lettuce

Flatbread Fiesta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Flatbread Fiesta! Do you ever tire of the same old pizza choices? I get in a rut the same way everyone else does. About that time I stand in front of the freezer, door open, peering into its contents searching for ideas to try something extraordinary. Sure, I’m the one buying the groceries (and should know what’s in the house) but that’s when I surprise myself with unexpected specials. Chorizo is one of those impulse items that make it into the cart. I often fry it up, crumble it for meals later on, label it, and then store it in the freezer for another day. It’s at times like this I pat myself on the back with congratulations for having such foresight.

FLATBREAD FIESTA

Ingredients:

1 naan flatbread

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup chunky salsa, prepared

1 cup Mexican cheeses, shredded

1/2 cup cooked chorizo, drained and crumbled

2 tablespoons yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons green chilies, chopped

2 tablespoons jalapeño peppers, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. Rub olive oil on bottom of flatbread. Spread with cornmeal, pressing into the dough. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Flip over and place this side down on prepared baking sheet. Brush top with remaining olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove flatbread from oven. Carefully spoon chunky salsa over flatbread, spreading to edges. Layer Mexican cheeses over top. Divide cooked and crumbled chorizo over salsa. Finish layering with chopped onions, green chilies, and jalapeño peppers. Bake 15 minutes longer to melt the cheeses for a nice crispy crust. Remove flatbread from oven. Cool slightly before using a pizza cutter. Serve with a tossed garden salad.

Avocado Onion Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Avocado Onion Dip! Nowadays I look for any reason to eat avocados. Once I’ve have my fill of guacamole, I turn to other creative ways to produce a nutritional boost to the menu. Although stuffed avocados can be baked or grilled, sometimes it’s a real treat to prepare them this way. Some might call it a light lunch, simply because it satisfies the appetite as a filling meal.

AVOCADO ONION DIP

Ingredients:

8 ounce Neufchâtel cheese, softened

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons capers, chopped

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup crispy-fried onions, slightly crushed

2-3 ripe avocados, halved and pits removed

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Green onion snips, for garnish

Whole celery seed, for garnish

Instructions:

Using an electric mixer, beat together softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, chopped capers, and cayenne pepper until blended. Fold in crushed crispy-fried onions until combined. Transfer to a covered bowl. Refrigerate for one hour. Prepare avocado halves. Brush with lime juice; sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder. When ready to serve, scoop onion dip into each avocado half. Garnish with green onion snips, chopped capers, and a sprinkling of whole celery seed. Serve immediately.

Kielbasa Grilled Romaine

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Here Come the Holidays: Kielbasa Grilled Romaine! When the sun comes out and the wind dies down, it’s not unusual to see Northerners uncover the gas grill for a momentary glimpse of Summer. Everyone needs a reprieve from the winter doldrums, right? Nothing works better than a protein-rich complex carbohydrate meal, in my opinion. And grilled foods definitely lift the mood like a breath of fresh air. Sound painless? It pretty much is. Even the birds are chirping louder than usual.

KIELBASA GRILLED ROMAINE

Ingredients:

1 pound kielbasa sausage link

2 romaine hearts

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

4 ounces parmesan cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

Remove kielbasa sausage link from package. Rinse and pat dry. Transfer to a platter. Rinse romaine lettuce hearts. Pat dry. Trim the end stalks, leaving enough to keep the bunches intact. Transfer to a platter. In a small dish, combine olive oil, seasoned salt, garlic and herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Using a silicone brush, coat the leaves of the romaine hearts, inside and out with the olive mixture. Halve the cherry tomatoes; place in a serving bowl. Preheat the outdoor grill on High setting. Using tongs, transfer the seasoned romaine lettuce hearts directly to the grill. Repeat with kielbasa sausage link. Grill for 3 minutes. Flip the romaine lettuce and grill 2 minutes longer. Rotate the kielbasa sausage for even browning. Remove all to clean platters. To serve, place charred romaine lettuce hearts on a dinner plate. Divide the kielbasa sausage between plates. Add cherry tomato halves. Top with crumbled parmesan cheese. Drizzle with remaining olive oil mixture. Serve immediately.

Frisée Blueberry Pistachio Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Frisée Blueberry Pistachio Salad! Have you tried frisée lately? This member of the lettuce family offers a slightly bitter bite, which is why it’s a good idea to pair it with some form of sweetened fruit. The appealing curlicue tendrils have a crunchy texture as well as upstanding hardiness. That factor alone is important since it translates to the ability to withstand a creamy dressing without turning it to mush. Should one desire, adding a robust bleu cheese, blackened bacon strip, or scattering salty capers among the sturdy leaves, permits a heavier dressing in short order. So you see, the question remains: to frisée or not to frisée.

FRISÉE BLUEBERRY PISTACHIO SALAD

Ingredients:

1 bunch frisée, stems trimmed, leaves gently torn

2-3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon red onion, slivers

1/4 cup blueberries

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped

Instructions:

Divide salad plates with frisée. Arrange sliced radishes, red onion slivers, blueberries, and tarragon leaves around frisée leaves. In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and sugar. Slowly, whisk in olive oil. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Drizzle dressing over salads; tossing to coat. Sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts. Serve chilled.

Peruvian Cheese Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Peruvian Cheese Potatoes! My friend, Gian, encouraged me to try a dish from his native land, Peru. He described it as a traditional appetizer so popular it has become the national dish: Papa a là Huancaína. Because it’s basically boiled potatoes covered in a spicy cheese sauce, he explained it as chile-warm, delicious, creamy, and satisfying. Strangely enough, this appetizer is served cold, similar to the American Potato Salad. It taste nothing like it, though. The jury is still out on whether I will make it at home again. I’m thinking the next step is to order it in an authentic Peruvian restaurant. Perhaps they’ll share a secret or two.

PERUVIAN CHEESE POTATOES

Ingredients:

8 yellow potatoes, whole

4 lettuce leaves

Huancaína Sauce (see recipe below)*

2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

Mixed olives, pitted

Instructions for Potatoes:

Heat a pot of salted water to boiling. Add the potatoes. Boil the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, approximately 20 minutes. Drain the water and allow potatoes to cool. Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter. Halve the potatoes and place on top of the lettuce. Pour Huancaína sauce over the potatoes. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs and pitted olives.

*Ingredients for Huancaína Sauce:

1/2 cup aji amarillo paste

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup evaporated milk

2 cups white queso fresco cheese

4 saltine crackers

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

*Instructions for Huancaína Sauce:

Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the aji amarillo paste, chopped onion, and minced garlic. Sauté approximately 3 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool. In a food processor, combine the chile/onion mixture, and evaporated milk. Blend well. Add the queso fresco cheese and saltine crackers; blend until smooth. The sauce should be thick. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cucumber Cylinder Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Cucumber Cylinder Salad! How do you turn a salad from Humdrum to Aha? Keep it interesting and appealing to the eye. Or, if you’re like me…..think portion control. My husband tells me all the time I cannot keep a salad small. If I begin with a larger bowl (so he can toss the ingredients once the dressing is applied), I inevitably add more “stuff” and end up with the same results: too much salad for the size of the bowl. Now I have the solution. The cucumber cylinder becomes the bowl, so to speak. Problem solved. I guess living with an engineer has its benefits.

CUCUMBER CYLINDER SALAD

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber

1 cup shredded lettuce

6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 slice of red onion, chopped

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, hand grated

Pinch Italian herbs

Instructions:

Using a sharp knife, cut along the length of the cucumber using the middle elongated slices. Chop the reserved outer sections to add as filling on the salad. Place each elongated slice upright onto a salad plate; secure with a decorative pick. Fill each cylinder with shredded lettuce. Arrange cherry tomato halves and red onion pieces. Top with roughly grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings. Serve with your choice of salad dressings.

German Pretzel Burger

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Elevated Edibles: German Pretzel Burger! One glance at this plate will have you snapping your head back in a double-take. What appears to be a classic burger suddenly reminds you of something else. Could it be the bun? The “x” on top is a dead giveaway as well as the deeply browned glossy finish. That’s because it’s a pretzel bun. Oktoberfest wouldn’t be the same without these signature foods: soft pretzels, aromatic sauerkraut, buttery cheese, and tepid beer. Are you up for the culinary adventure? Climb aboard the passenger train. Que Será, Será…Whatever will be, will be.

GERMAN PRETZEL BURGER

Ingredients:

4 quarter-pound frozen ground beef patties, thawed

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 pretzel burger buns, sliced

4 tablespoons butter

14-ounce can shredded sauerkraut, drained

4 leaves romaine lettuce

Dijon mustard, as condiment

Instructions:

Prepare hamburger patties per package directions. Top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Set aside. Butter tops and bottoms of pretzel buns. Place buttered side down in a warmed iron skillet over medium heat. Heat until buns are toasted golden brown. Warm sauerkraut in a covered microwave-safe dish for 1 minute on High. To assemble burgers, place a romaine lettuce leaf on the bottom bun. Transfer a burger with Swiss cheese to place over lettuce. Spoon sauerkraut on top. Season with Dijon mustard. Replace lid of pretzel bun. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

Strawberries Stuffed with Chicken Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Strawberries Stuffed with Chicken Salad! Has anyone noticed the ginormous strawberries lately? I was beginning to wonder if I fell asleep for a few years, like Rip Van Winkle, and awoke to discover that gigantic plants have overrun the earth. Ordinarily I’d serve chicken salad on a cantaloupe wedge, but guess who has competition now. May the better fruit win.

STRAWBERRIES STUFFED WITH CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:

2 romaine lettuce leaves, washed

2 extra-large strawberries, washed

1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded

2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon almonds, chopped

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions:

Place romaine lettuce leaves on two salad plates. Set aside. Carefully slice strawberries, creating a pinwheel, without cutting through the bottom. Transfer each strawberry to the prepared salad plate. In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, chopped celery, almond pieces, and mayonnaise. Mix well. Fill each strawberry pinwheel with chicken salad. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve chilled.

Zesty Citrus Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Zesty Citrus Salad! “If you build it, they will come.” That familiar quote may spark a flicker of remembrance from a popular movie years ago, Field of Dreams. Kevin Costner was the actor who had an idea and went with it. Cooking is like that, in my opinion. For example, build a better salad. It’s pretty simple, actually. Choose garden greens for the foundation, layer on fruits or vegetables for flavor, toss in some crunchy nuts, and slather on the sauce to dress it up. Of course, you can include cheese, meat, and eggs to bulk it up into a meal if you’d like. May as well go ahead and make your own salad dressings. There’s no comparison; being naturally better than bottled, they serve nicely as dips if you have any leftover. No promises on that note, because they’re that good.

ZESTY CITRUS SALAD

Ingredients:

2 cups lettuce, gently torn

1/4 cup celery leaves

1 naval orange, segments cut into thirds

6 strawberries, quartered

2 tablespoons red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons almonds, sliced

Ingredients for Dressing:

1/4 cup garlic wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Tupelo honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Dash sriracha

Instructions:

Place torn lettuce into salad bowls. Divide celery leaves between them. Arrange the orange segments, quartered strawberries, and red onion slices. Scatter almonds over all. Set aside to chill in the refrigerator. To combine dressing, whisk together garlic wine vinegar, olive oil, Tupelo honey, Dijon mustard, toasted sesame seeds, and dash of sriracha sauce. Mix well. Drizzle over salad before serving.