jelly

Chef’s Plate

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Chef’s Plate! Pull together a party-friendly charcuterie platter where finger foods rule. Make it as elaborate as you choose, depending on the size of the guest list. Obviously for an intimate dinner for two, something like this is a perfect balance of contrasting flavors. Keep the bread crunchy and the jam or jelly sweet. It offsets the fatty, salty meat by cutting through the richness of the buttery cheese. The tartness of gherkins is a classic choice for nibbling in between. Be creative. Anything goes.

CHEF’S PLATE

Ingredients:

Jalapeño Pepper Jelly

Cornichons Gherkins

Red Onion

Baguette Toast

Mixed Nuts

Summer Sausage Sticks

Aged Bleu Cheese

Bite-size Dry Salami

Instructions:

Fill small condiment bowls with pepper jelly, baby gherkins, and assorted mixed nuts. Slice baguette. Rub with olive oil and bake in a 350° oven for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake 5 minutes longer. Place on a chef’s board or in a bread basket. Arrange cured hard sausages around the wedge of Bleu cheese. Slices red onion and “fan” near the bread. Once the food is arranged, open a bottle of wine, and enjoy the experience of grazing.

Pastime Pepper Jelly Appetizer

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Pastime Pepper Jelly Appetizer! Someone once told me, I was the “Queen of Appetizers”. It may be the result of often serving hors d’oeuvres and finger food at festive parties and impromptu gatherings. Or perhaps, simply because it makes a light meal. Recently, though, my husband opened a bottle of dry red wine and we had a quiet dinner for two from this recipe alone. It may have been the ancient evening, the distant music, the cozy conversation, or the cherished companionship, but add it all together for the perfect pastime.

PASTIME PEPPER JELLY APPETIZER

Ingredients:

8 ounce block Neufchâtel cheese, softened

6 ounce sleeve sesame crackers

8 ounce jar Jalapeño Confetti Jelly*

Fresh mint (optional)

Instructions:

Chop fresh mint. Spread a teaspoon of Neufchâtel cheese on a sesame cracker. Beginning with a half a teaspoon to taste, place a dollop of Jalapeño Confetti Jelly on top. Garnish with fresh mint. Serve with a nonalcoholic sparkling blood orange beverage or a glass of red wine.

*Jalapeño or habanero jellies are recommended. You may follow the link to make your own Jalapeño Confetti Jelly @ https://snapshotsincursive.com/2016/09/29

Neufchâtel Crab Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Neufchâtel Crab Dip! Easy seafood appetizers can be prepared in no time at all. By substituting miniature phyllo dough shells for snack crackers, the results are impressively gourmet. Who doesn’t love that WOW factor?! Make this appetizer the star of your next gathering. Everyone will thank you.

NEUFCHÂTEL CRAB DIP

Ingredients:

1 6-ounce can crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed

1/2 cup lobster meat, chunk style

1 green onion, snipped

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon lemon peel, finely shredded

1 teaspoon lemon juice

8-ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 cup Jalapeño Confetti Jelly*

15-count package miniature phyllo dough shells

Fresh dill sprigs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange phyllo shells on a baking sheet. Bake 5-7 minutes until crisp. Remove and set aside. In a medium bowl, toss crabmeat, lobster, and green onion snips in dill weed, shredded lemon peel, and lemon juice. In a another bowl, combine Neufchâtel cheese, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Fold crabmeat mixture into mayonnaise mixture. Transfer dip to an oven-proof dish. Top with Jalapeño Confetti Jelly. Bake 20 minutes. Spoon warm crab dip into phyllo shells. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs. Serve warm.

*Follow the link for the recipe for Jalapeño Confetti Jelly.

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2017/09/29

Jalapeño Confetti Jelly

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Jalapeño Confetti Jelly! This homemade jelly may become your all-time favorite. Not only is it enticing in the jar with its festive swirls of colorful confetti, but once you slather it over your favorite foods, it becomes a taste sensation. Don’t settle for ordinary. Be creative. Serve it as a dipping sauce with grilled meats and shrimp or spread it on crostini and crackers. No rules apply. Make some for yourself and some to share. Either way, it’ll be gone long before the next crop of garden jalapeños roll around.

JALAPEÑO CONFETTI JELLY

Ingredients:

8-10 jalapeño peppers, stems removed

12-ounce bag assorted mini peppers

2 cups apple cider vinegar

3 cups sugar

1 packet pectin, no sugar needed*

Instructions:

Wear disposable gloves when handling jalapeños. Chop jalapeño peppers, then pulse in a food processor until they are minced. Transfer jalapeños to a heavy bottomed 4-quart pan. Repeat with mini peppers after removing stems, inner ribs, and seeds. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding. Start with a rough chop, then pulse in the food processor until finely minced. Add mini peppers to the pan with the jalapeño peppers. Add apple cider vinegar and sugar to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring the pan to a boil. Gradually add the fruit pectin. Continue boiling for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Ladle the hot liquid into clean jars. (Makes three pints or use assorted jar sizes for gift-giving.) Set aside jars to cool before capping. As jelly cools, pepper bits float to the top. Stir occasionally to distribute more evenly for a confetti appearance. Once the jelly is cool, cap and refrigerate the jars. The Jalapeño Confetti Jelly will thicken as it cools.

* I received no recompense for suggesting SURE-JELL, no sugar needed, premium fruit pectin, 1.75 ounce size box.

Waffle Doodle-Doo

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Next Step: Waffle Doodle-Doo! The million dollar question of the day is “Why are chicken and waffles so popular?” Could it be the crispy moist chicken tenders, or the fluffy golden-edge waffle, or the sweet creamy butter? Maybe. Perhaps it’s the robust taste of natural maple syrup. That’s good, too. Personally, I like the explosive kick of jalapeño and the bite of cilantro mixed in. Sliced apple sticks are a bonus. No matter your preference, it’s kind of a thing. Go the easy route like I did. Pick up an order of breaded chicken tenders from your favorite food joint. Since my husband is a master on the waffle iron, he does that part. Make extra waffles; they freeze well. You can thank me later. Pull it all together for a unique flavor that works for breakfast, weekend brunch, or late night craving.

WAFFLE DOODLE-DOO

Ingredients:

4 chicken tenders, precooked

2 buttermilk or Belgian-style frozen waffles

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1-2 tablespoons jalapeño pepper jelly

1 Gala apple, cored and sliced into matchsticks

Butter, room temperature

Fresh cilantro

Instructions:

Warm chicken tenders in a 350° oven while waffles are being made in the waffle iron or heated in a toaster to desired crispness. Combine maple syrup and jalapeño jelly in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on High in 15-second intervals. Stir together until jelly is melted and the flavors are blended. Core the apple, then slice into matchsticks. For presentation, cut waffles into triangles to form a “tent”. Brush waffles with softened butter. Drizzle with jalapeño maple syrup. Arrange chicken tenders. Add apples. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Jelly Roll Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Jelly Roll Cake! Sweetness never tasted so good. The best part about this classic cake recipe is the filling can be whatever flavor you wish it to be. I used all-natural Red-Cherry Swiss Preserves for a fruit flavor resulting in a gourmet experience. It created an international glimpse of Switzerland without setting foot on an airplane.

JELLY ROLL CAKE

Ingredients:

3 eggs, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup almonds, sliced

2/3 cup jelly or jam, any flavor

Powdered sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and line a 10″x15″ jelly roll pan. Beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar, water, and almond extract. Mix thoroughly. Add flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended and no lumps remain. Pour into pan and sprinkle with almonds. Bake 12-15 minutes. Loosen cake from pan and invert onto a tea towel generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. While cake is hot, roll up. Refrigerate one hour. Unroll cake and top with jelly or jam, spreading to edges. Roll up cake again, sprinkle with powdered sugar, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate two more hours before serving.

Dining Outside the Home: Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis, Tennessee! Who is obsessed with donuts? Anyone? Glazed. Cake. Chocolate. Powdered Sugar. Cream-filled. Sprinkles. Jelly. Bacon. Fritters. The list goes on and on. We like donuts for breakfast, snack, parties, celebrations, dessert, just about any time of day or night. That is the reason Gibson’s Donuts is such a landmark on Mt. Moriah Road in Memphis, Tennessee. Their reputation for 24-hour service requires no advertising. It’s all word-of-mouth, if you catch my drift. And they’ve been going strong for over 50 years. The donut-filled display cases keep customers pretty satisfied. You may drop by for a donut break and find yourself walking out with a boxed dozen…or two. The aromas are so amazing due to an energetic staff who work round the clock. In the end, it means the freshest donuts around.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter C

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Chef’s Plate! Pull together a party-friendly charcuterie platter where finger foods rule. Make it as elaborate as you choose, depending on the size of the guest list. Obviously for an intimate dinner for two, something like this is a perfect balance of contrasting flavors. Keep the bread crunchy and the jam or jelly sweet. It offsets the fatty, salty meat by cutting through the richness of the buttery cheese. The tartness of gherkins is a classic choice for nibbling in between. Be creative. Anything goes. 
CHEF’S PLATE
Ingredients:

Jalapeño Pepper Jelly

Cornichons Gherkins 

Red Onion 

Baguette Toast

Mixed Nuts

Summer Sausage Sticks

Aged Bleu Cheese

Bite-size Dry Salami
Instructions:

Fill small condiment bowls with pepper jelly, baby gherkins, and assorted mixed nuts. Slice baguette. Rub with olive oil and bake in a 350° oven for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake 5 minutes longer. Place on a chef’s board or in a bread basket. Arrange cured hard sausages around the wedge of Bleu cheese. Slices red onion and “fan” near the bread. Once the food is arranged, open a bottle of wine, and enjoy the experience of grazing. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Pastime Pepper Jelly Appetizer! Someone once told me, I was the “Queen of Appetizers”. It may be the result of often serving hors d’oeuvres and finger food at festive parties and impromptu gatherings. Or perhaps, simply because it makes a light meal. Recently, though, my husband opened a bottle of dry red wine and we had a quiet dinner for two from this recipe alone. It may have been the ancient evening, the distant music, the cozy conversation, or the cherished companionship, but add it all together for the perfect pastime. 
PASTIME PEPPER JELLY APPETIZER 
Ingredients:

8 ounce block Neufchâtel cheese, softened 

6 ounce sleeve sesame crackers

8 ounce jar Jalapeño Confetti Jelly*

Fresh mint (optional)
Instructions:

Chop fresh mint. Spread a teaspoon of Neufchâtel cheese on a sesame cracker. Beginning with a half a teaspoon to taste, place a dollop of Jalapeño Confetti Jelly on top. Garnish with fresh mint. Serve with a nonalcoholic sparkling blood orange beverage or a glass of red wine. 
*Jalapeño or habanero jellies are recommended. You may follow the link to make your own Jalapeño Confetti Jelly @ https://snapshotsincursive.com/2016/09/29