vegetable

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Yams Topped With Pecan Streusel!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Yams Topped with Pecan Streusel! One of the advantages of being married is the blending of traditions, especially when it comes to family recipes. “My mama always put marshmallows on our sweet potatoes,” my husband volunteered as I sat planning my holiday menu. I’d heard of it, but had no idea why people raved about it. ‘Til now. OMG! This yam dish is about as close as you can get to eating dessert throughout the meal. Seconds, please.

YAMS TOPPED WITH PECAN STREUSEL

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 1/2 pound can of yams; drained, cut into 1″ cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup natural honey

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Streusel Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup glazed pecans, chopped*

1 3/4 cups miniature marshmallows

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″ round casserole dish with one tablespoon unsalted butter. Arrange cut yams evenly. Drizzle the yams with olive oil, natural honey, and pure maple syrup. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, sea salt, and white pepper. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add melted butter. Stir until the liquid is absorbed and topping resembles small peas. Spread over the top of the yams. Sprinkle pecans over all. Bake 25 minutes. Remove and carefully arrange miniature marshmallows around the perimeter of the casserole dish. Return to the oven and additional 5 minutes until marshmallows appear toasted. Watch carefully. Serve warm.

*Glazed Pecans can be referenced at the following link.

http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2015/11/18

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Green Bean Casserole!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Green Bean Casserole! Can we ever get enough of this all-time favorite side dish? I think not! It seems there are all sorts of variations on this classic holiday casserole. Some of my friends only use French-style green beans while others prefer freshly snapped. And the seasonings are all over the map from Hawaiian sea salt medleys to crushed Midwest garden herbs. I keep it simple because, honestly, once you add the French fried onion rings, everything else takes a back seat.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

2 cans whole green beans, drained and cut-up

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1/2 cup light cream

1/8 teaspoon Mrs. Dash herb and garlic seasoning

1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 1/2 cups French fried onions

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a medium casserole dish with nonstick spray. Combine green beans, cream of mushroom soup, light cream, herb seasoning, and salt. Mix well. Fold in 1/2 cup of French fried onion pieces. Place in casserole dish. Spread evenly. Arrange remaining French fried onion rings over top around the edges leaving the center open. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Chow Down: Garlic Smashed Potatoes! Now you, too, can have the same potato side dish at home which you often choose in popular eateries. It’s so incredibly easy you’ll find yourself wondering why you didn’t think of it before now. My simple recipe requires only three key ingredients: Idaho Russet Potatoes, Boursin Garlic Cheese, and of course, French Butter with sea salt. A sprinkling of bacon bits and fresh cut chives for garnish merely enhances an already phenomenal taste. With the holidays on the horizon, be kind to yourself. Keep it simple and WOW your friends and family without spending endless hours in the kitchen. You deserve it. 
GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES 
Ingredients:

2 large Idaho Russet Potatoes 

5.2 ounces package Boursin Garlic and Herb Gournay cheese

2 tablespoons butter, salted

Bacon bits, for garnish 

Fresh cut chives, for garnish 
Instructions:

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Place potatoes in a 2-quart pan. Cover with cold water. Add about a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes for 15-18 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Empty pan of potatoes into a colander to remove water. Transfer potatoes back to the pan, add butter and Boursin garlic cheese. Cover for 2-3 minutes. Take a hand mixer and smash the ingredients together until slightly chunky. Potatoes will be stiff but creamy. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish. Top with bacon bits and fresh cut chives for garnish. Serve immediately with gravy, if desired. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Front-Runner Favs: Kooky Cucumber Salad! Does anyone really count the number of daily servings of vegetables recommended for a healthy diet? I know I don’t. And I suspect I’m not in the minority. What I do pay attention to is how appealing food looks on the plate. It’s one of the reasons I have a Spiralizer among my kitchen utensils. Besides, it takes minimal effort to make ordinary foods look this good. The fact that I’m maintaining a low fat, low carb, and low calorie intake just gives me all the more reason to splurge on something sweet later on. Call me crazy, or call me “kooky”.
KOOKY CUCUMBER SALAD
Ingredients:

1 large cucumber, halved

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons garlic red wine vinegar 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped for garnish
Instructions:

Spiralize half the cucumber with the apple core attachment, for wider strips. Spiralize the remaining cucumber half with the noodle attachment, for spaghetti-like spirals. Arrange cucumbers in a serving bowl. Top with chopped tomatoes and red onion slices. Add Kalamata olives. Whisk together olive oil and garlic red wine vinegar. Drizzle over salad. Sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Garnish with fresh oregano. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Foodstuff Redefined: New Potato Salad! If I said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times: the French have it going on! The more I explore their recipes, the more I feel like a gourmet chef. You can, too. Trust me. When I tell you I’m going to have you make potato salad by skipping the mayo, just pretend you didn’t hear me and forge ahead. The results are worth it. Don’t make a big deal when you serve it as a side dish. You’re husband will do that for you. Husband-tested, rave reviews!
NEW POTATO SALAD 
1 pound red-skinned new potatoes 

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons garlic red wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cracked black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup celery hearts, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh chervil, coarsely chopped 
Instructions: 

Place quartered potatoes, skin on, in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Add sea salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes. For dressing, combine olive oil, garlic red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Whisk until blended. When potatoes are cooked, drain well. Transfer them to a bowl to cool. Pour the dressing over the potatoes. Add celery and chervil, gently folding to blend flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Z

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Zucchini Cornbread! Jazz up the breadbasket with homemade cornbread that has been enhanced with garden-fresh chopped zucchini and jalapeño peppers. Mix it together in a blend of cornmeal and cheddar cheese before popping it in the oven. Thirty minutes later the aromas rev up your appetite. Can you say “Yum”? Zucchini Cornbread goes especially well with grilled barbecue meats and seafood. Now this is how we kick off the summertime months. 
ZUCCHINI CORNBREAD 
Ingredients:

1 zucchini, chopped

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal 

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup skim milk

2-3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

For garnish, reserve a few zucchini slices, jalapeño pepper slices, and shredded cheese for topping
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a nonstick ovenproof dish or iron skillet with nonstick oil. Mix together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Set aside. Blend beaten eggs, vegetable oil, and skim milk. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. Sir just until blended. Fold in chopped zucchini, chopped jalapeño peppers, red pepper flakes, and cheddar cheese. Pour into prepared iron skillet. If you prefer a garnish, place a couple zucchini slices and jalapeño pepper slices on top. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes until center is set and edges are crusty. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Sunshine Eats: Yolk-Drenched Asparagus Spears! Sometimes I am taken by surprise at the elegance of simplicity. Remember the slang term for K-I-S-S? Keep It Simple, Stupid! Well, that goes for preparing and photographing food as well. By eliminating fancy techniques and complex recipes, it allows anyone to feel like a master chef. I know I did. Words of Advice: Do your prep work so everything comes together like clockwork in mere minutes. The proof came when my husband clapped his hands and asked me to make it again…soon.  
YOLK-DRENCHED ASPARAGUS SPEARS
Ingredients:

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

1/4 pound bacon, crispy but pliable

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

4 eggs

Sea salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley, for garnish 

Toast, for serving
Instructions:

Cook the bacon until crispy but still bendable. Drain on paper towels. Set aside. Steam the asparagus until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Divide into servings. Wrap one piece of bacon around each asparagus bunch. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. In a saucepan, fill water enough to cover eggs, by sight. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat so the water is smooth. Gently crack eggs into the water, so as not to break the yolks. Leave plenty of space between eggs. Cover with a lid. Poach until the whites are set, but the yolks are runny, 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove each egg and set it on the asparagus bundle. Season with sea salt. Garnish with parsley. Serve with buttered toast. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter H

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. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Olive Oil Herb Potatoes! Being raised in the Midwest, practically every evening meal consisted of meat, potato, and vegetable. Perhaps that is why I love potatoes so much. I learned how to make homemade potato soup at the hem of my mother’s apron, without measuring or a recipe. But that’s a story for another day. I like the baby potatoes available now at the supermarket. By slicing them, with the skin on, and drizzling them with herbs and olive oil, the taste is unbelievable! Who wouldn’t fall in love with these tasty little nuggets?
OLIVE OIL HERB POTATOES 
Ingredients:

5 baby potatoes, washed and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence 

2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Leaving skin on potatoes, wash thoroughly and pat dry. Put one potato on a soup spoon. Beginning at one end, slice in strips, being careful to stop before slicing the bottom skin. The knife will hit the spoon to prevent it from cutting through. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. Continue until all potatoes are sliced. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic powder, Herbes de Provence, and chopped rosemary leaves. Brush each potato with herbed olive oil, separating slices to coat both sides. Drizzle remaining oil over all. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake potatoes one hour until crispy, basting occasionally. Serve immediately.