onions

French Fried Onion ‘n Pork Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Talking Points: French Fried Onion and Pork Flatbread! Don’t wait all year to sink your teeth into those crispy onion toppers sprinkled over holiday green bean casserole. Be creative. The onion crunch can be added to soups, salads, burgers, and pizza, too. Simply use your imagination and I guarantee you can talk yourself into something delicious. Barbecue pork, with its sweet and tangy sauce, had me longing for a side order of onion rings. Social distancing and restrictions meant that wasn’t going to happen. So, I opened the pantry door and there on the shelf was a can of the next best thing. French Fried Onions saved the day. Set your wheels in motion, then fork it over.

FRENCH FRIED ONION ‘N PORK FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

1 prepared flatbread

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1 cup seasoned pork, cooked and shredded

2 tablespoons green pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons red pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons yellow onion, chopped

1 cup mozzarella cheese, finely shredded

1/2 cup French fried onions

1 tablespoon ranch dressing, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush bottom of flatbread with olive oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal and garlic powder. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread the barbecue sauce over the flatbread. Layer the shredded pork on top. Add the green pepper, red pepper, and yellow onion. Top flatbread with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 8 minutes, then top with French fried onions. Bake 2-3 minutes longer. Remove from oven, slice accordingly, then drizzle reserve barbecue sauce and ranch dressing over all. Serve immediately.

Zapiekanka Polish Pizza

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Zapiekanka Polish Pizza! Open-faced sandwiches, especially made with crusty artisan breads, are incredibly satisfying when craving a pizza-like meal. Although now there are a bazillion variations of the traditional Polish snack originally sold by street vendors, this recipe serves as a starting point for something new and different. Sauces may range from tomato ketchup to spicy sriracha to garlic mayo. It’s all about the cravings of the moment.

ZAPIEKANKA POLISH PIZZA

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced lengthwise

8 ounces button mushrooms, chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 ounces provolone cheese, sliced

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place baguettes on baking sheet. Scoop out a well in each baguette slice; discard filling. Set aside. In a large skillet, warm olive oil. Sauté chopped mushrooms and onions for 10 minutes, until browned. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Layer the provolone and sharp cheddar cheeses over baguettes. Arrange the sautéed mushrooms and onions over top. Bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown. Drizzle tomato ketchup over all. Serve hot.

Tripletail Fish Fillet

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Tripletail Fish Fillet! No, this fish species does not actually have three tails, like its name implies. It does, however, have three rounded fins on the back end of its body that make it appear that way. Pretty cool, huh? It tends to swim in tropical waters, or float on top of the water giving it an appearance of a dry leaf drifting along on a wave. Perhaps the tripletail’s ancestors were the original hippies of the sea, back in the day. You know, hanging out with aquatic mermaids and other interesting water nymphs. But I digress. If you’re wondering how tripletail taste, it’s kinda like grouper or snapper: naturally firm, flaky, and sweet. You should try it.

TRIPLETAIL FISH FILLET

Ingredients:

12-ounce triple tail fish fillet

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Green Onions, chopped

Instructions:

Wash the fish fillet; pat dry. Place in a shallow dish. In a separate bowl, combine rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic powder, and chopped green onion. Mix well. Pour the marinade over the fish; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Preheat the gas grill to 400°. Transfer triple tail fish directly to the grill grates. Close lid and cook for 4 minutes. Discard marinade. Turn fish and cook 4 minutes longer, with lid closed. Serve over a bed of Chinese fried rice.

Pork Tenderloin Chimichanga

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Pork Tenderloin Chimichanga! If you want to step up your game from an ordinary burrito, but really prefer the flavor of crispy fried foods, there are healthier ways to accomplish it without a deep fryer. Anyone who owns an air fryer will attest to that. I haven’t purchased this countertop convection yet, although my new kitchen does have the option on the built-in wall unit. The one time I tested it produced a charred burn mark on the wooden cutting board afterwards. The jury is still out if I’ll make another attempt at it. These chimichangas are baked in the oven and deliver golden brown crunchy results. Tried-and-True techniques go a long way in my book.

PORK TENDERLOIN CHIMICHANGA

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups pork tenderloin, cooked and shredded

2/3 cup medium picante sauce, prepared

1/3 cup green onions

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

8 flour tortillas

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup Mexican blend cheeses, shredded

Lettuce, tomatoes, onions

Ranch dressing, prepared

Fresh lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large skillet, combine shredded pork tenderloin, picante sauce, green onion, ground cumin, dried oregano, and sea salt. Simmer 5 minutes to heat through and allow most of the liquid to evaporate. Remove from heat. Brush both sides of a flour tortilla with melted butter. Spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture into the center; top with 2 tablespoons Mexican blend cheese. Fold 2 sides over filling; fold ends down. Place seam side down in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake 15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Serve lettuce fixings drizzled with ranch dressing. Garnish with lime wedges.

Foiled Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Foiled Potatoes! Have I mentioned how much I like my new outdoor kitchen? Living in Florida, the weather is so tropical it makes cooking outdoors an effortless way to prepare meals. Grilling seems to make food taste better and roasted potatoes easily become a star attraction. And the best part is dining alfresco. This is what I call a “stay-cation”.

FOILED POTATOES

Ingredients:

2 baking potatoes

1/2 sweet onion, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the grill to 400°. Wash the potatoes and pat dry. Pierce each potato with a knife. Microwave for 4 minutes on 100% power. Remove from microwave and allow to cool, slightly. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick oil. Cut the potatoes into 1/4” slices. Arrange potatoes on foil. Top with sliced onions. Add pats of butter over all. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Fold the packet to seal. Place the sealed foil packet directly onto the grill grates. Close lid. Cook for 10 minutes; carefully flip packet and cook 10 minutes longer. Transfer foiled potatoes to a platter. Be aware of steam when the packet is opened. Serve immediately.

Dutch Baby Buttery Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Dutch Baby Buttery Potatoes! These naturally buttery potatoes have a silky skin that can be eaten when baked. The creamy yellow flesh has a slightly nutty flavor that will give you reason enough to make an entire meal out of these gourmet nuggets. In fact, the aroma was so enticing, my husband and I did that exact thing. You see, once you’re an adult, you can make up any rule you want when it comes to meal-planning.

DUTCH BABY BUTTERY POTATOES

Ingredients:

24-ounce bag of Dutch Baby Yellow Potatoes

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Green onion snips, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Boil whole potatoes on the stove in a pan of salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and allow potatoes to cool enough to handle. In a glass baking dish, combine melted butter, garlic powder, parsley flakes, dried oregano, kosher salt, and parmesan cheese. Cut boiled potatoes in half lengthwise. Arrange in a single layer. Using a pastry brush, cover the potatoes with the herbed butter and cheese mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes until potato bottoms are crispy. Serve immediately.

Almaco Jack Skinny Fajitas

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Almaco Jack Skinny Fajitas! Since fish tacos are a popular menu item these days, it’s not a far stretch to serve fish fajitas. The buttery sweet taste of grilled Almaco Jack fillets, combined with strips of charred peppers and onions, allow us to customize our meal by choosing the stuff we like best. Some prefer the handheld tortilla, others nix the bread and go for the endless toppings. No matter what, you seldom see leftovers and everyone usually walks away feeling satisfied.

ALMACO JACK SKINNY FAJITAS

Ingredients:

4 3-ounce Almaco Jack fish fillets

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 teaspoons seafood seasoning

8 mini peppers, sliced

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions:

In a glass baking dish, arrange fish fillets in a single layer. Pour white wine over top. Coat each fish with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Sprinkle seafood seasoning on top. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes; turn occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare the gas grill for medium heat, approximately 350°. Transfer each fish fillet to the grill rack. Discard marinade. Close the grill cover. Cook 4 minutes; carefully flip and cook 4 minutes longer. Transfer fish to a platter. The fish will flake easily when done. Cook the vegetables at the same time by using a grill pan. Allow vegetables to char. Serve fajitas with flour tortillas, side salad, and guacamole. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Watercress Spinach Salad In A Jar

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Watercress Spinach Salad in a Jar! My heart beats a little faster whenever I come across a bunch of watercress at the fresh marketplace. I know immediately that I will pair it with baby spinach because they work well together. Its slightly peppery taste is an amazing balance to the mild sweetness of spinach leaves. By portioning salads in a jar, they keep a couple days in the refrigerator, as long as the dressing is added later, when served. Not only is the salad appealing, it comes across as pure genius. Mmm Mmm Good.

WATERCRESS SPINACH SALAD IN A JAR

Ingredients:

3/4 cup watercress leaves

1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 pint-size jars, with lids

Caesar dressing, prepared

Instructions:

Layer each jar beginning with watercress and spinach leaves. Carefully place sliced eggs along the inside. Add layers of sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. Finish with crumbled bacon on top. Twist the lid to seal each jar. Refrigerate salads until ready to serve. To serve, empty contents of jar onto a plate or bowl. Add bottled Caesar dressing, per taste.

Kidney Bean Chili Pizza

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Kidney Bean Chili Pizza! If you like the spiciness of chili and can’t resist a slice of gooey cheese pizza, prepare yourself for an endorphin rush like no other. Happiness is contagious and I guarantee you, chili pizza will put you in a good mood. Now let me be clear, the pizza itself is not “make you sweat hot”, which is why I listed the hot pepper rings and sriracha as garnishes to taste. To each his own. I probably overdo the spiciness compared to my husband. Just remember, if it’s too spicy, drink milk. It soothes the body much better than soda, beer, or water.

KIDNEY BEAN CHILI PIZZA

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 envelope original chili seasoning mix

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice

15-ounce kidney beans, with juice

12-inch prepared pizza crust

1/4 cup red onions, sliced

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Hot pepper rings, for garnish

Sliced green olives, for garnish

Sriracha Sauce, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain fat. Stir in chili seasoning mix, diced tomatoes, and kidney beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spoon chili evenly onto crust. Layer with sliced red onions. Cover all with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is crispy. Top with hot pepper rings and green olives. Drizzle with sriracha sauce. Serve immediately.