Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Though the ages, beef, and steak in particular, have always been thought of as luxury foods, so most people could not eat it on a regular basis. because beef was considered a luxury food, for many countries, especially Asian countries, beef was not a popular meat or protein choice. All that is changing now, due to changing cultures and rising incomes. Today, the Asia Pacific countries are among the top beef eaters in the world. Today, beef is a staple in many Asian dishes.

Larry had taken steak down from the freezer, so steak was what we were having for dinner. I like to shake things up and am always on the lookout for delicious new ideas of how to prepare things. I came across a recipe for an Asian steak that caught my eye and decided to make that. I’m glad I did. It was very good indeed. I served it with green beans topped with hazelnut butter, potatoes with peppers, onions and mushrooms, and a smooth Malbec on the side. Delicious!

Asian Steak

You can make unbelievably fancy tasting Asian steak sauces using just a handful of simple ingredients that you probably already have in the pantry if you regularly make Asian food.

2 lbs steak

1 TBSP garlic

salt to taste

1/2 cup lime juice

1 TBSP sugar

3 TBSP soy sauce

1 large jalapeno, diced fine

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Mix everything together well and marinate the steak for at least 2 hours before cooking.

Grill to perfection. I love my steaks nice and rare, medium rare at the absolute most, but of course everyone is different. In fact, since this an Asian style steak, I should note that most Asian countries cook their steak well done.

Reserve the sauce and reduce it to make your sauce to top the steak once it is done.

Once the steak is cooked to your liking, slice it into thin strips and top with the reduced sauce and serve with your choice of side dishes. Enjoy.

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

Sorry. I couldn’t help myself, and had a little play on Metallica’s “Off To Never, Neverland”.

We are very lucky living where we do. We can go in any direction, and it won’t take long before we leave the city behind and are surrounded by all of of nature’s beauty. Nederland is a small little mountain town in Boulder County, that fits that description. It’s just a short drive from us, and soon we are in a quaint, quirky little mountain town, surrounded by lots of beautiful scenery.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike and Lauren and Larry and I all went up to Nederland for a hike around the lake. It was a beautiful day for it too. We had packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed it before starting our hike.

The only wild critters we saw on this little excursion were these two. They can be pretty scary sometimes too, trust me. 🙂

We did see a lot of beautiful mountain flowers though. Of course I had to stop many times along the way to take pictures.

We had plenty of other photo ops too.

After the hike, we went into town. No trip to Nederland is complete without a spin or two around the Carousel of Happiness. A Trip To Nederland – Part 1 – The Carousel of Happiness.

We finished our Nederland experience with a stop at Augustina’s Winery too. A Trip to Nederland – Part 3 – Augustina’s Wine

Life is always better when shared with friends. It’s not what we do, but who we do it with that matters. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

With food prices soaring higher and higher daily, we need to use up everything and throw away as little as possible. That means, we need to utilize all of our leftovers. If you are anything like me, and you get bored eating foods the same exact way every time, then you need to start getting creative with those leftovers too.

You all know how much I love reinventing from my leftovers. I love the challenges and the creativity that comes with it. It has become a fun game for me. I was thinking about this earlier. People are always asking me what my cooking specialties are. I can cook anything, somethings better than others, but I am not afraid to take on any challenge, culinary or otherwise. But I think I would have have to say, one of my specialties is reinventing leftovers. Interestingly enough, that was actually the inspiration and the catalyst for the creation of my blog. 🙂

My alter ego, the Queen of Leftovers, visited me again, this time as an Asian muse. I took my leftover pork and rice from my burritos I made with Noah Carnitas Burritos and made them into pork egg rolls. I served them alongside an Asian steak salad, also made from leftovers, but more on that later.

Pork Egg Rolls

The amounts don’t matter as much as what it is you put into these delicious egg rolls. This is just one of many endless possibilities too. You can add whatever you like and be creative.

When I made my carnitas pork, I used some of the leftover broth to make my rice. So I was already using up my leftovers right from the get go. Then I diced my pork and vegetables, added some garlic, basil olive oil, green onions, and chili crisps, and rolled it all into my egg roll wrappers. Fill the wrappers with about 2-3 TBSP of filling, or as much as they can hold, and roll tightly, grapping the sides as you roll.

Once the egg rolls were made, I put them in deep fryer, once the temperature got to 350*F or 180*C, and fried them for about 5 minutes, or until they were golden brown and crispy.

I cut up some of the other egg roll wrappers and fried them as wonton strips that I added to the salad too.

Be creative. Play with your food. Have fun. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We all know spaghetti and meatballs are a classic “Italian” favorite. But just like anything, particularly anything that is so well loved by so many, there are always going to be many different versions, coming from many different regions. Today, I am offering you a Southwestern version of this timeless classic – Southwestern pasta and green chili meatballs. It is spaghetti and meatballs with Tex-Mex flair. Even classics need a new twist every now and then. 🙂

Southwestern Pasta and Green Chili Meatballs

1-1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 TBSP cilantro, chopped

1/2 onion, diced fine

1/2 cup napolitos (sliced and pickled cactus leaves) diced fine, optional

2 jalapenos, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

5-6 tomatoes, diced

1 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup mixed olives, sliced

salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

1-2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano, or 1 TBSP fresh oregano

1-1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

olive oil for cooking and butter, or canola or vegetable oil for cooking the meatballs

3-4 TBSP butter

sliced green ponions and cilantro for toppings

1 lb spaghetti

Cook your pasta.

Make the meatballs by combining the ground beef, onions, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, napolitos and diced peppers. Combine well, then make your meatballs into whatever size you like. I like mine a little smaller because I find them easier to eat that way.

Get a large skillet very hot and add your oil and/or olive oil and butter (you need something with a higher smoke point than just regular olive oil). Carefully add your meatballs, making sure not to over crowd the skillet. Brown for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the meatballs are completely browned. Make them in batches if necessary. When they are browned all over, remove them and set aside to keep them warm.

Sautee the peppers for about 3-4 minutes, or until they soften.

Add the tomatoes, olives, seasonings and cream to the peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Add your butter and incorporate into the mixture.

Re-add the meatballs into the sauce to heat and coat thoroughly with the sauce.

When everything is ready, serve it over your spaghetti and top with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro, and enjoy. I served mine with my sun-dried tomato and herb focaccia Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Focaccia and a cool, crisp Verdicchio on the side (our own that we made). I know, the meatballs were beef, so a red would have worked very well too, but I was choosing the wine to go with the sauce more than the meatballs. White wines and spicy flavorings are a great pairing.

There’s a new spaghetti in town, but have no fear, Denver is big enough for both kinds of spaghetti. 🙂

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

We have many different kinds of sparrows here in Colorado. They are all over and are almost always singing their friendly songs for all to hear.

This one is a Harris Sparrow. We see a lot of Harris’ Sparrows.

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

Salsa is kind of a catch all for food toppings, and is found all throughout the Latin world, and places where there are large Latino communities. Salsa is traced back to the times of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. The native people created their own versions of salsa using tomatoes, chilies, and squash seeds, however “official discovery” to the rest of the world did not occur until after the Spaniards conquered Mexico in the 1500s.

I LOVE salsa, and we eat it all the time, on everything. But then I grew up in Pasadena, CA, where there is a very large Latino community and Latin influences are found all over the place, everywhere you go in California. There are as many different types of salsa as there are people who eat it. One of those types of salsa is a black bean & corn salsa.

Black bean salsa is a type of salsa that incorporates black beans into the mix, along with other ingredients like tomatoes, corn, and chilies. Black beans usually go with every kind of dish, may it be rice, meat or vegetable, due to their sweet taste that perfectly contrasts with the chili pepper’s spiciness.

The history of salsa can be traced back to the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans, who created their own versions of the dish using native ingredients like tomatoes, chilies, and squash seeds. The Aztecs also domesticated tomatoes and passed their salsa traditions on to later cultures in Central America and the United States.  Black beans are native to the Americas. Black beans date back over 7,000 years when they were a staple in the diets of Central and South Americans. 

Noah and I made our own version of black bean and corn salsa the other day, to top his carnitas burritos. Carnitas Burritos As with any salsa, you can use this for anything. It goes with everything.

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 TBSP garlic

2 tomatoes, diced

1-2 jalapenos, diced fine and/or roasted green chilies

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

4 TBSP balsamic vinegar

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 TBSP fresh oregano

cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Combine the balsamic vinegar, sugar and seasonings together.

Mix all the vegetables together. Add the balsamic vinegar mixture and toss together thoroughly. Chill for at least 2 hours, then serve with whatever you like.

Noah the Pirate, concocting his black bean & corn salsa.

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

Sunflower season is starting. It looks like I am going to have yet another sunny season too. I have my first sunflower of the season, and it is picture perfect.

Have a bright, sunny day, today, tomorrow and always. 🙂

Mondays are cooking with Noah days. Last week I asked him what he wanted to make this time and his response was burritos. He wanted to make pork burritos. OK. No problem. I found a good recipe for shredded carnitas pork to use as our pork base. My recipe was inspired from some of our very own too; https://twoandaknife.com/ and https://beatcancer2010.wordpress.com/. Many thanks yet again.

Of course I made it my own and added my own style and personality. That’s just what I do. 🙂 I added some pickled onions to the burritos Pickled Onions and topped it with a black bean and corn salsa. Noah was very happy, and that’s what counts.

Pork Carnitas

I prepared everything and put it all in the slow cooker the night before, then got up early and slow cooked the pork for about 5-6 hours before we were ready to shred it for the burritos.

I used these Mexican onions, which I had never seen before. I used the whole onion, bulb and greens. They are a bit milder than regular onions.

3 lb pork shoulder

2 tomatoes, diced

4 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp chili powder

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

2 jalapenos, diced fine

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1 medium large onion, or 2-3 smaller Mexican onions, diced

Combine everything together in the slow cooker, and when ready to cook, turn it on to medium-low heat for about 4-6 hours. Walk away and let the slow cooker do the work.

Once the pork is cooked and tender, remove it from the remaining liquid, and shred. It should tear apart very easily.

Noah was a pirate today. Actually he had some jalapeno heat on his hands and rubbed his eyes, and he thought covering his eye would take away the burn. No, it doesn’t really; that just comes with rinsing it with cold water and time, but Noah was convinced the pirate look would help. 🙂

To keep the pork moist, you can add some of the remaining liquid to the pork, vegetables and all. Once the pork is shredded, add it to the large tortilla, and add whatever fillings you like and roll it up, making sure to fold in the edges as you roll.

Noah, like me, is not a big cheese eater, so we didn’t add any cheese, but you can.

Once the burrito was filled and rolled, we topped it with our black bean salsa, but more on that later.

I used the leftover pork juice as a stock and cooked some rice in it to add more flavor and texture. We had this for our dinner too, and I added the rice to our burritos and put the black bean salsa inside for ours. !Esta muy delicioso!

Noah was very happy with his pork burrito, and that made me happy. We always have fun cooking together.

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

If you are a hockey fan, you would think of the Detroit Red Wings when I say there are lots of red wings, though the Detroit Red Wings are totally taboo in our house, we are Avalanche fans. But I digress. I am really talking about Red Winged Blackbirds. I have been seeing so many all around; much more so than usual. And that’s perfectly OK. I just love them. 🙂

This is a female Red-Winged Blackbird. She looks totally different from her male counterpart.

I see the males much more frequently than I see the females.

Have a great day and take in everything you can. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I never thought about posting about my “gourmet” burgers before. I always thought burgers were kind of standard. However, on that note, one of you asked me how I turn my burgers from just plain burgers into gourmet burgers, following my post about Noah making his gourmet burgers. So …. just for you, my gourmet burgers. 🙂

The word gourmet means different things to different people. But to me, the word gourmet means choosing top-quality ingredients, being creative in the kitchen, and creating a memorable dining experience. It turns regular meals into something special, showing off the art of great cooking. The word gourmet can also mean using rare or luxurious ingredients and is served in an upscale setting, but that is NOT me at all. Gourmet ingredients are known for their superior quality, unique flavors, and ability to elevate even the simplest of dishes to a whole new level. A gourmand is someone who appreciates good food and drink. I would say I am both a gourmet and a gourmand. 🙂

I DO NOT shy away from BIG, BOLD flavors, in fact, just the opposite. I embrace them. I LOVE BIG, BOLD flavors. My cooking choices mirror my personality. I have a BIG, BOLD personality too. I use a lot of garlic, onions, and peppers in just about everything I cook, all of which are known for their BIG, BOLD characteristics.

When I make my burgers, I start with good, quality lean beef. Then I start adding all kinds of goodies into the meat and just mix them up. Most of the time I use, garlic, onions, roasted Hatch peppers, Worcestershire sauce, and salt & pepper. I had some cooked bacon and green onions left over that I also added to my ground beef, though usually I top my burger with bacon strips instead.

I use ample portions of all my “mixers” too. I find the best way to mix my burgers up is by hand. So I really get in there and mash it all together well.

Once everything is mixed together well, then I form my burgers into patties. I don’t measure anything when cooking (though baking is a totally different story). I make my patties about 1/3 lb each.

When the patties were made, I slapped them on a hot grill and cooked them to a nice medium, with just a hint of pink still left inside. As the burgers were cooking, I sliced some onions and mushrooms and sauteed them in a little olive oil and butter and salt & pepper.

Not only do I like to use all kinds of fresh ingredients for my burgers, but I get good buns too. I like to get the onion brioche buns. If you are going all out on the burgers, then you need to go all out on the buns too. Once everything is cooked, the assembly process begins. I like 1000 Island on my burgers, so I add a bit on both sides of the bun, add my burger (sometimes with jalapeno jack cheese, sometimes not), bacon, mushrooms and onions, sometimes avocado, sometimes not, fry up some French fries, and my burger is complete, ready to eat.

Like with anything, there is NEVER just one way to make anything. The most important thing when cooking is to cook things the way YOU like to eat them. Create your own unique style.

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