crackers

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter W

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Warm Feta Spread! At first glance you may think the hot pepper mixture is too flaming hot to eat. Peppers, after all, can be pretty spicy. Removing the seeds is half the battle. Still, the skin of a hot pepper contains oils which ignite the heat sensors in the mouth. All true. However, cheese acts as a natural fire extinguisher to diminish the heat factor, while promoting the amazing taste of peppers. Feta cheese contains milk, which is another component in reducing heat. Trust me, all together it works. 
WARM FETA SPREAD
Ingredients:

8-ounce block feta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, crushed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 green hot pepper, sliced

1 habanero pepper, seeds removed and chopped

1 shallot, sliced

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 ripe tomato, diced

Fresh tarragon for garnish

Assorted bagel chips and crackers 
Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Place feta cheese block in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with crushed Herbes de Provence. Bake 15 minutes until cheese is soft. Meanwhile heat one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add green hot pepper slices, chopped habanero pepper, sliced shallots, and garlic powder. Cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove warmed feta cheese from oven. Top with diced tomatoes and hot pepper mixture. Garnish with fresh tarragon. Serve with assorted bagel chips and crackers. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Z

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: Zen Himalayan Plate! Go above ordinary ingredients and transform your palate with a meal on the Himalayan salt plate. Foods pick up a delicate saltiness that transcends the flavor and leaves behind monotony. By creating bite-size pieces of fish, shellfish, and cucumber sushi, nourishment balances out the inner peace from within. Good for health-crazed affenciados as well as those soul-searching for expression. 
ZEN HIMALAYAN PLATE
Ingredients:

3.75-ounce tin Wild Caught Sardines, in olive oil

1 lemon, sliced and quartered

3.75-ounce tin smoked oysters

Fresh lemon thyme

7-ounces prepared crab dip

4 mini cucumbers, seedless

Fresh dill

Assorted crackers
Instructions:

Arrange sardines on a Himalayan salt plate. Drizzle with olive oil from the tin. Place lemon wedges on fish and garnish with fresh lemon thyme. Smoked oysters may be served in individual sea shells. Drizzle with sauce from the tin. Oysters may also be served on a cracker. To assemble the cucumber sushi, slice mini cucumbers into thick rolls. To remove the inside portion of each disc, place the cucumber on a cutting board, use a sharp knife, and rotate the cuke until the center is cut out. Make sure the walls remain. Discard fleshy pulp. Place the cucumber “rings” on the Himalayan salt plate. Spoon prepared crabmeat dip into each ring. Press gently to fill the sushi roll. Garnish with dill. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter V

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Vegan Charcuterie Board! Here’s your solution to what to serve with grilled meats this summer. Choose popular garden veggies, distinct to the season. Arrange them on a charcuterie board with nuts and flavorful dips. Peruse the local farmers’ market or produce section of your nearest grocers. With a little effort, the Vegan Charcuterie Board can be the star attraction for holidays and picnic outings. Check it out!
VEGAN CHARCUTERIE BOARD
Ingredients:

Carrot sticks 

Asparagus spears

Celery sticks

Cherry tomatoes 

Mini cucumbers, sliced

Radishes, quartered

Yellow sweet peppers, sliced Green olives, stuffed

Kalamata olives, pitted

Pistachios in shell

Assorted crackers
Ingredients for Hummus:

15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup tahini paste

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon lemon olive oil

1 tablespoon capers
Using a food processor, pulse chickpeas until smooth. Add tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, cumin powder, and sea salt. Process until mixed. Transfer hummus to a shallow bowl. Drizzle with lemon olive oil. Garnish with capers. 
Ingredients for Dill Dip:

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 

1 tablespoon dill weed

1 teaspoon capers

1 tablespoon chives, chopped
Combine Neufchâtel cheese and prepared horseradish. Stir until smooth. Fold in dill weed, capers, and chives. Refrigerate one hour before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter T

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Thyme for Brie! Serving baked cheese is always a good idea, in my book. It’s like granting permission to have an appetizer as a meal plus, you get to eat with your fingers. By adding fresh herbs and natural honey, suddenly cheese becomes an elegant appetizer that even has men succumbing to its allure and gooey texture. Grab a bottle of wine or sparkling beverage, ease onto the back porch, and watch the sun sink into the shadowy horizon. 
THYME FOR BRIE
Ingredients:

1 wheel of Brie 

2 tablespoons Savannah Bee raw acacia honey*, or natural honey

4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme

Sea salt crackers

Crispy Parmesan cheese rounds
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a nonstick ovenproof dish with nonstick oil. Slice the rind off the top of the wheel of Brie. Place the wheel in the dish with skin side down. Drizzle acacia honey over the top of the Brie. Place fresh thyme over honey. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is gooey and completely melted. Serve immediately with any assortment of crackers. 
*I receive no recompense for recommending Savannah Bee raw acacia honey. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Golden Oyster Stew

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Golden Oyster Stew! I knew it was something special when my father requested this savory stew once a year. Although he was the only one who indulged in its aromatic creaminess, I managed to sneak one spoonful each time. I guess you could say eventually I acquired a taste for this seafood delicacy. Now I’m sharing it with you. Carry on the tradition. 
GOLDEN OYSTER STEW
Ingredients:

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon onion, chopped 

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

8 ounces of fancy whole oysters, with oyster liquor 

1 cup light cream

1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, finely shredded 

Oyster crackers 
Instructions:

In a 2-quart pan over medium high heat, combine potatoes, onion, butter, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add just enough water to cover. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer and add oysters with liquor, cream, and cheese. Stir occasionally for cheese to melt. Gently bubble until the edges of the oysters begin to curl. Do not boil over. Serve the golden oyster stew immediately with oyster crackers. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Scalloped Oysters 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Scalloped Oysters! For a true southern dish, you may turn to succulent oysters, crispy topping, and a creamy luscious sauce for a rich holiday dish that traditions are made of. More than likely, the family secret may be passed down through the generations. Some include parmesan cheese, others an oyster liquor. Perhaps the crumb layers consist of crushed butter crackers, but then again they may be seasoned breadcrumbs. No matter how you serve it up, the excitement builds for scalloped oyster dressing. Or casserole. Whatever you choose to call it. 
SCALLOPED OYSTERS
Ingredients:

1 pint Oysters, whole

2 cups cracker crumbs

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup oyster liquor 

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an oven-proof dish with nonstick oil. Drain oysters, saving liquor. Combine cracker crumbs, melted butter, sea salt, and white pepper. Mix well. Spread one-third of the crumbs in the bottom of the dish. Layer with half the oysters, forming a single layer. Repeat with cracker crumbs and oysters. Top with the remaining cracker crumbs. Combine cream, oyster liquor, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Pour over oyster layers. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Serve warm. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Figgy Honey-Baked Cheese 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Figgy Honey-Baked Cheese! Looking for an appetizer that brings in the cheer? It’s easy to create your own version of elegance when you use quality ingredients that begin with cheese. To awaken the taste buds, sprinkle in a few red pepper flakes which compliment the natural sweetness of honey. The crunch of walnuts satisfies those earthy snack-seekers. Bake it all together for the most captivating sweet holiday aroma. Deck the Halls with boughs of Holly. Fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-la-lah!
FIGGY HONEY-BAKED CHEESE
Ingredients: 

8-ounce wheel Normandy Style Camembert cheese, double crème 

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons natural honey

2 tablespoons fig jam

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cheese wheel in an oven-proof dish. Score the cheese in a criss-cross pattern. Pour melted butter over cheese. Drizzle natural honey over cheese. Spread fig jam over cheese. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Top with chopped walnuts. Bake 20-25 minutes until cheese is soft and bubbly. Serve warm with sliced apples, assorted crackers, and baguette slices.  

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Chocolate Chip Candied Cheese Ball

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Chocolate Chip Candied Cheese Ball! The most amazing surprise appears at first bite. Dark chocolate blended with sweetened cream cheese presents itself as a first class cheeseball that leaves everyone smacking their lips in satisfaction. The fun of swiping a cinnamon graham cracker cookie transforms this dessert in a mouth-watering finger food. Make this holiday surprise the happiest one yet. 
CHOCOLATE CHIP CANDIED CHEESE BALL
Ingredients:

1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened 

1/2 cup butter, softened 

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup sugared pecans, crushed

Graham cracker sticks
Instructions:

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and completely incorporated. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Chill two hours. On a sheet of waxed paper, sprinkle crushed sugared pecans. Form chilled mixture into a ball. Roll in pecan coating. Chill overnight. Serve with honey graham cracker sticks or cinnamon graham cracker sticks. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Pastime Pepper Jelly Appetizer! Someone once told me, I was the “Queen of Appetizers”. It may be the result of often serving hors d’oeuvres and finger food at festive parties and impromptu gatherings. Or perhaps, simply because it makes a light meal. Recently, though, my husband opened a bottle of dry red wine and we had a quiet dinner for two from this recipe alone. It may have been the ancient evening, the distant music, the cozy conversation, or the cherished companionship, but add it all together for the perfect pastime. 
PASTIME PEPPER JELLY APPETIZER 
Ingredients:

8 ounce block Neufchâtel cheese, softened 

6 ounce sleeve sesame crackers

8 ounce jar Jalapeño Confetti Jelly*

Fresh mint (optional)
Instructions:

Chop fresh mint. Spread a teaspoon of Neufchâtel cheese on a sesame cracker. Beginning with a half a teaspoon to taste, place a dollop of Jalapeño Confetti Jelly on top. Garnish with fresh mint. Serve with a nonalcoholic sparkling blood orange beverage or a glass of red wine. 
*Jalapeño or habanero jellies are recommended. You may follow the link to make your own Jalapeño Confetti Jelly @ https://snapshotsincursive.com/2016/09/29