mayonnaise

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Clean Plate Club: Lump Crabmeat Salad! Be pampered on a sunny porch or backyard patio with a light luncheon for two. Dining al fresco is especially popular with nature’s backdrop of fragrant flowers and tittering birdsong. These are what days are made of. If it’s a late afternoon gathering of light appetizers and spritzers, serve this lump crabmeat salad with crackers instead. Fresh fruit is always a good idea. Take advantage of warm weather and celebrate a party-like atmosphere.

LUMP CRABMEAT SALAD

Ingredients:

8 ounces wild caught lump crabmeat, cartilage removed

1 tablespoon Italian dressing mix

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 rib celery, diced

1/4 cup red pepper, diced

4 teaspoons chives, sliced

1 teaspoon tarragon leaves

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 dash sriracha sauce

Red pepper, halved and membrane removed

Bibb lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Gently rinse crabmeat in a fine mesh strainer to remove any shell pieces or cartilage. Do not break up crab chunks. Transfer crabmeat to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning mix. Toss to coat. Drizzle with lemon juice. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, diced celery, diced red pepper, sliced chives, tarragon leaves, dry mustard, garlic powder, celery seed, kosher salt, white pepper, and sriracha sauce. Mix well. Add the crabmeat mixture to the mayonnaise mixture, gently coating the lump crabmeat. Spoon the crabmeat into two hollowed out red pepper shells. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour. Arrange Bibb lettuce leaves on two saucers; place lump crabmeat salad on each plate. Serve chilled.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Clean Plate Club: Donkey Sauce! If you tune in to the Food Network, you may recall a big guy who looks like a rock star with spiky bleached hair and a goatee. His name is Guy Fieri. When I visited his restaurant in Las Vegas, everything was super-sized and seemed to be slathered in his signature “donkey sauce”. Although he admits it is only aioli, you know it has to be his own secret ingredient list that makes it so famous. The basics include mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Today you can thank me for a version of the best…at least until you get back to one of his renowned restaurants.

DONKEY SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/4 cup roasted garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions:

Using a food processor, combine mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper. Purée until smooth. Scrape down sides to incorporate. Pour aioli into a covered container. Chill for one hour. Slather on burgers, sliders, sandwiches, salads, and French fries. Anything goes!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter C

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Color of Food: Crockpot Mac ‘n Cheese! I find this is seriously the best way to make macaroni and cheese for a crowd without all the fuss. It is so kid-friendly, in fact, you may discover you have an extra pair of helping hands without even asking. When using a slow cooker, the pasta softens as the sauce thickens into a hot, creamy, extra-cheesy youthful delight. Top it off with crushed potato chips for a heart-warming side dish.

CROCKPOT MAC ‘N CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 pound cellentani pasta, also known as cavatappi, uncooked

4 tablespoons butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

1 cup potato chips, crushed

Instructions:

Spray the crockpot with nonstick oil. Pour the uncooked pasta into the bottom of the slow cooker. Layer the butter and cream cheese chunks over the pasta. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, milk, and cream. Mix well. Pour over pasta. Stir to blend. Spread pasta into an even layer, being sure to coat everything in sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for 1-2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Be sure to spread macaroni into one layer after stirring to keep pasta coated with sauce. When pasta is done, sprinkle shredded cheddar and pepper jack over all. Stir to combine. Replace cover and cook 10 minutes until cheese is creamy and melted. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips before serving.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter E

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Egg Salad Extravaganza, A Crêpe Idea! The debate continues………. Mayonnaise and Celery or Miracle Whip and Pickle Relish? What is your preference in Egg Salad? It probably all depends on how your mother made it during your childhood. Fortunately both can be made in a snap!

EGG SALAD EXTRAVAGANZA

Ingredients:

3 eggs, hard cooked

3 tablespoons mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper

1 tablespoon celery, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon pickle relish (optional)

Instructions:

Combine mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Peel and chop eggs, breaking into small pieces. Gently stir into mayonnaise mixture. Add celery or pickle relish. Fill two Crêpes with egg salad. Tuck in several lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with Chia seeds.

(For an alternative bread choice, please reference Crêpe Expectations for the batter recipe at https://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/05/17 to make crêpes in advance.)

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Deep Dish Chicken Salad! Want to feel special? Try serving your next dinner in a traditional French-style mini au gratin pan. Not only does it show off food attractively, it offers single-serving portion control. It’s the perfect touch to any meal and bakes in less time. Make your life simpler with any of the oven-to-table choices available. I did.

DEEP DISH CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken, cooked

1 cup extra sharp cheese, finely shredded

1 tablespoon green onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sea salt to taste

Dash of pepper

1 cup potato chips, crushed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine chicken, celery, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, lemon juice, celery seed, red pepper flakes, and half the cheese. Mix lightly. Spoon casseroles into single serving pans. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and potato chips. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with green onion snips.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter W

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Wholesome Waffle BBLT! You’ve never tried a waffle sandwich before? Me, either. Since I had some Belgian waffles in the freezer from the last time we pulled out the waffle iron, I thought today would be a great day to transform a classic BLT sandwich into something wonderful. The waffle dough keeps the sandwich soft and chewy, rounding off and eliminating the sharp edges of toast. The extra B, you ask? It’s for the subtle hint of bleu cheese; Bacon-Bleu-Lettuce-Tomato!

WHOLESOME WAFFLE BBLT

Ingredients:

1 Belgian waffle, quartered

6 slices black pepper bacon, cooked crisp

Romaine lettuce leaves

Sliced tomatoes

1 tablespoon Bleu cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Instructions:

Warm waffle wedges on low heat in a skillet brushed with a little butter. Do not let burn. Remove from heat. In a small bowl mix mayonnaise, yogurt, and Bleu cheese crumbles. To assemble sandwich, spread the mayonnaise blend on one waffle. Next, layer tomato, lettuce, and bacon. Top with another waffle. Secure the stack with a toothpick.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Jarlsburg Grilled Cheese! This is a perfect fusion of buttery, crisp, lightly salted Swiss-style cheese and dense artisan bread. Grilling at the correct temperature is crucial. It will result in a golden-brown crunch followed by a warm flow of oozing cheese with a sweet-tangy finish. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It really is!

Ingredients:

8 ounces of Jarlsburg cheese, grated

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

Artisan bread of choice, sliced (sesame bread is pictured)

Salted Butter for browning

Instructions:

Combine cheese, mayonnaise, and red onion in a medium bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate in a covered container for one hour. Slowly melt a dab of butter in the skillet over medium-low heat before adding the bread. Do not let the butter burn. If you brown the bread on both sides first, it will hasten the melting process of the cheese inside. Once the bread is browned on both sides, spread a spoonful of the Jarlsburg cheese mixture over one piece of bread and then place the other slice on top of the sandwich. Apply light pressure being careful not to squeeze the filling out onto the pan. Swirl the sandwich to get a nice brown color, about 2 minutes. Gently flip and repeat. Serve immediately.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Green Pepper Dip! Nothing says “presentation” like a vegetable dip served in a green pepper. If you don’t believe me, try this for your next gathering. People practically “oooh” and “aaah” when you enter the room with it. The best part is a subtle flavor of the pepper blends into the dip. Hint: Do your homework at the produce aisle. Make sure you buy a pepper that will sit straight on the serving dish.

GREEN PEPPER DIP

Ingredients:

1 Large Green Bell Pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Instructions:

Cut top off green pepper. Carefully scoop out all seeds and the four ribs. Rinse and pat dry. Combine all remaining ingredients. Mix well. Gently fill the pepper with dip, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least one hour. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Serve with crudités and crackers.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Deviled Eggs! People ask me all the time how I can eat everything I make and not weigh 100 pounds more than I do. Well, portion control has a lot to do with it……plus the fact that I truly DO share much of what I make. And then there are days when I know I’m going to pig out, so I eat a lunch that looks like this! Trust me, it works.

DEVILED EGGS

Ingredients:

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved

1/4 cup real mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Dash white pepper

Paprika

Instructions:

Separate egg whites from egg yolks. Smash egg yolks with a fork in a small bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Spoon yolk filling into egg white halves. Garnish with paprika. Chill, if desired.