sauce

Queso Chicken Flautas

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Elevated Edibles: Queso Chicken Flautas! Are you as torn between corn tortillas and flour tortillas as I am? There are days, and certain dishes, where nothing but corn will do: tamales, taquitos, enchiladas, tacos, and chips. Corn tortillas, generally, are much smaller and easier to hold. When they are soaked in sauce, they are more pliable and suitable for baking. If you like the taste of toasted corn as well as the chewy texture, corn tortillas are for you. The same applies to flour tortillas: quesadillas, flautas, fajitas, chimichangas, and burritos. Flour tortillas are bigger, not to mention softer for folding. You already know this if you’ve ever eaten a monster burrito or ginormous chimichanga. One is baked, the latter is fried. Today’s recipe features the sturdiness of a flour tortilla to hold the juicy chicken and melted cheese filling without turning soggy or falling apart. What a delicious dilemma.

QUESO CHICKEN FLAUTAS

Ingredients for Herbed Sour Cream:

8 ounces sour cream

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons green onions, chopped

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

4.5 ounce can green chiles, drained and diced

1 envelope taco seasoning mix, less 1 tablespoon for remaining recipe

12-count flour tortillas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

15-ounce jar queso cheese dip, warmed

Instructions:

To make the herbed sour cream, combine sour cream, honey, lime juice, and sea salt in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Gently fold in chopped cilantro leaves and green onions. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, Mexican cheese blend, cream cheese, and diced green chilies. Sprinkle with taco seasoning mix (less 1 tablespoon of mix). Stir thoroughly. Set aside. In a small dish, whisk vegetable oil with reserved taco seasoning mix. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. To assemble flautas, place 1/4 cup chicken mixture on bottom third of each flour tortilla. Roll up tightly, leaving ends open. Place seam-side down on prepared baking sheet. Brush filled chicken flautas with seasoned oil mixture. Repeat until all tortillas are filled. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until flautas are crispy. Serve with warmed queso cheese dip, herbed sour cream, and chunky salsa.

Meatball Pizzetta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Meatball Pizzetta! Need a late-night snack beyond a bag of chips or a bowl of ice cream? Don’t get me wrong, there was a time in my life when I self-medicated with a pint of Turkish Coffee Ice Cream, at least 3 or 4 times a week. No regrets and certainly no judgment here. What I recently discovered, though, is a mini portion of authentic flatbread, packaged in a 4-count. Just the right size to become a pizzetta for one. I always seem to have a jar of homemade Italian marinara in my fridge. And mozzarella cheese? Well, that’s practically a staple around my house as well. Do you see the wheels turning? This is how my kitchen is stocked. Because you never know when a craving will hit.

MEATBALL PIZZETTA

Ingredients:

I mini naan flatbread

2-3 tablespoons marinara sauce, prepared

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

3-5 small frozen Italian meatballs, thawed

1 tablespoon pickled red onions

Fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. If you have a pizza stone, place it on the rack while the oven is warming. Take a mini naan flatbread and place it on a plate. Spread a layer of marinara, stopping short of the edges. Layer naan with shredded mozzarella cheese. Arrange Italian meatballs on top. Transfer pizzetta to a preheated pizza stone. Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese melts and crust is crunchy. Carefully remove from oven, add pickled red onions, and slice pizzetta. Garnish with fresh basil.

Honey Butter Shrimp

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Table Food: Honey Butter Shrimp! Here’s a different kind of main dish that creates a balance of sweet, salty, and a little bit of spice in every bite. Shrimp lovers will not be disappointed with the tender, incredibly mild, slightly creamy taste of ocean shrimp. It’s very good, according to my husband the taste tester. The firmness of each delicate morsel, curled into the C-shape when cooked, makes each bite a succulent delight for the palate. The aromatic ginger, when mixed with soy sauce and sticky sweet honey, will awaken the taste buds for a juicier finish. Done right, this shrimp becomes a labor of love that will surely bring raves.

HONEY BUTTER SHRIMP

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons butter

3 ounces coconut milk

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons raw honey

Zest and juice from one lime

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and white pepper. Warm olive oil in an iron skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add minced garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, and butter. Cook the shrimp in the butter until the garlic caramelizes, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, soy sauce, and raw honey. Stir to combine. Simmer 2-3 minutes until completely warmed. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice, zest, and cilantro. Serve warm over rice.

Udon Noodles With Shrimp

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Udon Noodles with Shrimp! Everyone goes crazy over noodles. Udon noodles, made popular by the Japanese culture, offer the chewy thick texture associated with comfort food. Basically made from flour, salt, and water, they can take on the flavor of whatever ingredient you add to it. Being a shrimp-lover and mushroom fanatic, the choices here were not even up for debate. My kitchen, my choice. But I can tell you this, the sauce alone is slurp-worthy.

UDON NOODLES WITH SHRIMP

Ingredients:

7-ounce package udon noodles

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/3 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

8-10 large shrimp, precooked and tails removed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

1 green onion, chopped for garnish

Ingredients for the Sauce:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

Make the sauce first by combining oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Whisk until smooth. Set aside. Boil the udon noodles, according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside. Warm one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Increase heat to medium-high setting. Add sliced mushrooms. Stir 2-3 minutes until cooked. Add chopped yellow onions and cook 2-3 minutes longer, or until soft. Transfer vegetables to a platter. In the same skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add large shrimp. Sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and red pepper flakes. Sauté both sides of the shrimp. Add the udon noodles to the skillet to heat through. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and noodles. Stir. Add mushrooms and onions; gently toss. Turn off heat. Fold in the baby spinach leaves; allow them to slightly wilt. Scoop noodle mixture into individual bowls. Garnish with green onion pieces. Serve immediately.

Pan-Fried Porgy Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Pan-Fried Porgy Flatbread! Introducing another whitefish that is often overlooked. It’s pretty common in the waters around southwest Florida, making it easily accessible from local fishermen. Less expensive too, in case you’re wondering. Now what to do with it. Hmmm. To be honest, I’ve never heard of “fish pizza” before, unless you count anchovies. However, I hadn’t eaten fish tacos until I visited my friend in San Diego twenty years ago, and here we are. I thought to myself, why not put fish on flatbread to make it a pizza? Call me crazy, but it was swimmingly delicious.

PAN-FRIED PORGY FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

8-ounces porgy fish fillet, skin and bones removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 prepared flatbread

1/4 cup pizza sauce

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

2 tablespoons red onion slices, slightly chopped

Fresh baby spinach leaves, gently torn

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven while it is preheating. In a skillet, warm olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Place the porgy into the skillet. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Cook 2 minutes; flip and cook porgy 2 minutes longer until crisp and golden brown. Remove pan from heat and set aside. When the oven is preheated, using hot pads, transfer the pizza stone to a heatproof workstation to build the pizza. Place the flatbread onto the stone. Layer with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese slices, and red onions. Flake the porgy fish with a fork and arrange it on the flatbread. Bake 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with gently torn baby spinach leaves. Serve immediately.

Wasabi Shrimp Cocktail

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Wasabi Cocktail Shrimp! Everyone loves shrimp, we know that already. But does everyone like wasabi? You may have tasted it before in the snack form of wasabi peas. You’re probably thinking, “easily tolerable”. Wasabi, though, really can’t be compared to the heat of a jalapeño or habanero pepper. It’s a different kind of animal. Wasabi is from the horseradish family giving it a strong pungency that can be felt more in the nasal passages than on the tongue. You might take a swipe and then sit back thinking all is well…until, like a viper, it strikes with such intensity you find your eyes tearing up, followed by a cough or sneeze. Once the rush has passed, don’t be surprised if your brain says, “I’ve gotta have more of this stuff!”

WASABI SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

1 pound precooked shrimp, tail on and thawed

1/2 cup prepared cocktail sauce

1/8 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste

Instructions:

Rinse shrimp in cold water. Drain. Dab with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp on a platter. In a small bowl, combine cocktail sauce, lemon juice, and wasabi paste. Stir well. Serve chilled.

Lime-Seasoned Roasted Carrots

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Lime-Seasoned Roasted Carrots! My favorite new seasoning is Tajin Classico*. The first time I tasted it, it was on the rim of a frosted margarita glass. That’s because it is a popular Mexican spice blend of chili peppers, sea salt, and lime juice. The sweet and salty tones awakened my taste buds, with a snap of citrus. It adds a layer of zing I can hardly describe. What I can say, though, is you may find yourself sprinkling it on everything from meat and vegetables to popcorn and beverages.

LIME-SEASONED ROASTED CARROTS

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots

2 teaspoons adobo sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon tajin seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 orange, sliced and halved

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut the top off the carrots and discard. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise; then into quarters. Transfer to a shallow dish. In a bowl, whisk together adobo sauce, olive oil, orange juice, tajin seasoning, and cumin powder. Pour over the sliced carrots; toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick oil. Arrange orange slices. Roast carrots for 30 minutes, or until tender. Serve warm.

*I receive no recompense for mentioning this product.

Hot Sauce Tex-Mex Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Hot Sauce Tex-Mex Dip! Nothing screams “party” like a flavorful Mexican dip loaded with cheese, beans, chorizo, and chips. This do-ahead recipe is perfect for advance planners. Pull it all together and refrigerate overnight. When you’re ready, simply allow it to stand at room temperature half an hour before you need to bake it. Add 10 minutes to the time it is covered in the oven for melting the ooey gooey cheese. If you’re going to make this Tex-Mex Dip, may as well get lost in the tug-of-war between chili lime seasoning and garlicky hot sauce. It’s everything you love. Just add cocktails.

HOT SAUCE TEX-MEX DIP

Ingredients:

4-ounces cream cheese, room temperature

15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained, and divided

3/4 tablespoon fresh lime juice, divided

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 cup chorizo, cooked and crumbled

2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons red pepper, finely chopped

1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix

4 ounces Mexican Cheese Blend, shredded and divided

1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons pickled jalapeño, diced

Tortilla chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. In a food processor, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup black-eyed peas, 1 teaspoon lime juice, hot sauce, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir remaining black-eyed peas, chorizo, scallions, red pepper, taco seasoning mix, and 1/2 cup Mexican Cheese Blend into the cream cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly. Spread into the bottom of a lightly greased deep dish pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining Mexican Cheese Blend. Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 15 minutes longer until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir together in a bowl chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, olive oil, diced jalapeño, remaining lime juice, and remaining sea salt. Using a slotted spoon, top dip with tomato mixture. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Egg Roll in a Bowl! For once in my life I’m taking the easy route to an old favorite. Making eggs rolls, using store bought wrappers, can be quite a labor-intensive ordeal. There’s the cutting of vegetables, marinating of meat, separating the wrappers and covering them with a moist towel, then heating the oil for deep-fried results. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I just wasn’t up to the task when what I really wanted was more of the amazing filling to devour. Don’t get me wrong, I still drizzled on the duck sauce, probably more than was necessary. But it’s all a matter of individual taste. Lean in and I’ll tell you a secret. I’d do it again.

EGG ROLL IN A BOWL

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shredded pork, precooked

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

14-ounce bag coleslaw mix

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Drizzle of sriracha

Green onions, for garnish

Duck Sauce, if desired

Instructions:

Warm the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the shredded pork, ginger, sea salt, black pepper, and sriracha sauce. Mix well. Cook until the pork is heated through. Add the coleslaw mix, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Sauté until the coleslaw is slightly tender. Divide into serving bowls. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, drizzle of sriracha, and chopped green onions. Spoon prepared Duck Sauce over top, if desired.