sauce

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.

DIY Barbecue Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: DIY Barbecue Sauce! Have you ever began preparations for a recipe and realized you were short one ingredient? It happens to me all the time. Since I live in the country, it’s easier for me to peruse my pantry for a do-it-yourself recipe than to run into town. Perhaps you feel the same way. For example, instead of tomato sauce and tomato paste, I substituted a jar of cocktail sauce. When I checked the ingredient list, the cocktail sauce contained both items plus a touch of horseradish. I love the zing that horseradish provides. Once you realize cooking is all about the flavors you like, the rest is a breeze.

DIY BARBECUE SAUCE

Ingredients:

12-ounces cocktail sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup raw honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons agave nectar

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon smoky sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cocktail sauce, apple cider vinegar, raw honey, Dijon mustard, molasses, agave nectar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, smoky sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Sauce will slightly thicken. Transfer to a sealed container. Refrigerate up to one week.

Ahi Poke Platter

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Ahi Poke Platter! Here’s a perfect example of choosing the foods you love. An ahi platter can offer many variations of side veggies to compliment the star attraction. Personally, I like the crunch of radish slices and mukimame. They balance quite nicely with the creaminess of a ripe avocado. Perhaps you may substitute these ingredients with cucumber slices and jicama sticks. I realize there are those who just don’t care for the taste of cilantro, no matter how often they try. That’s fine. Dill is a delightful change. I’m not here to be the food police. Are you getting the idea?

AHI POKE PLATTER

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons furikake seasoning

1 teaspoon white sesame seeds, toasted

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

2 ahi tuna steaks, skinless

1 cup sticky rice, prepared

1 avocado, pitted and cubed

1/2 cup mukimame

1/2 cup radishes, sliced thin

Fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions:

Combine olive oil, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in a shallow dish. Add furikake seasoning, white sesame seeds, and black sesame seeds. Marinate ahi steaks ten minutes per side to coat evenly. Remove steaks from marinade and set aside. In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm the marinade mixture. Cook ahi steaks 2-3 minutes per side. The outer skin will appear seared while the center remains pink. Remove from heat. Transfer ahi steaks to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/4” thick slices. Arrange on a platter over sticky rice, overlapping the slices. Arrange avocado chunks, mukimame, radish slices, and chopped cilantro on the platter. For dipping sauce, combine mayonnaise, sriracha, and soy sauce. Mix well. Pour into a small bowl and serve with the ahi poke platter.

Quick Teriyaki Pork Bowl

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Talking Points: Quick Teriyaki Pork Bowl! Say the word “teriyaki” and watch people start to salivate. It’s all about the sauce. Part sweet like honey, and part salty like soy sauce, only thicker. Some may use the word “gooey” to describe how teriyaki sauce sticks to the meat sealing in all those concentrated spices and juices. For today’s drool-inducing teriyaki you may substitute pork for chicken, depending on what you have on hand. Just remember, although it’s a quick meal, you still need to be patient and kind. You must allow time to cook the rice.

QUICK TERIYAKI PORK BOWL

Ingredients:

2 cups boneless pork, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions:

Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, minced garlic, and cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk together until the cornstarch is dissolved and no lumps remain. In a skillet over medium heat, add cooked pork and teriyaki sauce. Coat the meat well. Continue to warm, stirring constantly, until the pork is heated through and the sauce thickens into a shiny glaze. Keep warm while making the side dishes. Remove from heat and serve with steamed broccoli and rice.