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Haricot Vert Hot Off the Grill

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Haricot Vert Hot Off the Grill! I’m not trying to go all fancy shmancy with you. I just like the French language and use some terminology whenever I can. Cooking seems to be the logical place to do that. I bet you do, too. Ever hear the words aioli, béchamel sauce, baguette, charcuterie, julienne, pâté, roux, or soufflé? I’m sure you can come up with a few words yourself. We live in that kind of a world. Check out any list of restaurants in your area and you’ll see what I mean. Well, that being said, “haricot vert” translates into “green beans”. And this recipe may transport you to a place you’ve never been.

HARICOT VERT HOT OFF THE GRILL

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh green beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic herb seasoning

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup French fried onions, for garnish

Instructions:

Place a grill pan on the grill. Close the lid and preheat to 400°. Rinse the fresh green beans and pat dry. Trim the ends off the green beans and discard. In a large bowl, toss the green beans and olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic herb seasoning and sea salt. Gently toss. Using grill tongs, transfer the green beans to the grill pan. Close the grill cover and cook for 3 minutes. Open the lid, and toss the green beans. Cook 1-2 minutes longer. They should blister and slightly char. Transfer green beans to a serving dish and garnish with French fried onions before serving.

Hoosier Hot Dish

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Hoosier Hot Dish! When I moved to Indiana over 30 years ago, it didn’t take me long to hear the term “Hoosier”. I knew it was a nickname for the State’s residents. But, honestly, I wondered how it originated. I had no idea it came into popularity over 200 years ago. The story that was told to me went something like this. Along the Ohio River, in the hills of southern Indiana, settlers lived and worked around the riverfront. As boatmen passed by on barges taking corn to New Orleans, the countrymen would call out, “Who’s Yere?” to assure they were friend, not foe. It happened so often, in time those workers became known as people of the “Hooshier” State. My experience in hearing about this one-pot meal for the first time was just as funny. A coworker said she was making Hoosier Hot Dish for supper. When I asked her for the recipe, she laughed and told me there wasn’t one. She said you just throw everything in a pot on the stove and eat it when it’s done. I narrowed it down a little bit more for you. Go figure.

HOOSIER HOT DISH

Ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning

15-ounce can cut green beans, with liquid

1 pound potatoes, quartered, skin on

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2” chunks

Instructions:

Warm olive oil on medium-low setting in the bottom of a stock pot. Add sliced onions, seasoned salt, garlic and herbed seasoning. Sauté 20 minutes until onions are a light brown. Add green beans with liquid, quartered potatoes, and smoked sausage chunks. Cover and Cook 30-40 minutes over medium heat or until potatoes are fork tender. Hot Dish will thicken. Add 1/2 cup water, if necessary, to keep things from boiling dry or scorching. Serve with cornbread.

Long Hot Peppers

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Long Hot Peppers! Aren’t they pretty? I picked up these twisted green chiles at a Mexican Farmers Market. Their skin is smooth and waxy in a conical shape that promises a mildly sweet flavor. The owner wanted me to try them, so he basically gathered up a handful and put them in my market basket. “You’ll see”, he said. “Taste them and come back for more.” These versatile peppers are so much milder than jalapeños, which make them a delicious addition to garden salads, homemade salsas, sandwich toppers, as pizza and pasta partners. Chop or slice, roast or pickle them…..as long as you give them a chance.

LONG HOT PEPPERS

Ingredients:

1 pound long hot green peppers

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Instructions:

Only prepare the quantity you wish to use for a specific meal. Wash and pat dry the green peppers. Remove the stems; discard. Slice or chop each pepper, placing the pieces in a bowl. Whisk together olive oil, garlic powder, and seasoned salt. Pour over the peppers. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes before using. Savor the crunch! Store unused long hot peppers in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator.

Upgraded Lunch Break

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Elevated Edibles: Upgraded Lunch Break! For those original gamers from the 1980’s, today’s snapshot may detect a slight resemblance to a popular video game character known as Pac-Man. I assure you, that was not my intention. My kids played that harmless game all the time, staring at a screen that literally ate its way to a high score. Then again, I seem to remember them requesting pizza delivery more often as a result of it. At least nowadays I can choose a healthier alternative with multigrain baked crackers that have wheat, corn, and oats. Plus it won’t cost me a roll of quarters.

UPGRADED LUNCH BREAK

Ingredients:

6 multigrain baked crackers

3 slices cherrywood smoked ham, deli-style

1 golden delicious apple, sliced in wedges

Fresh chives, for garnish

Instructions:

Arrange multigrain crackers on a platter. Cut each slice of ham in half. Form into an accordion shape to create “wells”. Secure one end with two strands of fresh chives. Tie securely. Place the ham onto a multigrain cracker, fanning out the hills and valleys. Insert apple wedges where possible, allowing them to stand upright. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Vegetable Enriched Pasta Meatballs

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Vegetable Enriched Pasta Meatballs! For a clever way to increase vegetables into your diet, think pasta. The next trip you make to the grocery store could reveal the variety of homemade pasta noodles made with puréed tomatoes, carrots, spinach, and zucchini. Many are cholesterol-free and all-natural, if that sort of thing is important to you. Read the labels carefully. The last thing you want is food coloring instead of the real deal. Chop up fresh onions, green peppers, and garlic, as you normally would. By the time you add marinara sauce and meatballs, I guarantee you the family will be asking for seconds.

VEGETABLE ENRICHED PASTA MEATBALLS

Ingredients:

14 ounces vegetable mix homemade noodles

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

24-ounce jar pasta sauce, prepared

26-ounce bag frozen Italian-style meatballs, thawed

Instructions:

Bring 3-4 quarts of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the bag of vegetable in homemade noodles. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Rinse and drain. Set aside. In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions, green peppers, and minced garlic. Sauté until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add prepared pasta sauce and Italian-style meatballs. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until heated thoroughly, 15-20 minutes. Add drained vegetable pasta. Toss to coat. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Yo-Yo Strawberry Froyo

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Yo-Yo Strawberry Froyo! During strawberry season, there are so many ways to serve this jubilant fruit without getting bored. Once one has made a couple jars of jam, a strawberry rhubarb pie, bakery-style muffins, and angel food shortcake, the list goes on. Strawberries are a nice addition to a spinach salad. They also present a festive twist on the classic margarita to offset a platter of tortilla chips and salsa. If you’ve had your fill of strawberries before the season ends, no worries. Wash them, remove the leaves and stems, halve them, then pop them in the freezer for using later on. I like to place them in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer for 24 hours before storing them in ziplock bags. That way they don’t end up as a giant blob of frozen strawberries.

YO-YO STRAWBERRY FROYO

Ingredients:

2 bananas, peeled, sliced, and frozen

1 cup frozen strawberries, halved

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

1/4 cup frozen strawberry chunks, optional for texture

Fresh mint, for garnish

Instructions:

Using a food processor, combine frozen sliced bananas, frozen strawberry halves, sweetened condensed milk, Greek yogurt, and coconut extract. Blend until smooth and creamy. It will look like softened ice cream. Gently fold in strawberry chunks for color and texture. Transfer mixture to a loaf pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Freeze overnight. To serve, scoop frozen yogurt into dessert bowls. Garnish with fresh mint. Serve immediately.

Buttery Stuffed Haddock

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Buttery Stuffed Haddock! If you’re looking for a break from red meat, look no further than fish. I used to think I only had only two choices when it came time for a homemade fish dinner: either bake it or fry it. Now that I have easier access to fresh fish, I’ve expanded my thought process beyond the ordinary. While I’m having fun with the outdoor kitchen, sometimes I want a little more than that as well. I’m here to say that stuffing is no longer just for turkey. Fish offers options like mixing in shrimp, crab, vegetables, herbs, or rice. How crazy is that? Stick around; I’ll show you how it’s done.

BUTTERY STUFFED HADDOCK

Ingredients for Haddock:

2 – 6 ounce haddock fillets

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Ingredients for Stuffing:

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped

1 pound precooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped

1/4 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon diced pimentos

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon chives, minced

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large skillet, warm butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped celery, and chopped green pepper. Sauté until tender. Add shrimp; stir 1-2 minutes. Add beef broth, diced pimentos, Worcestershire sauce, dill weed, minced chives, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Heat through. Remove from heat and gently fold in bread crumbs. Divide the stuffing between the haddock fillets. Roll up; transfer stuffed fillets to the prepared baking dish, placing seam side down. Drizzle with melted butter and lemon juice. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Umami Bomb Chorizo Grits

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Umami Bomb Chorizo Grits! Say whaaat? Somebody needs to tell me what that word means. Umami. Evidently it is the taste bud beyond the famous four: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Oh yeah, taste buds we’ve been familiar with since we first began to put food in our mouths. This “umami” envelopes earthy, meaty, and savory. Examples of foods that reflect this are soy sauce, tomatoes, cheeses, anchovies, and cured pork products. Chorizo falls into the latter category, you probably concluded. Sooo, are we good?

UMAMI BOMB CHORIZO GRITS

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grits, uncooked

1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 chorizo sausage links, casing removed

1 tablespoon red pepper, diced

1 tablespoon green pepper, diced

1 tablespoon red onion, sliced

1 tablespoon frozen corn, thawed

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, crumbled

1 hard-boiled egg

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Prepare grits according to package directions. Stir in cheddar cheese. Set aside. Remove the casing of the chorizo. Spray a skillet with nonstick oil. Add chorizo. Sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Crumble the meat with a fork as it cooks. Add red pepper, green pepper, red onion, and corn. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. To serve, transfer cheesy grits to a shallow dish. Add chorizo and sautéed vegetables. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve with a hard-boiled egg. Garnish with cayenne pepper, to taste.

Sea Salt-Rubbed Baked Potato

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Sea Salt-Rubbed Baked Potato! When my sister-in-law worked in a fine dining restaurant years ago, she shared with me an amazing secret for perfectly seasoned baked potatoes. “Wash the skins, then butter them up before sprinkling with sea salt,” she instructed. The skins become as tasty as a savory cracker. I thanked her and with enthusiasm have been making them that way ever since. It’s pretty much fool-proof. There’s no need for extra butter or salt since they are baked into the skin. She went on to share another tidbit of information with me. “Leftover baked potatoes prepared this way become the best shredded hash browns.” Bonus!

SEA SALT-RUBBED BAKED POTATOES

2 russet potatoes, washed and pierced

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon sea salt

Dollop of sour cream

Green onions, for garnish

Sprinkling of crushed oregano

Instructions;

Preheat oven to 350°. Wash potatoes and pat dry. Pierce the top with a paring knife. Holding the potato in one hand, apply softened butter all over the outer skin. Then sprinkle with sea salt. Place the potatoes on a stone, or directly on the oven rack, in the preheated oven. Be sure the pierce mark is facing up. Bake one hour, or until tender. To serve, split the potato open on a plate. Dollop with a generous spoonful of sour cream. Garnish with green onions and sprinkle with crushed oregano.