olive

Pom Pom Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Pom Pom Salad! You can’t miss the incredibly bright red edible seeds of a ripe pomegranate. It’s actually the only part of the fruit that can be eaten. The naturally sweet and slightly tart flavor of an aril almost tastes like a piece of candy. They look incredibly enticing when sprinkled on a leafy salad. Wouldn’t you agree?

POM POM SALAD

Ingredients:

1 lime, juice of

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon raw honey

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 smidgen cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon chili-lime seasoning

25 baby spinach leaves, chopped

6 navel oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds

1/4 cup pomegranate arils

Instructions:

To make the dressing, in a small bowl combine the lime juice, olive oil, raw honey, kosher salt, cinnamon, and chili-lime seasoning. Whisk until smooth. Set aside. To assemble salad, place baby spinach leaves on a large platter or individual salad plates. Arrange orange slices on spinach. Drop pomegranate arils on top. Drizzle the prepared dressing over salad. Serve slightly chilled.

Lemon Garlic Hummus

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Lemon Garlic Hummus! If you go crazy over hummus and veggies, here’s a variation that adds flavorful notes of citrus. The use of pink-colored Himalayan salt equals an added bonus of less sodium than table salt plus trace elements of healthy minerals like iron, which translates to protein that maintains good body chemistry. But that’s the boring news. The best part, in my opinion, is the guilt-free buttery taste of hummus. Discover how one creamy spoonful practically melts in your mouth. Then scoop away with crisp and zesty radish slices. It’s finger food on steroids.

LEMON GARLIC HUMMUS

Ingredients:

15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, hulls removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Paprika, toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Radish slices, for serving

Instructions:

In a food processor, combine chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, pink Himalayan salt, and sesame oil. Press Pulse to blend until very smooth. If necessary, add a tablespoon of water to create a smoother consistency. Transfer hummus to a serving bowl. Garnish with a sprinkling of paprika and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with sliced radishes.

Infused Garlic Olive Oil

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Here Come the Holidays: Infused-Garlic Olive Oil! If you’ve ever had the opportunity to visit a specialty store that sells infused olive oils and flavored vinegars, you understand the value of the tasting bar within. Tasting is believing, in my opinion, especially when it’s difficult to narrow down the choices. My favorites so far are lemon extra virgin olive oil and strawberry balsamic vinegar or lime infused extra virgin olive oil and pomegranate balsamic vinegar. Of course, Italian balsamic vinegar and garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil are staples in my kitchen. Think about it a minute. Garlic tastes wonderful on crusty breads, drizzled over roasted vegetables, marinated in meats, and stirred into homemade sauces. When making your own infused olive oil, repeat after me, “Always use extra virgin olive oil.” EVOO is made from pure, cold-pressed olives without adding processed oils. The test is proven when olive oil is refrigerated. It will solidify like butter. If it doesn’t, it is unrefined and will remain liquid. Don’t be fooled.

INFUSED-GARLIC OLIVE OIL

Ingredients:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled

Instructions:

Sterilize a glass jar, with airtight lid, and set aside. Warm olive oil, in a small saucepan, over low heat only. Remove from heat when the oil is barely warm to the touch. Do not boil. Add garlic cloves. Set aside for 24 hours. At that time, pour the olive oil through a fine strainer into the sterilized jar. Discard garlic cloves. Seal the jar. Store infused oil in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Egg & Sweet Potato Boats

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Here Come the Holidays: Egg & Sweet Potato Boats! Breakfast just got more interesting. And so did you. Because today, this Paleo breakfast may leave you feeling like a superhero, “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”. It not only gives you a nutrient-rich vegetable, it also provides protein in the animal form of bacon and eggs! That fact alone ups your intake of vitamins and minerals without leaving you feeling meh and bloated. Digestion improves as energy levels rise, which leaves me asking one final question: Which superhero are you?

EGG & SWEET POTATO BOATS

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, halved, washed and patted dry

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 large eggs

2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Sriracha, to taste

Fresh oregano, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Once the sweet potatoes have been washed and patted dry, rub skins with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and place cut side down in a shallow pan that has been sprayed with nonstick oil. Bake for about one hour, or until tender. Remove sweet potatoes from oven. With tongs, flip sweet potatoes over so skin side is down. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the center to form a well for one egg. Crack an egg into each sweet potato boat. Return pan to oven; bake 20 minutes, or until eggs are set. Remove from oven. Crumble bacon over top. Drizzle with sriracha sauce. Garnish with fresh oregano leaves. Serve warm.

Tzatziki Ranch Chip Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Tzatziki Ranch Chip Dip! When you shop the produce department of the grocery store, pay close attention to the different kinds of cucumbers. The fancy ones, wrapped in plastic wrap, are known as English cucumbers. There’s a reason for their madness. The skin is extremely thin and tender. The plastic wrap actually serves a purpose of protection against bruising, punctures, and dehydration. Hmmm. The seeds are much smaller, too. Because the skin is thinner and tender, there is no need to peel the tubular vegetable before proceeding with the recipe. I think you’ll be impressed. The English cucumber is less bitter, making it almost sweet and wonderful for transforming into a fabulous party dip. Be kind to others. No double-dipping.

TZATZIKI RANCH CHIP DIP

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber, seeded, coarsely grated, and squeezed dry

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 envelope ranch seasoning mix

1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons light cream

2 tablespoons olive oil

Fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine grated cucumber, kosher salt, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning mix, Greek yogurt, and light cream. Stir well. Cover and chill one hour, or until ready to serve. Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill. Serve with crinkle-cut potato chips.

Xio Sticky Rice

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Xio Sticky Rice! Advanced planning can make all the difference in a satisfying dish. In this case, soaking the rice overnight allows the grains of rice to absorb moisture, which eliminates the risk of biting into a hard grain of rice that didn’t soften during the cooking process. No one wants that. When steamed, the rice will be translucent and appear glossy.

XIO STICKY RICE

Ingredients:

1 cup dry sticky rice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

Place sticky rice in a bowl. Fill the bowl with water to cover 2 inches over the rice. Cover. Soak the rice overnight. The next day, using a fine mesh sieve, wash the rice until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a rice cooker. Add 1 1/4 cups water, sea salt, and olive oil; stir. Cover and cook according to the rice cooker directions. Transfer the cooked sticky rice to a bowl, fluff with a wooden spoon, and serve.

Another Egg Salad Recipe

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Another Egg Salad Recipe! Just what you need…….another way to make egg salad at home. What’s the mystery, you ask, rolling your eyes and shaking your head from side to side. Well sometimes those extra calories in mayonnaise can blow up a diet, if you know what I mean. Besides, I’m a huge fan of olive oil and fresh basil to make a dish flavorful. Sweet vidalia onions are a nice compromise to its distant cousin, the purplish-red onions, so you choose which way to go. Fair warning, though, this scaled down version of egg salad won’t stick together like glue. You’re better off eating it with a fork, spooning it onto a bed of baby spinach leaves, or scooping it off the plate onto a multigrain cracker.

ANOTHER EGG SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

4 hard boiled eggs, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

2 stems fresh basil leaves, snipped

Instructions:

In a serving bowl, combine chopped hard boiled eggs and sweet onion pieces. Drizzle olive oil over all. Sprinkle Himalayan sea salt to taste. Add fresh basil snips. Gently toss and serve.

Za’atar Avocado Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Elevated Edibles: Za’atar Avocado Salad! Za’atar is one of those words that sounds mystical and magical to me, like “Abracadabra” or “Shazaam”. Sprinkling this Middle Eastern spice on fresh salads, meat dishes, or even homemade hummus guarantees to mysteriously transport you to faraway lands. Open the jar and sprinkle a little bit onto the palm of your hand. Dip your tongue into the blend of spices. Taste that earthiness? It’s cumin and toasted sesame. You already detect the savory flavors of oregano, marjoram, and thyme. But what is that unexpected tanginess? Can you guess? It’s sumac, the secret ingredient. Za’atar is a one-spice wonder you may want to sprinkle into olive oil to slather onto focaccia bread. Do it. Once you try it, watch it disappear. It’s that good.

ZA’ATAR AVOCADO SALAD

Ingredients:

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lime juice

3 hearts of palm, cut into thin rounds

1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

2 radishes, sliced thin

1 tablespoon za’atar seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon raw honey

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Grated zest of lemon, for garnish

Instructions:

Arrange the avocado slices in a single layer on a platter. Drizzle lemon juice over slices. Scatter the hearts of palm over the avocados. Top with shelled edamame. Insert sliced radishes throughout. Sprinkle za’atar seasoning over all. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, and raw honey until blended. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Spoon the dressing over the salad. Garnish with lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Wild Ramps Charbroiled

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Wild Ramps Charbroiled! Whether you stumble upon this coveted crop at your neighborhood Farmers Market, or are fortunate enough to forage them yourself, wild ramps are as rare as hens teeth. You better have a plan. Unless you pickle them or freeze them, the best you can hope for is a 4-5 day shelf life in the refrigerator. At that point they will begin to deteriorate, develop an offensive odor, and you will have lost your window of opportunity for the year. Practice sustainable harvest. Never take more than you intend to eat.

WILD RAMPS CHARBROILED

Ingredients:

1/2 pound wild ramps

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed oregano

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Wash thoroughly every crevice and leaf stem of each ramp. Cut off and discard bulb roots. Rinse again. Gently pat dry with paper towels. Transfer ramps to a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick oil. Arrange ramps in a single layer, alternating ends and extending leaves to lay flat. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and crushed oregano. Bake until bulbs are tender golden, leaves have shrunk, and several spots are charred. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Leftover ramps maybe crushed into a topping for sprinkling over Wild Ramp Bacon Chowder.*

*Follow the link for Wild Ramp Bacon Chowder

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