Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

What a beautiful day. It wasn’t too hot and not cold. The temperature was in the mid 70’s. The sun was shining brightly. It was a beautiful spring day, and a perfect day for a delicious spring salad. I saw some bright red strawberries at the store and right then and there thought they would be perfect in a cool, strawberry and chicken salad.

I started off with a bed of fresh baby spinach. Then sprinkled a few thinly sliced red onions, thinly sliced cucumbers, asparagus, green onions, and sliced strawberries on top. I put all that together while the chicken was grilling.

I made a strawberry vinaigrette that was both my dressing for the salad and my marinade for the chicken.

Strawberry Vinaigrette

1 1/2-2 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed

black pepper to taste

1 cup olive oil

2/3 cup Prosecco or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1-2 TBSP honey

Put everything in the food processor and blend until it is well blended together. Use some as the marinade for your chicken, and let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking. Save the rest of the vinaigrette as your dressing for the salad.

Then I toasted up some almond slivers and boiled a couple of eggs.

When the chicken was cooked, I sliced it into thin slices and laid it on top of the vegetable bed. Then I topped it all with the almond slivers and chopped hard boiled egg, and some Feta cheese for the cheese lovers.

I served with some warmed ciabatta and a glass or two of a buttery chardonnay, and it was the perfect spring dinner, especially since we all enjoyed it out on the deck on a beautiful spring evening.

Enjoy the small things in life. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Everyone knows how much I love my fur babies. And I think most everyone knows I make a lot of their food too, which I will be doing again today as well. I make the dogs’ food, but NO WAY will I make the cats’ food. Cats need extra nutrients and vitamins, and it is way to cost prohibitive to make their food. People are always asking me what types of “people” food can dogs have and what can’t they have. So I thought I would share some doggie do’s and don’ts with you today.

Juneau and Dorrie looking pretty, and healthy out in the yard.

Remember, the type of foods you give to your pet can either heal or harm them. Dogs and cats, which are carnivores and predators by nature, require a species-appropriate, meat-based diet. Unfortunately, a lot of people either forget this or don’t know it, but dogs and cats NEED meat and protein. They are carnivores, NOT vegetarians. Making a dog or cat vegetarian is NOT a healthy choice for them, and is not natural for them either.

Dogs can eat most things, and NEED a lot of protein in their diet. A diet high in protein and low in fat is ideal. For the most part, they can eat most of the same things we do, only in moderation. But there are some foods dogs CAN’T have. These foods could kill them. Dogs CANNOT eat chocolate, raisins, grapes, tomatoes, macadamia nuts, almonds, onions, garlic, alcohol, coffee or caffeine.

When you take a stroll down the pet food aisle of your local grocery, you will likely be overwhelmed by the numerous cat and dog food choices available – dry, pouched, canned, kibbled, moist, semi-moist… the list goes on. Many pet parents think they’re making the right choice when they buy these attractively packaged products that promise the highest quality foods for their furry pals. Even the most well-meaning pet parents fall into this and other marketing traps.

But don’t be deceived – it’s all part of the pet food business, which is an extension of the big food and agricultural industries that produce nutritionally deficient, overly processed junk foods. Their number one priority is to make money… not to ensure your pet’s health. Sure, there are a handful of ethical companies producing human grade, fresh, non-GMO, organic pet foods out there, but they can be hard to find and often times, cost prohibitive. The cheapest way to know exactly what is in your pet food and treats is to
make it yourself. If you choose to make your pet’s food, it’s very important you follow a recipe that has been tested to be nutritionally complete. Balance is key to ensuring that your home-cooked meals will nourish your pet and not
end up destroying his health. This means that the food you make must contain all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your dog or cat needs. Here are some basics for starting the process of making your dog’s food.

1. You have TOTAL control over what goes into your pet’s food. You can adjust
   the ingredient list, making sure that there are no additives or preservatives going into your pet’s body. Plus, your pet can enjoy high-quality organic meats, and not the rendered proteins found in many processed pet foods.

2. Your pets will enjoy fresh foods that can be catered to their special nutritional requirements. You can select the right vegetables, herbs, and other spices that have the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega-3s, and medicinal properties that your pets need.

3. It helps you save money in the long run. You can stock up on large quantities
of meats and vegetables when they’re on sale, then prepare, package, and freeze the treats ahead of time. Another good idea is to pair up with friends who want to provide their pets the same high-quality treats – you can divide the expense and treat preparations among yourselves, or better yet, bake with a friend!

And here a re a couple of easy-peasy doggie recipes your fur babies will love.

Chewy Parsley Liver Cubes

Liver and other organ meats are an essential part of the natural diet of wild canines and felines. Here’s a tasty way to serve it to your domesticated pooch or kitty.

1 lb. beef liver, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
Procedure:

1. Dry the liver slices by blotting them with a paper towel, and then
   dust them with parsley.
2. Transfer the liver to a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 30
   minutes at 325°F.
3. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven, flip the liver slices, and
   then bake for another 20 minutes.
4. Once the liver is cooked, transfer to a cooling rack. Once cool, cut
   into bite-sized cubes.
   Store in the refrigerator and consume within one week. If stored in the
   freezer, this can stay fresh for up to three months.

Fishy Beef Bites

A perfect blend of fish and beef, this protein-loaded snack is a scrumptious treat for your dog or kitty. Now I would not recommend serving it like this, though the dogs will certainly devour it within seconds, but you get the idea. 🙂

1 cup ground meat – it can be either turkey, bison, venison or beef

1 (7 1/2 oz) can wild salmon, drained

1 sweet potato, cooked and mashed

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350*F or 180*C. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Mix everything together and spread out onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Carefully flip the contents out and re-pan it on the other side. Bake again for about 20 minutes. Then let cool and and cut into into bite-sized morsels. If you are giving this to the cats, you need to cut it a lot smaller than when giving it to the dogs.

My girls haven’t tried either of these yet, but I’m sure they will soon. They do love their treats, especially if mommy makes them. These and so many more recipes can be found on Pinterest, or you can always talk to your vet about some fresh ideas too.

I don’t make Juneau and Dorrie’s wet food nearly as often as I used to, or as often as I should. Lately, they have been having a lot of canned food, which we call “McDonald’s”. We mix their wet food in with their dry food at dinner time. For breakfast, they get dried food mixed with jerky treats and depending on who feeds them, cheese as well. Mommy gives them a little cheese in the mornings. Daddy doesn’t, but then daddy gives them cookies in the mornings and mommy does not. Regardless of who feeds them, you can tell they are well fed and well loved.

All four of my fur babies, on “their” couch. You can see they have personalized it quite a bit, which to most of us, myself included, means they have ruined it. It is up in the office, and no one but us can see it. But as you can see, they are all quite comfortable.

Otis (tan puma), Nicodemus or Nicky (black panther), Juneau (malamute) and Andorra or Dorrie (English cream golden)

Love your fur babies. They love you no matter what. Give them the best and shower them with lots of love. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, stay well and keep your fur babies safe and well too. ‘Til next time.

They say when you see Robins out and about it is a sign that spring is on the way. Well, spring is definitely here, and I have been seeing a ton of Robins all over the place, and that is perfectly OK with me too. 🙂

This guy looks happy.

This guy, not so much. He looks angry.

He looks much happier here.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

There are nearly 7000 kilometers or about 4350 miles of coastline along India’s borders. Fishing and seafood are big industries all throughout India, and each region has its own regional specialties. I made an Indian dish called chingri malai curry or shrimp in a coconut cream sauce that hails from the Eastern coast of India. It is a combination of both Malaysian and Bengali influences and cultures.

Prawns in a Coconut Cream Sauce

The word malai usually refers to a cream being used in or as the sauce and chingri is usually translated to mean prawns. So …. prawns (chingri) and a cream sauce (malai). The cream in this recipe is coconut milk. The recipe I followed (sort of) did not call for the addition of vegetables, but I like vegetables in my curries, and in my foods in general, so I added some common vegetables used in a lot of Indian and Asian recipes. I added peas, mushrooms, carrots and red bell peppers. I also added a yellow heirloom tomato to give a little extra flavor and texture.

1 1/2 lbs large prawns or shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 onion, sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced Asian style (at an angle)

3/4 cup of peas

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

4-5 mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp turmeric

red pepper flakes to taste

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

salt to taste

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1 tsp chili powder

1 can coconut milk

1-2 TBSP honey

olive oil and coconut oil, optional for cooking

green onions, sliced

cilantro, chopped

Get a large skillet very hot and add the oil(s), the bay leaves, red pepper flakes and shrimp. Cook the shrimp for about 5-6 minutes or until cooked, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Add the onions, mushrooms, peppers and carrots to the oil and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Combine the rest of the spices, honey and coconut milk together and mix well. Add to the vegetables, along with the peas, the tomato (if using) and the shrimp. Mix together well, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring often, for about 5-8 minutes.

Add the green onions towards the end of the cooking process.

Once everything is ready, serve over cooked rice and top with the chopped cilantro.

I added some pork potstickers as a side dish and some tangy, citrusy white wine on the side. The wine is one of my favorites; a Spanish Albarino. The citrus of the white wine helps balance out the spiciness of the dish.

You can make this same sauce and use any kind of a white fish or chicken too. I like the addition of vegetables because it helps make the meal more complete, at least in my humble opinion, and I like complete, well balanced meals.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

All the flowers and trees are beginning to bloom, turning the winter browns into beautiful spring colors. Everything is beginning to look so bright and colorful. I just love it. Here are some more spring blooms that are beginning to show their colors of the season.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

It was another pizza night last night, so nothing was cooking in my kitchen. But just because something isn’t happening in my kitchen doesn’t mean something isn’t going on in other kitchens. As you all know, I am very interested in all things food related, from all sources. So let’s give a listen to what others are saying about food and what’s going on in their kitchens.

~Heston Blumenthal, British Chef and TV Personality~

To me, food is as much about the moment, the occasion, the location and the company as it is about the taste.

~Jose Andres Puerta, Spanish American Chef and Author~

I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that.

~ Luciano Pavarotti, Opera Singer~

One of the very nicest things abut life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

~Anthony Bourdain, American Chef, TV Personality~

Anyone who’s a chef, who loves food, ultimately knows that all that matters is: “Is it good? Does it give you pleasure?”

~Spanish Proverb~

I hope these helped to brighten your day a bit, and maybe bring a smile or two. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

All of my spring and summer birds are coming back for the season, and I love it. My egrets are among my returning birds. I had this one egret that was so beautiful and graceful. He was just begging for me to take pictures of him. I took as many as he would allow, then moved on. When I came back, he was still there, ready for a few more shots.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Roasting foods, and especially vegetables, has a way of “concentrating flavors [and] making [them] taste like better versions of themselves. (p. 442 All About Roasting A New Approach To A Classic Art by Molly Stevens). The dry heat of the oven helps to caramelize the sugars in the vegetables giving them a sweet, smoky flavor while crisping up the edges at the same time. In order to really bring out the best flavors when roasting vegetables, you need to coat them in some kind of fat, like butter or oil. This helps to prevent the vegetables from shriveling up as well as helping the seasonings to attach to the vegetables. In essence, it makes them irresistible.

Last night’s dinner was entirely roasted and seared. And in my humble opinion, they were roasted and seared to perfection. 🙂

Let’s start with the roasted vegetables. I had a colorful array of peppers that I cut into thin strips, and added some quartered mushrooms, sliced onion, whole garlic cloves, sliced very thin, and sliced tomatoes. I tossed it all in a little olive oil and lemon olive oil, along with some salt & pepper, then put them in the oven to roast at 400*F of about 205*C for about 30 minutes or so.

Don’t they look pretty and colorful? 🙂

While roasting the vegetables, I also roasted some new potatoes at the same time. I par-boiled them first with a dash of vinegar, then drained them and tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper and some parsley and put them in a pan to roast next to the vegetables. Vinegar helps form a thin crust on the outer layer of potatoes. This crust is what’s necessary to help them keep their shape and not become mushy or fall apart when boiling.

While the potatoes and vegetables were cooking, it was time to sear the steak. I marinated it in some olive oil mixed with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and garlic for about 2 hours before searing it in a very hot skillet mixed with a combination of olive oil and butter.

This is my absolute favorite way to enjoy a good steak. The skillet has to be VERY HOT, and then it needs the right amount of fat, that has a high smoke point and won’t burn, hence the combination of both butter and olive oil. I sear it for about three minutes per side first, then depending on the thickness of the steak, I usually sear it for another 2 minutes per side once again. USE a timer for this one. I always say cooking is not a science, where baking is, however when it comes to searing meats, it is an exact science indeed. This will give you a delicious crust on the outside while the inside remains juicy and tender. A perfect steak for me is rare to medium rare, with an internal temperature no higher than about 130*F or about 55*C. I even recommend removing the steak from the heat a little before it gets to this internal temperature, because it will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove it from the heat and tent it.

Once everything was cooked to perfection, it was time to plate it all up. I served it all with a cheesy bread twist Cheesy Bread Twists and a glass or two of a big, bold red Tempranillo. Delicious!

Eat well whenever you can. Life is short and tomorrow is never guaranteed, so live it up and enjoy every moment. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I knew I was making some pesto pasta with chicken and vegetables for dinner, but I needed some kind of bread to go with it. I know there are many gluten-free people who disagree, and that is perfectly OK. But I must have some Italian in me from a former life, because I like bread with EVERYTHING. 🙂 I didn’t have any bread, and I love making bread, so it was time to do some research to come up with something easy-peasy and not to time consuming to make. I found the perfect bread recipe to go with my pesto pasta. I made some cheesy bread twists.

There is something very therapeutic about making bread. I can’t explain it, but anyone who has ever baked bread from scratch would most likely agree. “Fresh baked bread smells and tastes like honest food. People are just irresistibly drawn to fresh, homemade bread”. (p.5 Fleischmann’s Yeast – Best-Ever Bread)

Cheesy Bread Twists

I followed the recipe for the most part, though you know I made a few of my own personal adjustments. 🙂 These bread twists do NOT require a lot of proof time, making them perfect for making bread in a short period of time.

3-3 1/2 cups flour

3 TBSP sugar

2 packages of Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise yeast or 4 1/2 tsp of dry active yeast – I used the dry active yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup water

1 5-oz can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese of your choice – I used shredded Jack

egg wash

dried roasted garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds or Parmigiano cheese for topping

melted butter

Combine about 2 1/2-3 cups of flour with the salt and and 2 TBSP sugar. Mix well

Whisk the water, 1 TBSP of sugar and the yeast together and let sit for about 10 minutes or until it becomes frothy.

Heat the milk to about 130* F or about 55*C. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the warmed milk into the well. Add the yeast mixture. With a spatula or wooden spoon, mix everything together as best as you can.

Add the cheese to the mixture, and mix together once again. When you can no loner mix everything with the spatula or the spoon, pour the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead together for about 8 minutes, incorporating as much of the remaining flour as the dough will take. This is supposed to be a very soft dough, so DO NOT over mix it. Knead it until it forms into a ball. Cover and let set for about 10 minutes before shaping the dough.

Cut the dough into 12 equal portions, then roll gently with your hands until the dough stretches out to make ropes that are about 14 inches long.

Double the rope and twist about 3 times and pinch the ends together. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover and let rise for about 40-45 minutes.

When you are ready to bake the twists, preheat the oven to 400* F or about 205*C.

Make an egg wash and brush the bread twists with the egg wash. Then sprinkle on your topping, if using. I used the roasted garlic.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately after removing from the oven, brush the bread twists with melted butter and serve. These are best when served hot, straight out of the oven. Good luck with eating just one of these though. I could easily make these a meal all by themselves. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Last night was yet another of our many fun game nights. Rather than doing dinner, we all chose to do nibblies instead. So it was both game night and nibbly night. I made a selection of mostly Keto and gluten-free treats for all of us to enjoy, and that we did too. There wasn’t too much left at the end of the evening. This is always a good sign when entertaining. 🙂

None of us wanted anything too heavy, so nibblies were a perfect option. And for the most part, they were fairly healthy.

I made a sausage and cheese tray with five different kinds of cheese and a couple of different kinds of crackers; a big bowl of mixed olives, with four different kinds of olives; a big fruit platter using some of my chocolate orange sauce again (I told you that you would be seeing it again, in another form soon); and my chocolate orange shortbread cookies as well.

For my fruit platter, I had some mixed berries, strawberries, dried mango slices and dried banana chips. I used some of my chocolate orange sauce as an option to dip the fruit into as well. The chocolate sauce went very well with all of the fruit varieties too.

Then I just assembled it all and made it pretty. We eat with our eyes long before the food reaches our taste buds, so making our dishes pretty is part of the fun.

Good friends, good food and good fun. Who could ask for anything more? I can’t complain. Life is very, very good indeed. We do our best to enjoy every moment. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.