juice

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.

Coctel de Camerones

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Coctel de Camerones! Two of my favorite foodstuff cravings time after time lead me to cocktail shrimp and Mexican cuisine. A friend shared his secret recipe, adding clam juice, to enhance the liveliness this dish creates for the taste buds. For now, I put it on pause to use at a later time. The spicy Bloody Mary concoction is bold beyond measure. It is also all-natural, gluten free, and contains no high fructose corn syrup. Treat yourself to the real thing.

COCTEL DE CAMERONES

Ingredients:

2 cups Spicy Bloody Mary mix

1/3 cup medium chunky salsa

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Everything But Bagel seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 ripe avocado, chopped after skin and pit discarded

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 yellow sweet onion, chopped

12 jumbo precooked shrimp, tails removed

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Tortilla chips

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine Spicy Bloody Mary mix, medium chunky salsa, Worcestershire sauce, Everything But Bagel seasoning, kosher salt, dried Italian herbs, lime juice, chopped avocado, chopped tomato, and chopped sweet onion. Mix well. Divide “cocktail sauce” equally between four stemmed glasses. Place three jumbo shrimp in each glass. Top with chopped cilantro. Chill for one hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Heart-Healthy Honey Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Elevated Edibles: Heart-Healthy Honey Cakes! Way down south, in the Florida panhandle, grows an unusual tree that produces the “Cadillac” of all honey varieties known as raw Tupelo. The tree blossoms are short-lived and delicate, creating a nectar that is nothing short of superbly exquisite. The finespun flavor is buttery, highly distinctive, and almost magical. If you happen to put your hands on a jar of Tupelo honey, first unscrew the lid and place a couple droplets on your tongue. You owe yourself a genuine taste of the liquid amber gold before adding it to your culinary portfolio. Then, by all means, elevate everyday favorites.

HEART-HEALTHY HONEY CAKES

Ingredients:

1 cup flour plus 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup Tupelo raw honey, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons for drizzling over the batter

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup coffee

2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease six mini bundt pans with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix well. Add vegetable oil, raw honey, sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, coffee, and orange juice. Mix thoroughly until no lumps remain. Pour batter into prepared mini bundt pans, filling each just over halfway. Do not overfill. Drizzle reserved raw honey over batter. Bake 30 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool 10 minutes, then invert pans to remove honey cakes. Cool on wire rack. Garnish with fresh lemon thyme.

Xanadu Pasta Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Xanadu Pasta Salad! At first glance, this may appear as a five-minute throw-together meal. Think again. In actuality, the magic begins once half the ingredients are combined and tucked away in the refrigerator for a couple days to marinate. At this point, the pasta actually transforms into a gourmet dish you are likely to have tasted at a family-owned sandwich shoppe or small town deli. One forkful may leave you wondering if this is all a dream. Is that music I hear in the background? Xanadu. Quickly, store those thoughts in your memory bank. I have no doubt you’ll return there for more.

XANADU PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

16 ounces vermicelli spaghetti pasta

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons seasoned salt

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 pint red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

8 ounces small mozzarella balls, halved

1 teaspoon crushed oregano

Fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions:

Cook vermicelli according to package directions. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Combine cooked pasta, kosher salt, seasoned salt, lemon juice, and vegetable oil. Pour mixture into a gallon ziplock bag. Refrigerate for two days, turning a couple times to marinate flavors. Then pour seasoned pasta into a large bowl. Spoon in red and yellow cherry tomatoes. Add small mozzarella balls. Sprinkle with crushed oregano. Gently toss. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.

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.

Kumquat Pineapple Chutney

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Kumquat Pineapple Chutney! Nowadays there’s always a use for something as unique as chutney. Don’t believe me? Check out charcuterie boards filled with meats, cheeses, breads, nuts, and pickles. There always seems to be a nice little bowl of spreadable chunky fruit to balance out the briny flavors. I also added a dollop to roasted pork loin and grilled chicken breasts. Someone even told me they slathered it on a grilled cheese sandwich. Who knew chutney would be your new best friend?!

KUMQUAT PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

5 ounces kumquats

1 cup crushed pineapple

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Instructions:

In a small saucepan of boiling water, blanch the kumquats for one minute. Drain and repeat three more times. Halve each kumquat. Squeeze the juice into a bowl. Discard the pulp and seeds before finely dicing the skin. In the same saucepan, combine the diced kumquats, crushed pineapple, lemon juice, brown sugar, orange juice, kumquat juice, and orange liqueur. Bring to a boil. Simmer the chutney over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken in approximately eight minutes. Allow mixture to cool before transferring to a jar. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Wasabi Shrimp Cocktail

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Wasabi Cocktail Shrimp! Everyone loves shrimp, we know that already. But does everyone like wasabi? You may have tasted it before in the snack form of wasabi peas. You’re probably thinking, “easily tolerable”. Wasabi, though, really can’t be compared to the heat of a jalapeño or habanero pepper. It’s a different kind of animal. Wasabi is from the horseradish family giving it a strong pungency that can be felt more in the nasal passages than on the tongue. You might take a swipe and then sit back thinking all is well…until, like a viper, it strikes with such intensity you find your eyes tearing up, followed by a cough or sneeze. Once the rush has passed, don’t be surprised if your brain says, “I’ve gotta have more of this stuff!”

WASABI SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

1 pound precooked shrimp, tail on and thawed

1/2 cup prepared cocktail sauce

1/8 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste

Instructions:

Rinse shrimp in cold water. Drain. Dab with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp on a platter. In a small bowl, combine cocktail sauce, lemon juice, and wasabi paste. Stir well. Serve chilled.

Radish Corn Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Radish Corn Salad. Serve up a delightful bowl of sunshine with this gloriously colorful side salad that is sure to be a hit. What’s in there, you wonder. Look and see. Fresh kernel corn shucked off the cob, garden fresh radishes sliced as thin as a close shave, and jalapeño peppers to add a nice touch of spice. It’s as mouthwatering in appearance as well as in aroma. The unbelievably fresh lime infused olive oil gives it a burst of citrus that only growers can describe. Partner it with a squeeze of lime juice for a punch that targets the taste buds. But just a little. No bruising involved.

RADISH CORN SALAD

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels, equal to 2 ears of corn

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon jalapeño, finely chopped

1 tablespoon lime olive oil

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon tajin seasoning

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine fresh corn kernels, thinly sliced radishes, and chopped jalapeños. Gently toss. Drizzle with lime olive oil and lime juice. Sprinkle tajin seasoning over all. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve chilled.

Lime-Seasoned Roasted Carrots

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Lime-Seasoned Roasted Carrots! My favorite new seasoning is Tajin Classico*. The first time I tasted it, it was on the rim of a frosted margarita glass. That’s because it is a popular Mexican spice blend of chili peppers, sea salt, and lime juice. The sweet and salty tones awakened my taste buds, with a snap of citrus. It adds a layer of zing I can hardly describe. What I can say, though, is you may find yourself sprinkling it on everything from meat and vegetables to popcorn and beverages.

LIME-SEASONED ROASTED CARROTS

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots

2 teaspoons adobo sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon tajin seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 orange, sliced and halved

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut the top off the carrots and discard. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise; then into quarters. Transfer to a shallow dish. In a bowl, whisk together adobo sauce, olive oil, orange juice, tajin seasoning, and cumin powder. Pour over the sliced carrots; toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick oil. Arrange orange slices. Roast carrots for 30 minutes, or until tender. Serve warm.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning this product.