“Fear of carbs, of gluten, of everything –
we’ve distanced ourselves from
the beauty of food,
the art of it.
It makes me sad when people say,
‘Oh, I don’t eat gluten.
I don’t eat cheese.
I don’t eat this.
So I eat cardboard.'”
~ Olivia Wilde
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Quatre Fromage Garlic Breadsticks! For all the bread-lovers out there, be aware. What may begin as a simple after-school snack can quickly escalate into an early supper. The aroma of freshly baked bread spreads into a room like magic. Turn things to your advantage. Pair these ooey gooey cheesy breadsticks with a garden salad or plate of fresh veggies. The end result is a contagious good mood, a full stomach, and the rest of the evening to pamper yourself. How’s that for a recipe that is spot on?
QUATRE FROMAGE GARLIC BREADSTICKS
Ingredients:
1 tube prepared pizza dough
1-2 tablespoons corn meal
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Harvarti cheese, shredded
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Parmesan Reggiano cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon dill weed
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll pizza dough. Place over cornmeal on baking sheet. Brush top side with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Layer four cheeses evenly over dough. Take a pizza cutter and slice the dough lengthwise into 10-12 strips. Then cut those in half. Do not separate. Bake 10-13 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheeses are gooey. Remove from oven. Recut each strip all the way through. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with dill weed. Serve warm with marinara sauce, garlic butter, or ranch dressing.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Pear Camembert Flatbread! It’s seldom I get the cart before the horse, but I had to share this phenomenal flatbread with you, simply because I couldn’t wait any longer. Let’s refer to today’s recipe as a Prequel, shall we? Perhaps it will whet your appetite in anticipation of what lies ahead. As promised, the Tomato Jam recipe will be featured in the upcoming post entitled, Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter T. Some things are simply worth the wait.
PEAR CAMEMBERT FLATBREAD
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon corn meal
1 prepared-dough naan round
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup tomato jam*
1 pear, peeled, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced
2 ounces Camembert cheese, diced
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Sprinkle corn meal onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick oil. Brush both sides of naan with olive oil. Place on top of corn meal. Bake 5 minutes; set aside. Spread tomato jam evenly over naan, leaving a crust edge. Arrange pear slices over crust. Scatter Camembert and mozzarella cheeses over top. Bake 10 minutes until pears are soft, cheese is bubbly, and crust is golden. Remove from oven. Cool slightly; then cut into wedges.
*Tomato Jam recipe is featured at the following link.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Jambon de Bayonne Baguette! If you don’t have time to run by the local artisan bakery, consider this option. By using ingredients you may already have on hand from the local supermarket deli, this homemade version of a Parisian favorite can be done in minutes. It’s basically a ham and cheese sandwich stepped up a notch.
JAMBON DE BAYONNE BAGUETTE
Ingredients:
1 baguette, cut in half (serves 2)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
1-2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
3 ounces Jambon de Bayonne, or aged prosciutto
2 romaine lettuce leaves
2 slices espresso/lavender rubbed cheese
8 cornichon gherkins
Instructions:
Slice baguette lengthwise, without cutting all the way through to create a submarine sandwich. Spread a fine layer of Dijon mustard over each baguette half. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and herbs de Provence. Add slices tomatoes to coat, reserving olive oil mixture. Place one layer of tomatoes in each baguette. Next divide prosciutto, romaine lettuce, and gourmet cheese between baguette sandwiches. Top with cornichon gherkins. Drizzle with remaining herbed olive oil. Close and serve. Bon Appétit!
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Hamburger Strudel! Dress up a classic meatloaf recipe with this super simple crust to create an elegant wrap for a main course. No, it’s not Beef Wellington, but it’s a tasty alternative at a fraction of the cost. I highly recommend an all-natural organic lean beef for fabulous results. It’s dinner-party worthy!
HAMBURGER STRUDEL
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 onion, chopped
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parsley
1 tube 8-count crescent rolls
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Pinch of parsley
1 cup sour cream
2 green onions, snipped
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a baking pan with nonstick oil. In a large skillet, sauté onions and mushrooms in butter. Add ground beef. Cook until crumbly and brown. Drain excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine meat mixture, sea salt, black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Let cool slightly before folding in beaten eggs. Add cheddar cheese and parsley. Form into a loaf pan and freeze for one hour. Carefully remove chilled loaf from pan. Unroll tube of crescent rolls. Pinch seams to seal. Wrap dough around meatloaf; seal. Transfer to the prepared baking pan. Brush with butter; sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and pinch of parsley. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cut into 1″ slices. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and green onion snips.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Fondue Pizza Party! Revitalize the 1970s by throwing a fondue party. Gather up the dipping forks, where everyone chooses their favorite color. Remember, these forks are for spearing and dipping only. Never allow your guests to eat from the sharp pointed ends. Another reason eating from the fondue forks is a no-no is to avoid adding germs to the fondue sauce. So, set the table and let the fun begin!
FONDUE PIZZA PARTY
Ingredients:
1 pound Italian meatballs, pre-cooked and ready-to-serve
8 ounces bite size dry salami or pepperoni slices
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 pound cherry tomatoes
8 ounces mozzarella sticks, cut into chunks
28-30 ounce jar pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce
Breadsticks
Bagel chips
Rosemary sprigs
Instructions:
Heat pizza sauce to boiling, then reduce to simmer, stirring constantly. Keep warm. Transfer to a fondue pot when ready to serve. Set on low heat to maintain a constant temperature. Arrange meatballs, pepperoni slices, green pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes, and cheese chunks on one or two serving platters. Include breadsticks, crostini, or bagel chips as another option. Spear dippers with fondue forks or rosemary sprigs. Dip ingredients into the fondue sauce for pizza party magic.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Deveined Shrimp Queso! As the nights turn cool, cozy up around the fire with warm appetizers that are sure to please. Save prep time by beginning with precooked shrimp. It takes all the worry out of wondering if the shrimp is cooked through. I find the convenience of having frozen shrimp on hand an advantage. You will, too.
DEVEINED SHRIMP QUESO
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined
1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup margarita mix, liquid
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Romano cheese, shaved
Fresh dill
Tortilla chips
Crostini
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, shrimp, seasoned salt, seafood seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Cook 5 minutes; turn and cook 2 minutes longer. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover shrimp with tequila and liquid margarita mixture. Add butter. Cook 5 minutes. Transfer shrimp to an ovenproof casserole dish. Arrange in single layer. Mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring pan drippings to a boil. Gradually add cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly as sauce thickens. If necessary, add more water. Pour sauce over shrimp. Cover with Monterey Jack cheese, spreading evenly. Top with shaved Romano cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Garnish with fresh dill. Serve warm with tortilla chips or crostini.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Chef’s Plate! Pull together a party-friendly charcuterie platter where finger foods rule. Make it as elaborate as you choose, depending on the size of the guest list. Obviously for an intimate dinner for two, something like this is a perfect balance of contrasting flavors. Keep the bread crunchy and the jam or jelly sweet. It offsets the fatty, salty meat by cutting through the richness of the buttery cheese. The tartness of gherkins is a classic choice for nibbling in between. Be creative. Anything goes.
CHEF’S PLATE
Ingredients:
Jalapeño Pepper Jelly
Cornichons Gherkins
Red Onion
Baguette Toast
Mixed Nuts
Summer Sausage Sticks
Aged Bleu Cheese
Bite-size Dry Salami
Instructions:
Fill small condiment bowls with pepper jelly, baby gherkins, and assorted mixed nuts. Slice baguette. Rub with olive oil and bake in a 350° oven for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake 5 minutes longer. Place on a chef’s board or in a bread basket. Arrange cured hard sausages around the wedge of Bleu cheese. Slices red onion and “fan” near the bread. Once the food is arranged, open a bottle of wine, and enjoy the experience of grazing.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Xigua Watermelon Salad! With seasonal changes, there may be days that feel more like Summer than Autumn. At those times, I roll back the calendar by serving a light meal with a couple of cool melons. The natural sweetness of watermelon and honeydew are complimented by the smoky saltiness of thinly sliced prosciutto. When drizzled with a homemade vinaigrette, it works beautifully to balance the fresh fruit and mixed greens with the aged cheese. Take advantage of watermelon salad’s one final “hurrah” before it’s gone.
XIGUA WATERMELON SALAD
Ingredients:
1 cup watermelon, cut into chunks and seeded
1 cup honeydew melon, cut into chunks and seeded
1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin
1/3 cup mandarin oranges
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons natural honey
2 cups arugula
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn
3-4 slices prosciutto
1/4 cup Romano cheese, shaved
Instructions:
Combine watermelon, honeydew melon, red onion, mandarin oranges, and kosher salt. Gently toss. To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk lemon juice, lemon olive oil, and natural honey. Drizzle over fruit mixture. Divide arugula and mint between chilled salad plates. Top with fruit mixture. Add prosciutto. Garnish with shaved Romano cheese. Serve chilled.
