food

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Black Pepper Bacon! Bacon, bacon, bacon. Did someone mention Bacon? Nothing smells more amazing than the aroma of hickory-smoked maple bacon lightly wafting through the home. It has been known to make robust men weak in the knees and healthy women light-headed. By adding the spicy jolt of black pepper, it kicks the fragrance up a notch and awakens the taste buds. 
BLACK PEPPER BACON

Ingredients:

1 pound hickory-smoked maple bacon, thick cut

1 teaspoon black pepper 
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°. Place bacon strips on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Sprinkle black pepper over all. Bake 40-45 minutes or until crisp. Carefully remove pan from oven, being careful not to spill the hot liquid. Drain bacon on paper towels. Serve warm. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter A

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Amaretto Strawberries Romanoff! Have you ever tasted vanilla extract? Well, amaretto tastes nothing like that. It has a smooth sweet hint of almonds with just a smidgen of apricot undertones. When you fold it into Greek yogurt, it transforms a dish of fresh strawberries into a light and elegant dessert you could easily find on a gourmet restaurant menu. 
AMARETTO STRAWBERRIES ROMANOFF 
Ingredients:

1 quart fresh strawberries

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1-2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur 

Fresh mint sprig
Instructions:

Wash strawberries; pat dry. In a small bowl gently stir yogurt and brown sugar until no lumps remain. Fold in amaretto liqueur. Transfer to a decorative dish, garnish with fresh mint, and place on a serving platter. Arrange strawberries around sauce. Serve with frilled toothpicks. 

Food Junkie Favorites 

Hello, my name is Gail and I’m a Food Junkie. I confess that I eat to live and enjoy the ride. I like fresh ingredients, garden herbs, rich chocolate, and French butter…to name just a few. But I’m in good company. Some of my recent posts have been favored by the “Food Network” on Twitter as well as Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) on Instagram. Come along with me for “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Food Junkie Favorites! This remarkable journey of the palate is special because it gives me a few moments with you. Thanks very much to all of my guests and followers on http://snapshotsincursive.com for the uplifting support, award nominations, and moving words of encouragement. What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? It’s as simple as reciting your A-B-Cs. One of my passions is being at home in my own country kitchen. I love to cook, and my husband loves that I do it often. Now more than ever, since I am retired, I relish the thought of creating something delicious from scratch. I adore time-honored traditions using tried-and-true recipes. Yet, I often never think twice about tweaking old favorites or modifying others to suit the inner craving of the moment. Most of the recipes serve 2-4 people, but can be altered in any direction. The leftovers are golden morsels to be eaten again later or shared with others. And I love to share. To me, seeing a smile in gratitude is thanks enough. The recipes you will find here in the next several weeks can be prepared very easily. Feel free to contact me with questions. Now take a deep breath, inhale the aromas, and join me on a tasteful journey entitled, “EATING MY WAY THROUGH THE ALPHABET: FOOD JUNKIE FAVORITES!”

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Z

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Zucchini Jammin’! Someone once told me that zucchini is like a chameleon; it can literally change a recipe into anything you want it to be. When I came across this old prairie cookbook, I was intrigued enough to put zucchini to the test. The results were astounding! Hint: The jam has a refreshing pineapple-orange finish and tastes wonderful on yogurt!
ZUCCHINI JAMMIN’
Ingredients:

3 cups zucchini, raw, peeled, and shredded

3 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice

3 ounce package orange gelatin
Instructions:

Boil zucchini in enough water to keep covered for 6 minutes. Drain. Add sugar, lemon juice, and crushed pineapple with juice. Boil 6 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Seal hot in jars. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Yeast Cinnamon Rolls! Don’t you just love modern kitchen appliances? My husband already owned a countertop Bread Machine when we got married four years ago, so today I decided to try it out. (First I had to find it. When combining two households, things get shuffled around.) The recipe booklet boasted the best glazed cinnamon rolls and the photo bolstered my confidence enough to put it to the test. I’m glad I did. The house smelled like a family-owned bakery and the warm, gooey cinnamon buns were phenomenal. The challenge came at only eating one. 
YEAST CINNAMON ROLLS 
Ingredients for Dough:

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter, softened 

3 cups bread flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Ingredients for Filling:

2 tablespoons butter, softened 

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

Ingredients for Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk
Instructions:

Measure all dough ingredients carefully and place in the bread machine in the order they are listed: water, butter, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Select “Dough” cycle and “Start”. When the timer rings, remove the dough and flatten with a rolling pin into a 9-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Spread with 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon filling over the buttered dough. Roll the dough up tightly; pinch the ends to seal. Cut the dough into 1-inch slices. Place in a 9″x9″ square pan. Cover with a wet tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until double. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Combine Glaze ingredients mixing powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Remove from pan to wire rack. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter X

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Xenial Spinach Dip! Take a trip down Memory Lane with this hip 1970s all-star party staple. “I called it!”, shouted my best friend when asked to bring an appetizer to share. Maybe it was the presentation of carrying an artisan bread bowl into the room, or perhaps it was the “healthy” alternative to potato chips and onion dip, or it could have been the standing ovation it got from everyone who tasted it. Think about it….how fun is that to tear off a piece of crusty bread and slather it in creamy spinach mingled with a spicy crunch of water chestnuts. “I called it!”
XENIAL SPINACH DIP
Ingredients:

1 pound artisan bread bowl

1 pint Greek yogurt

3 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

10 ounces mayonnaise 

8 ounce can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 package Swiss vegetable dry soup mix

10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped
Instructions:

In a medium bowl, mix Greek yogurt, Neufchâtel cheese, and mayonnaise. Chill one hour. Add water chestnuts, package of Swiss vegetable dry soup mix, and uncooked spinach. Mix well. Chill one hour longer. Hollow out center of bread bowl. Fill with spinach dip. Serve with raw vegetables. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter W

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Wasabi Furikake Aioli! For a homemade sauce that can be spread on fish and poultry or used as a spicy dip for vegetable crudités, this one is spot on. The “kick” of wasabi is a distant cousin to horseradish making its intensity a roller coaster ride for the palate. Wasabi lovers know all about the health benefits. Sushi bars offer it as a regular condiment. I find this superfood absolutely delicious. 
WASABI FURIKAKE AIOLI
Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 teaspoon furikake seasoning (sesame seed and green seaweed)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon rice vinegar 

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons wasabi powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon water
Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate one hour before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter V

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Veal Parmesan! Actually, this recipe works really well with chicken, if you choose to substitute. Either way, it’s a gourmet dinner entrée that deserves a friendly nod of approval. By first browning the coated veal in a skillet, the crust seals in the rustic Italian flavor. Top it with Muenster cheese instead of mozzarella for a tangy smooth complement to the savory tomato sauce. 
VEAL PARMESAN 
Ingredients:

1 pound veal cutlets or chicken breasts

1/3 cup Italian dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup Panko seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups Italian tomato pasta sauce, chunky

2 cups Muenster cheese, sliced
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Between plastic wrap, flatten each cutlet to a disc. In a shallow dish, whisk egg and milk together to blend. On a sheet of waxed paper, combine Italian bread crumbs, Panko bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Dip veal into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the veal 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. In a greased baking dish spoon half the pasta sauce on the bottom. Next layer the veal cutlets. Spoon remaining sauce over veal. Top with Muenster cheese overlapping the meat. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is golden brown in spots. Garnish with fresh basil. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter U

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Unlimited Broccoli Tidbits! Here is a salad you can snack on over and over. It keeps for days in the refrigerator as the flavor intensifies. And because the broccoli is fresh, the crunch appeases the taste buds. By adding the sweetness of raisins and the saltiness of bacon, it soothes those unexpected cravings that sabotage even the strictest diet enthusiast. Go ahead, take a bite. Permission granted.
UNLIMITED BROCCOLI TIDBITS 
Ingredients:

2 heads broccoli, cut into florets and stems

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup bacon bits, fully cooked

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 envelope of Italian dry salad dressing mix
Instructions:

Combine broccoli tidbits, raisins, and bacon in a covered bowl. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian dry seasoning mix in a glass measuring cup until blended. Pour marinade over broccoli mixture. Gently stir to coat well. Cover and refrigerate salad for two hours. Spoon reserve marinade over salad before serving.