salt

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter E

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Egg Salad Extravaganza, A Crêpe Idea! The debate continues………. Mayonnaise and Celery or Miracle Whip and Pickle Relish? What is your preference in Egg Salad? It probably all depends on how your mother made it during your childhood. Fortunately both can be made in a snap!

EGG SALAD EXTRAVAGANZA

Ingredients:

3 eggs, hard cooked

3 tablespoons mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper

1 tablespoon celery, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon pickle relish (optional)

Instructions:

Combine mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Peel and chop eggs, breaking into small pieces. Gently stir into mayonnaise mixture. Add celery or pickle relish. Fill two Crêpes with egg salad. Tuck in several lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with Chia seeds.

(For an alternative bread choice, please reference Crêpe Expectations for the batter recipe at https://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/05/17 to make crêpes in advance.)

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter I

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Indiana Sweet Corn! With July on the horizon, already the taste buds begin yearning for that extra juicy sweet corn freshly picked straight from the farmer’s field. After all, it’s best eaten the day it’s picked. There’s no taste quite like it. Get connected to the Farmers Market in your area for the best produce. Then do what I do, freeze extra for those cold, wintry days!

INDIANA SWEET CORN

Ingredients:

4 ears of Indiana sweet corn

Sea salt to taste

Butter for slathering

Instructions by Boiling:

Fill a stock pot with enough water to cover the corn. Bring it to a boil. Dissolve a tablespoon of salt in the water. Remove outer husk and silk from corn. Rinse corn. Carefully drop each ear into boiling water. Cover with lid and lower heat to medium. Cook 3-5 minutes. Remove with tongs and serve immediately with butter and sea salt.

Instructions for Microwaving:

I cook one ear at a time when I’m only preparing a few ears for a meal. Leave corn in husk. With a sharp knife, cut off the pointed end of the corn cob. Rinse under running water. While the ear of corn is wet, wrap a paper towel around it. The water will moisten the paper towel. Place the ear of corn in the microwave and cook on 100% power for 2-3 minutes. The husk will trap and steam the corn. Watch! Remove from microwave and let sit for a couple minutes. Use the paper towel to carefully shuck the corn. The silks come off easily.

Whichever method you choose, the reward is a taste of sugary-sweet Indiana heaven. Enjoy!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter D

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Deviled Eggs! People ask me all the time how I can eat everything I make and not weigh 100 pounds more than I do. Well, portion control has a lot to do with it……plus the fact that I truly DO share much of what I make. And then there are days when I know I’m going to pig out, so I eat a lunch that looks like this! Trust me, it works.

DEVILED EGGS

Ingredients:

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved

1/4 cup real mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Dash white pepper

Paprika

Instructions:

Separate egg whites from egg yolks. Smash egg yolks with a fork in a small bowl. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Spoon yolk filling into egg white halves. Garnish with paprika. Chill, if desired.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter I

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Chow Down: Italian Stewed Tomatoes! Before the weather turns chilly, grab up all those garden tomatoes at the peak of ripeness. You’ll appreciate a little extra effort now for that rich intense flavor in the middle of winter. Slow-cooked and simmered to perfection, stewed tomatoes are the secret ingredient for tailgating chili, flavorful stews, and Italian pasta dishes. Go ahead, score big with the best-tasting slightly sweet firm texture of harvest stewed tomatoes. 
ITALIAN STEWED TOMATOES 
Ingredients:

19-20 Roma tomatoes 

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon agave nectar 

1/2 teaspoon parsley 

1/2 teaspoon oregano 

1/2 teaspoon basil 

1/2 teaspoon marjoram 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 green pepper, chopped 
Instructions:

Make a small X in the stem end of each Roma tomato. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for one minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water for an ice bath. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and discard. Chop the tomatoes, removing the core, and place tomatoes in a large skillet. Add kosher salt, agave nectar, parsley, oregano, basil, marjoram, garlic powder, and green pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve fresh or freeze for later. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter E

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Chow Down: Edamame Spicy Stix! You’ve probably been to a restaurant where the server placed a bowl of edamame on the table, in lieu of the bread basket. Next to it was an empty bowl for placing the discarded pods. If it was a first for you, no worries. Friends, this is one time you are allowed to eat with your fingers. Truth. Simply pick up one pod with your fingers and put it in your mouth, not letting go. Bite down with your teeth and slide the beans out as you pull the pod away. Tender green beans, about the size of peas, will drop onto your tongue. Chew and enjoy the flavor sensation. Easily toss the pod into the empty bowl and reach for another. Who would’ve thought eating edamame could be this much fun?
EDAMAME SPICY STIX
Ingredients:

12-ounce bag frozen Edamame with sea salt 

2 tablespoons butter, divided

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce 
Instructions:

Microwave edamame according to package directions. Let stand for one minute. Open package and set aside. In a cast iron skillet, melt one tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic cloves, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add cooked edamame. Transfer to a serving bowl. Fit with remaining butter. Drizzle with sriracha sauce. Serve immediately. Remove shells before eating. Do not consume pods. 

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 N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: New Potato Salad! If I said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times: the French have it going on! The more I explore their recipes, the more I feel like a gourmet chef. You can, too. Trust me. When I tell you I’m going to have you make potato salad by skipping the mayo, just pretend you didn’t hear me and forge ahead. The results are worth it. Don’t make a big deal when you serve it as a side dish. You’re husband will do that for you. Husband-tested, rave reviews!
NEW POTATO SALAD 
1 pound red-skinned new potatoes 

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons garlic red wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cracked black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup celery hearts, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh chervil, coarsely chopped 
Instructions: 

Place quartered potatoes, skin on, in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Add sea salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes. For dressing, combine olive oil, garlic red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Whisk until blended. When potatoes are cooked, drain well. Transfer them to a bowl to cool. Pour the dressing over the potatoes. Add celery and chervil, gently folding to blend flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Kalua Pork Roast! This special blend of herbs is a tribute to warm, tropical summer nights. The term, “Kalua”, is Hawaiian for slow cooked. I have put this frozen roast in the oven and let flavors blend all day long for an exotic taste that will have your senses wondering if you’ve been transported to a private paradise. The extra meals provided are a bonus that will have others showering you with praise in the days following. 
KALUA PORK ROAST
Ingredients:

4 pound boneless pork butt roast

1 tablespoon Red Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt*

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning 

2 cups apple juice

2 cups apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 bottle beer
Instructions:

Set oven to 275°. Place frozen pork roast in a covered roaster, fat side up. Pour apple juice and apple cider vinegar over roast. Next apply liquid smoke. Finish by sprinkling the Alaea sea salt and Mrs. Dash herb blend over the pork. Make sure the lid is on securely. You will begin to smell the heavenly aroma as it slowly cooks. Five hours later, check the roast, as the liquid will absorb. I discovered some roasters allow the liquid to evaporate a little sooner than I expected. I have found Le Creuset to be very reliable. If the roast needs more liquid, pour a bottle of beer over it. Keep it covered and slowly cook it at least another three hours. I have let it cook for ten hours total without a problem. It is so fork-tender you will be amazed. And the drippings can be used for gravy or barbecue sauce. 
*Available through Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts. (I receive no recompense for promoting their product.)