garlic

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter X

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Xnipec Salsa, which translates to “smoking HOT” because it’s made with habanero chile peppers popular in the Yucatan region. I was pretty cautious in making this by first roasting the habaneros in the oven and then scraping out all the seeds. (Warning: Be sure to wear gloves when handling habanero peppers!) I served this salsa with the Zesty Fish Tacos coming up in Letter Z. 
XNIPEC SALSA
1/3 cup Vidalia onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

4-6 plum tomatoes, cut-up with juice

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons lime juice 

Salt to taste 

2 Habanero peppers

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Mix together onions, garlic, tomatoes, salt, lime juice, and orange juice. Set aside. The salt will make the tomatoes very juicy, which releases the flavor, in my opinion. If you prefer a thicker, chunkier sauce, do not add salt until ready to serve. 
Roast the habaneros in the oven at 400° until charred. Broil if necessary. Watch! Slice in half and remove stems. Scrape out all the seeds. Then dice the peppers. Combine with the onion/tomato mixture. Add chopped cilantro. Toss gently. Marinate salsa for one hour prior to serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter A

Letter A – What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Au Gratin Potatoes! How’s this for comfort food? Butter, cream, and cheese……with potatoes thrown in. Can you say creamy and luscious three times very fast???
AU GRATIN POTATOES 
Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes 

1 clove garlic 

1 sweet onion, sliced thin

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup half & half cream

2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese* 

Sea salt and pepper to taste. 

* Gruyere or Provolone or all three may be combined. 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly rub garlic all over a 9×13 baking dish. Butter dish then set aside unused portion of butter. Peel and slice potatoes. Hold in a bowl of cold water until ready to use. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until cooked. Divide drained potatoes, cooked onion, and shredded cheese into three layers in baking dish, reserving last third of cheese until the final 5 minutes of baking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat remaining butter with cream until the butter is melted and the cream is hot. Pour evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is browned, the cream has been absorbed, and the potatoes are soft. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter R

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Restaurant-Style Salsa! Everyone goes crazy over the slightly chunky and spicy kicked salsa served in your favorite Mexican restaurant. Now you can make it yourself and enjoy it at home. With a few key (and secret) ingredients, you’ll find yourself doing a “Mexican Hat Dance” just like a pro. Combine everything in a food processor, press a button, and GO! Do it now. You can thank me later. 
RESTAURANT-STYLE SALSA
Ingredients:

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies

1/4 cup onion

1 carrot, peeled 

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1 jalapeño, stem removed

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder 
Instructions:

Combine diced tomatoes, tomatoes and green chilies, onion, carrot, cilantro, and jalapeño in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth, but still slightly thick. Add lime juice, kosher salt, garlic powder, and cumin powder. Pulse until completely mixed and consistency looks desirable. Pour into a sealed container. Refrigerate one hour to enhance flavors. Serve with warm tortilla chips. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Boursin Garlic Bisque! Have you been to a restaurant where the main course is served with a side of garlic smashed potatoes? The texture is incredibly smooth and the flavor is bursting with fresh herbs and garlic. Gourmet Boursin cheese may be their secret ingredient. Its airy-light texture is a marriage between spreadable cream cheese and whipped butterfat. You can find this French icon wrapped in foil in the cheese department of your favorite grocery store. Serve it with crackers, pita chips, or go all out and make this simple potato bisque. 
BOURSIN GARLIC BISQUE 
Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth 

2 cups Yukon potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup sweet onions, chopped

3/4 cup light cream

5.3 ounce Garlic Boursin Cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

5 slices crisp bacon, pieces and crumbles

Fresh Garlic Chives

Ground Smoked Almonds
Instructions:

Combine chicken broth and chopped potatoes in a 2-quart pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, sauté garlic clove and sweet onions in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add to potato mixture. After potatoes are tender, partially smash the potatoes to thicken, leaving some potato chunks for texture. Add light cream and Boursin cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add baby peas and bacon pieces. Simmer 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with bacon crumbles, garlic chives, and smoked almonds. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter V

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Vietnamese Dipping Sauce! Like any good dish, the sauce can make or break it. Some like it sweet and mild, others prefer hot and tangy. As you pull everything together, don’t be shy about taking a taste test. If you prefer less sweetness, adjust accordingly. Do the same to crank up the heat a notch or two. I took the advice from a friend of mine who puts this sauce on everything from spring rolls to noodles to salads to fish. It’s amazing!
VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE
Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup rice vinegar 

1 cup fish sauce

2 cups sugar

10 red chili peppers, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, crushed
Instructions:

Combine water, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, chili peppers, and garlic in a pan over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter U

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Unbelievable Bacon Jam! Your morning just got better. Everyone loves bacon, right? And coffee is often casually referred to as a “cup of morning joe”. Know what you get when you mix the two together, along with a few other items from the food pantry? You guessed it: Bacon Jam that can be slathered on buttered toast or added later to a Charcuterie Board. Tested on guests at Gail’s Kitchen, this recipe is spot on. Give it a try and see for yourself. You can thank me later. 
UNBELIEVABLE BACON JAM
Ingredients:

9 slices Applewood Smoked Bacon, sliced thick

4 tablespoons bacon grease

1 large red onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup 

3/4 cup brewed coffee 

1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, diced

1 teaspoon smoked sea salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions:

Cook the bacon until brown and slightly crispy. It should be chewy. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons bacon grease. Add diced red onion. Turn to coat. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Sauté until onions are cooked, stirring frequently. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, remaining bacon grease, brewed coffee, pickled jalapeños, smoked sea salt, Dijon mustard, and bacon pieces. Add cooked onions. Stir well. Bring the bacon jam to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 45 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the jam is thick. The bacon jam should appear chunky. Refrigerate in an airtight container. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter T

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Tequila Tacos! Do you follow any of the chef’s on the Food Network? It seems they are always thinking outside the box when it comes to expanding our palates. Take Guy Fieri and his famous hamburgers. Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit Guy’s Burger Joint can see how he very casually broke the mold when it comes to men in the kitchen. Anything Goes! Today’s “nod” of adding silver tequila to ordinary tacos definitely gets the party started! 
TEQUILA TACOS
1 pound lean ground beef

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 teaspoon cumin powder 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

1/3 cup tequila, silver

8 flour tortillas 

1/4 cup butter, melted 

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 

1 romaine lettuce heart, torn

1 tomato, chopped 

2 green onions, chopped 

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup Greek yogurt 

1/4 cup black olives, sliced
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium skillet, brown ground beef until cooked and crumbled. Drain. Stir in garlic powder, cumin powder, sea salt, black pepper, and tequila. Reduce heat to simmer on low until liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally. Set aside. Brush one side of tortillas with melted butter. Spoon about 1/4 cup crumbled meat mixture onto center of unbuttered side. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Fold in half; place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all tortillas are filled and meat is evenly divided between them. Bake in oven 10-15 minutes or until tortilla shells are crisp. Remove from oven and serve with lettuce, tomato, green onions, and cilantro. Spoon salsa over top; add a dollop of Greek yogurt. Garnish with black olive slices. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Olive Oil Herb Potatoes! Being raised in the Midwest, practically every evening meal consisted of meat, potato, and vegetable. Perhaps that is why I love potatoes so much. I learned how to make homemade potato soup at the hem of my mother’s apron, without measuring or a recipe. But that’s a story for another day. I like the baby potatoes available now at the supermarket. By slicing them, with the skin on, and drizzling them with herbs and olive oil, the taste is unbelievable! Who wouldn’t fall in love with these tasty little nuggets?
OLIVE OIL HERB POTATOES 
Ingredients:

5 baby potatoes, washed and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence 

2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Leaving skin on potatoes, wash thoroughly and pat dry. Put one potato on a soup spoon. Beginning at one end, slice in strips, being careful to stop before slicing the bottom skin. The knife will hit the spoon to prevent it from cutting through. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Continue until all potatoes are sliced. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic powder, Herbes de Provence, and chopped rosemary leaves. Brush each potato with herbed olive oil, separating slices to coat both sides. Drizzle remaining oil over all. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake potatoes one hour until crispy, basting occasionally. Serve immediately. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Kung Pao Chicken! When I promise savory, I deliver. Combine sweet and sour, garlic and spice, with the crunch of peanuts, to pull off this do-it-yourself version of a Chinese restaurant favorite. By making it at home, you may have it faster than takeout. One bite and you’ll love it, but remember to share. Add a few red chili peppers for a dynamic taste experience, if you dare. 
KUNG PAO CHICKEN 
Ingredients:

2 cups boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons sherry cooking wine

2 tablespoons soybean sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons chili paste

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 green onions, snipped

8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
Instructions for Marinade:

Mix together 1 tablespoon sherry cooking wine, 1 tablespoon soybean sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon water. Stir until smooth. Place chicken chunks in a glass dish. Pour in marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. 
Instructions for Sauce:

Combine in a glass bowl 1 tablespoon sherry cooking wine, 1 tablespoon soybean sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon water. Mix until smooth. Add chili paste, vinegar, honey, brown sugar, and garlic. Stir. Gradually fold in green onions, water chestnuts, and chopped peanuts. Transfer to a medium skillet. Cook on low/medium heat until aromatic, stirring occasionally. 
Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade. Sauté chicken chunks in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. As the sauce becomes aromatic, add in sautéed chicken chunks. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Serve over noodles or rice.