lime

Blue Plate Fish Sliders

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Blue Plate Fish Sliders! Switching from beef to fish has its rewards, especially when the fish is a fresh catch only hours ago. The fact that fish has less saturated fat is a bonus for me. I’m all about reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The delicate soft texture of fish practically melts in your mouth as it flakes off from one tasty bite to the next. The mini-version of a sandwich, in a world of super-size portions, makes sliders cute and fun as well. Whether you call it an appetizer or a meal, fish sliders are here to stay.

BLUE PLATE FISH SLIDERS

Ingredients:

4 4-ounce red grouper fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

Slider buns

Prepared Coleslaw

Mixed Greens

Instructions:

Heat outdoor gas grill to medium heat, approximately 350°. Rinse and pat each fillet with a paper towel. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Transfer to a platter. Oil the grill grates with a folded paper towel dipped in olive oil. Place each fillet directly on the grate. Close the grill cover. Cook 4 minutes. Using a flat spatula, slide under each fillet and carefully flip it over. Close the grill cover and cook 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a clean platter. Lightly toast slider buns, if desired. Assemble fish sliders with coleslaw, grilled fish, and mixed greens. Serve immediately.

Rainier Cherry Watermelon Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Rainier Cherry Watermelon Salad! I’ve been in love with the taste of Rainier Cherries from my first bite. Truth be told, my love affair began long before it, though. I saw a beautiful blue French bowl overflowing with golden sunset cherries dipped in pink petal blush on the cover of a magazine. I was smitten, as with most things French, no matter the cost. I imagined the natural sweet allure as tempting as the charisma of dark chocolate. Once I grew past being spellbound, I knew I would treat myself to a pound of Rainier cherries once a year. Perhaps that is why this variety is known as the “Champagne of Cherries”.

RAINIER CHERRY WATERMELON SALAD

Ingredients:

2 cups watermelon, seeds removed, cut into chunks

1 cup Rainier cherries, halved with stems and pits removed

1-2 jalapeño peppers, sliced

2 tablespoons red onion, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons lime juice

Sea Salt, optional.

Instructions:

Combine watermelon chunks, Rainier cherry halves, jalapeño peppers, and red onions. Squeeze lime juice over all. Gently toss. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve.

Quark Raspberry Swirl

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Quark Raspberry Swirl! Quark, quark, quark. Yep…it’s a real thing. Probably the easiest way to explain what quark is would be to say, “Think about a cross between sour cream and greek yogurt”. It has the smoothness of both when mixed with veggies or fruit. Obviously when using raspberries, a little sugar makes it super-delicious. I like the fresh pleasant zing of lime juice mixed in, too. And what can I say? The coconut flavor just makes the dessert that much better.

QUARK RASPBERRY SWIRL

Ingredients:

2 cups quark

I teaspoon coconut extract

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons lime juice

8 ounces frozen raspberries, thawed

Lime Zest, for garnish

Instructions:

Reserve several whole raspberries for garnish. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine quark, coconut extract, powdered sugar, and lime juice. Mix well. Fold in thawed raspberries, gently swirling until they leave pink streaks. Scoop into dessert cups. Top each with a whole raspberry. Garnish with lime zest.

Papaya Pineapple Boat

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Papaya Pineapple Boat! The first time I tasted fresh papaya I was on the island of Kauai. I was told it had indescribable flavor different from cantaloupe, watermelon, or mango. They were right. Papaya is not sugary sweet. It’s light and juicy with a buttery texture that allows it to taste almost creamy. Does that make sense? The lime actually adds to the tropical ambiance, which is why I prefer a squeeze of fresh to slightly mingle with the other ingredients. I’ve read that the rough black seeds can be bitter to taste. Honestly, I’ve never gotten that far to put them to the test.

PAPAYA PINEAPPLE BOAT

Ingredients:

I ripe papaya, halved horizontally with seeds removed

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 cup blackberries

2 tablespoons red onion, cut into strips

Fresh Lime, for garnish

Instructions:

Gently remove fruit from papaya; dice into chunks. Place hollowed out shells onto shallow plates. Arrange diced papaya, pineapple chunks, fresh blackberries, and red onion strips. Squeeze lime juice over all. Allow fruit “bowls” to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. This will enhance the flavors. Serves two.

Quirky Clean Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Quirky Clean Salad! We’ve all heard the word “clean” when referring to food. Once upon a time, it meant wash the vegetables before eating them. Now it seems to have multiple meanings. Some of those phrases include “unprocessed foods, organically grown, no preservatives, low carbs, gluten-free, free-range, or no high fructose corn syrup.” Basically, it translates to what is clean for YOU. My unwritten rule is, if I have a craving for it, I’m eating it. Perhaps that’s why I added the word “Quirky” to the title. You do what is right for you. Are we good?

QUIRKY CLEAN SALAD

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli, florets only and chopped

1 green apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1/4 cup almonds, chopped

1/4 cup green olives, sliced

1/4 cup raisins

5 pitted dates, chopped

2 slices bacon, crispy cooked and crumbled

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 tablespoon garlic wine vinegar

1 tablespoon natural honey

1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli florets, diced apples, chopped almonds, sliced green olives, raisins, chopped dates, and crumbled bacon. Gently toss to mix. In another bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic wine vinegar, natural honey, Himalayan salt, cracked black pepper, and chopped rosemary. Pour the vinaigrette over the broccoli salad; mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Rum-Topped Ginger Beer Float

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Waste Not, Want Not: Rum-Topped Ginger Beer Float! I gotta tell you, there are some fantastic-tasting nonalcoholic ginger beers on the market right now. One of my absolute favorites is made with organic agave and extracts of chili pepper, coriander, cardamom, lime, and orange. Don’t get me wrong, ginger is still the star attraction. These flavors go extremely well in a Mexican Mule with chile pepper-infused tequila. But that’s another story. I went with a much lighter version of ginger beer for a refreshingly light twist on an old favorite. Granted, with a dark rum floater, it definitely has a boozy punch. Obviously, this is an adult beverage and should not be served to anyone under the age of 21.

RUM-TOPPED GINGER BEER FLOAT

Ingredients:

3 scoops vanilla bean ice cream

6.8-ounce bottle ginger beer, chilled

1.5 ounce spiced dark rum

Lime wedge, for garnish

Instructions:

Place ice cream in a glass or mason jar. Slowly pour ginger beer over ice cream. Squeeze a touch of lime juice into the glass. Top with a spiced dark rum floater. Garnish with lime wedge. Serve with a spoon. Cheers!

Red Onion Mexican Street Tacos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Enjoyable Eats: Red Onion Mexican Street Tacos! As promised, today’s feature recipe takes us down the road to Jalisco-style tacos. Forget about the “loaded” tortilla shells you may be familiar with, or even default to when making Mexican food at home. This handheld taco steps “outside the box”. The ingredients are fewer, yet focus on freshness. For those who appreciate it, cilantro is a star attraction. Roasted meat, shredded into small pieces, and chopped red onions with a squeeze of lime wedge create a flavor explosion that, honestly, will pull you back enough to slow down and savor every bite. Perhaps you may even chew your food 20 or 30 times before swallowing to appreciate this virtual trip to a seldom-traveled Mexican village.

RED ONION MEXICAN STREET TACOS

Ingredients:

24-count street-size corn tortillas

1 pound seasoned shredded turkey or pork carnitas

1 red onion, chopped

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

2 limes, cut into wedges

Jalisco Pico de Gallo*

Instructions:

Warm shredded carnita meat in a microwave-proof covered casserole dish until steamy and heated through. Set aside. To warm street-size corn tortillas, place a dry iron skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Cook tortillas 30 seconds per side. Wrap a stack of five or six in aluminum foil to keep warm in a 200° preheated oven. When ready to assemble, place a portion of carnitas on each corn tortilla. Layer with chopped cilantro and red onions. Squeeze a lime wedge over all. Top with Jalisco Pico de Gallo.

*Follow the link for recipe.

http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2019/11/15

Watermelon Firecracker Bites

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Start Smart: Watermelon Firecracker Bites! Who sprinkles salt on watermelon? Maybe you automatically did it as a child sitting on the back porch steps spewing seeds at your brother. If we saw mom with the salt shaker, everyone did it. Right? No judgment here. Actually, did you know watermelon can be naturally sour or bitter? Truth. By sprinkling it with salt, it brings out the sweetness of the melon. And salt just makes everything taste better. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

WATERMELON FIRECRACKER BITES

Ingredients:

2 cups watermelon, seedless and cut into bite-size cubes

1/2 cup peaches, peeled and chopped

1-2 jalapeño peppers, sliced

1/2 teaspoon raspberry chipotle seasoning

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons lime olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Combine watermelon cubes, peach chunks, and jalapeño slices in a bowl. Toss lightly. Sprinkle raspberry chipotle seasoning over all. Whisk together lime juice, lime olive oil, and chopped cilantro. Pour dressing over the watermelon salad. Toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. When ready to serve, divide salad between four bowls. Drizzle marinade over all.