Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I know we eat a lot of meat and I am always preparing meaty options, but every now and then I do prepare vegan and gluten-free options as well. I personally am not a big fan of either, at least not for my primary dietary needs, though done right, they can both be very tasty and healthy.

I could never be a vegan, but cooking vegan foods is not difficult, albeit, often times a vegan option is a lot more expensive than non-vegan version of foods. Vegetarian is lot more affordable than “vegan”. Vegan means NO animal or dairy products at all. No eggs, no dairy, no cheese, no honey; NOTHING from animal sources at all. Vegetarian still allows for the use of eggs, dairy and cheese, honey, etc., just no meats or animal proteins. I prefer vegetarian to vegan. I can live with vegetarian, but I am not a big fan of a purely vegan diet, but I digress.

I am also not onboard with a gluten-free diet, especially for people who are not gluten intolerant. If you have a real intolerance to gluten, then that is a totally different story, and I am very supportive. But I say don’t give up gluten just because you think it’s a healthier way to eat if you are NOT gluten intolerant. Unless you have to go gluten free to manage a medical condition, it isn’t always the best or healthiest option. We need carbohydrates and they should make up 55 to 60 percent of a healthy diet. Many of the carbs we need are found in gluten and gluten products.

I can cook and bake almost anything, from anywhere in the world, but I struggle with gluten-free baking. I find the end results very bland and tasteless, and very dense, almost brick-like. One time, quite a few years ago, I made a vegan gluten -free pesto bread that was literally like a brick. It would definitely have broken any window it was thrown at, and could have been used as a deadly weapon. Maybe I just haven’t had enough practice, or interest in it to really perfect it, because I know it can be done. I know there are some tasty versions available and they can be made right, I just have not been so lucky.

Gluten is a type of protein found in in some grains including wheat, barley, and rye. It acts like a binder, holding food together and adding a “stretchy” quality. That’s why breads and bread-like products that are made with gluten products are soften and chewier than most gluten-free versions. But again, I AM ONLY speaking of my own experiences.

As I mentioned above, I can and do cook vegan and gluten-free dishes when I need to. And I know enough about cooking that I can usually make them very good too. Last night we where having a potluck game-night with friends who are vegetarian and gluten-free, so I pulled out my cookbooks that specialized in those areas. I made some delicious vegan gluten-free Mediterranean vegetable croquettes that I served with a roasted red pepper aioli.

Vegan Gluten-Free Mediterranean Croquettes

The only real difference between these croquettes and any other version of croquettes was that I substituted chickpea flour for regular flour. Everything else was the same. These were a lot like falafels. Often times croquettes are tubular in shape.

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 TBSP garlic

1 heaping TBSP tahini sauce

salt & pepper to taste

1 1/2-2 cups chickpea flour, or as needed

1/2-3/4 cups chopped mixed olives

2 cups chopped vegetables, cooked

1 TBSP lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

olive oil

lemon olive oil, optional

Preheat the oven to 400* F or 205*C.

Lightly oil baking sheets with olive or vegetable oil.

You can use any kind of vegetables you like for the filling. I used a combination of bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, zucchini and crookneck squash. Cut your vegetables into a small dice and saute them in the oil(s) until the onions are translucent and they are tender.

Make the mashed potatoes, or leftover mashed potatoes will work just fine too. You can also use any kind of potatoes for the mashed potatoes. This time I used Yukon gold. Once your mashed potatoes are made, let them cool for a bit. Then add the cooked vegetables, the chopped olives, parsley, seasonings, Tahini sauce and chickpea flour. Mix everything together well. Put the mixture in the freezer for about 20 minutes or until it sets a bit, making it easier to work with.

When the dough is ready, take a heaping TBSP and form into round balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets.

Add a little more oil on top and brush with a pastry brush. Bake for about 20 minutes then carefully flip them over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes or so, or until they are golden brown and completely set. These are best when eaten hot.

I also made a roasted red pepper aioli that I served on top of the croquettes. I used my leftover roasted red pepper coulis Smoked Pork Loin With Roasted Pepper And Herb Coulis that I mixed with about 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 TBSP garlic and about 1 TBSP of lemon balsamic vinegar, though lemon juice works just fine.

These were a hit and came out to be very tasty. Like I said, I have NO problem with alternative cooking methods and styles, it’s just not my favorite way to cook or to eat. But there are many, many healthy and tasty options available. So don’t be afraid to try something new or different. And as I always say, it’s OK to play with your food. 🙂

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

My fall and winter ducks and geese are all coming “home” once again, all gathering together. My wildlife changes as the seasons change. It’s always a revolving door. But they’re all welcome. I just wish they would stay around a little longer, but they are always welcome, no matter when they come or how long they say.

I had my Canadian Geese, of course. They stay around all year long.

I also had my Mallards, who stay around all year too.

But I also had some Hooded Mergansers, who are pretty regular visitors too,

some Barrow’s Goldeneyes,

some American Widgeons,

and a few Northern Shovelers too. She looks like she is smiling, and happy to see me. 🙂

My friends were spread out on four of our six lakes, but they were all still out to play on on the same day. Have I mentioned how much I just love my lakes and where we live??? 🙂 You just never know who you are going to see, and who will come out to play.

Friends of all feathers are always welcome. 🙂

Meals aren’t always just about the mains. We need side dishes to accompany the mains, and to make them come to life. Potatoes are always an excellent choice for a side dish too. I mean, who doesn’t love potatoes, right?! I know, I love them any which way I can get them. But combined with bacon, well, that’s almost perfection, right there. Add some fresh green beans to the mix and the result is just WOW! Again, many thanks to our friend The Ohio Cook at My Meals Are On Wheels at https://beatcancer2010.wordpress.com/ and Two Kooks In The Kitchen for this wonderful idea. It’s already become a new favorite. 🙂

We were in the mood for some fried chicken. We’ve been eating a lot of pork, lamb and shrimp lately, and we had been missing some chicken. And fried chicken was sounding particularly good too. I served the potatoes, bacon and green beans on the side, and the whole meal, though simple, was simply delicious.

Potatoes, Bacon and Green Beans

Preheat the oven to 425* F or 219* C.

1/2 lb fresh green beans, ends removed

2-3 lbs potatoes, cubed

5-6 pieces of bacon, cooked and cut into large pieces

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 onion, diced fine

1-2 TBSP while balsamic or Prosecco vinegar

2-3 TBSP olive oil

Toss the potatoes in the salt, pepper, vinegar, garlic, onion and olive oil and coat well. Then place on a baking sheet.

Line the bacon up on the same pan and cook together for about 15-20 minutes, then stir and flip the bacon for about another 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked and the potatoes are crispy.

While the bacon and potatoes are cooking, cook the beans. I like to boil my green beans for about 5 or so minutes, just until they are slightly tender, yet still a bit crisp. Do not over cook them or they will get an ugly brownish color. You want the green beans to remain a vibrant green.

When everything is cooked, cut the green beans into pieces about 1 inch in size, then immediately toss everything together, adding a bit more olive oil if necessary, and adjusting the seasoning if necessary too. Serve immediately. This dish is best served hot. It will go very well with just about anything you want to serve it with, and is very pretty too.

We taste with our eyes long before we taste with our taste buds. Presentation counts. Make it pretty.

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

It’s been a while since I last shared something I made for the “kids”. For the most part, I cook their wet dog food about once a week, though I haven’t made anything really different for them lately. But it’s pumpkin season, and pumpkin is very good for them, so I made them some pumpkin and hamburger with rice, cinnamon, and parsley all mixed in, all of which are very good for the “kids”.

It was just a simple little dish, that’s really healthy for them. There are never any complaints when I make their yummies for them. They love it when I cook for them. This was just some ground beef cooked with pumpkin in oil, and then I tossed in a little cinnamon and parsley too. Then I added some rice and tossed it all together.

My special helpers making sure everything comes out just right.

Yes, my “kids” eat very well. Some would even say they are “spoiled”, though I beg to differ. 🙂 They love it when mommy cooks for them. They know they are well loved and well fed too. They think I am a good mommy, and that’s good enough for me. I’ve always said I would like to come back as one of my kids, but Larry brings up a good point and says, we couldn’t come back as one of our kids, because who would take care of us like we take care of them. 🙂

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

If something is Cajun or Creole, chances are I am going to love it, and I bet you will too. 🙂 As you know, I get my cooking inspirations from many sources, and many come from you. I look at your recipes all the time, and then I recreate them and turn them into my own. I have to add my own signature to things, ight?! 🙂 Such was the case for this Cajun/Creole inspired pork chop recipe. Once again, I was inspired by our very own from My Meals Are on Wheels at https://beatcancer2010.wordpress.com/. Thank you once again. You help keep us very well fed indeed. 🙂

At first I didn’t think I had enough meat, so I was going to add some chicken as well, but as I started preparing my dish, I realized I didn’t need the chicken after all. I got to use up my little bits and pieces of this and that too, which is very Cajun, and the way I love to cook. This recipe would be very good for chicken too.

Cajun/Creole Pork Chops

1-2 lb pork chops

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp cumin

1-2 tsp oregano

1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1-2 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 TBSP chili oil, optional

olive oil and butter for searing the pork

1 TBSP garlic

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 onion, diced fine

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin

Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and season with salt & pepper. Get a large skillet very hot and add the olive oil and butter. Sear the pork for about 3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the chops). Once the pork is browned on all sides, remove it and set aside in a warm place.

Add the chili oil, garlic, onions and peppers to the oil and saute for about 2 minutes.

Add the wine and let cook down for about 2 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the cream and the mustard and mix together well.

Re-add the pork to continue cooking. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20 or so minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of about 160* F or 71* C. Add the green onions and tomatoes towards the end of the cooking process. When the pork is done, serve it up and top the pork with the sauce and the vegetables.

To make the dish even more Cajun/Creole, I served it over red beans and rice, with some sauteed vegetables on the side. I also had a couple of my Spanish meat pies left too, which I added to the plate, Spanish Meat Pies to complete the meal AND to use up my leftovers. It was definitely a delicious win/win. 🙂

This warm, rich dish will definitely leave you full and very satisfied indeed. It’s a perfect way to warm up on these cold fall evenings. Enjoy.

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

I am still in a Spanish frame of mind, having just come back from Spain. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE classical Spanish guitar too. I always have. When I was taking guitar lessons, I was trying to learn this classical art, but let me tell you, it is very difficult indeed, and to master it is even more so. This beautiful piece comes to me through our very own https://bluebirdofbitterness.com/. Thank you so much. I could listen to this beautiful music all day long and then some. Enjoy. !Desfruitas!

The other day Bob was helping Larry blow out the sprinkler system, so as a way of saying thank you, I cooked dinner for all of us. We had a delicious dinner with Janet, Bob and their exchange student Luke, with fun games after. At the half-way point of the games, after our dinner had settled a bit, it was time for dessert. I made caramel apple cake just for the occasion.

I made a caramel apple crunch cake, which was a perfect fall dessert. I found some caramel chips that made the cake even more festive. This was before I made my annual batch of caramels with Priscilla, otherwise I would have just melted down some of the caramels to make the sauce. But the caramel chips were a good find and added a fun morsel or two to the occasion.

Caramel Apple Crunch Cake

1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup chopped nuts, divided – I used pecans

1 cup dried coconut

3 cups apples, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 bag caramel chips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350* F or 180* C.

Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.

Mix all the dry ingredients together well.

Combine the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla together and beat for about 2 minutes. Then mix in the dry ingredients, 1/2 at a time, mixing in between each addition.

When the batter is done, fold in the apples, about 3/4 of the nuts and coconut until everything is well incorporated into the batter.

Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan and adding the toppings.

I made a caramel ganache and with most of the bag of the caramel chips mixed in with the heavy whipping cream. Heat over a medium-low heat and stir constantly until all the chips are melted and it is smooth and velvety. When the ganache was ready, I drizzled it over the cake.

Then I added more of the chopped nuts and the rest of the caramel chips on top for decorations. This cake came out so moist, and it was just loaded with flavor and texture. It is a definite winner for the fall.

This delicious fall cake made rounds, and was enjoyed a few times. We had it first with Janet, Bob and Luke, and I gave them about 1/2 of the cake to take home with them. Then we got together with Priscilla and Jonathan to make our caramels, and I took the cake with us, which we enjoyed once more. We got together with Janet and Bob again later, and enjoyed more of the cake once again with them. We enjoyed it every time too. 🙂 I am only taking tiny, tiny portions, because I HAVE to lose weight, my early New Year’s resolution. So just enough for a bite or two is enough for me.

Savor the flavors of fall as much as you can during this fabulous season. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I saw this and it made me think of my little grand nephew Gentry. He LOVES his cows. His daddy, our nephew Jared, raises cows, so Gentry helps his daddy with the cows all the time too.

So instead of Happy Halloween, I am wishing you all a Happy “Cowloween” this year. 🙂

There is something about the Northern Flickers that just captivates me. I don’t know hat it is about them, but I just love them. There was one lone Flicker in the tree who caught me eye. he was just sitting there waiting for me to notice, and notice I did too.

Sometimes all we have to do is just open our eyes and the world comes to us.

Stir-fry cooking in an ancient form of Asian cooking that dates back at least as far as 1500 years ago, if not more. As its name seems to imply, making a stir-fry involves stirring vegetables and meat in hot oil using a wok or another type of pan. The origins of the word “stir-fry” means to tumble. In Chinese cuisine, stir fry represents the principles of balance and harmony, combining different flavors, textures, and ingredients in one dish. When cooking a stir-fry, the vegetables and meat should be tossed continuously over high heat, so each piece is touched by the heat to create a light sear on all of the ingredients. The balance between different ingredients, textures, and flavors is what sets stir fry apart. A traditional stir fry comprises a protein, vegetables, a base sauce, and a staple like rice or noodles. The protein can be meat, tofu, or seafood, while the vegetables can range from bell peppers to bok choy. The sauce often combines salty, sweet, and spicy flavors.

The term stir-fry is both a type of dish and a style of cooking, where the freshness of the flavors of the food are highlighted and brought to life. Anything goes. You can use any combination of ingredients you like. I make stir-fries quite often, especially if I only have small amounts of ingredients. In a stir-fry, I only need small amounts because I am usually combining a few different things together to make my dish. My latest was a pork and vegetable stir-fry with a spicy garlic chili oil sauce. I served it with a red wine to accompany the flavors of the oils and the sauce.

We eat a wide variety of all kinds of meats and vegetables all the time. So I always have a bunch of different items on hand at all times, which is definitely a plus. My pantry is always well stocked for just about anything, and any type of dish.

Pork and Vegetable Stir Fry in Garlic Chili Oil

1 1/2 lbs pork cut into thin strips

1-1 1/2 cups broccoli, cut into florets

1-1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin matchsticks

1/4 cup green onions, sliced at an angle or Asian style

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1 tsp Chinese 5 spices

1-2 TBSP chili oil

1 TBSP crunch fried garlic in oil

olive oil

1-2 TBSP black garlic chili oil, optional

red pepper flakes to taste, optional

In a very hot wok or large skillet, add the oils and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until it begins to get fragrant.

Add the pork and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Stirring constantly.

Add the vegetables and continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften, yet still remain firm. Stirring constantly.

Add the sauce and continue to cook until it is heated and everything is hot and well incorporated together.

Add the green onions at the last minute and incorporate into the dish. Serve over cooked rice or noodles. This is a dish that is best served fresh and hot, so serve it immediately after finishing.

This delicious dish only takes minutes to cook, one of the beauties of preparing a stir-fry dish. It also can help you use up some of your small bits and pieces, and you can prepare them in a totally different way than the “first-overs”. It’s delicious, easy, and uses up whatever little pieces you have left. YES! It’s a win/win all the way around. Everyone will think you slaved away, when in reality, it only takes a few minutes to cook. 🙂

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