seasoning

Jamaican Seasoned Fish

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Jamaican Seasoned Fish! Every country has a way of combining fresh herbs and natural spices to season up rice, beans, eggs, vegetables, fish, and meats. Then they go one step further and manufacture it so everyone can experience the authentic flavor. My friend, Leighton, is from Jamaica. He’s a pretty cool bartender in a downtown hotspot. When he gets a little homesick, he either hops on a plane to his native island or does a bit of traditional cooking until he can visit his extended family in person. I was fortunate enough to receive some of his Caribbean secrets. Ya Mon.

JAMAICAN SEASONED FISH

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

1 1/2 teaspoons Jamaican gourmet seasoning

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. Rinse tilapia fillets and pat dry. Sprinkle each piece with half the Jamaican gourmet seasoning and black pepper. Flip and repeat. Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each fish fillet 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer fillets to the prepared baking sheet. Bake 5-6 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Keto Egg Sliders

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Time To Eat: Keto Egg Sliders! I see you scratching your head with a puzzled look on your face thinking…”When did hard boiled eggs become a substitute for slider buns?” The answer: It happened when carb-counting became a thing and bread became a dieter’s no-no. Now, not everyone needs to crank up their body’s energy into fat-burning mode. You may just happen to like hard boiled eggs. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Don’t you love it when things work out?

KETO EGG SLIDERS

Ingredients:

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

6-12 basil leaves

6 slices of Roma tomatoes

3 pieces of candied bacon, cooked crispy and cut in half

Everything But Bagel seasoning

Micro greens, for garnish

Instructions:

Place two basil leaves on the bottom half of each egg. Top with one slice of Roma tomato. Next, layer with one half slice of cooked bacon. Put the other half of the egg face down on top to create a little sandwich. Secure the egg slider with a party pick inserted down the center. Sprinkle with everything but bagel seasoning. Repeat until all ingredients have been assembled. Garnish with micro greens. Serve.

Icy Watermelon Margarita

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Time To Eat: Icy Watermelon Margarita! A friend once told me, “Every good gathering begins with a cocktail, presented by the host.” Not only does it bring people together, which usually happens in the kitchen, but it sets the tone for an entertaining evening. Conversation begins to flow as people mingle with real-life stories and silly jokes. I once asked all my guests to write down something about themselves that no one else knew, but wouldn’t mind finding out about. We had a hilarious time matching those statements with people in the room. I’m sure you could imagine.

ICY WATERMELON MARGARITA

Ingredients:

6 ounces watermelon juice

1 1/2 ounces tequila

1 1/2 ounces triple sec

1 ounce natural orange juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Tajín chili-lime seasoning, for the rim

Lime slices, for garnish

Instructions:

Chill the glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes. Place the tajín seasoning in a shallow dish. Wet the rim of the glass with a lime wedge. Dip the glass into the tajín seasoning, coating the rim. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the watermelon juice, tequila, triple sec, orange juice, and lime juice. Shake until frothy and well chilled, about 25 times or one minute. Add crushed ice to the prepared glasses. Strain the margarita into the prepared glasses. Garnish with a lime slice.

Zia Marianna’s Grilled Peppers

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Zia Marianna’s Grilled Peppers! Did you know there are three ways to roast peppers? You can use a grill pan over a burner flame, a broiler for fast charring, or roast them in the oven. The results are amazing, compared to raw peppers sliced into a salad. The incredible flavor is so smoky and sweet you may wonder why you don’t take the time more often. Pay attention to your taste buds! This is how we add depth to any dish, I promise you that.

ZIA MARIANNA’S GRILLED PEPPERS

Ingredients:

10 mini sweet peppers, mix of red and orange

5 cloves garlic

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Celery leaves

Instructions:

Heat a grill pan on high heat until hot. Rinse the mini sweet peppers and garlic cloves; pat dry. Place the whole peppers and garlic cloves onto the grill pan, charring the skin completely on all sides until black on the outside and soft on the inside, 5-8 minutes per side. Remove and discard charred skin of peppers, seeds, and stems. Cut the peppers into thin slices about 1/4” thick. Transfer the charred pepper slices and garlic cloves into a container with a lid. Slightly wilt celery leaves on grill pan. Add to pepper mixture. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Add the seasoned salt and cracked black pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Warm slightly before serving.

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.

Vidalia Onion Dressing

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Vidalia Onion Dressing! Have you ever loved the taste of a homemade salad dressing so much you wish it could be more? Well, consider this. Marinades are like a secret step to making meat taste flavorful and tender. By planning a little bit in advance, you can pour this dressing over chicken breasts to marinate one hour before grilling or baking. The dressing actually saturates the meat in a way that benefits the flavoring with a sweet onion taste. When everyone gathers around the table and raves about the extraordinary taste of ordinary chicken, just shrug your shoulders and say, “Its my grandma’s family secret.”

VIDALIA ONION DRESSING

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 medium Vidalia onion, grated

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup vinegar

Jalapeño sliced, pickled

Instructions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, sea salt, dry mustard, and celery seed. Stir. Add grated Vidalia onion, vegetable oil, and vinegar. Heat until sugar is melted, stirring constantly. Add jalapeño slices. Cool and refrigerate for one hour. Serve as a dressing over toasted salad.

Pork Tamales

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Pork Tamales! I have high respect for the Mexican culture, especially when it comes to cooking. For years I have procrastinated about making tamales, probably because I love them and really don’t want that to change. Seriously though, for me the Mexican homemade version is labor intensive. Most little girls were taught the family traditions by their mothers and grannies. To them it comes easily as an art form after decades of making the traditional dish. Sauces from scratch can take an entire day if you begin with boiling the chilies and blending the spices. I left that labor of love for the pros. Now if you’re game, roll up your sleeves, tie on an apron, and let’s get started.

PORK TAMALES

Ingredient Toppings for Tamales:

Tomatoes, diced

Green onions, sliced

Lettuce, chopped

Lime wedge, for garnish

Ingredients for Corn Husks:

6-ounce package dried corn husks

Instructions:

Soak corn husks in hot water for one hour or until softened. Drain husks; pat dry. Set aside.

Ingredients for Cornmeal Dough:

1 1/4 cups solid shortening

4 cups corn masa mix

1 3/4 cups warm chicken broth

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons paprika

Instructions for Cornmeal Dough:

In a large bowl, beat solid shortening on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, about 3 minutes. In another bowl, stir corn masa mix, chicken broth, salt, and paprika until combined. Gradually add corn masa mixture to shortening, beating on medium speed just until blended after each addition. Cover dough with plastic wrap until ready to use. Set aside.

Ingredients for Pork Filling:

2 cups fully cooked roast pork, shredded

10-ounce can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions for Pork Filling:

In a bowl, combine shredded pork, diced tomatoes and green chilies, barbecue sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir until well blended. Set aside.

Ingredients for Tamale Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups unsalted beef broth

2 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotles in adobo

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

Instructions for Tamale Sauce:

In a skillet over medium heat, warm unsalted butter. Do not scorch. Sprinkle in flour, whisking until a paste is formed. Stir 2 minutes longer. Gradually add beef broth, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to slightly thicken, about 5 minutes. Add adobo sauce and taco seasoning. Stir until combined. Set aside. Serve warm over tamales.

Instructions for Assembling Tamales:

Spread about 3 tablespoons of Cornmeal Dough into a 3”x3 1/2” rectangle in center of one corn husk. Spoon one heaping tablespoon of meat filling down the center of the Cornmeal Dough rectangle. Fold long side of husk over, enclosing meat filling with Cornmeal Dough. Fold bottom of husk over folded sides, leaving top end open. Tie with strips of corn husk or bakery twine. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with remaining ingredients. In a 16-quart tamale steamer pot, fill water to about 1/2” from the bottom of the rack. Stand tamales above the water level, closed end down, on rack in steamer.* Cover the tamales with leftover husks and a clean cloth before placing the lid on the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and steam over medium heat for two hours until masa is no longer doughy. Add water as necessary. Take one tamale from the middle to check it is done before turning pot off. When done, allow tamales to cool for 10 minutes to set properly. To serve, transfer tamales to a platter. Unwrap a tamale, ladle on the sauce, and top with diced tomatoes, green onion slices, and chopped lettuce. Garnish with lime wedge. Serve immediately.

*In order to keep the tamales upright, put a heat-proof cup, bottom up, in the middle of the rack. It will help the tamales to balance upright.

Orzo Chicken Soup

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Orzo Chicken Soup! If you like thick soup, this recipe is for you. Every spoonful is filled with veggies, chicken, and pasta. If you prefer to slurp the soup or add crumbled saltines, simply increase the liquid by adding two cups of water or more broth. The soup will thicken as the orzo continues to absorb the liquid. In the event there are leftovers for another meal, feel free to add more liquid until you have the desired consistency. Whichever way you like your soup, get ready to enjoy a flavorful bowl of YUM.

ORZO CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, sliced

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

4 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup uncooked orzo

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

3 Bay leaves, dried

Instructions:

In a Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions, sliced carrots, and chopped celery. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in Herbes de Provence. Add chicken broth and orzo pasta. Stir. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until pasta is tender. Fold in shredded chicken. Tuck bay leaves into soup. Heat until soup is hot and bay leaves are soft, stirring gently. Ladle soup into bowls. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Jalapeño Lime Dressing

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Cheerful Choices: Jalapeño Lime Dressing! I’m telling you, flavored vinegars and olive oils make my life a breeze. Think about it. If you could open a bottle of zesty lime balsamic vinegar with spicy jalapeños, would you be tempted to splash it into a pitcher of margaritas? Don’t laugh. What if you turned it into a marinade with lime olive oil for a plate of grilled shrimp tacos? It’s sweet, slightly tart, and adds a zing of jalapeño heat to get the blood flowing. Whether you plan a garden salad, steamed rice, or roasted vegetables on the menu tonight, think outside the box with exotic pairings.

JALAPEÑO LIME DRESSING

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon jalapeño lime balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup lime olive oil

1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño pepper slices

Instructions:

In a blender, combine fresh parsley, cilantro leaves, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Dijon mustard, jalapeño lime balsamic vinegar, and lime olive oil. Pulse until all ingredients are finely minced and dressing has emulsified. Transfer to a jar. Add sliced jalapeños. Cover. Refrigerate one hour.