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No-Bake Lime Coconut Truffles

Eating My Way Through the Holidays. Festive Food Gifts: No-Bake Lime Coconut Truffles! Here’s a festive treat that satisfies the desire for something sweet enough without the overkill. This time white chocolate becomes the confectionery of choice. Instead of nuts, candied ginger and lime zest become key ingredients to complement the tropical tones of coconut. One might suggest these truffles resemble tiny snowballs, if not for the lime zest. To serve, simply place each truffle in a fluted foil or paper candy cup and arrange on a decorative platter. It promises to bring “Oohs” and “Ahhs” as a crowd-pleaser. 

NO-BAKE LIME COCONUT TRUFFLES

Ingredients:

1 cup white chocolate chips

2 cups sweetened coconut, shredded 

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon lime zest, grated

1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice

Lime zest, for garnish 

Instructions:

Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until completely smooth. Mix in sweetened shredded coconut. Fold in crystallized ginger and lime zest. Add lime juice to the mixture. Form into 16 small mounds. Garnish with more lime zest. Chill until set. 

Itty Bitty Pumpkin Cake

Eating My Way Through the Holidays. Festive Food Gifts: Itty Bitty Pumpkin Cake! Do you have a love affair with pumpkin spice? You know, that delectable blend of bakery spices recognized as nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Perhaps they remind you of autumn. The days are still warm as the evenings turn chilly enough to gather around the fire pit in a thick cozy sweater. Childhood memories conjure up bumpy hayrides through apple orchards, jack-o-lanterns on the front porch, and disheveled piles of newly-raked leaves. Plus there’s all things pumpkin: pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin roll, pumpkin latte, and now this. 

ITTY BITTY PUMPKIN CAKE

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

1/4 tablespoon cinnamon 

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup pumpkin purée 

1/3 cup buttermilk 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Fresh strawberries, for garnish 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray six mini bundt pans with nonstick oil containing flour. Place pans on a baking sheet. Set aside. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Set aside. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat on High setting with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Add egg and beat two minutes longer. Set aside. In a third bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Gradually pour half the pumpkin mixture and half the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Mix well, scraping the sides down as needed.  Add the remaining ingredients; stirring only until combined. Do not over stir. Fill each prepared mini bundt pan 3/4 full. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Once cool, dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with a fresh strawberry before serving. 

Jam Session

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Jam Session! This recipe guarantees to be music to your ears. For once, you can make a single jar of your favorite fruit jam without spending an entire day in the kitchen. Simply put: This recipe is an answer to a time-saving prayer. Adapt to whatever is in season. If your craving today is raspberry, or strawberry, or apricot, or peach, have a jam session in minutes. 

JAM SESSION 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups fresh peaches; peeled, diced, and stone removed 

1/2 cup sugar 

1 tablespoon white wine*

3 discs of spiced ginger, slivered 

2 cinnamon sticks 

1 lemon

Pinch of sea salt

*May be substituted for water. 

Instructions:

Pulse half the peaches in a food processor to make the fruit chunky. Transfer to a 2-3 quart saucepan. Add remaining diced peaches, sugar, wine, ginger, and juice of half the lemon. Slice a section of the lemon with rind on, remove seeds, and drop it into the pan. You will fish it back out later. (The lemon is a natural thickening agent.) Add two cinnamon sticks. Mix well. Cook the peaches over medium-high heat at a boil. It should begin to thicken. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until mixture becomes jam, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Before transferring to a jar, remove the cinnamon sticks and lemon wedge. Store in the refrigerator. 

Driving Dill Crazy on Cedar Plank Salmon

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Driving Dill Crazy on Cedar Plank Salmon! Tired of multi-tasking?  Here’s a solution to the never-ending question of “What’s for Dinner?”  This is the BEST way to grill salmon when you’re at the end of a day that seemed long and demanding. Simply thaw and grill. The supermarket was featuring delicately seasoned Atlantic salmon on a pre-soaked cedar plank. Not only does it taste amazing, but clean-up is a breeze. There’s even enough for a meal later on. Stay tuned. 

DRIVING DILL CRAZY ON CEDAR PLANK SALMON

Ingredients:

1 24-ounce package of Cedar Bay Salmon, Applewood with Orange and Ginger seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat grill to 425°. Place the thawed salmon and plank directly on the middle rack. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Do not over cook. The flesh becomes flakey and pink in the center. Serve with your favorite salad or side dish. 

El Diablo Chambord Spritz

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: El Diablo Chambord Spritz! If you like the crispness of a margarita, this version offers the fruity depth of raspberry liqueur as well as a spicy balance of ginger flavor. Ginger beer is not the same as ginger ale. Depending on the brand you choose, some can be mild and tangy while others offer a kick of cayenne pepper. I bet you can guess which flavor I prefer. No judgment, please. 

EL DIABLO CHAMBORD SPRITZ

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounce reposado tequila 

1/2 ounce Chambord liqueur 

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

4 ounces ginger beer

Lime slice, for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add reposado tequila, Chambord liqueur,  and lime juice. Shake well. Strain into three shot glasses. Add ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime slices and serve. 

Ahi Tuna Seared

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Ahi Tuna Seared! As many of you know, ahi should be eaten completely raw or seared on high heat to just barely rare in the center. That means asking for sashimi grade tuna to begin with at the fish market, where it is processed to be eaten exactly those two ways. If it is prepackaged in the seafood deli, and is not marked sushi grade, plan to cook it completely through. Otherwise you could have a reaction that is rather unpleasant. The mild flavor should not smell strong or fishy either. Check your sources before buying. 

AHI TUNA SEARED

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

4 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon black pepper

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons ginger root, julienned 

2 6-ounce ahi tuna steaks

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Instructions: 

In a shallow dish, combine lime juice, sesame oil, black pepper, soy sauce, and julienned ginger. Mix well. Place the ahi tuna in the marinade, making sure they are fully coated in sauce. Cover; marinate the ahi steaks for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. On a sheet of waxed paper, combine white and black sesame seeds. Press both sides of the tuna steaks into the sesame seed mixture. Transfer the ahi tuna steaks to a well-oiled iron skillet that has been preheated on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Cook 60 seconds per side. Remove the tuna from the pan. Tent with aluminum foil to allow them to rest for 3 minutes. Then, using a sharp knife, slice the tuna against the grain into thin, even slices. Serve immediately. 

Yakitori Chicken Skewers

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Yakitori Chicken Skewers! Our dinner was supposed to be grilled outdoors. Thank goodness when the weather doesn’t cooperate, meat and vegetables can be broiled indoors with very tasteful  results. The international marinade lends itself to an enhanced blend of aromatic soy, olive oil, and pungent ginger which is pleasing to the palate. The Japanese-style dish is a light and healthy alternative when mixed with fruit and vegetables. 

YAKITORI CHICKEN SKEWERS

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into small sections

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sake or vermouth

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, shaved

1 garlic clove, minced

6″ skewers

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

1/2 cup green pepper strips

Instructions:

Place chicken in a dish. Combine sugar, soy sauce, sake, vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Mix well to combine. Pour over chicken pieces and marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Thread chicken, pineapple, and green pepper alternating on skewers. Preheat oven broiler on high setting. Place skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 5 minutes; turn and broil an additional 5 minutes on the other side. Cook until chicken is fully cooked. Remove from oven being careful of hot juices. 

Bacon Bites

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Bacon Bites! Get ready for a smokey, salty, crunchy all-time favorite appetizer. As the bacon sizzles in the skillet, your will-power needs to shift into high gear to restrain you from taste-testing before it’s finished. Trust me, this is worth the wait. 

BACON BITES

Ingredients:

9 slices of bacon

1/2 pound chicken chunks, pre-cooked

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and sliced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450°. Partially cook bacon; drain on paper towels. Combine chicken, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and water chestnuts. Marinate for 20 minutes. Drain. Wrap one piece of chicken and two water chestnuts in 1/3 slice of bacon. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven 10-12 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. 

Rumaki Shrimp Bites

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Rumaki Shrimp Bites! Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered a cooked shrimp menu item and then discovered at first bite the “crunch” was from the tail shell not being removed? I get it that leaving the tail on makes for an impressive presentation, but seriously, do I really need to get my hands dirty before I dig in? Oh, I’ve learned to maneuver my fork and knife to get the job done; it’s just that I don’t want to do it. My sweetheart of a husband often tackles the task for me so I don’t end up leaving a stain on my outfit. Yes, that’s happened as well. As you’re thinking…..”what a Miss Priss”, I want you to know that I KNOW shrimp tails are nutritionally edible. Unfortunately I was raised they were basically there to hold onto shrimp cocktail or fried shrimp. Raise your pinky in the air and agree with me. 

RUMAKI SHRIMP BITES

Ingredients:

9 slices bacon, halved

18 medium frozen shrimp, thawed

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

8-ounces sliced water chestnuts, drained

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Partially cook bacon; drain on paper towels. Set aside. Rinse shrimp thoroughly; pat dry. Remove tails and discard. Set aside. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, ground ginger, and water chestnuts. Marinate for 20 minutes. Drain excess liquid. Wrap one shrimp and two water chestnuts in a 1/2 slice bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until remaining ingredients have been used. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until bacon is crisp. Serve with dipping sauce of choice.