grain

Neufchâtel Radish Sandwiches

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Plating: Neufchâtel Radish Sandwiches! How do you make a simple sandwich look appealing? Think, open-faced. Use colorful ingredients. Add texture, like the seeded bread. Fresh garnishes should be light, airy, and fragrant. And above all, be generous in presentation. Instead of a smear of whipped cheese, use a spoon to add a dollop swirled across the top. It doesn’t need to be spread all the way to the edges. By overlapping ingredients, it creates symmetry as it builds volume. All these things bring harmony to a simple sandwich with irresistible results. 

NEUFCHÂTEL RADISH SANDWICHES

Ingredients: 

8-ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoon chopped dill

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

8 slices avocado seed & grain bread

1 bunch radishes, washed and cut into thin slices

Cracked black pepper, if desired

Fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions: 

Using a hand mixer, cream the Neufchâtel cheese until light and smooth. Fold in chopped dill, chopped chives, and sea salt. Cut the avocado seed & grain bread slices in half.  Spread a layer of the herbed Neufchâtel cheese over each piece of bread. Arrange sliced radishes on top. Garnish with fresh dill. Sprinkle each open face sandwich with cracked black pepper. Serve slightly chilled. 

Open Face BLT

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Open Face BLT! If you’re looking for something to serve instead of cheese and crackers or hamburger sliders for your next gathering, think about offering these appealing handhelds. Slathered with custard-like mayo that boasts of a creamy rich taste, which seals in juicy tomatoes and hearty mixed greens, to create a platform that screams, “Eat Me!” With less bread and half the bacon per serving, it naturally becomes a guilt-free option for everyone to try. 

OPEN FACE BLT

Ingredients: 

2 slices multiple-grain bread, toasted

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 Roma tomato, sliced

1/2 cup mixed salad greens

2 strips of hickory smoked bacon, cooked crisp and cut in half

Instructions: 

To assemble ingredients, cut the toasted multigrain bread into halves; arrange on a plate. Slather the mayonnaise over each piece of toast. Divide the tomato slices equally between them. Layer the mixed salad greens over the tomato slices. Top with crispy bacon halves. Now they’re ready to serve. 

Nutella Banana Bites

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Nutella Banana Bites! Some bakery genius came up with an irresistible blend of simple ingredients like dark chocolate, skim milk, and roasted hazelnuts. Then put it in a jar next to the peanut butter in the grocery aisle to boost sales. Great visibility partners with nutritious health benefits that promote wellness and overall satisfaction. Millennials, Gen Z, and Boomers all admit to the creamy satisfaction they receive in this popular hazelnut spread. If you haven’t tried it yet, simply add it to your grocery list and splurge a little. There’s no time like the present. 

NUTELLA BANANA BITES

Ingredients:

1 large whole grain tortilla 

1 banana, peeled

1-2 tablespoons Nutella®️ hazelnut spread

Cinnamon, for garnish

Party picks 

Instructions:

Spread Nutella®️evenly on a tortilla wrap using a flat spatula. Place the peeled banana on one edge of the tortilla. Wrap the tortilla around the banana by rolling it from one side to the other. Cut into 1” thick sections for bite-size portions. Pierce with a party pick. Dust with cinnamon, for garnish. Arrange banana bites on a plate;  serve. 

Multi-Grain Avocado Toast

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Multigrain Avocado Toast! Have you heard that eating eggs are no longer bad for you? Well, that’s the story I told my doctor and I’m sticking to it. He actually agreed, after looking at my bloodwork. Now, as a disclaimer, I’m going to clarify that I usually eat one egg a day, for breakfast, and I prepare it in the microwave, without butter. I also buy organic eggs with that Florida-sunset orange yolk. Farmers here tell me that deep color means more vitamins because free range hens get to enjoy the “greener pastures of grass and clover by foraging the great outdoors.” All I know is, way back in the day when I was a country girl growing up, we didn’t have GMOs and food modifications that make an ingredient list look like it came out of a chemistry book. Rant over. 

MULTIGRAIN AVOCADO TOAST

Ingredients:

2 pieces multigrain bread, toasted

1 avocado, halved and pitted 

1 teaspoon lime juice

2 eggs, sunny side up

1/4 teaspoon everything but bagel seasoning 

Fresh blueberries and orange segments 

Cinnamon dusting, for garnish 

Instructions:

Mash the avocado, drizzle with lime juice, and spread onto the toasted bread, or simply use the toast to “dip” into the avocado/egg mixture. Spice it up with everything but bagel seasoning. Toss fresh blueberries and orange segments. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Quick and Tasty! 

Kielbasa Bacon Bombs

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Kielbasa Bacon Bombs! Food doesn’t have to take all day to be fabulous. After all, shortcuts can make a terribly long day end much better with time-saving features. Whether you’re looking for a tasty appetizer to share with others or relax with maximum flavor while putting forth little effort, here’s an idea when nothing else sounds good. Meat-lovers thrive on simplicity. Get inspired and try something different. You’ll thank me. My husband did. 

KIELBASA BACON BOMBS

Ingredients:

16 ounces candied bacon, precooked***

16 ounces kielbasa sausage, cut into chunks 

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Warm candied bacon for 30 seconds in the microwave. Cut bacon to wrap around a chunk of kielbasa sausage. Secure with a wooden pick. Place on a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat until all sausage chunks are used. Bake for 10-15 minutes to heat through. The bacon with turn crisp. Remove from oven. Arrange on a platter and serve with whole grain mustard for dipping. 

***To make your own candied bacon, follow the link provided. 

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2019/04/11

Oatmeal Options

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Oatmeal Options! Some people tell me if they eat breakfast, they end up nibbling and snacking all day long. These same people tell me when they skip breakfast, they keep their diet in check. Who’s correct? Is it mind over matter? Studies show that skipping meals can be a trigger for migraines. Others show metabolism irregularities associated with hair loss and, ironically, unexpectedly weight gain can result from unstable choices. Now I don’t know about all that. I do know that maintaining a routine seems to reap optimum results for me. I’ve read that eating oatmeal regularly seems to prevent obesity and weight gain. Could it be due to the feeling of “sticking to your ribs”, so to speak? Makes sense to me.

OATMEAL OPTIONS

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole grain oats

1 cup skim milk

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic reduction

1 tablespoon pecans, chopped

Fresh thyme, for garnish

Instructions:

Combine whole grain oats, skim milk, and cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir well. Microwave on High 1 1/2-2 minutes. Stir. Sprinkle on brown sugar. Drizzle with balsamic reduction sauce. Add chopped pecans. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Serve immediately.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Q

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Quinoa BLTE Sandwich! What exactly is quinoa; does anyone know for sure? I took a trip down Wikipedia Lane and discovered “it is an experimental crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration human occupied space flights.” It’s also gluten-free and easy to digest. That’s pretty important stuff in my book. Oh yeah, it’s been around for human consumption for at least 3,000 years. Maybe it’s time to give it a whirl. 
QUINOA BLTE SANDWICH 
Ingredients:

2 slices organic quinoa multigrain bread, toasted

1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

2 slices tomato

2 romaine lettuce leaves

2-4 slices thick bacon, cooked crisp 

1 large egg, cooked over-easy

Pinch seasoned salt

Black pepper to taste

Garnish with parsley 
Instructions:

Microwave bacon on paper-towel-lined plate for 5 minutes on High or until crisp. Set aside. In a small skillet sprayed with nonstick oil, crack an egg over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Fry until set, then carefully flip over. Turn off heat. Continue cooking until white is set, but yolk is still runny. To assemble sandwich, slather both pieces of quinoa toast with mayonnaise. Layer ripe tomatoes, romaine lettuce leaves, and bacon strips on one slice. Slide the fried egg onto the bacon. Top the sandwich with the remaining slice of quinoa toast. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.