cheese

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Noodle Rigatoni! When time is of the essence, and you need a fulfilling meal, this dish can be made in minutes. While the wine is slightly chilling, and you wish to keep the kitchen cool, everything works together between stovetop and microwave. Your tastebuds will be satisfied without salad or bread as well since this meal-in-a-bowl hits the spot. 
NOODLE RIGATONI
Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage, ground

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fennel

1/4 teaspoon oregano 

1/4 teaspoon basil 

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon marjoram

1 8-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, cut-up

2 cups of Italian Roma tomatoes in sauce, cut-up

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

16 ounces rigatoni noodles
Instructions:

In a large skillet, brown Italian sausage until crumbled and cooked through. Drain and add garlic powder, pepper, salt, fennel, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and marjoram. Keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally. Warm separately the cut up tomatoes and the marinated artichoke hearts. Keep warm. Meanwhile, bring a 4-quart pan of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until tender; about 10 minutes. Stir often. It should be firm. Drain pasta. Place portions of rigatoni in individual serving bowls. Spoon tomatoes in sauce over noodles. Arrange artichoke hearts around edges. Lastly add crumbled Italian sausage over top. Garnish with feta cheese. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter F

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Frittata Frenzy! So you like quiche, but sometimes you could really do without the pie crust. Me too. And what about those small containers in the fridge with a smidgen of leftovers that are just too yummy to toss out? Here’s your answer. Mix your favorite ingredients such as cheese, meat, and vegetables. Combine them with egg, dairy, and spices. The end result is practically a masterpiece. It promises to surprise everyone, including you!
FRITTATA FRENZY
Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup Greek yogurt 

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon Mrs. Dash garlic herb seasoning

2 tablespoons green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon onion, chopped

1 tablespoon pimento, diced

4 ounces Mango Fire Cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces chorizo, cooked

1/3 cup herb croutons
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Beat eggs, milk, yogurt, and seasonings. Gently stir in green peppers, onions, pimentos, and cheese. Pour into two 6-inch individual greased baking dishes. Divide crumbled chorizo over the top of the omelet. Gently fold in croutons. This is done right before baking to avoid the meat and bread from sinking to the bottom. Bake uncovered 40 minutes or until omelet is set and top is golden brown. Garnish with fresh parsley. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Deep Dish Chicken Salad! Want to feel special? Try serving your next dinner in a traditional French-style mini au gratin pan. Not only does it show off food attractively, it offers single-serving portion control. It’s the perfect touch to any meal and bakes in less time. Make your life simpler with any of the oven-to-table choices available. I did. 
DEEP DISH CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients:

3 cups chicken, cooked

1 cup extra sharp cheese, finely shredded

1 tablespoon green onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sea salt to taste

Dash of pepper

1 cup potato chips, crushed
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine chicken, celery, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, lemon juice, celery seed, red pepper flakes, and half the cheese. Mix lightly. Spoon casseroles into single serving pans. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and potato chips. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with green onion snips. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter W

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Wholesome Waffle BBLT! You’ve never tried a waffle sandwich before? Me, either. Since I had some Belgian waffles in the freezer from the last time we pulled out the waffle iron, I thought today would be a great day to transform a classic BLT sandwich into something wonderful. The waffle dough keeps the sandwich soft and chewy, rounding off and eliminating the sharp edges of toast. The extra B, you ask? It’s for the subtle hint of bleu cheese; Bacon-Bleu-Lettuce-Tomato!
WHOLESOME WAFFLE BBLT
Ingredients:

1 Belgian waffle, quartered

6 slices black pepper bacon, cooked crisp

Romaine lettuce leaves

Sliced tomatoes

1 tablespoon Bleu cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Instructions:

Warm waffle wedges on low heat in a skillet brushed with a little butter. Do not let burn. Remove from heat. In a small bowl mix mayonnaise, yogurt, and Bleu cheese crumbles. To assemble sandwich, spread the mayonnaise blend on one waffle. Next, layer tomato, lettuce, and bacon. Top with another waffle. Secure the stack with a toothpick. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter S

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Sombrero Bread Bowl! OMG, this is the best kept secret! Go to your nearby Bakery and choose a savory artisan bread, small loaf. I chose Rosemary Olive Oil. From there, the biggest challenge is waiting for your mouth-watering seasoned creation to come out of the oven! Repeat after me, “All good things come to those who wait!” You can thank me later. 
SOMBRERO BREAD BOWL
Ingredients:

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing

1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 green onions

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 14.5-ounce round loaf of artisan loaf
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°. In medium bowl, blend Neufchâtel cheese, ranch dressing, cheddar cheese, red pepper flakes, and bacon until well mixed. Stir in onion snips. Cut off top of bread bowl. Hollow out insides. These may be used for dipping later. Fill center cavity with creamy mixture. Replace top. Wrap entire loaf in foil. Bake for 90 minutes. Peel back foil to expose bread bowl. Bake 30 minutes longer. Serve warm with bread cubes, multi-colored tortilla chips, and green onions. Enjoy!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Q

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Queso Casa Dip! Here’s an all-around favorite for any Summer gathering. The cheese delivers a smooth creamy taste followed by a “bite” of chile! Some say it’ll curl the tines of a fork. Just kidding! But seriously, it’s so popular you’ll have your friends asking for the recipe! 
QUESO CASA DIP
Ingredients:

4 cups cheddar cheese, extra-sharp finely shredded 

1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

2 tablespoons butter

1/7 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 ghost chile pepper, cut-up and seeds discarded*

2 Roma tomatoes, cut-up

2 green onions, cut-up

I 16-ounce can green-chile and lime refried beans

Greek Yogurt and jalapeños for garnish

*Ghost peppers are extremely hot, so you may substitute jalapeño peppers instead. 
Instructions:

Empty cheese into a large bowl, sprinkle with corn starch, and toss to coat. Melt butter into a large saucepan and add garlic, cheeses, and milk. Set on low heat and cook slowly, stirring mixture to keep from scorching. As it melts, fold in the 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt. Continue for 10-15 minutes until mixture is smooth and velvety. Add fresh tomatoes, green onions, and the ghost pepper. Stir gently to blend. Keep warm. Meanwhile, place refried beans in a microwave-safe dish and heat through. To serve, layer refried beans on a platter, pour Queso dip over top. Dollop with Greek yogurt. Serve with tortilla chips, café style. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Kolachy Wedding Cookies! The beauty of this wedding delicacy, popular in Central Europe, transforms every bite into a puff of pastry. Taste the splendor. Choose one or more of your favorite fruit toppings, sprinkle with a few chocolate morsels, and let the celebration begin! I made mine into Cherry Chocolate Chip Kolachys!
KOLACHY WEDDING COOKIES
Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 8-ounce package Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten 

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 can pie filling, any flavor

1/2 cups semi-sweet mini chocolate morsels

Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:

Cream together butter, Neufchâtel cheese, milk, and sugar. Add beaten egg yolk. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture and blend well. Refrigerate until the dough is thoroughly chilled (4 hours or overnight). Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out dough to 1/4″ thick on well-floured board. Cut with a 2″ round cookie cutter, or small glass. Place cut-outs on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make a depression with the back of a spoon in the center of each round. Fill the center with a dollop of fruit filling. Sprinkle chocolate morsels on top. Bake 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Jarlsburg Grilled Cheese! This is a perfect fusion of buttery, crisp, lightly salted Swiss-style cheese and dense artisan bread. Grilled at the correct temperature is crucial. It will result in a golden-brown crunch followed by a warm flow of oozing cheese with a sweet-tangy finish. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It really is!
Ingredients:

8 ounces of Jarlsburg cheese, grated

4 tablespoons mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

Artisan bread of choice, sliced (sesame bread is pictured)

Salted Butter for browning
Instructions:

Combine cheese, mayonnaise, and red onion in a medium bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate in a covered container for one hour. Slowly melt a dab of butter in the skillet over medium-low heat before adding the bread. Do not let the butter burn. If you brown the bread on both sides first, it will hasten the melting process of the cheese inside. Once the bread is browned on both sides, spread a spoonful of the Jarlsburg cheese mixture over one piece of bread and then place the other slice on top of the sandwich. Apply light pressure being careful not to squeeze the filling out onto the pan. Swirl the sandwich to get a nice brown color, about 2 minutes. Gently flip and repeat. Serve immediately. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter F

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: First-Class Fajitas! Grilling season is in full swing and what better way to prepare a smorgasbord of flavor. I prefer shrimp, my husband prefers steak, and we both like chicken. So we blend it all together and make this fabulous main course. Throw in the sides, salsa, and cheese, and everyone is happy!
FIRST-CLASS FAJITAS 
Ingredients:

1-pound of shrimp

2 chicken breasts, boneless

1 pound of sirloin steak
Marinate each meat/shrimp in the following: (x3)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup tequila 

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sea salt to taste
1 Vidalia onion

1 green pepper
4 romaine leaves, gently torn

1 tomato, chopped

2 green onions, snipped

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup salsa 

1/2 cup sliced jalapeños 

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro 

4 flour tortillas
Instructions:

In three shallow dishes, place steak, chicken and shrimp in their own marinade. Let stand for one hour. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Drain marinade and discard. Place meats and shrimp on grill.* Cook through until done. (Chicken will take about 7 minutes per side.)

(Steak will take 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.)

(Shrimp will take 2 minutes per side.)

(Grill the vegetables until tender, about 10 minutes total.) 

Meanwhile toss romaine leaves, tomatoes, and green onions to blend in a bowl. Fill tortillas with your favorite meats, veggies, and toppings. Serve with chips, salsa, and sour cream. Olé!
*For easy cooking on the grill, use one grill pan for the shrimp as well as one for the vegetables.