juice

Halibut Grilled to Perfection

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Halibut Grilled to Perfection! An outdoor kitchen sure makes my life easier. I had no idea how much I would appreciate the convenience, entertainment value, and dining alfresco by the pool. What a backdrop for casual conversation and cherished memories. I’m still learning to be a seasoned “grillmaster”, but then again, that’s the fun of cooking. 

HALIBUT GRILLED TO PERFECTION 

Ingredients:

2 fresh halibut fillets 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried dill

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. While the grill is heating, squeeze lemon juice over halibut fillets. Brush with olive oil. Season with garlic powder, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and dried dill. Once the grill is hot, spray the grill grates with nonstick oil. Place the fillets on the grill. Close the lid; cook for 5 minutes. Then flip fish fillets over and cook 5 minutes longer. Close lid. The internal temperature should be 145°. Remove the fillets from the grill and serve. Garnish with lemon wedges. 

Ginger Glazed Baked Tilapia

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Ginger Glazed Baked Tilapia! Do you bypass those brownish stems in the produce department that resemble tree roots? Think twice about ignoring them. Ginger is a plant-based spice that produces an energized aroma. It adds a wonderful zing to bakery items, carbonated beverages, and today’s feature, tilapia fish. Embrace the flavor without regrets. 

GINGER GLAZED BAKED TILAPIA

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fish filets

1/3 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions:

Season tilapia filets with sea salt and black pepper. Place in a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, and brown sugar. Pour over tilapia. Cover; marinate in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°.  Place baking dish in oven. Bake fish for 13-15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. 

Zested Orange Cranberry Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Zested Orange Cranberry Sauce! Infuse the traditional cranberry sauce with cinnamon, orange, and citrus to reap a perfect blend of holiday flavors. By simmering the mixed fruits together, it transforms ordinary sauce into a fancier version of a popular classic. Elevate your taste buds from semi-sweet to welcome complement. Top off baked Brie, spoon onto a dish of yogurt, or slather across a piece of toast. It’s perfect for now as well as all season long. 

ZESTED ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup orange marmalade 

2 tablespoons grated orange rind

1/8 teaspoon granulated lemon zest

3/4 cup sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup fresh orange juice, from 2 oranges

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries 

Instructions:

Combine marmalade, orange rind, and lemon zest. Set aside. Combine juice, sugar, and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add cranberries and return to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries pop and sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in marmalade mixture. Cover and chill. 

Jazzy Jerk Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Jazzy Jerk Sauce! Get fired up as you crank up the heat with this homemade habanero pepper sauce. Choose those festive little lantern-shaped peppers from the local market or nearby health food resource, don a pair of vinyl gloves, and fill your kitchen with aromas from the Caribbean Islands. As it cooks, let your imagination run wild for the condiment that sends the temperature rising!

JAZZY JERK SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

2 cups water

10-12 habanero peppers, seeded and finely chopped

3 tablespoons orange juice

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan, sauté garlic in olive oil. Add onion, carrots, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until carrots are soft. Remove from heat. Add habanero peppers, orange juice, vinegar, and sea salt. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

*Serving suggestion: Wicked Hot Wings and Drummies!

Giddyup Gazpacho

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Giddyup Gazpacho!  Yee-haw!  Get set to gather the bounty of your garden because this dish has quite a variety of appetizing vegetables! You’ll experience an explosion of flavor in every mouthful. Gazpacho is one of those mysterious soups that is meant to be eaten COLD. Sound bizarre? I know, right!  Trust me, the fusion of wholesome produce is unsurpassed. And the temperature is perfectly refreshing this time of year. 

GIDDYUP GAZPACHO 

Ingredients:

4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped 

1 small sweet onion, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

1/2 cup baby carrots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons garlic vinegar 

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce (optional)

2 cups 100% vegetable juice, low sodium

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients from the top of the list to the bottom. Stir well. The vegetable juice is added last so you can determine the consistency of the soup. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. 

Xnipec Salsa

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Xnipec Salsa, which translates to “smoking HOT” because it’s made with habanero chile peppers popular in the Yucatan region. I was pretty cautious in making this by first roasting the habaneros in the oven and then scraping out all the seeds. (Warning: Be sure to wear gloves when handling habanero peppers!) I served this salsa with the Zesty Fish Tacos coming up in Letter Z. 

XNIPEC SALSA

1/3 cup Vidalia onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

4-6 plum tomatoes, cut-up with juice

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons lime juice 

Salt to taste 

2 Habanero peppers

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Mix together onions, garlic, tomatoes, salt, lime juice, and orange juice. Set aside. The salt will make the tomatoes very juicy, which releases the flavor, in my opinion. If you prefer a thicker, chunkier sauce, do not add salt until ready to serve. 

Roast the habaneros in the oven at 400° until charred. Broil if necessary. Watch! Slice in half and remove stems.  Scrape out all the seeds. Then dice the peppers. Combine with the onion/tomato mixture. Add chopped cilantro. Toss gently. Marinate salsa for one hour prior to serving. 

Beef Au Jus

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Beef au Jus! Talk about a no-brainer.  This is a great meal when you have no time.  I pop a frozen beef roast into my Le Creuset covered roaster first thing in the morning and let it slow cook all day long.  By the time I return, the mouth-watering aroma greets me at the door.  Then all I have to do is add peeled potatoes, baby carrots, and some red wine.  A nice French Bordeaux adds richness and balance.  Go ahead and pour a glass for yourself and relax!  An hour later, dinner is served. Bon Appétit!

BEEF AU JUS

Ingredients:

3 lb. Beef Roast

1 can Beef Consommé 

Herbs de Provence

4 Idaho Potatoes 

1 lb. bag of Baby Carrots

1/2 lb. fresh Mushrooms 

1 cup Dry Red Wine

Directions:

Put frozen beef roast, herbs de Provence seasoning, and one can of beef consommé into a covered roaster. Set oven to 285 °.  Let it slow cook for 6-8 hours.  The meat will be juicy and fork-tender.  Add peeled and cut-up potatoes, baby carrots, and sliced mushrooms. Pour one cup of dry red wine over all. Cover.  Bake for one hour, or until tender.   Serve with crusty bread and dip into the “au jus”.  It’s so delicious, you’ll be tempted to drink it!

***Option:  The potatoes may be mashed with butter and milk.  Leave a few lumps for texture.  Top with “au jus”.

Precious Pomegranate Arils

Eating My Way Through the Holidays!  What’s cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Home For the Holidays: Precious Pomegranate Arils! Never mind the antioxidants, vitamins A or C, or it’s antiviral benefits; these seeds are amazingly sweet. Add lime zest for zing and pizzazz. Did you know there are over a hundred juicy gem-like seeds in every pomegranate?  Another reason to choose this powerfully magnetic mythological mystery. 

PRECIOUS POMEGRANATE ARILS

Ingredients:

1 ripe pomegranate 

1 fresh lime

Instructions:

Make sure the pomegranate’s skin is hard to the touch. No dark spots or blemishes which indicate bruising. There’s more than one way to open a pomegranate. For me, the underwater technique wins my vote. It’s less messy without staining my fingers red and can be done in a few minutes. Fill a large bowl with cool water. Cut the end that looks like a small crown. Then score the skin as though you were going to quarter the fruit. Basically this gives you a line where you can separate it into four sections. Now place one section under water. Turn the skin inside out. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float. Remove the membrane pieces and repeat with the remaining three sections. When finished pour the bowl of water through a strainer to rinse the pomegranate arils. Transfer them back to the empty bowl. Take a fresh lime and zest the entire skin. Quarter the lime squeezing the juice over all. Use the ruby red seeds to garnish beverages, top yogurt, embellish a smoothie, or as a simple indulgence. 

Xnipec Habanero Salsa

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Xnipec Habanero Salsa! Anyone who craves the jolt of hot tropical salsa can read on. Others who don’t….No judgement, we’ll catch you tomorrow. For those who are up to the challenge, let me give you a little background before you dive in. The word “Xnipec” translates in Mayan to “dog’s nose”, which implies you may sweat droplets like a dog’s wet nose the more bites you take. If so, wipe your forehead and walk away. You’re done. I’ve been known to ask for the “muy caliente” salsa in a Mexican restaurant. At which time, the server brings me my own special bowl usually reserved for the kitchen staff. The hubs typically laughs and tells them I can practically drink it with a straw. What can I say? I’m hopelessly addicted to habaneros. 

XNIPEC HABANERO SALSA

Ingredients:

3 habanero peppers 

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped 

2 tablespoons lime juice 

2 tablespoons orange juice

Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

Using disposable gloves, halve habaneros. Remove stem, pith, and seeds. Dice peppers; place in a bowl. Add chopped tomatoes, finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and orange juice. Add a pinch of sea salt. Toss well. Refrigerate one hour before serving.