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Kentucky Benedictine Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Elevated Edibles: Kentucky Benedictine Dip! Each State seems to have its claim-to-fame. Kentucky is no exception. Around the turn of the 20th century, a Louisville chef came up with a tasty alternative to the club sandwich. By combining crisp cucumbers, softened cheese, and a few other subtle ingredients, the freshly sweet cucumber sandwich was born. I imagine in the beginning the bread crusts were eliminated creating bite-size “finger” sandwiches served with afternoon tea. As time wore on, vegetable dips became the rage making it less work and more appealing. After all, who doesn’t love eating with their hands? Graze through your next gathering with the cool refreshing taste of cucumbers.

KENTUCKY BENEDICTINE DIP

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons sweet onion, grated

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Instructions:

Grate the cucumber with a food processor. Add softened cream cheese, grated onion, sea salt, black pepper, and mayonnaise. Pulse until mixture is well blended and smooth. Refrigerate one hour. Serve with fresh vegetables and multigrain crackers.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Elevated Edibles: Chive Blossom Vinegar! Dress up fresh salads and garden vegetables with homemade chive blossom vinegar. Splash it on fish fillets or french fries. You can even add a tablespoon to potato salad and deviled eggs. Do you see where this is going? Infused vinegars, especially from your own garden, promise to elevate the taste buds with just a hint of subtle flavor. The ever-so-mild essence of chives releases a delicate sweet onion flutter that balances on the palate like a gracefully poised ballerina. Have I piqued your interest?

CHIVE BLOSSOM VINEGAR

Ingredients:

12 purple chive blossoms

1 cup rice vinegar

Small jar with lid, sterilized

Instructions:

Wash freshly cut chive blossoms. Plunge them upside down into a bowl of cold water, holding by the stems. Swish around to dislodge dirt or insects. Pour out water and repeat 3 more times. Pat blossoms dry with a paper towel. Snip off each blossom; discard stem. Pack blossoms loosely to fill the jar. Set aside. Warm vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling, 3-4 minutes. Pour hot vinegar over blossoms to fill jar. Secure lid. Store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Strain out blossoms and discard. Place strained vinegar in another sterized jar. Store in refrigerator.

Neufchâtel Nibblets

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Neufchâtel Nibblets! Instead of serving the traditional large cheese ball at your next group gathering, think about individual portions. As a centerpiece on a buffet table, a cheeseball makes a great focal point until someone digs in. Then it immediately loses its form. On the other hand, nibblets remain appealing. Finger food is always a good idea, in my opinion. Not only are they fun to eat, they make things easier for walking around the edge of a party. Grab a few crackers and nibble away.

NEUFCHÂTEL NIBBLETS

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons Neufchâtel cheese, softened

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

Carrot sticks, cut 3 inches long

Celery sticks, cut 3 inches long

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. In a mixing bowl combine Neufchâtel cheese, softened butter, Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, and smoked paprika. Mix well. Using a cookie scoop, form mixture into balls, transfer to prepared baking sheet, and refrigerate one hour or until balls are firm. In a shallow dish, combine fresh chives and chopped pecans. Gently press chilled cheeseballs in nut mixture. Insert vegetable stick into each cheeseball. Arrange a platter and serve.

Egg Noodle Chicken Casserole

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Egg Noodle Chicken Casserole! Do you ever become territorial with your food, perhaps hiding it in secret places no one ever looks? I do. In fact I keep a very unique bag of Iowa potato chips in the freezer to nibble on whenever I get the urge. Yes, you can freeze potato chips, but that’s another story. Comfort food also means having your very own individual crock in order to savor every bite, like today’s version of chicken casserole. It especially means the buttery cracker topping is all yours, to save until the very end or to mix into every bite. The choice is yours.

EGG NOODLE CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 cup egg noodles

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 cup frozen grilled chicken chunks, fully cooked and thawed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

For the topping:

1/2 cup Ritz* crackers, crushed

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease two individual casserole dishes with nonstick oil. Set aside. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside. In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm butter. Add diced onion and celery. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine egg noodles, onions, celery, chicken chunks, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, and chopped parsley. Mix well. Divide between the two prepared casserole dishes. In a small bowl, stir together cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the casseroles. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning this product.

Xnipec Habanero Salsa

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Xnipec Habanero Salsa! Anyone who craves the jolt of hot tropical salsa can read on. Others who don’t….No judgement, we’ll catch you tomorrow. For those who are up to the challenge, let me give you a little background before you dive in. The word “Xnipec” translates in Mayan to “dog’s nose”, which implies you may sweat droplets like a dog’s wet nose the more bites you take. If so, wipe your forehead and walk away. You’re done. I’ve been known to ask for the “muy caliente” salsa in a Mexican restaurant. At which time, the server brings me my own special bowl usually reserved for the kitchen staff. The hubs typically laughs and tells them I can practically drink it with a straw. What can I say? I’m hopelessly addicted to habaneros.

XNIPEC HABANERO SALSA

Ingredients:

3 habanero peppers

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons orange juice

Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

Using disposable gloves, halve habaneros. Remove stem, pith, and seeds. Dice peppers; place in a bowl. Add chopped tomatoes, finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and orange juice. Add a pinch of sea salt. Toss well. Refrigerate one hour before serving.

Vermouth Chicken Breasts

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Vermouth Chicken Breasts! Have you ever cooked with vermouth? It almost comes across as a magic potion transforming the ordinary into the sublime. As a deglazing tool, vermouth lifts the sweetness that builds up during the cooking process of meats and vegetables while enhancing the earthy wine flavor. You’ve heard of people using wine in cooking. Well, it’s basically the same principle. Go ahead, check the back of the liquor cabinet. More than likely you probably already have a bottle of vermouth just waiting to be used.

VERMOUTH CHICKEN BREASTS

Ingredients for Chicken:

4 tablespoons butter

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin removed

1/2 cup dry vermouth

Ingredients for Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 onion, chopped

4 ounces canned mushrooms, drained

1/4 cup dry vermouth

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Warm 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Pour in 1/2 cup dry vermouth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. To make the sauce, warm 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté chopped onions until soft and translucent. Add mushrooms; heat through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup dry vermouth and sour cream. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Warm through, but do not boil. Remove pan from heat. When chicken is done, pour sauce over all. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the sides and bottom of the skillet to release any browned bits into the sauce. Serve with angel hair pasta.

Udon Noodles With Shrimp

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Udon Noodles with Shrimp! Everyone goes crazy over noodles. Udon noodles, made popular by the Japanese culture, offer the chewy thick texture associated with comfort food. Basically made from flour, salt, and water, they can take on the flavor of whatever ingredient you add to it. Being a shrimp-lover and mushroom fanatic, the choices here were not even up for debate. My kitchen, my choice. But I can tell you this, the sauce alone is slurp-worthy.

UDON NOODLES WITH SHRIMP

Ingredients:

7-ounce package udon noodles

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/3 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

8-10 large shrimp, precooked and tails removed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

1 green onion, chopped for garnish

Ingredients for the Sauce:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

Make the sauce first by combining oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Whisk until smooth. Set aside. Boil the udon noodles, according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside. Warm one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Increase heat to medium-high setting. Add sliced mushrooms. Stir 2-3 minutes until cooked. Add chopped yellow onions and cook 2-3 minutes longer, or until soft. Transfer vegetables to a platter. In the same skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add large shrimp. Sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes. Sauté both sides of the shrimp. Add the udon noodles to the skillet to heat through. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and noodles. Stir. Add mushrooms and onions; gently toss. Turn off heat. Fold in the baby spinach leaves; allow them to slightly wilt. Scoop noodle mixture into individual bowls. Garnish with green onion pieces. Serve immediately.

Pan-Fried Porgy Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Pan-Fried Porgy Flatbread! Introducing another whitefish that is often overlooked. It’s pretty common in the waters around southwest Florida, making it easily accessible from local fishermen. Less expensive too, in case you’re wondering. Now what to do with it. Hmmm. To be honest, I’ve never heard of “fish pizza” before, unless you count anchovies. However, I hadn’t eaten fish tacos until I visited my friend in San Diego twenty years ago, and here we are. I thought to myself, why not put fish on flatbread to make it a pizza? Call me crazy, but it was swimmingly delicious.

PAN-FRIED PORGY FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

8-ounces porgy fish fillet, skin and bones removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 prepared flatbread

1/4 cup pizza sauce

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

2 tablespoons red onion slices, slightly chopped

Fresh baby spinach leaves, gently torn

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven while it is preheating. In a skillet, warm olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Place the porgy into the skillet. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Cook 2 minutes; flip and cook porgy 2 minutes longer until crisp and golden brown. Remove pan from heat and set aside. When the oven is preheated, using hot pads, transfer the pizza stone to a heatproof workstation to build the pizza. Place the flatbread onto the stone. Layer with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese slices, and red onions. Flake the porgy fish with a fork and arrange it on the flatbread. Bake 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with gently torn baby spinach leaves. Serve immediately.

Jugo Baby Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Jugo Baby Potatoes! The first time I encountered this amazing condiment was in a roadside Mexican restaurant. I saw regular customers splash a little on a sizzling plate of fajitas and thought to myself….sure, why not? The dark salty droplets seemed to complement the smoky charred vegetables as well as the tenderized chunks of meat. It wasn’t soy and it wasn’t balsamic or Worcestershire. Interesting. Let me tell you, once I finished my meal, I headed to the nearest Mexican market and bought myself a bottle to use in my own kitchen.

JUGO BABY POTATOES

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, halved, boiled, and drained

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 jalapeños, seeded and sliced

4 teaspoons Jugo* seasoning sauce

Red pepper flakes, for garnish

Instructions:

Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sliced jalapeños. Cook until tender. Add boiled potatoes and Jugo seasoning sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until potatoes are caramelized. Garnish with red pepper flakes before serving.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning Jugo seasoning sauce.