flour

Mincemeat Quick Bread

Eating My Way Through the Holidays. Festive Food Gifts: Mincemeat Quick Bread! Don’t look at me that way. I know what you’re thinking. “If this recipe has mincemeat in it, I’m not eating it.” But hold on a sec. There are plenty of foods with names that sound downright gross. Think about it: head cheese, tripe, mung beans, and blood sausage to name a few. I’m here to tell you mincemeat is a sweet and savory filling that basically contains dried fruits, citrus, spices, and brandy. Ahhh. Now I have your attention. This particular recipe has about 1/4 cup apricot brandy in it. Just know if you do choose to add brandy or rum to a jar of prepared mincemeat, be sure to allow it to marinate in the refrigerator at least 8 hours before using. Now you can understand why some people eat it straight out of the jar. 

MINCEMEAT QUICK BREAD 

Ingredients:

1 egg, room temperature 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 cups prepared mincemeat pie filling (with 1/4 cup apricot brandy, optional)

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9”x5” loaf pan. Set aside. Combine egg, vegetable oil, orange zest, orange juice, and mincemeat pie filling. Stir until well blended. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Check loaf with a cake tester to make sure center is done. Remove from oven. Cool on a wire rack.  Slice and serve. 

Luscious Lavender Puff Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Luscious Lavender Puff Cookies! Before we begin, let me assure you, baking the cookies for 45 minutes per batch, IS NOT a misprint. Dried lavender buds as well as lavender extract can be found at farmers markets, organic health food stores, or your local co-op. (I went one step further and made my own lavender extract from dried buds, which took longer to ferment.) I also have the convenience of a nearby Amish community as a resource for dried herbs and spices. These cookies are definitely worth the effort. Put on a pot of coffee or tea…. and enjoy!

LUSCIOUS LAVENDER PUFF COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

5 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon lavender buds

1 teaspoon lemon citrus peel, granulated

1 teaspoon lavender extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

2 cups flour

Powdered Sugar for rolling

Lavender buds for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°. Beat butter until soft.  Crush lavender buds in sugar using a mortar and pestle; then combine sugared lavender buds with butter.  Blend until creamy.  Mix in citrus peel, lavender extract, and lemon extract.  Add pecans, flour, and salt to butter mixture. Combine thoroughly.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 45 minutes or until set, but not brown.  Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar to coat when cookies are still slightly warm. Sprinkle with dried lavender buds. Cool completely on wire rack. 

Cornbread Cornucopia

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Cornbread Cornucopia! This is the perfect accompaniment to any bean dish. It’s delicious hot and savory when eaten later warmed up in the microwave. 

CORNBREAD CORNUCOPIA 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 cups wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 pound smoked sausage link, pre-cooked and diced

1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded 

1/4 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, sliced

1 tablespoon pimento, diced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Sift cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sea salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl. Blend beaten eggs and oil; add milk. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients stirring until just blended. Fold in meat, cheese, peppers, and pimento. Pour into an 8″x8″ pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick oil. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with butter. 

Quirky Quesadilla

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Quirky Quesadilla! Have you ever noticed when you announce quesadillas are on the menu for the next meal, everyone begins to feel as though they’ve been invited to a party? It’s probably due to the fact that it opens the door to endless possibilities. Do you prefer seafood, chicken, vegetables, cheese, or all of the above? No problem. Once you offer a buffet of ingredients, everyone can build-their-own. Win! Win!

QUIRKY QUESADILLA 

Ingredients:

12-ounces shrimp; peeled, deveined, tail off

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dill

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 chicken breasts; boneless, skinless, cubed

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

4-6 flour tortillas

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup Queso Fresco cheese

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 green onion

Instructions:

Sauté shrimp in 1 tablespoon olive oil, Old Bay seasoning, red pepper flakes, and dill on medium heat. Cook until pink and opaque, turning often, usually 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a dish and set aside.  Using the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook the chicken and onion together with seasonings. Turn heat to low. Add the shrimp.  Mix gently. Sprinkle in the Queso Fresco cheese and cover.  It will melt into the quesadilla filling to bond everything together.  Watch carefully so the cheese does not burn. In another skillet over low heat, butter one side of a flour tortilla. Place buttered side down. Sprinkle in cheddar cheese.  Add two spoonfuls of filling. Spread to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Top with another buttered tortilla. Put lid on skillet to melt cheeses. Cook until lightly brown, about two minutes. Turn the tortilla over and cook the other side until the tortilla is lightly brown and the cheese is gooey. Place on a platter to cool slightly before cutting.  Repeat with remaining tortillas until no ingredients remain. Serve with salsa, yogurt, and guacamole.

*Hint: if you’re serving a crowd, it’s easy to prepare several at the same time. Place the filled quesadillas on a cookie sheet and bake them in a 375° oven for 10 minutes. 

Lazy “Lobster” Wrap

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Lazy “Lobster” Wrap! When you don’t live at the ocean where lobster is in abundant supply, the next best thing is an imitation variety. Alaska pollock is not only heart-healthy, fat-free, and packed with omega-3 in every serving, it’s readily available at your neighborhood market. Amazingly, this mock lobster is a surprising alternative. Eat it now and with the money you save, you can stuff yourself with real lobster when you travel to the shore. 

LAZY “LOBSTER” WRAP

Ingredients:

7-ounce package of chunk-style imitation lobster

1 tablespoon lemon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

cracked pepper to taste

sea salt to taste

1 pat of butter

Vidalia onion slices

1 4-ounce container of crab dip, deli-style

2 flour tortillas 

Spring Mix Salad Greens 

Instructions:

In a medium skillet, sauté imitation chunk lobster and onion slices in lemon olive oil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. While still warm, add 1 pat of butter. Cook an additional minute to blend flavors. Remove from heat. To assemble wrap: Take a flour tortilla, spread on a layer of crab dip, top with salad greens, and add a spoonful of lobster mixture. Roll it together to form a wrap. Serve warm or cold. 

Impressive Pizza Crust

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Impressive Pizza Crust! When it comes to making homemade pizza, two factors are critical to taste: Crust and Sauce. (We’ll address pizza sauce another day.) It becomes personal whether you prefer a thin and crispy crust or a deep dish pizza pie. Fortunately, my husband and I are partial to a thin crust. Choosing your “method of madness” takes practice as well. Experts recommend kneading the dough and getting pretty rough to develop the gluten. Others use a bread machine for maximum results. I found my food processor passed the test with this impressive crust. Later on, I may try another. 

IMPRESSIVE PIZZA CRUST

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour, plus more for work surface

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for work surface

1/3 teaspoon sea salt

Cornmeal for pizza pan

Instructions:

In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flour, sugar, and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. With machine running, slowly add water through feed tube. Process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.  Then add olive oil and salt to dough. Process until dough forms a satiny, sticky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, 30-60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl and knead briefly on a lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days. 

After 24 hours divide the dough into 2 equal portions. (Wrap one tightly with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator for later use if you are only making one pizza pie at this time.) Shape dough on lightly oiled baking sheet; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray. Let stand one hour. Preheat the oven to 425°. Then coat the ball of dough with flour and place on a well-floured countertop. Knead and stretch the dough without breaking. Spread olive oil lightly to grease pizza pan. Sprinkle corn meal over the olive oil forming a thin even layer. This keeps the crust from getting soggy and adds a nice crunch to the texture of the crust. Transfer dough to pizza pan. Using fingertips, gently flatten and stretch as you go, until it reaches the edges. Press down around the edges of the pan to create a border, which will keep the sauce and toppings from seeping while baking. Place in oven and bake crust for 10 minutes without toppings. Remove and add pizza sauce plus desired ingredients. Reduce oven heat to 400° and bake an additional 20 minutes until crust is crispy and toppings bubbly. 

Unbelievable Fudge Brownies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Unbelievable Fudge Brownies! If brownies fall into the category of “comfort food”, you’re going to appreciate this recipe. The rich dark chocolate is due to the cocoa powder as well as the semi-sweet dark chocolate morsels. The espresso powder gives it a slight taste of coffee without the jittery side effects of your morning cuppa joe. Keep a tall glass of cold milk in the refrigerator to wash down all the chocolate decadence. 

UNBELIEVABLE FUDGE BROWNIES 

Ingredients: 

3 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chocolate chips, divided

Sea Salt, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x9” square baking pan with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, sea salt, vanilla, espresso powder, sugar, cocoa powder, and flour. Mix well. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the batter comes out clean. While brownies are warm, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips over top.  Cover pan with a baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Remove baking sheet and spread melted chocolate evenly over the brownies as a frosting. Sprinkle with sea salt, for garnish.

Flour Shell Taco Seasoning

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Flour Shell Taco Seasoning! In case you weren’t already aware, foodie taco lovers will justify any version of homemade tacos. For instance, have you ever thought of sprinkling spiced seasoning on the outside of the tortilla? Me either, until now. Not only does it control the amount of salt that is used, it also renders immediate satisfaction of crispy saltiness before your teeth sink into the scrumptious filling inside. Talk about drool-worthy. Game on!

FLOUR SHELL TACO SEASONING

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Himalayan salt, finely ground

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Instructions:

Combine together Himalayan salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper seasonings. Mix well; set aside. Prepare homemade tacos according to your favorite recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°. Using a nonstick baking sheet, arrange the meat-and-cheese-filled flour tacos in rows. Spray each outer shell with nonstick oil. Sprinkle taco seasoning on each side; flip and repeat. Bake until the cheese inside is melted and the tortillas have crisped up, about 5-6 minutes.  Serve with micro-greens and jalapeño pepper slices, if desired. Serve warm. 

Tiki Tacos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Tiki Tacos! There was a time I could eat a dozen tacos at one sitting. Seriously. I was 20 years old, working two full time jobs and rode my bicycle everywhere!  Nowadays, I show a little more restraint and stop after two tacos. But it’s still one of my favorite meals. Sometimes I use corn tortilla shells and other times I use flour. The shell determines which spices to use. Today it’s flour tortillas. 

TIKI TACOS

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

8 flour tortillas

1/4 cup butter, melted

Lettuce, torn

Tomato, chopped

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup jalapeño peppers, sliced

1/2 cup prepared salsa

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium skillet, brown ground beef. Drain. Stir in garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Brush one side of tortillas with butter. Spoon about 1/4 cup of meat mixture onto center of unbuttered sides. Fold in half; place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all tortillas are filled and meat is distributed evenly between them. Bake in the oven about 15 minutes or until tortilla shells are crisp. Remove from oven and serve with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Spoon salsa over too and garnish with jalapeño pepper slices.