mayonnaise

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Yankee Potato Salad! The new red potatoes at the market right now make the best-tasting side dish for all your casual meals. Wash them thoroughly so you can leave the skins on.  
YANKEE POTATO SALAD
Ingredients:

10 new red potatoes, small 

2 green onions 

3 ounces of hickory-smoked bacon bits

1 tablespoon fresh dill

1 cup real mayonnaise 
Instructions:

Quarter the red potatoes and put into a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, add cooled potatoes, bacon bits, cut-up green onions. Mix in mayonnaise to blend well. (For a moist salad, add more.) Finally, gently fold in the fresh cut dill. Refrigerate 1-2 hours for best flavor. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Cheesy Pimento Spread

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Cheesy Pimiento Spread! If you’re a cheese lover, this is a “must-do” appetizer. It is guaranteed to bring big raves at the next holiday gathering. The smokey-peppery version is sure to test your willpower. Should it just be slathered on crackers or bagel chips? What about apple slices? Or will you take it one step further and build a grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread? Whatever you choose, create all sorts of ideas for enhancing this nostalgic Southern favorite. 
CHEESY PIMENTO SPREAD 
Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

2 teaspoons French Dijon mustard 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper 

4-ounce jar of diced pimientos, drained

2 green onions, snipped

8 ounces extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese, finely shredded 

10 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, medium shredded 

1 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce (optional)
Instructions:

In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, seasoned salt, and pepper. Mix well. Fold in pimientos and onions. Stir in both cheeses until blended. Add sriracha for a kick of heat. Chill one hour or overnight. 
Serving Suggestion: Serve as an Appetizer with crackers or assorted vegetables. Also excellent as finger sandwiches. 
*For block cheeses, grate one kind with small holes and the other with medium holes on a box grater or using food processor blades. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter X

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Xanthous Deviled Eggs! Farm-to-Table deviled eggs are growing in popularity at family owned restaurants. Don’t believe me? Check out the appetizer menu for starters. Deviled eggs are not just for picnics and pitch-ins any more. You may find them filled with everything from meat or seafood to cheese, nuts, and hot peppers. Which brings me to today’s version: Jalapeño & Cilantro. The kick of spice mellows nicely with the creamy yolk filling. You determine the heat factor. If you decide to omit the caper liquid, you may want to substitute with salt to taste. 
XANTHOUS DEVILED EGGS
Ingredients:

6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled 

1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño peppers, minced

3 tablespoons mayonnaise 

2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon pickled jalapeño juice or white vinegar 

1/2 teaspoon caper liquid (optional)

Pinch of Cajun seasoning 

Pinch of sugar

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, slices for garnish 
Instructions:

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and place in a small bowl. Gently place white portions in a deviled egg platter. Mash egg yolks with a fork. Add pickled jalapeño peppers, mayonnaise, cilantro, Dijon mustard, pickled jalapeño juice, caper liquid, Cajun seasoning, and sugar. Stir until combined. Spoon mixture into hollowed out egg white shells. Garnish with a fresh jalapeño slice. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Store leftovers in a covered container. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter S

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Stuffed Tomato Tuna Salad! Pat yourself on the back for choosing today’s recipe as a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. For the weight-conscious, opt out for a lighter version of mayonnaise or substitute using plain Greek yogurt instead. The tomato contains a high water content, plus the fiber will provide a feeling of fullness. That being said, go stuff yourself. Permission granted. 
STUFFED TOMATO TUNA SALAD
Ingredients:

6 ounce can tuna in water, drained and flaked

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/3 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1 tablespoon dill pickle relish

2 tomatoes, cored 

1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped

Fresh lemon tarragon 

Romaine lettuce leaves

Lemon halves 
Instructions:

Chill two luncheon plates. Place flaked tuna in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add mayonnaise, sea salt, celery seed, chopped celery, and dill pickle relish. Mix well. Chill. Cut tomatoes into 8 segments without slicing the bottom portion. Place one or two romaine lettuce leaves on a chilled plate. Transfer one tomato. Open it like a pinwheel. Spoon tuna salad into the tomato, filling it with half the portion. Garnish with walnuts, lemon tarragon, and a lemon slice. Repeat with second serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Timeless Classics: Neufchâtel Crab Dip! Easy seafood appetizers can be prepared in no time at all. By substituting miniature phyllo dough shells for snack crackers, the results are impressively gourmet. Who doesn’t love that WOW factor?! Make this appetizer the star of your next gathering. Everyone will thank you. 
NEUFCHÂTEL CRAB DIP
Ingredients:

6-ounce can crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed 

1/2 cup lobster meat, chunk style

1 green onion, snipped

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon lemon peel, finely shredded 

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 cup Greek yogurt 

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 cup Jalapeño Confetti Jelly* 

15-count package miniature phyllo dough shells

Fresh dill sprigs
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange phyllo shells on a baking sheet. Bake 5-7 minutes until crisp. Remove and set aside. In a medium bowl, toss crabmeat, lobster, and green onion snips in dill weed, shredded lemon peel, and lemon juice. In a another bowl, combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Fold crabmeat mixture into mayonnaise mixture. Transfer dip to an oven-proof dish. Top with Jalapeño Confetti Jelly. Bake 20 minutes. Spoon warm crab dip into phyllo shells. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs. Serve warm. 
*Follow the link for the recipe for Jalapeño Confetti Jelly. 

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2017/09/29

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter C

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Be Our Guest: Cantaloupe Chicken Salad! Indiana Cantaloupe is a popular fruit these days. Some even dub it a “labor of love”. As a sweet and fragrant melon, it quickly becomes a perfect alternative to the summer watermelon. Wonderfully rich and appealing in color, the cantaloupe becomes an ideal serving vessel. One scoop and the seeds are gone. Fill half with a savory chicken salad and save the other for vanilla ice cream later on. Win, Win!
CANTALOUPE CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients:

1 cantaloupe, cut in half or quarters, seeds removed 

10-ounce can premium chicken breast, chunk in water; drained

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

10 seedless green grapes, halved

1 tablespoon pecan pieces

1/8 teaspoon fresh Mexican tarragon, chopped
Instructions:

One cantaloupe serves four. Cut the cantaloupe in half; using a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Tip to remove any juice. Slice each half into a quarter wedge. Place each wedge into a luncheon plate. Set aside. In a large bowl, add drained chicken chunks. Shred chunks slightly, using two forks. Sprinkle with celery seed. Add mayonnaise and mix well. Fold in green grapes and pecan pieces. Stir to blend together. Divide chicken salad equally over each cantaloupe wedge. Garnish with chopped tarragon. Serve. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? All the Buzz: Norwegian Jarlsberg Cheese Spread! Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Jarlsberg cheese originated in Norway as a buttery mild cow’s milk cheese with a sweet nutty flavor. In some photos it may appear similar to Swiss cheese, full of holes, but in essence it is much smoother and richer. Don’t believe me? Order a grilled cheese sandwich made with semi-soft imported Jarlsberg cheese sometime and try not to faint when you are asked to pay a much higher price for this gooey better-than-generic extravagance. 
NORWEGIAN JARLSBERG CHEESE SPREAD 
Ingredients:

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

4 ounces Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

1 can (4 ounce size) stuffed green olives, sliced

Sea salt, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup chives, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
Instructions:

Mix together Neufchâtel cheese, Jarlsberg cheese, and mayonnaise until well blended. Stir in red onion and green olives. Add sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Form into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour. Roll cheese ball in chopped chives and pecans bits before serving. Spread into crackers or bagel chips. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter V

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Vermicelli Pasta Salad! A little advance planning goes a long way whether you choose to make this a side dish or a main course. Plus, you get bonus points if it becomes your Midweek Meatless Meal. It’s easy, it’s versatile, and it’s made with fiber-filled veggies for extra crunch and flavor. Substitute ingredients to match your family’s personal cravings. On the go? Pack it in single serving jars for fuss-free options. 
VERMICELLI PASTA SALAD
Ingredients:

1 pound vermicelli 

1 1/2 tablespoons Accent seasoning

2 tablespoons seasoned salt

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup green pepper, chopped

3/4 cup onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups broccoli/carrot/red cabbage slaw

1 cup black olives, sliced

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 cup mayonnaise 
Instructions:

Cook vermicelli as directed on package. Rinse in cold water. Drain. Place in large bowl. Make a marinade of Accent seasoning, seasoned salt, lemon juice, and vegetable oil. Pour over vermicelli; mix well. Cover and marinate for two days, stirring once or twice. Add green pepper, onion, cut-up broccoli/carrot/cabbage slaw, black olives, poppy seeds, and mayonnaise. Mix well. Marinate overnight. Serve chilled. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter W

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Wasabi Furikake Aioli! For a homemade sauce that can be spread on fish and poultry or used as a spicy dip for vegetable crudités, this one is spot on. The “kick” of wasabi is a distant cousin to horseradish making its intensity a roller coaster ride for the palate. Wasabi lovers know all about the health benefits. Sushi bars offer it as a regular condiment. I find this superfood absolutely delicious. 
WASABI FURIKAKE AIOLI
Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 teaspoon furikake seasoning (sesame seed and green seaweed)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon rice vinegar 

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons wasabi powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon water
Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate one hour before serving.