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Quiche Cups

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Quiche Cups! Beginning the day with eggs in any form is always a good idea. Adding vegetables makes them even better when sautéed, which eliminates moisture than can turn a quiche soggy. By eliminating the bread crust, and focusing on the cream for a filling more like custard, the depth of flavor intensifies. Cheese simply makes everything incredibly Yumolicious. Need I say more?

QUICHE CUPS

Ingredients:

1/4 cup diced prosciutto 

1/4 cup broccoli florets

1/4 cup onions, chopped

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

5 eggs

1/4 cup light cream

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray the bottom of a muffin tin. Set aside. Heat an iron skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto. Sauté a few minutes, stirring often. Add the broccoli florets, chopped onions, and grape tomatoes. Cook 3-4 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons of mixture to each muffin well. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and light cream. Add seasoned salt and pepper. Mix well. Fold in sharp cheddar cheese. Carefully pour egg mixture into each muffin well, filling about 3/4 full. Bake 25 minutes, or until quiche cups are set. Remove from oven and serve immediately. 

OMG Pumpkin Spice Squares

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: OMG Pumpkin Spice Squares! It hardly seems fair to have to wait all year before enjoying a pumpkin spice dessert. But here we are…..ready to break the rules. I feel a rainy day qualifies as a justification for making exceptions. Decadent cinnamon, buttery pumpkin, crumbly topping. So I ask you, are you the exception or are you the rule?

OMG PUMPKIN SPICE SQUARES

Ingredients for Cake:

15-ounce box yellow cake mix, divided

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 15-ounce cans real pumpkin 

4 beaten eggs

2/3 cup light cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

Ingredients for Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup reserve cake mix

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of a 9”x13” pan with butter. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, reserve one cup of cake mix for the topping. Set aside. In another bowl, combine remaining cake mix and softened butter. Mix until blended. Press the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. Smooth into an even layer. In a food processor or stand mixer, combine real pumpkin, beaten eggs, light cream, sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt, and pumpkin spice. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture over the dough. To make the topping, add sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter to the reserve cake mix. Stir until crumbly. Sprinkle over the pumpkin layer. Top with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when tested near the center. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting into squares. 

Double-Shot Espresso Whip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Double-Shot Espresso Whip! Are you tired of the calorie-laden coffee drinks that leave you sluggish from a sugar high instead of energized for your next project? Perhaps it’s time to fall in love with an espresso machine that delivers rich flavor along with a frothy texture thick enough to handle a whipped cream crown. You’ll never find anything better than this. But it’ll cost you in time and money, initially. The challenge lies in finding the right espresso machine for you. The rewards are totally worth it. 

DOUBLE-SHOT ESPRESSO WHIP

Ingredients:

2 double shots espresso roast coffee

Whipped cream

Pinch cinnamon 

Ingredients:

Fill two demitasse cups with double shots of freshly brewed espresso. Top with swirls of whipped cream. Sprinkle cinnamon powder over all. Serve immediately. 

Your Classic Green Bean Casserole

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Your Classic Green Bean Casserole! Can we ever get enough of this all-time favorite side dish?  I think not! It seems there are all sorts of variations on this classic holiday casserole. Some of my friends only use French-style green beans while others prefer freshly snapped. And the seasonings are all over the map from Hawaiian sea salt medleys to crushed Midwest garden herbs. I keep it simple because, honestly, once you add the French fried onion rings, everything else takes a back seat. 

YOUR CLASSIC GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE 

Ingredients:

2 cans whole green beans, drained and cut-up

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 

1/2 cup light cream

1/8 teaspoon Mrs. Dash herb and garlic seasoning

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 1/2 cups French fried onions

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a medium casserole dish with nonstick spray. Combine green beans, cream of mushroom soup, light cream, herb seasoning, and salt. Mix well. Fold in 1/2 cup of French fried onion pieces. Place in casserole dish. Spread evenly. Arrange remaining French fried onion rings over top around the edges leaving the center open. Bake 30-35 minutes. 

Quazy Carrot Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Quazy Carrot Cake!  “What’s up, Doc?” is something we’ve all heard Bugs Bunny say more than once. You may find yourself asking the same question when you take a bite of this tasty version of Carrot Cake. It’s loaded with fresh carrots, pineapple tidbits, and chopped pecans. The crowning moment comes when you smack your lips together over the wonderful cream cheese icing. I have seen expressions of jubilation over this award-winning dessert. Treat yourself to something special this weekend. 

QUAZY CARROT CAKE

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder 

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

3 cups carrots, grated

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained 

1 cup pecans, chopped 

Ingredients for Icing:

1/2 cup butter, softened 

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened 

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″x13″ pan with nonstick oil. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add oil, eggs, carrots, pineapple, and nuts. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Transfer to baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Meanwhile, cream together the butter and Neufchâtel cheese. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. When cake is cool, top with cream cheese icing. Garnish with a pecan half. 

Maque Choux Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Maque Choux Soup! This fancy name for Spicy Corn Chowder is pronounced “mock shoe”. (Sometimes I get a kick out of acting like a gourmet chef, so humor me a little bit.) Believe me when I say use the freshest garden ingredients in making this rich bodied soup. You won’t regret it. Since I freeze the wonderful Indiana sweet corn in its prime, along with the garden green bell peppers, the flavors seemed to burst forth in jubilation. If you can’t find fresh produce, try frozen as a substitute. I also had saved some smoky end pieces from a baked Virginia ham recently for a nice salty finish. 

MAQUE CHOUX SOUP

Ingredients:

2 cups whole-kernel corn

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons cornmeal, finely ground

1/2 cup smoked ham, diced

Instructions:

In an iron skillet over medium high heat, add half the corn, onion, and green pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes until vegetables begin to char. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Add the vegetable oil and cumin to the skillet and repeat process with remaining corn, onion, and green pepper. Transfer to the same bowl. Take 1 cup of mixture, add 1 cup of chicken broth and blend until slightly smooth. (I used a food processor on pulse.) Meanwhile, in a 2-quart pan, boil potatoes in remaining chicken broth seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. If necessary add enough water to keep it from boiling dry. Reduce heat to medium low and add one cup milk. Simmer, stirring often. Add corn mixture and creamed corn mixture to potato base. Simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk together sour cream and cornmeal in a measuring cup. Slowly add hot soup to it. This will keep the sour cream from curdling. Then slowly pour it back into the corn chowder. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until soup thickens. Add diced ham. Heat through. Serve hot. Garnish with cheddar cheese and ham pieces. 

Divine Duchess Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Divine Duchess Potatoes! Sometimes it’s fun to mix things up when serving leftovers. Take mashed potatoes, for instance. By adding a few more ingredients, you can serve them again with first-class results that would make a Frenchman proud. With the holidays coming up, I find this recipe invaluable. I used leftovers from Gail’s Kitchen “Havarti Mashed Potatoes” recipe simply because it was quick and easy. Take a shortcut that treats your family like royalty. 

DIVINE DUCHESS POTATOES 

Ingredients:

3 cups mashed potatoes*

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick oil. Combine mashed potatoes, egg yolks, and cream. Blend well. Transfer to a pastry bag or piping tool with a large star tip. Pipe and swirl upward to form a cone shape in each muffin cup. Brush with melted butter before baking 10 minutes. Switch oven to Broil for a golden brown finish. Watch carefully. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before serving. 

*Havarti Mashed Potato recipe  was used for this preparation since it was seasoned with cheese and herbs.  Please follow the link. 

http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2015/11/19

Chunky Clam Chowder

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Chunky Clam Chowder! As the days grow shorter, take the damp chill off with a bowl of warm, creamy clam chowder. This made-from-scratch one-pot meal can be served now or later. The longer it sits, the more savory it becomes. Turn a simple classic into a filling favorite. 

CHUNKY CLAM CHOWDER 

Ingredients:

2 red potatoes, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons onion, diced

1 1/2 cups water

1 stalk celery, chopped

10-ounce can fancy whole baby clams in juice

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup instant potatoes 

1 teaspoon dill (optional)

Green onion snips

Instructions:

In a 2-quart pan over medium-high heat, combine water, potatoes, butter, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, onion, and celery. Cook 20 minutes until tender. Add clams in juice and heavy cream. Bring to low boil, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Slowly add instant potatoes and mix well. Reduce heat to low. Stir to thicken. Add dill to blend. Ladle into cups or bowls. Garnish with green onion snips. 

Zillionth Cinnamon Roll Recipe

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: Zillionth Cinnamon Roll Recipe! Every once in a while, my husband will send me a TikTok video of that 40-year old guy with a quirky idea of how to “tweak” old favorite recipes into amazing new ideas. He’s funny, entertaining, has a Kentucky accent, and isn’t afraid to try something different. Alright, I thought, I’m game and I have a willing guinea pig right here in my own house. I chose a Saturday morning for this little experiment just in case he had a sugar crash and got lazy the rest of the day. How did it taste, you ask. Exactly like a bakery cinnamon roll on steroids. It took us several days to nibble our way through the recipe because, you know, you can’t let all that cinnamon go to waste. In case you’re wondering…..the champagne provided a crisp acidity to cut through the rich, buttery, super-sweetness of the pastry. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. 

ZILLIONTH CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE 

Ingredients: 

I tube prepared cinnamon roll dough

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/4 cup butter, melted 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

10-ounce can prepared cream cheese frosting, optional 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a deep dish pie plate with nonstick oil. Separate and arrange the cinnamon rolls. Pour the heavy cream over the dough, filling in the gaps between rolls. In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Drizzle the mixture over the cinnamon rolls. Bake according to package directions. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and drizzle with packet of enclosed icing. Add extra cream cheese frosting on top, if desired. Serve warm.