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Omelet 101

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Next Step: Omelet 101. You’re having a get-together and need an effortless, but impressive, breakfast. While everyone is huddling in the kitchen, because this is what people do, pour them a cuppa joe and get started. Making the perfect omelet will have you feeling like a gourmet chef. It’s pretty basic. Use an 8-inch sauté pan with slanted edges and plenty of butter. Fresh veggies and shredded cheese are always a good idea. If you’re nervous about the “flip”, simply do what I do. Put a lid on it.

OMELET 101

Ingredients: (per omelet)

2 eggs

Pinch sea salt

Pinch black pepper

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons smokey Swiss cheese, shredded

Sautéed asparagus tips

Sautéed mushrooms

Instructions:

In a mini chopper, combine eggs, sea salt, black pepper, and water. Beat until light yellow in color. Warm butter in pan over medium-low heat. Do not scorch butter. Pour egg mixture into pan. Do not stir. Swirl the pan so eggs cover the edge. Cook until bottom begins to set, about one minute. Tilt the pan to allow liquid to flow underneath. Slide a rubber spatula around the surface to loosen omelet. Arrange shredded cheese, asparagus tips, and sliced mushrooms across the center of the egg, forming a vertical line. Reduce heat to low. Cover pan with a lid to absorb liquid, about 30-45 seconds. The center will remain creamy. Remove lid. Fold one-third of omelet onto itself. Gently transfer omelet to a plate. Serve immediately.

Kimchi Shrimp

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Next Step: Kimchi Shrimp! Brace yourself for a wickedly sour Korean flavor with a crazy spicy kick. Some say it can be a bit salty, especially if you keep an eye on that sort of thing. Others notice the strong leaning toward fish, which is why I dove head first into this dish by adding naturally sweet shrimp, and of course, butter. Did you just do a double take? Stick around. You may end up on the hook.

KIMCHI SHRIMP

Ingredients:

1/2 cup prepared kimchi, chopped

1 pound frozen cooked jumbo shrimp, thawed

2-3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon ginger root, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Romaine lettuce leaves

Green onions, for garnish

Instructions:

Using a mini chopper, pulse the prepared kimchi into a paste. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the butter. Layer the shrimp in the pan. Add chopped ginger. Sprinkle with garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Cook shrimp for one minute, then flip over. Add the kimchi paste, stirring to coat shrimp. Cook 2-3 minutes longer. Serve over romaine lettuce leaves. Garnish with green onion snips.

Egg Brekkie Pizza

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Next Step: Egg Brekkie Pizza! Ever get the feeling you just aren’t in the mood to cook? I’ve been there. While you’re standing at the refrigerator, leaning on the door like it’s your best friend, don’t ignore last night’s leftover pizza. Butter up the iron skillet, toss in a couple slices of pizza, crack an egg on top, and put a lid on it. There’s gotta be an extra packet of red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese, not to mention, crushed oregano somewhere. Bingo! You’re done.

EGG BREKKIE PIZZA

Ingredients:

2 slices leftover pizza, any variety

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon butter

2 large eggs

Sprinkling of parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and oregano

Instructions:

Warm butter in an iron skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle garlic powder into butter. Place pizza slices in pan. Crack an egg onto each slice. Cover. Cook until bottom of pizza is crispy and eggs are barely set, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and crushed oregano.

Bird’s Nest Breakfast

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Next Step: Bird’s Nest Breakfast! For something fun, take an ordinary poached egg, lay it on a bed of greens, and turn it into a festive meal nestled in a coffeehouse cup. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But you like toast, you say. No worries, it’s in there. Think about this attractive alternative when serving a mid-morning brunch for two or breakfast in bed on the weekend. This is how we cruise through life.

BIRD’S NEST BREAKFAST

Ingredients:

4 large romaine lettuce leaves, washed*

2 slices baguette bread, toasted and buttered

2 extra large eggs, poached or fried sunny-side up

2 tablespoons Caesar salad dressing

Red pepper flakes, for garnish

Instructions:

Gently tear romaine lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces and divide between two large coffeehouse cups. Toast artisan bread, butter, and cut into cubes. Add to each lettuce cup. Gently toss. Poach or fry two eggs, leaving the centers slightly soft. Transfer one egg to each bowl. Drizzle with Caesar salad dressing. Garnish with red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

*Add alfalfa sprouts, if available.

Yellow Wax Bean Pancetta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Yellow Wax Bean Pancetta! Yellow beans get a raw deal when it comes to the green bean family. It’s almost like they are the red-headed stepchild. Just because they don’t get their color from chlorophyll doesn’t mean they taste bad. Both taste sweet and “grassy”. If anything, green kinda turns dull when its cooked, but yellow turns golden. Now be honest with me….wouldn’t you rather go for the gold?!?

YELLOW WAX BEAN PANCETTA

Ingredients:

14.5-ounce can cut wax beans, drained

4 ounces pancetta, diced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a bowl, combine wax beans, diced pancetta, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Gently toss to coat well. Transfer yellow wax bean pancetta mixture to prepared baking sheet. Spread to a single layer. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven, transfer to a platter, and serve with fresh chopped parsley.

Xtra Tender Grilled Radishes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Xtra Tender Grilled Radishes! If you’ve avoided radishes because of their bitter earthy taste when eaten raw, perhaps it’s time to give them another chance. Keep in mind radishes are simply a root vegetable, no different than a potato or turnip. Once they are cooked, a natural sweetness emerges. Surprise! The slightly crisp outer core reveals a nice soft middle that makes your mouth go “Mmmm.”

XTRA TENDER GRILLED RADISHES

Ingredients:

4 cups radishes, stems removed and halved lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Warm an iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss the radishes in olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with garlic and herb seasoning. Reduce the heat to medium. Place the radishes, cut side down, on the iron skillet. Sear the radishes for 3-4 minutes per side. They will start to soften without losing their crunch. Remove pan from heat. Drizzle the radishes with melted butter. Sprinkle with chopped thyme leaves, sea salt, and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Wedges

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Sweet Potato Wedges! Mention the word sweet potato french fries and watch everyone’s eyes glaze over. Just the thought of a crispy outer skin surrounding a fluffy center sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Add homemade ketchup or sriracha mayo for dipping. Ahhh. Suddenly it’s a meal in itself……unless family members think you should share. Better make more.

SWEET POTATO WEDGES

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, skin on and cut into wedges

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons agave nectar

Green onion, snipped, for garnish

Instructions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine sweet potato wedges and olive oil. Toss to coat. Cover. Microwave on HIGH for 6 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife, tossing and replacing lid after 3 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes. Add chili powder, coarse sea salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat. Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush with olive oil. Place sweet potato wedges on oiled grill pan. Cook 3 minutes per side until charred and tender. Remove from heat. Drizzle with agave nectar. Garnish with green onion snips. Serve immediately.

New Day Red Pepper Frittata

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: New Day Red Pepper Frittata! When you need breakfast for more than one, think frittata. Omelets serve one, frittatas serve two or more. Nowadays the courteous thing to do is omit the crust in case someone needs a low-carb gluten-free option. You can always serve the frittata with a crusty artisan piece of buttered toast for those who like bread with their meal. Using light cream will result in more of a creamy egg custard, but can certainly be omitted. Because I had already packed my iron skillet, I had to make due with a baking dish. Baking the frittata in an iron skillet gives the edges a “fried” appearance, which always gets the mouth drooling.

NEW DAY RED PEPPER FRITTATA

Ingredients:

8 large eggs

1/4 cup light cream

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup fresh basil, minced

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

6 green onions, chopped

1 cup sweet red peppers, chopped

2 green onions, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, light cream, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Fold in fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, chopped green onions, and sweet red peppers. Mix well. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Too with 2 green onions. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until eggs are completely set. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Rollin’ in Lobstah

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Country Casual Cravings: Rollin’ in Lobstah! Ever wonder why lobster is so popular? I find the mildly sweet, delicate flavor irresistible. If you’re preparing it at home in a state that is landlocked, a lot of resources are at your fingertips. Did you know you can order it from Maine and have it delivered in 24 hours? That’s golden. There are numerous websites that offer delicious lobster choices to conveniently keep on hand in the freezer. I buy lobster meat and lobster tails only. Forget the labor-intensive task of twisting the head, legs, and claws apart from the tail. Then again, I’ve been called “high maintenance”. To each his own.

ROLLIN’ IN LOBSTAH

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into chunks

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

4 split-top brioche hot dog buns

4 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

1 tablespoon chives, thinly sliced for garnish

Fresh lemon wedges, for garnish

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine lobster meat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Gently toss to coat. Spread butter on the outer sides of each bun. Place the buns on a griddle over medium heat. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Divide the lobster mixture among the buns. Garnish with fresh chives and lemon wedges. Serve immediately with remaining butter.