yogurt

Lox and Bagels

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Lox and Bagels! Whenever I serve this for an impassioned brunch, I make an extra effort to use top-quality ingredients. For starters, I choose an over-sized gourmet sesame seed bagel freshly baked that morning at the local Bagel Shoppe. The lox is traditionally smoked Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, sliced thin. It smells divine when I break the seal. The creamy Neufchâtel cheese can either be plain or infused with fresh dill. Herbs make everything better, in my opinion. Red onion slices add a slightly sweet taste while the imported nonpareil capers liven up the open face creation with a salty punch that shatters like a fireball in your mouth. Well done!

LOX AND BAGELS

Ingredients:

2 sesame bagels, split and toasted

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

1/4 red onion, sliced

4 ounces applewood smoked salmon

2 tablespoons imported capers, nonpareil

Fresh dill sprigs

Instructions:

Mix the Neufchâtel cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, light, and creamy. Slather onto a toasted bagel. Top with red onion slice, smoked salmon pieces, and imported capers. Garnish with fresh dill sprig. 

Delicious Dill Dip

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Delicious Dill Dip! “Remember to eat your veggies.”  We’ve all ignored that inner voice that tends to remind us not to reach for a second cookie. So today we’re going to make eating vegetables FUN! This dip is so yummy, you can scoop it up with cucumber spears, celery sticks, baby carrots, snow peas, cherry tomatoes, or cauliflower. But don’t stop there. The fresh dill even complements a toasted bagel, which you’ll see later on. 

DELICIOUS DILL DIP

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt 

1 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon celery flakes

1 tablespoon onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh dill

Instructions:

Mix thoroughly yogurt and mayonnaise. Add sea salt, celery seed, onion powder, celery flakes, and chopped onion; blend well. Fold in fresh dill. Refrigerate one hour before serving. 

Amaretto Strawberry Romanoff

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Amaretto Strawberry Romanoff! Have you ever tasted vanilla extract? Well, amaretto tastes nothing like that. It has a smooth sweet hint of almonds with just a smidgen of apricot undertones. When you fold it into Greek yogurt, it transforms a dish of fresh strawberries into a light and elegant dessert you could easily find in a gourmet restaurant. 

AMARETTO STRAWBERRY ROMANOFF 

Ingredients:

1 quart fresh strawberries

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1-2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur 

Fresh mint sprig

Instructions:

Wash strawberries; pat dry. In a small bowl gently stir yogurt and brown sugar until no lumps remain. Fold in amaretto liqueur. Transfer to a decorative dish, garnish with fresh mint, and place on a serving platter. Arrange strawberries around sauce. Serve with frilled toothpicks. 

OMG Pumpkin Spice Squares

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: OMG Pumpkin Spice Squares! It hardly seems fair to have to wait all year before enjoying a pumpkin spice dessert. But here we are…..ready to break the rules. I feel a rainy day qualifies as a justification for making exceptions. Decadent cinnamon, buttery pumpkin, crumbly topping. So I ask you, are you the exception or are you the rule?

OMG PUMPKIN SPICE SQUARES

Ingredients for Cake:

15-ounce box yellow cake mix, divided

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 15-ounce cans real pumpkin 

4 beaten eggs

2/3 cup light cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

Ingredients for Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup reserve cake mix

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of a 9”x13” pan with butter. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, reserve one cup of cake mix for the topping. Set aside. In another bowl, combine remaining cake mix and softened butter. Mix until blended. Press the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. Smooth into an even layer. In a food processor or stand mixer, combine real pumpkin, beaten eggs, light cream, sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt, and pumpkin spice. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture over the dough. To make the topping, add sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter to the reserve cake mix. Stir until crumbly. Sprinkle over the pumpkin layer. Top with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when tested near the center. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting into squares. 

No-Boil Mac ‘n Cheese

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: No-Boil Mac ‘n Cheese! Depending on who you talk to, there are probably over 100 ways to make macaroni and cheese. No wonder when the grandkids order it in a restaurant, they sometimes take one bite, turn up their noses, and push the plate away. Odds are, ever since they could hold a spoon as a toddler from the comfort of a high chair, more than likely Mother was busy preparing dinner and relied on the store-bought variety in the blue and orange box. It was cheesy, buttery, salty, and established itself as a comfort food early on. This recipe is more an adult version of an old favorite. Try it, if you dare. 

NO-BOIL MAC ‘N CHEESE

Ingredients:

8 ounces dry pasta shells

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 

1/2 cup fontina cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/8 teaspoon mustard powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

3 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes

3/4 cup saltine crackers, crushed

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature 

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Butter a 9”x9” baking dish. In the baking dish, add dry pasta, half the mozzarella cheese, half the cheddar cheese, and half the fontina cheese. Add the milk, Greek yogurt, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, and 3 ounces of water. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Press the cubes of cream cheese into the pasta. Tightly cover the baking dish; bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the saltine crackers, butter, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Uncover the pasta; sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and fontina cheese. Top evenly with the crushed cracker mixture. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and serve immediately. 

Lime Watermelon Sticks

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Lime Watermelon Sticks! Watermelon can be a finger food that commands attention at the next social gathering. Won’t that be impressive? Notice how the watermelon rind serves as a natural handle for picking it up. It certainly makes it easier for dipping into a creamy sauce. Now that I’ve caught your attention, add watermelon to your shopping list. 

LIME WATERMELON STICKS

Ingredients:

1/2 small watermelon, cut into sticks

1/2 teaspoon chili-lime seasoning

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons natural raw honey

1/8 teaspoon tajin seasoning

Zest of lime, for garnish

Instructions:

Arrange water melon sticks on a plate. Sprinkle with chili-lime seasoning. To make a dipping sauce, combine Greek yogurt, lime juice, raw honey, and tajin seasoning. Mix well. Spoon into a small dish. Sprinkle with lime zest. Serve watermelon sticks with the yogurt sauce on the side for dipping. 

Kalamata Olive Whipped Feta

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Kalamata Olive Whipped Feta! Roasting olives in the oven gives them a unique rustic flavor that compliments the creamy texture feta cheese is widely known for and incredibly well-balanced. The caramelized flavor seems to be the most popular at room temperature, making them a sophisticated appetizer at any gathering. 

KALAMATA OLIVE WHIPPED FETA

Ingredients:

4 ounces manzanilla Spanish olives, stuffed with pimentos 

6 ounces Kalamata olives, pitted

2 shallots, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence 

1 teaspoon oregano 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 

1/3 cup Greek yogurt 

4 ounce burrata cheese

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon Tupelo honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

Olive oil, for garnish drizzle 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. In a baking dish, combine manzanilla olives, Kalamata olives, shallots, olive oil, Herbes de Provence, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss everything together. Bake 25 minutes. Set aside to cool. To make the whipped feta, use a food processor. Combine feta cheese, Greek yogurt, burrata cheese, Neufchâtel cheese, garlic powder, Tupelo honey, and olive oil. Pulse until smooth. Spread the whipped feta onto a plate. Top with roasted olives. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with toasted baguette slices. 

Ina Garten’s Fruit Crunch Sundae

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Ina Garten’s Fruit Crunch Sundae! The Barefoot Contessa is a familiar face on the Food Network these days. Not only does she offer great ideas for any meal, but she makes them seem incredibly simple. Today’s recipe comes from a recent episode where Ina wanted to serve up a special breakfast for her husband. I like the idea of taking everyday food and turning it into something extraordinary. By baking a batch of crunchy granola and storing it in an airtight container, single servings can be assembled in a flash. Use whatever fruit is on hand to make it unique. 

INA GARTEN’S FRUIT CRUNCH SUNDAE 

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut 

1/2 cup sliced almonds 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons pure honey

4 strawberries 

1/4 cup blueberries 

1/4 cup pineapple tidbits

1 cup Greek yogurt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, oil, and honey together in a large bowl until completely combined. Pour into a baking sheet and bake until mixture turns golden brown. Stir occasionally. Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool. Stir once. Combine the strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple in a bowl. Using stemmed glasses or parfait glasses, layer granola, yogurt, and fruit until full. You may alternate ingredients to repeat layers. Serve immediately. 

Havarti Mashed Potatoes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Appetizers to Desserts: Havarti Mashed Potatoes! The best kept secret for staying organized during the flurry of activity of family gatherings is “make-ahead” recipes that have the oven doing most of the work. By creating this side dish the day before, you eliminate everyone hovering in the kitchen while you whip it up at the last minute. And leftovers are a breeze because they automatically become Divine Duchess Potatoes.* Do yourself a favor, enjoy that glass of wine with your guests while the mashed potatoes bake in the oven. 

HAVARTI MASHED POTATOES 

Ingredients:

10 potatoes, peeled and cut up

4 tablespoons butter, softened 

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup yogurt 

1/2 teaspoon rosemary 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

1 cup Havarti cheese, shredded

1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded 

1 tablespoon parsley

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Place potatoes in a 4 quart pan. Cover with water. Salt if desired. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low and cook potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Add butter and mash. Slowly add milk beating slowly to eliminate lumps. Add yogurt, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Beat vigorously until potatoes are fluffy. Fold in Havarti cheese. Transfer to casserole dish and top with cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes. Garnish with parsley. 

*Leftovers can be used to make Divine Duchess Potatoes. See link

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