spices

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter A

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Clean Plate Club: Aubergine Mini Pizzas! Lately I’ve been exploring different ways of making gluten-free pizza. So, naturally, when I discovered using an eggplant slice to replace the dough, I had to jump on the low-carb bandwagon to celebrate the merits of healthy choices. Talk about satisfying! Don’t believe me? Check my fellow foodie at http://chefkresorecipes.wordpress.com/2018/02/21 who gave me the idea. Yes, you still get marinara sauce. And of course, cheese toppings are a must-have. The secret to the incredible taste is Italian herbs, in my opinion. But be forewarned, you absolutely cannot skip the first step of “weeping” the bitter juices from the eggplant slices before assembling. Just be sure to allow at least half an hour for that process. Then you’re good-to-go.

AUBERGINE MINI PIZZAS

Ingredients:

1 eggplant

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon corn meal

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, chunky

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions:

Cut off ends of the eggplant; discard. Slice remaining into 3/4” equal sections. Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of each slice and transfer eggplant onto paper towels to “weep” for 30 minutes. Set aside to allow the towels to absorb the liquid. Then rinse well. Pat dry. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush one side of each eggplant slice with olive oil. Dust with cornmeal. Place each slice face down on the parchment paper. Then brush the tops with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle on oregano, marjoram, basil, and garlic powder. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and layer each eggplant slice with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Top with freshly chopped basil. Return to the oven. Change setting to Broil. Watch carefully. Remove after a couple minutes when cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Color of Food: Poke Tuna Bowl! Allow me to introduce you to the rice cooker. In a mere 10 minutes, sweet Asian rice is transformed into a steamy sticky rice that can be eaten with your fingers. Simply scoop it into a ball, dip it in your favorite sauce, and nibble away. It’s that good. And gluten-free. Join the craze of poke bowls by adding ahi tuna and avocado chunks. Basically, you can dress it up to match your taste buds. It’s healthy, it’s colorful, and most of all, it’s Yumolicious!

POKE TUNA BOWL

Ingredients:

2 ahi tuna steaks, skinless

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons furikake seasoning

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1 1/4 cup water

1 cup sweet rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into chunks

Instructions:

To prepare ahi steaks, combine olive oil, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with furikake seasoning and toasted sesame seeds. Marinate ahi tuna steaks ten minutes per side to coat evenly. Remove from marinade and set aside. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil mixture. Cook steaks 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Transfer ahi steaks to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. To prepare rice, combine water, sweet rice, and olive oil in a rice cooker. Secure lid with knob set to Pressure. Set timer for 10 minutes and press Start. Meanwhile, cut ahi tuna into 1/4” thick slices. Chop avocado into chunks. When rice is finished, turn lever to Steam on rice cooker; wait until steam is released and then carefully remove lid. Scoop sticky rice into bowls. Add sliced ahi tuna and avocado chunks. Serve with dipping sauce.*

*For homemade Vietnamese Dipping Sauce, follow the link.

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2017/04/17

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Color of Food: Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenders! Even though the weather won’t cooperate, you can still have that “just grilled” taste of tender pork in your own oven. Broil it instead. The blend of Jamaican spice creates a hot spice mixture that will jazz up any meal. Go heavy or go light. It’s not just for meats, “don’t cha know”. Dry rub fish, shrimp, veggies, or tofu. The diversity will amaze you.

JAMAICAN JERK PORK TENDERS

Ingredients:

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon allspice

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic wine vinegar

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

2 pounds pork tenders, cut into chunks

Instructions:

Combine cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme, black pepper, ginger, garlic powder, allspice, and sea salt in a shallow dish. Mix to blend. Using a mini chopper, combine green onion and yellow onion. Chop very fine. Add lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, and garlic wine vinegar. Purée until smooth. Add red pepper flakes. Mix with the spices in the shallow dish. Dredge pork in marinade, coating both sides. Cover and marinate for eight hours or overnight. Skewer pork tenders and place on a rimmed foil-lined baking sheet, with oven rack in the top position. Broil on high 5 minutes per side. Serve warm.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Color of Food: Baby Corn Split Pea Soup! For a taste of the country, chocked full of wholesome ingredients and tender smoked ham, look no further. Step off the beaten path of ordinary chicken noodle soup for a bowl of flavorful homemade goodness. Pay attention to the subtle smoky aftertaste of cottage ham that lingers on the tongue. Perhaps the blissfully sweet golden harvest of roasted baby corn meets your satisfaction. Either way, the blend of savory split peas infused among them will leave you asking for a smidgen more.

BABY CORN SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 3/4 cups dry split green peas and lentils, rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

5 cups water

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cups smoked ham, shredded

7-ounce jar baby corn, whole

Fresh cilantro

Instructions:

In a slow cooker, combine split peas and lentils, vegetable broth, water, garlic powder, black pepper, celery seed, and sea salt. Mix together. Add chopped onion and shredded ham. Cover and cook on HIGH for four hours, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Adjust with more water if soup becomes too thick. Meanwhile, drain baby corn. Pat dry. Take an iron skillet; spray it with nonstick oil. Heat on high temperature. Add baby corn. Gently turn corn as it browns so all sides are evenly roasted. Cut into pieces or leave whole. Add to soup. Lower crockpot setting to LOW. Cook two hours longer. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with cilantro. Serve warm.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Z

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Zippy Stuffed Peppers! I can hardly wait for my garden peppers to grow large enough for this tasty Italian-style meal. It is traditional, yet impressive, when serving to our dinner guests. And the presentation is phenomenal. When serving, place each stuffed pepper in a shallow bowl with a side of buttery bicolor sweet corn, cobs removed. Add crusty bread and everyone will sing your praises thinking you slaved all day to make such a five-star entrée. Live it up!

ZIPPY STUFFED PEPPERS

Ingredients:

6 large green bell peppers

1 pound Italian sausage, ground

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

I teaspoon fennel

1/8 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon marjoram

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/4 cup corn

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes in sauce

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut off the top of each pepper and remove the insides. Rinse and drain. Brown the Italian sausage, garlic, and onion in olive oil. Drain and stir in the spices. Add cooked rice, corn, and half the tomatoes. Mix gently and heat through. Stand peppers upright in ungreased baking dish. Put a scant spoonful of sauce in the bottom of each pepper. Sprinkle in a little cheese. Then stuff each pepper with the meat mixture. Pour remaining sauce over stuffed peppers. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese, and bake 15 minutes longer.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter T

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Tomatillo Salsa Verde! The grower at the Farmers Market literally gave me her version of roasting tomatillos as she handed me her bounty. “Pull out your iron skillet, peel and quarter the tomatillos, throw in some garlic cloves, and roast it together in your oven. Simple.” Imagine my smile later that afternoon as I presented a dish of the freshest aromatic salsa verde to my husband for “Happy Hour”. Served with organic corn chips and a citrus margarita, it created quite a buzz!

TOMATILLO SALSA VERDE

Ingredients:

5-6 medium size tomatillos, peeled and stems removed

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin powder

3 jalapeño pickled peppers, sliced

Instructions:

Remove the crackly husks covering the fresh tomatillos. Rinse well to remove the sticky residue on the skin. Quarter each tomatillo and place in a seasoned iron skillet. Add garlic and sweet onion. Sprinkle with salt and cumin powder. Place skillet in the oven on highest setting for Broil. Check after 5 minutes, turn the vegetables, and broil another 5 minutes. They should appear soft and slightly charred. There will be juice in the skillet, so handle with care. Transfer vegetables to a food processor. Add jalapeño peppers and purée on pulse setting.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter S

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Shish Kabobs! It’s dinner-on-a-stick! Each skewer provides a vibrant color wheel of your favorite edible combinations. Warm or cool, dark or light. All you need to do is assemble a combination that will have your family singing your praises! Grab the apron, fire up the grill, and let the serious eating begin.

SHISH KABOBS

Ingredients:

1-pound smoked sausage, cut up into 8 pieces

2 ears corn, cut into thirds

2 red potatoes, quartered

1 Vidalia onion, cut into wedges

1 green pepper, cut up and seeds removed

1 zucchini, sliced 1/2″ thick with skin on

Seasoned salt to taste

Cracked blacked pepper to taste

Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning to taste

Instructions:

Wash, cut-up, and prepare meat and vegetables. Thread pieces of smoked sausage, corn, potatoes, onion, green pepper, and zucchini onto metal skewers alternating color for variation and eye-appeal. Repeat until all ingredients are skewered. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly spray each skewer of meat and vegetables with non-stick oil. Sprinkle with seasonings. Grill 5-6 minutes per side. The natural flavors will burst forth with a touch of smokiness. The edges of the sausage will char. Avoid excess charring. Keep turning for even grilling. Watch for slight blistering to indicate when done.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter R

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Rustic Romaine Parmigiana-Reggiano! Fire up the grill, you’re about to experience an explosion of flavor! The first time I heard of grilled romaine, I couldn’t wrap my mind around anyone actually agreeing to eat warm lettuce. Once I tried it, I knew I was in heaven. The secret is high heat to char the edges. That gives it a smoky crisp taste that lingers on the tip of your tongue.

RUSTIC ROMAINE PARMIGIANA-REGGIANO

Ingredients:

1 head of romaine lettuce

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1/4 cup parmigiana-reggiano cheese, grated

Instructions:

Wash romaine and drip dry. Remove the browned root end, leaving a partial stem to hold the leaves together. Slice romaine lengthwise and place on a plate. Lightly coat with non-stick oil. Sprinkle sea salt and red pepper flakes. Preheat grill to high. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, oregano, basil, marjoram, and garlic powder. Set aside. Grill the romaine until lightly brown on all sides, turning with tongs every minute or so. Remove to a platter. Drizzle olive oil over each half. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Q

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Quirky Quesadilla! Have you ever noticed when you announce quesadillas are on the menu for the next meal, everyone begins to feel as though they’ve been invited to a party? It’s probably due to the fact that it opens the door to endless possibilities. Do you prefer seafood, chicken, vegetables, cheese, or all of the above? No problem. Once you offer a buffet of ingredients, everyone can build-their-own. Win! Win!

QUIRKY QUESADILLA

Ingredients:

12-ounces shrimp; peeled, deveined, tail off

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dill

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 chicken breasts; boneless, skinless, cubed

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

4-6 flour tortillas

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup Queso Fresco cheese

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 green onion

Instructions:

Sauté shrimp in 1 tablespoon olive oil, Old Bay seasoning, red pepper flakes, and dill on medium heat. Cook until pink and opaque, turning often, usually 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a dish and set aside. Using the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the chicken and onion together with seasonings. Turn heat to low. Add the shrimp. Mix gently. Sprinkle in the Queso Fresco cheese and cover. It will melt into the quesadilla filling to bond everything together. Watch carefully so the cheese does not burn. In another skillet over low heat, butter one side of a flour tortilla. Place buttered side down. Sprinkle in cheddar cheese. Add two spoonfuls of filling. Spread to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Top with another buttered tortilla. Put lid on skillet to melt cheeses. Cook until lightly brown, about two minutes. Turn the tortilla over and cook the other side until the tortilla is lightly brown and the cheese is gooey. Place on a platter to cool slightly before cutting. Repeat with remaining tortillas until no ingredients remain. Serve with salsa, yogurt, and guacamole.

*Hint: if you’re serving a crowd, it’s easy to prepare several at the same time. Place the filled quesadillas on a cookie sheet and bake them in a 375° oven for 10 minutes.