rolls

Tzatziki Egg Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Tzatziki Egg Salad! When I had a garden, while raising my children, I used to eat homegrown cherry tomatoes by the handful. The few times the tomatoes actually made it to the kitchen, I would always count out 10 cherry tomatoes for MY salad and then smother them with cucumber salad dressing. It was heaven-in-a-bowl for me. And then, all of a sudden, the bottled cucumber dressing disappeared off the store shelves, never to be seen again. What happened, I wondered. I was devastated, to say the least. Years later, the buzz was all about tzatziki sauce. I already knew I loved Greek gyros smothered in the stuff, so I went back to the deli and bought some. Guest what I do with it now. You know. 

TZATZIKI EGG SALAD

Ingredients: 

6 eggs

5 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1/4 medium cucumber, peeled and grated

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dill weed

Instructions:

Place the 6 eggs in a medium pot filled with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain. Place the eggs in an ice bath for 10 minutes to cool. Peel and dice the eggs. Set aside. To make the tzatziki sauce, combine Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic powder, olive oil, finely chopped celery, sea salt, black pepper, and dill weed. Mix well. Set aside. For the egg salad, begin by adding small portions of tzatziki sauce to the chopped eggs until you achieve the desired consistency. Chill tzatziki egg salad for 30 minutes. When ready to serve, make an “x” in the top of an artisan roll. Fill the center with egg salad. Serve with micro greens and fresh dill sprig. 

Veggie Pizza

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Veggie Pizza!  Now don’t get this confused with your typical pizza parlor favorite. This particular dish is served cold as an appetizer or a side dish. And it’s easy to bake-and-take for cookouts and picnics. One recipe serves 24 easily, giving you enough for that second helping. 

VEGGIE PIZZA 

Ingredients:

2 8-ounce cans of Crescent rolls

2 8-ounce blocks of Neufchâtel cheese

1 cup mayonnaise 

1 package dry Ranch dressing mix

1 cucumber, peeled, cut-up, and seeds removed

1 small head of broccoli florets

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Unroll dough and press out onto an ungreased 11 1/2″ x 17″ baking sheet to form a crust. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. In a small bowl, mix Neufchâtel cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch mix until smooth. Spread evenly on cooled crust. Layer cheese mixture with cucumber, broccoli, and carrots. Press lightly. Top with cheddar cheese. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Cut into small bars or triangles. 

Xingzi Apricot Crescents

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Xingzi Apricot Crescents! Need a quick dessert, after school treat, or late night snack? Think crescent rolls. Their light and buttery crust is so bakery-like sweet and flaky you’ll think you deserve accolades from everyone at first bite. Any fruit jam or preserves can be used. I like the chunkier ones simply because it resembles the texture of a pie filling. Obviously you can add canned fruit to really crank things up a level or two. That is the beauty of home cooking. Tweak as much as you like. You can always “eat” the mistakes and start over. Caution: overstuffing the crescent rolls may lead to the preserves spilling out onto the parchment paper as it bakes. 

XINGZI APRICOT CRESCENTS

Ingredients:

I tube crescent rolls

1/3-1/2 cup apricot preserves 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Separate the dough into 8 triangles. Place a dollop of apricot preserves in the wide end of each triangle. Roll up, starting at the wide end and roll to the opposite narrow end. Slightly curve the ends into a half moon with your fingers. Place each crescent roll on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly. Serve warm. 

Toasted Lobster Sliders

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Fabulous Fixings: Toasted Lobster Sliders! If I had to list how many ways I’ve eaten lobster, I think I would lose count. The most popular would have to be my first experience of steamed lobster with drawn butter. Since then, I’ve also had lobster grilled cheese, lobster risotto, lobster rolls, lobster mac’n cheese, lobster bisque, stuffed lobster pie, lobster cobb salad, lobster eggs benedict, and now lobster roll sliders. Yet, I know there are many more tasty dishes out there you can think of, so feel free to mention them in the Comments section below. 

TOASTED LOBSTER SLIDERS

Ingredients:

1 package Hawaiian dinner rolls 

1 pound cooked lobster meat, cut into chunks 

1/2 cup sea salt butter, melted

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Fresh chives, for garnish

Red pepper flakes, if desired

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place slider buns on the baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, split the tops of the buns without cutting all the way through. In a bowl, combine the melted butter, seafood seasoning, and garlic powder. Mix well. Brush the rolls all over, including the cavities. Save the reserve butter. Bake rolls for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe dish, warm the lobster meat in the reserve butter for 2 minutes on 30% power. Divide the lobster meat into the baked rolls. Pour remaining garlic butter over top. Garnish with chopped chives. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve warm. 

Fig Jam Pear Puffs

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Fig Jam Pear Puffs! Sweet and spicy pepper jellies or jams make such interesting bedfellows when paired with cheese and fruit. You’ve probably noticed them on a charcuterie tray since cheese has a way of “cooling” the heat that can make hot peppers often intolerant. By adding the honey-like sweetness of ripe figs, the combo becomes a tug-o-war fusion between instant gratification, excitement, and joy to an endorphin rush of pleasant feelings. 

FIG JAM PEAR PUFFS

Ingredients:

8-ounce tube of crescent rolls

4-ounces cream cheese

2 pears, peeled and finely chopped 

1 pinch cinnamon 

1 smidgen ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons blistered jalapeño fig jam

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick oil. Set aside. Unroll the crescent dough onto a work surface. Press seams together to form a rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 squares. Press one dough square into each muffin cup. Cut cream cheese into 24 cubes. Place one cube of cream cheese into the bottom of each dough-lined cup. Cover with a heaping teaspoon of finely chopped pears. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over all. Top off with a small dollop of jalapeño fig jam. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Cool 5 minutes and then transfer each pear puff to a wire rack. Serve warm. 

Quick Egg Salad Subs

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food With Soul: Quick Egg Salad Subs! Lucky for you, egg salad is a no-brainer when it comes to a fulfilling lunchtime meal. It’s quick, basic Cooking 101, and all you need as additives are salt and mayo. Now if you happen to have celery, onions, mustard, or pickles in the back of the fridge, you can elevate this sammie to a level fit for the royals. For me, brioche buns carry enough natural sweetness, are chewy, and serve as a gourmet vessel for all that chunky, flavorful deliciousness. Serve with a side of kettle chips.

QUICK EGG SALAD SUBS

Ingredients:

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon scallion, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

2 brioche split-top sub buns, toasted

Watercress, for garnish

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine hard-cooked eggs, mayonnaise, finely chopped celery, minced scallion, kosher salt, and celery seed. Stir until completely mixed. Divide between 2 brioche sub sandwiches. Garnish with fresh watercress.

Xtreme Frosting Cinnamon Rolls

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Xtreme Frosting Cinnamon Rolls! Does anyone, besides me, often wish there was more frosting in the prepared tube of cinnamon rolls? I mean, who doesn’t want more of the lusciously rich and fluffy sweet mixture? By doubling the amount of frosting per cinnamon roll, there’s never a debate over who is left craving more.

XTREME FROSTING CINNAMON ROLLS

Ingredients:

12-ounce tube cinnamon rolls

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

Bake cinnamon rolls according to package directions. Set aside. While cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the buttercream frosting. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and butter on low speed with a hand mixer. Stir in vanilla extract and one tablespoon milk. Gradually beat in remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Pour over freshly baked cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.

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.

Half-Baked Skillet Pizza Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Here Come the Holidays: Half-Baked Skillet Pizza Dip! Who likes bread dough? I do, I do. Who keeps a bag of frozen bread dough rolls in their freezer? Me, too. Whether you’re making this amazing pizza dip as an afternoon snack, midday appetizer, or late-night dinner, you will impress yourself with the chewy bread dough base. That is, until the mouthwatering moment you feast your eyes on the gooey strands of pizza cheese. Melted mozzarella cheese pulls can stretch from the iron skillet to your mouth like a tightrope stretched across Niagara Falls. Either snap it off in one bite or twirl it around your index finger for satisfying nibbling. Did I fail to mention the layers of deliciousness? Read on to see what I mean.

HALF-BAKED SKILLET PIZZA DIP

Ingredients for Crust:

12 frozen dinner roll dough balls

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Ingredients for Dip:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon zesty Italian salad dressing mix

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup prepared pizza sauce

5 slices deli-style hard salami, cut into triangles (or mini pepperoni slices)

Fresh Parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray an iron skillet with nonstick oil. Remove frozen bread dough rolls from the freezer. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and parsley flakes. Mix well. Coat each frozen bread dough roll with butter mixture and arrange around the outside edge of the iron skillet. Cover pan with a tea towel, place in a warm area, and allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes for a half-baked doughy crust. Meanwhile, to prepare dip filling, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, and grated parmesan cheese. Mix well. Fold in shredded provolone cheese and 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese. Spoon half the filling into the center of the iron skillet. Add a layer of pizza sauce. Spoon the remaining cheese filling on top. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese over all. Arrange with salami or pepperoni slices. Place the iron skillet in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and pizza dip is bubbly. Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve warm.