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Niçoise Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Clean Plate Club: Niçoise Salad! Repeat after me, “nee-SWAHZ”. One more time, “nee-SWAHZ”. Spoken like a true Parisian. Now what does it mean, you wonder. In layman’s terms, niçoise refers to the style of cooking in the south of France. It usually includes deep brown olives, vine-ripened tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, tiny new potatoes, thin green beans, and anchovies or tuna. The dressing almost always includes Dijon mustard, minced shallots, herbs, and olive oil. If it sounds like a lot of fresh ingredients, think of it this way: it’s a gourmet salad, a meal in itself. Besides, it is absolutely show-stopping on the plate. Take your time. Enjoy every bite. Because when you’re all finished, you may discover you’re ready to have it again next week.

NIÇOISE SALAD

Ingredients:

1/2 pound petite fingerling potatoes

6 ounces thin green beans, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon garlic wine vinegar

1 shallot, minced

1/8 teaspoon marjoram

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 head butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

6 ounces grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup niçoise olives

4 eggs, hard-boiled and halved

2 ahi tuna steaks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons furikake seasoning

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Wasabi mustard

Instructions:

In a 2-quart pan over medium heat, bring to a boil fingerling potatoes, with skin on, in salted water. Cook 15 minutes. Add green beans for 1 minute or until bright green. Remove from heat. Drain; set aside. When potatoes are cool, cut in half or quarters. For salad dressing, whisk together Dijon mustard, garlic wine vinegar, minced shallot, marjoram, thyme, and oregano. Whisking continuously, slowly add olive oil until fully blended. Add kosher salt to taste. Set aside. Divide butter lettuce into serving dishes. Arrange fingerling potatoes, green beans, grape tomatoes, niçoise olives, and hard-boiled eggs. Serve with seared ahi steaks.

Instructions for ahi steaks:

Combine olive oil, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with furikake seasoning and white sesame seeds. Marinate ahi tuna steaks ten minutes per side to coat evenly. Remove from marinade and set aside. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil mixture. Cook steaks 2-3 minutes per side. The outer skin will appear seared while the center will remain rare. Remove from heat. Transfer ahi steaks to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/4″ thick slices. Drizzle wasabi mustard on a platter. Arrange sliced ahi, overlapping the slices.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Q

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Color of Food: Quick-Mix Cheesy Grits! Step away from the usual breakfast smoothie for an occasional southern meal of cheesy grits, eggs-over-easy, and crispy applewood bacon. Grits are not only quick and easy, they’re delicious and filling. This fail-safe method is spot on and can be whipped up in no time at all. It’s packed with enough protein to keep hunger pangs at bay. Save the weekends when you have more time for making grits from scratch.

QUICK-MIX CHEESY GRITS

Ingredients:

1/2 cup instant grits

2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Pat of butter, for garnish

Instructions:

Combine instant grits, water, and sea salt in a quart microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl. Stir. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until thickened when stirred. Add cheese; stir. Cook 1 minute longer or until cheese melts into a creamy texture. Spoon cheesy grits into individual bowls and add a pat of butter to each bowl. Serves 4.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter E

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Color of Food: Egg Drop Soup! Treat yourself to a Chinese favorite. Using only a few items, you can prepare a festive bowl of chicken broth flavored with green onion, plus a hint of ginger spice. Check out the silky ribbons of beaten eggs and curly wonton strips. Isn’t it pretty? You can do this.

EGG DROP SOUP

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons corn starch

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups chicken broth

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup mushrooms, sliced and sautéed (optional)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 green onions

Fried wonton strips for garnish

Instructions:

In a 2-quart pan, combine corn starch, ground ginger, white pepper, and sea salt. Slowly pour chicken broth into the pan, stirring constantly to dissolve lumps. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. After two minutes, reduce heat to simmer. When the broth has thickened, place a whisk over the pan. Slowly pour beaten egg mixture over the whisk, swirling in a clockwise motion to create silky ribbons. Add sautéed mushrooms. Heat through. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with droplets of sesame oil. Sprinkle green onion snips over soup. Garnish with fried wonton strips.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter W

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Wayward Wedge Salad! I get so excited when I come across bleu cheese at the Farmers Market! Recently, I was fortunate enough to lay my hands on a nice creamy chunk of Amish Bleu Cheese. And rather than nibble the entire portion away, I thought I better do something healthy with it. Does anyone else struggle with an internal tug-of war?

WEDGE SALAD

Ingredients:

1 head iceberg lettuce

6 slices bacon, precooked

2 eggs, hard cooked and chopped

Blue cheese crumbles

Blue cheese dressing

2 Campari tomatoes on the vine, quartered

Instructions:

Chill 4 salad plates in refrigerator. Cook bacon until crisp; let cool and crumble. Set aside. Quarter and core lettuce. Place one wedge on each chilled plate. Top with dressing, bacon, tomatoes, and chopped egg. Garnish with cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter E

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Egg Salad Extravaganza, A Crêpe Idea! The debate continues………. Mayonnaise and Celery or Miracle Whip and Pickle Relish? What is your preference in Egg Salad? It probably all depends on how your mother made it during your childhood. Fortunately both can be made in a snap!

EGG SALAD EXTRAVAGANZA

Ingredients:

3 eggs, hard cooked

3 tablespoons mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper

1 tablespoon celery, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon pickle relish (optional)

Instructions:

Combine mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Peel and chop eggs, breaking into small pieces. Gently stir into mayonnaise mixture. Add celery or pickle relish. Fill two Crêpes with egg salad. Tuck in several lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with Chia seeds.

(For an alternative bread choice, please reference Crêpe Expectations for the batter recipe at https://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/05/17 to make crêpes in advance.)

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Loco Moco! Living up to its name, this breakfast food is actually one of Hawaii’s local favorites. The serving size is so generous you might think it’s way too much for breakfast. I didn’t eat the rest of the day after trying it at a local restaurant there. However, when you prepare it at home, you have more control over serving sizes as well as the time of day for this meal. Basically, it is composed of four layers. The bottom is fried rice, the middle is a beef patty, the next is an egg over easy. And the top layer is a ladle of gravy. Don’t knock it till you try it!

LOCO MOCO

Ingredients for Rice Layer:

1 cup prepared brown rice

1 strips bacon, crisp and crumbled

1 sausage patty, crumbed*

2 ounces smoked sausage,

cut-up

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons onion, cut-up

*Hawaiians favor SPAM.

Instructions for Rice Layer:

In large skillet add sesame oil and sauté onions. Add remaining ingredients. Stir fry to blend flavors. Set aside.

Ingredients for Beef Patty Layer:

4 1/4-pound beef patties

1 can beef consommé

Dash of pepper

Instructions for Beef Patty Layer:

Cook beef in consommé until tender. I did this the day before in my slow-cooker. It’s worth the effort! Save the broth for turning into gravy.

Ingredients for Egg Layer:

4 fresh eggs

Instructions for Egg Layer:

Cook on stove to make eggs over-easy (or sunny-side up) so the yolks are still runny.

Ingredients for Gravy Layer:

1 cup beef consommé*

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

*Add water if necessary to make one cup of liquid.

Instructions for Gravy Layer:

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour to the butter and stir to make a roux. Cook over medium-low heat until the flour is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the consommé juices and stir until thickened.

Now serve by assembling the layers in a shallow bowl: rice, beef, egg, and gravy. Loco Moco!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Beet Bacon Bleu Salad!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Beet Bacon Bleu Salad! Remember when you were a kid and your mother made you eat beets? And you hated them? Well, thank goodness as we age, our taste buds change. Perhaps it’s time to give them a second chance. I did and the results made me wonder why I waited so long.

BEET BACON BLEU SALAD

Ingredients:

15-ounce can sliced beets, drained

3 tablespoons lemon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

2 cups mixed salad greens

1 egg, hard-cooked and sliced

3 slices applewood bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

1/4 cup bleu cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons balsamic reduction

Garnish with croutons

Instructions:

In a shallow dish, combine lemon olive oil, seasoned salt, and Herbes de Provence. Add sliced beets. Marinate 10 minutes, turn and marinate 10 minutes longer. Arrange salad greens in a bowl. Add beets, reserving marinade. Arrange egg slices on greens. Top with bacon pieces. Sprinkle with bleu cheese crumbles. Drizzle all with reserve marinade plus balsamic reduction. Garnish with croutons.

Dining Outside the Home: Off the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada

Dining Outside the Home: Off the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada! Get off the beaten path and you’ll discover a unique chophouse that serves the freshest food 24 hours a day in a city that never sleeps. You’ll want to remember that little detail. The bistro style atmosphere boasts kick-back comfort in its surroundings as well as its menu items. Go ahead and order the Rolled New York Strip with Asparagus. Turn it into breakfast by adding an egg over easy. The melted provolone cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and Marsala mushroom sauce is enough to make you swoon. This food is the real deal. I’d like to to tell you it’s the best kept secret in Vegas, but word is getting around. Meander down The LINQ Promenade and you’ll see what I mean.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Glorious Glazed Pecans!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Glorious Glazed Pecans! Go to any big city or farmers market and you’ll find street vendors roasting sweet and savory candied nuts. The bakery aroma practically has you walking on air. Now you can bring this enticing smell and sugary sweetness right into your very own kitchen. I’ve made it a tradition to bake a couple batches for holiday gift-giving. When mixed with an assortment of smoked almonds, wasabi peas, salty cashews, and honey roasted peanuts, these glazed pecans become a gourmet choice for absolutely anyone on your list. In fact, anticipation creates excitement followed by open delight and thanksgiving.

GLORIOUS GLAZED PECANS

Ingredients:

1 pound pecan halves

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg white, room temperature

1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. In a small bowl mix sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well and set aside. In a large bowl beat egg white and water until frothy. Add one pound of pecans and coat well to cover. Pour sugar mixture over nuts. Stir completely to form a coating over pecans. Transfer nuts to the baking sheet. Form a single layer. Bake 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes to form a crystallized finish. Remove from oven. Let cool and then store in an airtight container.