chives

Indian Couscous With Saffron

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Indian Couscous with Saffron! This side dish is wonderful to have with poultry instead of potatoes or stuffing. I like its versatility because it doesn’t weigh me down, but offers appealing flavor. You can add or subtract herbs and vegetables to your heart’s delight, choosing what you have on hand. I tend to serve it warm rather than cold. Others make a meal out it. Either way, it’s very economical as well as exotic.

INDIAN COUSCOUS WITH SAFFRON

Ingredients:

1 cup couscous

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 stalk celery, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 tablespoon chives, snipped

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 tablespoons hot water

4 threads saffron

Instructions:

Dissolve saffron in hot water. Set aside. In a 2-quart pan, combine chicken broth, olive oil, parsley, turmeric, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, celery, and carrots. Add saffron mixture. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Couscous will be tender. Fluff with fork. Add the snipped chives and pine nuts. Season to taste with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Serve warm.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Clean Plate Club: Lump Crabmeat Salad! Be pampered on a sunny porch or backyard patio with a light luncheon for two. Dining al fresco is especially popular with nature’s backdrop of fragrant flowers and tittering birdsong. These are what days are made of. If it’s a late afternoon gathering of light appetizers and spritzers, serve this lump crabmeat salad with crackers instead. Fresh fruit is always a good idea. Take advantage of warm weather and celebrate a party-like atmosphere.

LUMP CRABMEAT SALAD

Ingredients:

8 ounces wild caught lump crabmeat, cartilage removed

1 tablespoon Italian dressing mix

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 rib celery, diced

1/4 cup red pepper, diced

4 teaspoons chives, sliced

1 teaspoon tarragon leaves

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 dash sriracha sauce

Red pepper, halved and membrane removed

Bibb lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Gently rinse crabmeat in a fine mesh strainer to remove any shell pieces or cartilage. Do not break up crab chunks. Transfer crabmeat to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning mix. Toss to coat. Drizzle with lemon juice. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, diced celery, diced red pepper, sliced chives, tarragon leaves, dry mustard, garlic powder, celery seed, kosher salt, white pepper, and sriracha sauce. Mix well. Add the crabmeat mixture to the mayonnaise mixture, gently coating the lump crabmeat. Spoon the crabmeat into two hollowed out red pepper shells. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour. Arrange Bibb lettuce leaves on two saucers; place lump crabmeat salad on each plate. Serve chilled.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Hasselback Honey-Roasted Carrots!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Hasselback Honey-Roasted Carrots! Get cooking with a vegetable side dish that will bring on the cheers. It not only has eye appeal when served, it is bursting of natural flavor combined with exotic spices. This is everyday cooking. Who wants to give it a try? These beautifully sliced carrots are incredibly simple to make.

HASSELBACK HONEY-ROASTED CARROTS

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh carrots, peeled and tops trimmed

1/4 cup natural honey

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

Fresh Chives for garnish

Pomegranate arils for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Beginning at one end of the carrot, slice in vertical strips, being careful to stop before slicing through the bottom. Repeat with remaining carrots. Transfer carrots to a shallow dish. Combine natural honey, olive oil, seasoned salt, black pepper, ground ginger, paprika, ground cumin, and thyme. Stir well. Brush glaze onto the carrots, turning to coat. Place carrots on a nonstick baking pan in a single layer without touching. Bake 40-45 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives and pomegranate arils.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Norwegian Jarlsburg Cheese Spread!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Norwegian Jarlsberg Cheese Spread! Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Jarlsberg cheese originated in Norway as a buttery mild cow’s milk cheese with a sweet nutty flavor. In some photos it may appear similar to Swiss cheese, full of holes, but in essence it is much smoother and richer. Don’t believe me? Order a grilled cheese sandwich made with semi-soft imported Jarlsberg cheese sometime and try not to faint when you are asked to pay a much higher price for this gooey better-than-generic extravagance.

NORWEGIAN JARLSBERG CHEESE SPREAD

Ingredients:

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

4 ounces Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

1 can (4 ounce size) stuffed green olives, sliced

Sea salt, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup chives, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

Instructions:

Mix together Neufchâtel cheese, Jarlsberg cheese, and mayonnaise until well blended. Stir in red onion and green olives. Add sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Form into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour. Roll cheese ball in chopped chives and pecans bits before serving. Spread into crackers or bagel chips.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Chow Down: Garlic Smashed Potatoes! Now you, too, can have the same potato side dish at home which you often choose in popular eateries. It’s so incredibly easy you’ll find yourself wondering why you didn’t think of it before now. My simple recipe requires only three key ingredients: Idaho Russet Potatoes, Boursin Garlic Cheese, and of course, French Butter with sea salt. A sprinkling of bacon bits and fresh cut chives for garnish merely enhances an already phenomenal taste. With the holidays on the horizon, be kind to yourself. Keep it simple and WOW your friends and family without spending endless hours in the kitchen. You deserve it. 
GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES 
Ingredients:

2 large Idaho Russet Potatoes 

5.2 ounces package Boursin Garlic and Herb Gournay cheese

2 tablespoons butter, salted

Bacon bits, for garnish 

Fresh cut chives, for garnish 
Instructions:

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Place potatoes in a 2-quart pan. Cover with cold water. Add about a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes for 15-18 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Empty pan of potatoes into a colander to remove water. Transfer potatoes back to the pan, add butter and Boursin garlic cheese. Cover for 2-3 minutes. Take a hand mixer and smash the ingredients together until slightly chunky. Potatoes will be stiff but creamy. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish. Top with bacon bits and fresh cut chives for garnish. Serve immediately with gravy, if desired. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter S

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Shrimp-Cargot! Not everyone is a fan of the traditional escargot, especially when you mention the word “snails”. By substituting today’s version of that classic French dish with shrimp, it appeals to a more conservative palate. Not only will it satisfy the shrimp-lover in your family, but it’s a little easier on the pocketbook as well. Face it, shrimp is readily available and pretty economical. Combine it with gooey melted cheese and it can make children finish their chores or hypnotize a husband into tackling that “Honey-Do List”. Hurray for shrimp!
SHRIMP-CARGOT
Ingredients:

12 frozen precooked shrimp, thawed

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seafood spice blend

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup Havarti cheese with dill, shaved

Garnish with fresh chives 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. Do not scorch. Transfer shrimp to skillet in a single layer. Sprinkle with garlic powder, seafood spice blend, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and pepper. Brown shrimp 1 minute, turn and brown 1 minute longer. Add white wine, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a shallow ovenproof dish. Cover shrimp with shaved Havarti cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes until hot and cheese is melted. Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh chives. Serve with crusty bread or toast points.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Lyonnaise Potatoes! Don’t you love fancy names for regular dishes. Think about it. Instead of skinny flat pancakes, we say “Crepes”. Or an old-fashioned grilled ham and cheese sandwich popular in France goes by “Croque Monsieur”. What about American hot dogs in crescent rolls? Anybody? That’s right, “Pigs in a Blanket”. Today’s pan-fried potatoes and onions can be fancied up for dinner when you refer to them as “Lyonnaise Potatoes”. But don’t say that too often or the hubs may announce he wants to eat at “Chez Maison” tonight. (at home)
LYONNAISE POTATOES
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1-2 Idaho russet potatoes, peel on and sliced 1/4″ thick

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 Vidalia sweet onion, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

Fresh chives and tarragon for garnish 
Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover bottom of pan with potatoes in a single layer. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Dot with half the butter. Repeat with remaining potatoes and butter. Cook until potatoes are brown on the bottom, 10-15 minutes. Add onions; season with garlic powder. Cook, gently turning onions and potatoes until thoroughly cooked, 8-10 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer potato mixture to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh chives and tarragon leaves. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Ginger-Orange Salmon Lettuce Cups! Is it an Appetizer or an Entrée? Both. Ginger paired with orange creates amazing flavor, not to mention health benefits galore. Adding grilled salmon for omega-3s is a bonus. But enough about that and back to the lettuce cup popularity. Anytime you cut down on calories, carbs, and gluten it adds up to guilt-free options. Mix things up with seasonal fruits, garden veggies, grilled seafood, and roasted meat for creative favorites. Anything goes!
GINGER-ORANGE SALMON LETTUCE CUPS
Ingredients:

1 cup grilled orange-ginger grilled salmon, flaked 

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon horseradish 

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1 teaspoon capers

1 green onion, chopped

1/3 cup mandarin oranges

Bibb lettuce leaves

Fresh chives, for garnish 

Ground Pistachio nuts, for garnish 
Instructions:

Grill ginger-orange salmon according to package directions. Flake salmon; set aside to cool. In a small bowl, combine Neufchâtel cheese and horseradish until smooth. Gently fold in chopped dill, capers, and green onion. Spread onto Bibb lettuce leaves. Equally divide salmon over cream cheese mixture. Add mandarin orange slices. Garnish with fresh chives and pistachios. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter H

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Hasselback Honey-Roasted Carrots! Get cooking with a vegetable side dish that will bring on the cheers. It not only has eye appeal when served, it is bursting of natural flavor combined with exotic spices. This is everyday cooking. Who wants to give it a try? These beautifully sliced carrots are incredibly simple to make. 
HASSELBACK HONEY-ROASTED CARROTS
Ingredients:

1 pound fresh carrots, peeled and tops trimmed

1/4 cup natural honey

1-2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon paprika 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

Fresh Chives for garnish

Pomegranate arils for garnish
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Beginning at one end of the carrot, slice in vertical strips, being careful to stop before slicing through the bottom. Repeat with remaining carrots. Transfer carrots to a shallow dish. Combine natural honey, olive oil, seasoned salt, black pepper, ground ginger, paprika, ground cumin, and thyme. Stir well. Brush glaze onto the carrots, turning to coat. Place carrots on a nonstick baking pan in a single layer without touching. Bake 40-45 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives and pomegranate arils.