spices

Island Coconut Shrimp

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Island Coconut Shrimp! After making this popular seafood appetizer at home, I realized what a bargain it was to do it myself. No more puny orders of 4 or 5 shrimp to share like when we go to a restaurant. lol. I’m sure my husband appreciates that little detail. Every ingredient was already on hand in my kitchen, making it a breeze. If you’re a shrimp-lover, like I am, put this recipe in your file entitled, “My Favorites!”

ISLAND COCONUT SHRIMP

Ingredients:

1 pound frozen shrimp, thawed with tails on

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened

Vegetable oil for frying

Jezebel Sauce for dipping*

Fresh Pineapple chunks

Instructions:

Combine coconut flour, sea salt, and cracked black pepper on a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside. In a shallow dish, beat the eggs until blended. Set aside. In a bowl, mix together Panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut. Set aside. Working one at a time, dust the shrimp with the flour mixture. Dip the flour-coated shrimp in the egg batter, then dredge it in the coconut mixture. Coat well. Place the shrimp on a platter. Repeat until all shrimp have been breaded. Using an iron skillet, add enough vegetable oil to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Heat oil on medium heat. Working in batches if 5-6 shrimp, fry the coconut shrimp 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Watch carefully. Remove shrimp and place on a paper towel-lined platter. Repeat until all shrimp have been fried. Serve on skewers with Jezebel Sauce* and pineapple chunks.

*Follow the link for this tasty Jezebel Sauce.

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2017/03/30

Hasselback Honey-Roasted Carrots

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Hasselback Honey-Roasted Carrots! Get cooking with a vegetable side dish that will bring on the cheers. It not only has eye appeal when served, it is bursting of natural flavor combined with exotic spices. This is everyday cooking. Who wants to give it a try? These beautifully sliced carrots are incredibly simple to make.

HASSELBACK HONEY-ROASTED CARROTS

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh carrots, peeled and tops trimmed

1/4 cup natural honey

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

Fresh Chives for garnish

Pomegranate arils for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Beginning at one end of the carrot, slice in vertical strips, being careful to stop before slicing through the bottom. Repeat with remaining carrots. Transfer carrots to a shallow dish. Combine natural honey, olive oil, seasoned salt, black pepper, ground ginger, paprika, ground cumin, and thyme. Stir well. Brush glaze onto the carrots, turning to coat. Place carrots on a nonstick baking pan in a single layer without touching. Bake 40-45 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives and pomegranate arils.

Eggs Deviled With Salmon

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Eggs Deviled with Salmon! Have you noticed? Variations of deviled eggs are all the rage on the appetizer menus. Known once as a classic staple for every summer gathering, the deviled egg has been reinvented in countless ways. Creativity knows no bounds. Whether you choose spicy jalapeño*, creamy tuna salad, or low-cal Greek yogurt, the spin-off creations are definitely show-stoppers. Don’t believe me? Try these Smoked Salmon beauties at your next party or pitch-in picnic.

EGGS DEVILED WITH SALMON

Ingredients:

6 hard boiled eggs, cooked and peeled

1/4 cup cream cheese

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon red onion, diced

1/8 teaspoon dill weed

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

4 ounces Applewood Smoked Salmon

1 teaspoon capers, for garnish

Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish

Paprika, if desired

Instructions:

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and place in a medium bowl. Gently place white portions on a platter. Arrange dill sprigs. These will help to keep the eggs from rocking. Set aside. Cut the salmon slices into 12 thin strips. Roll each strip to make a tight rosebud. Transfer to a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Chop the remaining salmon into small pieces. Mash the egg yolks with a fork until crumbly. Add cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white vinegar, red onion, dill weed, sea salt, white pepper, and remaining salmon. Stir until combined. Spoon mixture into hollowed out egg white shells. Place a salmon “rosebud” on top. Garnish with one caper in the center of each salmon piece. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Store leftovers in a covered container.

*Xanthous Jalapeño Deviled Eggs can be found at the following link.

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2016/11/25

Yummy Parmesan Alfredo Sauce

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? After the Holidays: Yummy Parmesan Alfredo Sauce! If ever there was a universal sauce, this is it. Alfredo sauce isn’t just for pasta any more. Pizzerias began using it to substitute the tomato base on pizzas, pairing it with bacon, spinach, artichokes, and chicken. It makes a creamy addition to grilled seafood, poultry, or pork dishes, as well. Some enthusiasts even slather alfredo sauce on baked potatoes. It’s pure genius to pour it into a freshly baked bread bowl for dipping crudités, if you’re into that sort of thing. No matter how you spin it…butter, cream, and cheese are the star attractions. These are the ways to a woman’s heart. That, and a bouquet of fresh flowers.

YUMMY PARMESAN ALFREDO SAUCE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, unsalted

1 1/2 cups light cream

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons Neufchâtel cheese, softened

2 cups parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm butter. Add light cream. Reduce heat and simmer over Low heat for 2 minutes, stirring gently. Whisk in minced garlic, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper. Add Neufchâtel cheese; stir to incorporate. Slowly add parmesan cheese; whisk until completely melted. Keep warm prior to serving.

Xtra Tender Crockpot Carrots

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? After the Holidays: Xtra Tender Crockpot Carrots! Take advantage of a favorite workhorse at your disposal for men and women alike. Some call it a crockpot (from the 1970s) while others refer to it as a modern-day slow cooker. It basically became popular because it was a handy appliance that could be filled with traditional stew ingredients left to cook slowly all day long. People plugged it in and trotted off to work. When they returned home, the entire house was filled with savory aromas that could make a macho man weep. The only thing missing was the synthesized beat of the disco hit by the Village People. Now I’m really dating myself.

XTRA TENDER CROCKPOT CARROTS

Instructions:

2 pounds whole carrots, washed and peeled

1/3 cup apricot jam

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons raw honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 tablespoons water

Instructions:

Trim carrots, as needed, to fit lengthwise in a crockpot or slow cooker. Remove all but an inch of the carrot tops. In a bowl, combine apricot jam, melted butter, raw honey, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, kosher salt, dried thyme, dry mustard, and black pepper. Stir until thoroughly mixed. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together cornstarch and water. Pour into the apricot sauce. Stir well. Drizzle apricot sauce over carrots. Cover crockpot. Cook on LOW setting for 5-6 hours, or until tender. Carrots are done when pierced easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Plum Coffee Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? After the Holidays: Plum Coffee Cake! Plums have a way of making a person feel special. They’re not as plentiful as apples, but when they’re available I can’t wait to snag a few to plunk into a homemade coffee cake. The sweet flavor reminds me of stepping into a pastry shop where fruit-filled delicacies are placed front and center in the glass-domed showcase. From mini fruit tarts overflowing with ripe, juicy berries to cheesecakes smothered in exotic options. Turnovers become too tempting when a smidgen of filling seeps out. And just look at the succulent strudels and rustic galettes. But I digress. Today’s feature is all about the mouthwatering palatable pleasure of the plum.

PLUM COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 pound plums, pitted and sliced

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9” cake pan with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside. In another bowl cream together butter and sugar, using an electric mixer, for 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and egg. Beat on Low speed until well mixed. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Beat on Low speed until smooth. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Arrange sliced plums on top in a circular pattern. Bake for one hour until golden brown. Center is set when a cake tester comes out clean. Cool cake on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Half-Baked Skillet Pizza Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? After 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.

Bacon Bit Sweet Potato Bisque

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? After the Holidays: Bacon Bit Sweet Potato Bisque! My pantry is sometimes filled with good intentions. I envision a nutritious meal and then get sidelined by other ingredients, especially in the Produce Department of the local grocery. I mean, just look at the bin overflowing with organic sweet potatoes. Medium-sized, smooth skin, pretty color, and screaming “Pick me. I’m healthy.” Soon after I get home, I store them out of sight in a cool, dark area only to discover them three weeks later. Thank goodness, sweet potatoes are very forgiving. Their shelf life is easily 5 weeks. If you ever wondered how to tell if it’s time to toss them out, press the skin. If it’s soft, discolored, or has an unpleasant odor, throw them out and promise yourself you’ll do better next time.

BACON BIT SWEET POTATO BISQUE

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, cut in half

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Green onion snips, for garnish

Bacon bits, for garnish

Dollop Greek yogurt, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Brush olive oil over the skins of the sweet potatoes. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop the sweet potatoes into a bowl and thoroughly mash. Discard peels. Warm butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not scorch. Add diced onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic powder, oregano, ground ginger, cumin powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute longer. Add chicken broth; reduce heat to simmer. Transfer sweet potatoes to a food processor and Pulse until consistency is smooth. Whisk sweet potatoes into broth until heated through. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with green onion snips, bacon bits, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Apple Cinnamon Slab Pie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? After the Holidays: Apple Cinnamon Slab Pie! For those who were lucky enough to be gifted with one of the spectacular supermarket fruit baskets and are now wondering how to eat everything before it spoils, think outside the box. Citrus fruits can be refrigerated, as long as you don’t forget about them out-of-sight in the crisper drawer. And we all know what happens to bananas in the fridge. Ugh. Not a pretty sight. But today we’re going to talk about everyone’s favorite fruit, the mouth-watering juicy apple. In reality, slab pies are the grown-up version of a pop tart, only better. The apple filling is honest-to-goodness fruit instead of a smearing of sugary jam. And the crust is more than a pastry shell of dry dough. Its layers of flaky goodness and buttery deliciousness are magically separated by pockets of air.

APPLE CINNAMON SLAB PIE

Ingredients:

2 9-inch pie crusts, refrigerated dough

8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon warm milk, if needed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Gently toss. In another bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, sea salt, and nutmeg. Mix well. Pour over sliced apples. Toss to coat. Roll one prepared pie crust to fit the baking sheet. Trim the dough to only fit the bottom of the pan. If necessary, use the extra dough to fill in the corners. Spread apple filling over bottom crust. Roll out second pie crust. Place over the apple filling. Pierce top of dough with a fork in several places. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Bake 35-40 minutes. To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. For a slightly thinner consistency, add the warm milk. Remove Apple Cinnamon Slab Pie from oven when the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbly. Cool slab pie on a wire rack for 10 minutes before pouring glaze over top. Spread to edges. When pie is cool, slice to serve.