprinkle sea salt on skins. Bake for one hour. When done, let cool for ten minutes. Meanwhile, cook bacon. Drain on paper towels and crumble. Sauté onions and zucchini in olive oil. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise.  Remove the flesh into a bowl leaving enough skin to form a shell. Place skins in a shallow baking dish. To the flesh, add yogurt, milk, green onions, butter, and 1/3 cup cheddar cheese. Blend until creamy. Spoon the filling into the potato skins. Top with remaining cheese, sautéed zucchini, onions, and crumbled bacon. Bake 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Viva Poblano

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Viva Poblano! How can such small pepper plants produce so many poblanos?  When it rains, it pours!  It seems as though we have peppers coming out of our ears: jalapeño peppers, Marconi sweet peppers, poblano peppers, bell peppers, and finally habanero peppers. I have roasted, baked, dried, and pickled peppers in all sorts of delicious ways. Today’s dish is a Mexican specialty that showcases the smoky taste of poblanos. It’s a meal in itself. To tone down the heat, always add cheese. Permission granted. 

VIVA POBLANO 

Ingredients:

4 large poblano chiles, roasted, halved, seeded, skins removed

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions. Add ground beef, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook until meat is completely brown and crumbly. Remove from heat. Spray four individual casserole dishes with nonstick oil. Place one poblano pepper in the bottom of each dish, laying the split pepper open to fill the dish. Cover the pepper with Monterey Jack cheese. Add a layer of seasoned ground beef mixture. Finally top with cheddar cheese. Spray aluminum foil with nonstick oil. Cover each casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer. Serve with chips and salsa. 

Understated Stuffed Stromboli

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Understated Stuffed Stromboli! Everyone likes finger food. Take a ready-made French bread dough, add your favorite meats, and cheeses….and Voilà, you have a speedy sandwich assembled in minutes. I often serve it with a side of marinara sauce for dipping. Leftovers make a tasty midnight snack, whether you warm it up or eat it cold. Either way, you won’t see this understated grinder hang around very long. 

UNDERSTATED STUFFED STROMBOLI

Ingredients:

1 tube refrigerated crusty French bread

1 cup mozzarella cheese, finely shredded

1 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

1/4 pound deli smoked ham, thinly sliced

1/4 pound deli salami, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter, melted

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1/8 teaspoon dill weed

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Unroll the dough and pat into a rectangle about 12″ x 14″. Sprinkle with mozzarella to within half an inch from the edges. Layer ham over mozzarella cheese. Top ham with cheddar cheese. Then layer salami over the cheddar cheese. Roll up lengthwise; seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Tuck ends under. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with dill weed. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into four servings. 

Risotto Easy Peasy

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Risotto Easy Peasy! Until I master the same technique of the gourmet risotto served in my favorite Italian restaurant, I turn to this reliable substitute. Made with eco-friendly high quality arborio rice and seasonings, it’s ready in half the time with results that please. By adding baby peas and fresh parmesan cheese, the outcome gives it my stamp of approval. 

RISOTTO EASY PEASY

Ingredients:

1 box Gluten-Free Lundberg Creamy Parmesan Risotto*

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup baby peas

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Sauté arborio rice for 2 minutes in olive oil over medium heat using a 2 quart saucepan. Add 2 1/2 cups water and seasonings. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The rice will get thick and creamy. Add baby peas stirring until heated through. Garnish with parmesan cheese. Serve hot. 

*Available from Lundberg Family Farms. (I receive no recompense for promoting their product.)

Naan Margherita Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Naan Margherita Flatbread! Naan is an exotic oven-baked bread that makes the perfect personal size pizza. It can be made from scratch, but today’s version was available at my local supermarket bakery. I was looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal that wouldn’t weigh me down. Add fresh ingredients and you have a healthy choice for dinner. Basil was in abundance in my herb garden, so I decided to utilize it. Yum!

NAAN MARGHERITA FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

One slice of naan bread

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated 

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

8-10 basil leaves, whole and cut

1/8 teaspoon oregano 

Sea salt to taste

Cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spread olive oil on naan flatbread. Layer mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato halves, and basil leaves. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Bake on a pizza stone sprinkled with corn meal for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted.