onion

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter M

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Mountainous Meatball! It doesn’t have to be National Meatball Day to indulge in authentic cuisine found in Little Italy. By using everyday ingredients, mix and shape a giant meatball with your own two hands to feel like a gourmet chef. Smother the meatballs in a jar of marinara sauce, store-bought or made-from-scratch for perfection. And my secret, you ask? Tucked in the top of the meatball, like snow on a mountaintop, is a creamy mozzarella ball. Bet you can’t wait to bite into that!
MOUNTAINOUS MEATBALL
Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup Italian bread, soaked in milk and squeezed out

1 pound ground sirloin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

2 eggs

1/4 cup dry Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

3 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped

3 Ciliegine mozzarella balls (cherry size)

2 cups marinara sauce

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 cup ricotta

Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat. Set aside. Tear Italian bread into chunks. Add enough milk to cover. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine ground sirloin, garlic powder, eggs, dry Italian breadcrumbs, sea salt, black pepper, Italian parsley, and the milk-soaked breadcrumbs (with the liquid squeezed out). Mix well. Form into three meatballs the size of a tennis ball. Make an indentation in the top of each meatball. Stuff with a Ciliegine mozzarella ball. Press meat around the cheese leaving only a small bit visible. Place meatballs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake 30 minutes until brown and firm. Remove from oven and place each meatball in an individual oven-proof serving dish. Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Spoon marinara sauce over meatballs, dividing it equally between the serving dishes. Top with 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, between the three dishes. Bake 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Sprinkle on the remaining parmesan cheese. Add a dollop of ricotta cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh basil. Serve with garlic toast. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Ginger-Orange Salmon Lettuce Cups! Is it an Appetizer or an Entrée? Both. Ginger paired with orange creates amazing flavor, not to mention health benefits galore. Adding grilled salmon for omega-3s is a bonus. But enough about that and back to the lettuce cup popularity. Anytime you cut down on calories, carbs, and gluten it adds up to guilt-free options. Mix things up with seasonal fruits, garden veggies, grilled seafood, and roasted meat for creative favorites. Anything goes!
GINGER-ORANGE SALMON LETTUCE CUPS
Ingredients:

1 cup grilled orange-ginger grilled salmon, flaked 

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon horseradish 

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1 teaspoon capers

1 green onion, chopped

1/3 cup mandarin oranges

Bibb lettuce leaves

Fresh chives, for garnish 

Ground Pistachio nuts, for garnish 
Instructions:

Grill ginger-orange salmon according to package directions. Flake salmon; set aside to cool. In a small bowl, combine Neufchâtel cheese and horseradish until smooth. Gently fold in chopped dill, capers, and green onion. Spread onto Bibb lettuce leaves. Equally divide salmon over cream cheese mixture. Add mandarin orange slices. Garnish with fresh chives and pistachios. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter W

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: Watermelon Salsa! Want a conversation-starter? The next time you’re in a group, pose the simple question: “Do you eat watermelon WITH or WITHOUT a sprinkling of salt?” Then stand clear and let the debate begin. Some insist that a pinch of salt awakens the taste buds. Others believe it interferes with the natural sweetness. Me? I gotta tell you, I kinda prefer the whole sweet & salty thing. Like mixing buttered movie popcorn with kettle corn. But that’s another story. 
WATERMELON SALSA
Ingredients:

1/4 pound seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into chunks

1 ripe peach, peeled, pit removed, and cut into chunks

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 

1-2 jalapeño peppers, stem removed, finely diced

Juice of 1 fresh lime

Raspberry Chipotle seasoned salt (optional)
Instructions:

Combine watermelon, peach, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers. Gently toss all ingredients together. Squeeze fresh lime juice over all. Chill one hour. Before serving add a sprinkling of raspberry chipotle seasoned salt or have the shaker available as an option. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: Picnic Pork and Beans! Tradition speaks loud and clear at family gatherings and picnics, especially in the summer. No matter the cookout, barbecue, or pitch-in, certain foods are expected on the buffet table. One of them is the coveted baked beans. Usually the unmarried auntie or the matriarch is the keeper of the cherished recipes. The “grande dame” knows all the ingredients, especially the heavily-guarded secret ones. It might be a dab of this or a pinch of that. My advice? Time, patience, and integrity. After all, there’s a lot of responsibility in carrying on the Secret Family Recipes. In the end, it’s all worth it!
PICNIC PORK AND BEANS
Ingredients:

3 slices uncured bacon, thick

1/4 cup sweet onion, sliced

1 tablespoon bacon drippings

28-ounce can pork and beans

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

2 tablespoons pimento, diced

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Fry bacon in a large skillet until partially cooked. Remove bacon from pan and dab on paper towels. Let cool and then break into pieces. Discard all but one tablespoon bacon drippings. Add sweet onion to pan; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Combine sweet onion, pork and beans, seasoned salt, red pepper flakes, diced pimento, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Mix well. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Top with bacon pieces. Bake uncovered for one hour, or until beans are bubbly and sauce is thick. Let stand 10 minutes for sauce to thicken slightly. Serve warm. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: Onion Broccoli Florets! Sweet onions, whether they are Vidalias grown in Georgia or Walla Wallas grown in Washington, are mild-tasting onions that fans wait all year to magically appear in the produce aisle. Combine them with the natural sweetness of raisins, the crunch of honey-roasted sunflower seeds, the earthiness of broccoli florets, and the smoky taste of bacon. Then watch it totally disappear at the next family reunion.
ONION BROCCOLI FLORETS
Ingredients: 

1 stalk broccoli 

2.5 ounce package real bacon bits

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1/2 cup raisins 

3/4 cup honey roasted sunflower seeds

1 cup mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons vinegar 

1/2 cup sugar
Instructions:

Cut the stalk off a head of broccoli high enough so the florets fall away. Discard stalk. Cut each floret in half or quarters. In a large bowl, combine florets, real bacon bits, sweet onion, raisins, and honey-roasted sunflower seeds. Mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar until blended. Add dressing to broccoli salad one hour before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter M

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: Mediterranean Summertime Tomatoes! Do you say “to-may-toe” or “to-mah-toe”? Like it really matters when you sink your teeth into its meaty flesh as the juice runs down your chin. Face it, summer is all about the luscious tomato. Gardeners go crazy planting, watering, weeding, and coaxing the plants’ climbing tendrils to wind within the wire baskets so when the vine becomes heavy with fruit (yes, actually the tomato IS a fruit) you’ll reap the harvest. After all, everyone loves a neighbor who grows, and shares, garden tomatoes.
MEDITERRANEAN SUMMERTIME TOMATOES 
Ingredients:

3 Roma tomatoes, sliced 

2 Campari tomatoes, sliced 

1 cup yellow mini tomatoes, halved

1 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, crushed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Sea salt to taste

Fresh basil for garnish

Anchovy-stuffed olives (optional)

1 loaf French bread
Instructions:

Core and slice tomatoes. Arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle red onion over the tomatoes. Whisk together the olive oil, Herbes de Provence, garlic powder, and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over the tomatoes and onions. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with anchovy-stuffed green olives and fresh basil. Dip French bread in the marinade and eat with the tomatoes.*
*Serving Suggestion: Begin with a bed of baby spinach leaves for a complete meal. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter H

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: Hand-Packed Burgers! For a hamburger worthy of a gourmet chef, begin with a low-fat lean meat. Divide the ground beef or sirloin into four equal portions. Form each one a little wider than the bottom bun to allow for shrinkage during grilling. Press your thumb into the center to create a small well, or dimple. If you’re a perfectionist, choose a jar lid slightly larger than the hamburger bun. Line the lid with plastic wrap, press the meat into the shape, flip the patty, and continue on to the next one. That’s way cheaper than buying a hamburger press. The secret’s out. Now you choose. 
HAND-PACKED BURGERS
Ingredients:

1 pound ground sirloin or lean ground beef

1 beef bouillon cube 

1-2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon steak seasoning mix

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sesame Seed Buns

Cheese of choice

Toppings 

Condiments 
Instructions:

Heat water to boiling. Add beef bouillon cube. Stir to dissolve. Fold into ground beef. Sprinkle steak seasoning into meat. With clean hands, mix gently until all ingredients are combined. Divide into quarter-pounders. Hand-pack ground beef into equal size patties. Rub both sides with olive oil. Refrigerate one hour before grilling. To cook, preheat gas grill on High heat. Place burgers directly on grate; cook for 4-5 minutes; flip and cook 4 minutes longer for medium doneness. Do not press on burger to flatten because it will release all those flavorful juices. Transfer to a platter. Immediately top with cheese of choice. Add sliced onions, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce leaves. Dress up with ketchup, mustard, and mayo. You’ve just made the best backyard burger!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter X

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Xnipec Salsa, which translates to “smoking HOT” because it’s made with habanero chile peppers popular in the Yucatan region. I was pretty cautious in making this by first roasting the habaneros in the oven and then scraping out all the seeds. (Warning: Be sure to wear gloves when handling habanero peppers!) I served this salsa with the Zesty Fish Tacos coming up in Letter Z. 
XNIPEC SALSA
1/3 cup Vidalia onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

4-6 plum tomatoes, cut-up with juice

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons lime juice 

Salt to taste 

2 Habanero peppers

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Mix together onions, garlic, tomatoes, salt, lime juice, and orange juice. Set aside. The salt will make the tomatoes very juicy, which releases the flavor, in my opinion. If you prefer a thicker, chunkier sauce, do not add salt until ready to serve. 
Roast the habaneros in the oven at 400° until charred. Broil if necessary. Watch! Slice in half and remove stems. Scrape out all the seeds. Then dice the peppers. Combine with the onion/tomato mixture. Add chopped cilantro. Toss gently. Marinate salsa for one hour prior to serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Q

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Quinoa Mediterranean! Are you getting enough grains in your diet? Well, this nutritious food is actually gluten-free, yet high in fiber. And if you’ve been neglecting protein, this one is an excellent source to remember when dieting. I like the fact that it’s high in antioxidants. See what you think about spicing it up a bit. 
QUINOA MEDITERRANEAN 
Ingredients:

1/4 cup quinoa

1/4 cup long grain brown rice

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

1 green onion, sliced

2 tablespoons cashews

1/4 cup bacon pieces, cooked
Instructions:

Bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa, brown rice, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add bacon, cashews, and green onion slices. Fluff with fork.