gravy

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Chow Down: Garlic Smashed Potatoes! Now you, too, can have the same potato side dish at home which you often choose in popular eateries. It’s so incredibly easy you’ll find yourself wondering why you didn’t think of it before now. My simple recipe requires only three key ingredients: Idaho Russet Potatoes, Boursin Garlic Cheese, and of course, French Butter with sea salt. A sprinkling of bacon bits and fresh cut chives for garnish merely enhances an already phenomenal taste. With the holidays on the horizon, be kind to yourself. Keep it simple and WOW your friends and family without spending endless hours in the kitchen. You deserve it. 
GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES 
Ingredients:

2 large Idaho Russet Potatoes 

5.2 ounces package Boursin Garlic and Herb Gournay cheese

2 tablespoons butter, salted

Bacon bits, for garnish 

Fresh cut chives, for garnish 
Instructions:

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Place potatoes in a 2-quart pan. Cover with cold water. Add about a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes for 15-18 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Empty pan of potatoes into a colander to remove water. Transfer potatoes back to the pan, add butter and Boursin garlic cheese. Cover for 2-3 minutes. Take a hand mixer and smash the ingredients together until slightly chunky. Potatoes will be stiff but creamy. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish. Top with bacon bits and fresh cut chives for garnish. Serve immediately with gravy, if desired. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Yorkshire Pudding! Remember Sunday afternoons at grandma’s house for a traditional pot roast dinner and lively conversation? The rich beef gravy practically dribbled down your chin overflowing from the saturated yeast rolls or Yorkshire pudding. Recently, I was swept back in time when I ordered this savory dish at a charming little pub in the Canadian Rockies. It was at that moment I knew I had to bring a bit of nostalgia back home. As you can see, my version included shredded beef drippings, rich brown gravy, and assorted mixed vegetables for a pocket full of perfection. 
YORKSHIRE PUDDING 
Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons flour

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup bacon drippings 
Instructions:

Combine eggs, flour, milk, water, and salt. Refrigerate batter overnight in an airtight container. The next day, remove batter to allow it to rest at room temperature while the oven is being preheated. Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 450°. Place one teaspoon of bacon drippings into each well of the bouchon pan. Place pan in the oven while it is preheating, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Fill each well 3/4 full. Do not overfill. Return pan to oven. Bake 25 minutes until Yorkshire puddings quadruple in volume. Serve immediately with meat, vegetables, and gravy. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Eat More: Beef and Noodles! I decided to take the day off from cooking so I tag-teamed with Le Creuset. All the ingredients went into the enameled cast iron French oven pretty much all day. This reliable way of slow-cooking gave me the opportunity to spend time ironing tea towels and perusing my towering stack of current magazines. As the day wound down, the mouth-watering aromas filled the air and before I knew it, dinner was ready. The roast had basted in its own juices to blend with the herbs, wine, and vegetables for delicious results. Now leftover recipes will be a breeze. Well done! 
BEEF AND NOODLES 
Ingredients:

3 pound sirloin tip roast, frozen

1 can beef consommé 

1/2 cup ginger beer

1 tablespoon Hawaiian Rub*

8 ounces homestyle noodles

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup cornstarch 

Parsley sprigs
Instructions:

Place frozen sirloin roast in a Dutch oven with a lid. Add the can of beef consommé and ginger beer. Sprinkle Hawaiian Rub over roast. Cover. Put in oven and set the temperature to 225°. After six hours, add noodles and mushrooms. Bake covered 45 minutes longer. Remove pan from oven and ladle the roast drippings into a saucepan. It should be about 2 cups of liquid. Bring to a boil. Mix the red wine and cornstarch, stirring until smooth. Slowly stir into the roast drippings, stirring occasionally to prevent lumps. As gravy thickens, reduce heat to simmer. If necessary add water if it becomes too thick. Remove beef to a platter and shred, as needed. Return shredded beef to the noodle/mushroom mixture. Cover with gravy. Transfer to serving portions. Garnish each dish with parsley sprig.  
* Hawaiian Rub is available from the Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts company. I get no recompense for mentioning this product in my recipe. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter S

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Salisbury Steak! Everyone knows it’s not really steak, but instead hamburger patties smothered in thick brown gravy. I like to think of it as savory meatloaf patties that are more economical than certified Angus sirloin steak. And honestly, I’ve never heard a single complaint when serving this American favorite. Add mashed potatoes and your choice of vegetable. It takes less than hour to prepare from start to finish. 
SALISBURY STEAK
Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, lean

1/3 cup onion, chopped 

1/3 dry bread crumbs

1 tablespoon Lea and Perrins sauce

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 tablespoon olive oil

For Gravy:

2 cups beef broth

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
Instructions:

Combine ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, Lea and Perrins sauce, egg, and parsley in a medium bowl. Mix well and form into meat patties. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the patties 4-5 minutes, then flip and brown 4 minutes longer. Remove from skillet. Add olive oil and mushrooms to the skillet over medium heat. Cook until soft. Sprinkle flour over all. Gradually add beef broth. Using a whisk, stir to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil. As the sauce thickens, reduce heat and cook for 1 minute longer. Return Salisbury steaks to pan. Coat with gravy. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Serve over mashed potatoes. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter U

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Upright Pot Pie! Do you ever have those nights when you can’t decide what to cook for dinner? You look in the refrigerator and all you see are leftovers? Again? Well, I had made a beef pot roast earlier in the week, so all the ingredients were on hand to make individual servings of pot pies. Obviously, if you don’t have mashed potatoes and gravy on hand, you can improvise. Keep it upright by filling custard dishes with single servings and then top them off with crescent roll pastry sheets. It requires very little effort, but the taste is home cooking at its best.
UPRIGHT POT PIE
Ingredients:

2 cups beef pot roast, chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1 cup brown gravy 

1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Crescent rolls

1/2 cup baby carrots 

1 cup mashed potatoes
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and stir. Reduce heat and gradually add gravy and mixed vegetables. Spoon mixture in ungreased single serving custard cups. Transfer cups to a baking sheet, in case they bubble over while baking. Remove dough from tube. Do not separate into triangles. Place one square over each custard dish. Press lightly around edges. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown. Serve with mashed potatoes and baby carrots. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter S

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Southern-Style Sausage Gravy and Biscuits! Some call it “comfort food”, others say it reminds them of Home. Whether you’re from the southern states or not, this meal is a hardy choice for an early breakfast, mid-day brunch, or late-night dinner. Add a side of tomatoes, eggs, cheese, or grits and you’ll soon have another family favorite. 
SOUTHERN-STYLE SAUSAGE GRAVY AND BISCUITS
Ingredients:

12-ounces of bulk pork sausage

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup butter 

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 tube buttermilk biscuits
Instructions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage with black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally. It will be crumbly when cooked through. Set aside. In a 2-quart pan, melt butter and remaining 1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt over medium-low heat, being careful not to scorch. Add flour all at once into the butter to make a roux. Whisk vigorously for about one minute. The mixture will thin and begin to bubble. Reduce heat to low and let it cook for two minutes more, stirring occasionally. Continue whisking and gradually pour the milk into the mixture, eliminating any lumps. Bring the gravy to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and gently simmer for two minutes longer or until thickened. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to the gravy, reserving 1/3 cup for garnish. Meanwhile, bake biscuits according to package directions. Remove from oven. 

Split biscuits in half and top with sausage gravy. Sprinkle crumbled sausage over all and serve immediately. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Loco Moco! Living up to its name, this breakfast food is actually one of Hawaii’s local favorites. The serving size is so generous you might think it’s way too much for breakfast. I didn’t eat the rest of the day after trying it at a local restaurant there. However, when you prepare it at home, you have more control over serving sizes as well as the time of day for this meal. Basically, it is composed of four layers. The bottom is fried rice, the middle is a beef patty, the next is an egg over easy. And the top layer is a ladle of gravy. Don’t knock it till you try it!

LOCO MOCO
Ingredients for Rice Layer:

1 cup prepared brown rice

1 strips bacon, crisp and crumbled 

1 sausage patty, crumbed*

2 ounces smoked sausage, 

cut-up

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons onion, cut-up

*Hawaiians favor SPAM. 
Instructions for Rice Layer:

In large skillet add sesame oil and sauté onions. Add remaining ingredients. Stir fry to blend flavors. Set aside. 
Ingredients for Beef Patty Layer:

4 1/4-pound beef patties 

1 can beef consommé 

Dash of pepper
Instructions for Beef Patty Layer:

Cook beef in consommé until tender. I did this the day before in my slow-cooker. It’s worth the effort! Save the broth for turning into gravy. 
Ingredients for Egg Layer:

4 fresh eggs
Instructions for Egg Layer:

Cook on stove to make eggs over-easy (or sunny-side up) so the yolks are still runny. 
Ingredients for Gravy Layer:

1 cup beef consommé*

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

*Add water if necessary to make one cup of liquid. 
Instructions for Gravy Layer:

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour to the butter and stir to make a roux. Cook over medium-low heat until the flour is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the consommé juices and stir until thickened. 
Now serve by assembling the layers in a shallow bowl: rice, beef, egg, and gravy. Loco Moco!