Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Momma and her not so little babies were out in an adventure. At first they were enjoying one lake when all of a sudden, they decided another lake would better. So they all got and trekked over to the neighboring lake. All the ducks, from momma on down, were crossing over in a row, with momma in the lead. They were all following where momma was taking them, no questions asked. They were nice enough to allow me to follow them make their long journey with my camera lens too.

And once they were all safely to the other lake, they all went in for a cool, refreshing dip in the new lake.

Momma always knows what’s best. Listen to momma.

Portuguese cooking is something I am learning more and more about all the time. I love it, but then I love any and all types of Mediterranean foods. It is a Mediterranean country, bordering Spain and and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a matter of debate on whether or not Portugal actually borders North Africa. Some say yes, some say no. My point is, that Portugal has many influences on its culture and particularly on its foods, ranging from France and the Mediterranean to the East Indies, Africa and yes, even America.

Seafood is one the most popular types of food eaten all throughout Portugal, but seafood is definitely not the only food eaten in Portugal either. The Portuguese love their spices of all kinds, as well as potatoes, tomatoes, all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and MEAT. They love their meats, of all kinds. It is said that the Portuguese food is born of the earth. It is hearty peasant fare full of strong flavors, many charting the culinary history of the country.  Pork is a favorite meat and is used in the famous chorizo, or chourico as it is known in Portugal, which is sausage that is smoked over wood with heady aromas of garlic and paprika.

I love sausages too. I was still in a Mediterranean frame of mind, and I had some sausage I wanted to cook. So I did what I do best, and found something similar to what I was thinking about, and then created my own dish from there, following the guidelines of my own taste buds. I made a Portuguese styled stew with sausage (not chorizo this time), cannelinni beans, tomatoes, garlic, red wine and a fig balsamic vinegar. I served it over pearl couscous with some crusty ciabatta bread on the side, and an earthy, medium bodied merlot to complete the meal. !Deliciosa1

Portuguese Styled Sausage Stew

1-2 lbs sausage or chorizo, cut into large chunks

1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

2 large tomatoes, diced

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2-2 TBSP garlic

2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste

salt to taste

1-2 tsp black pepper

1 cup red wine

2 TBSP fig balsamic or regular balsamic vinegar

olive oil for cooking

fresh parsley, chopped

In a large very hot skillet, add the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

Then add the sausage, mushrooms and onions. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the tomatoes, wine, balsamic vinegar and the seasonings, and continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the cannellini beans towards the last couple of minutes and incorporate well into the mixture.

Add some of the parsley and stir into the sauce.

When everything is ready, serve it over pasta, rice or couscous. I choose couscous this time, making it even more of a Mediterranean delicacy. Top it all with the remaining parsley and serve with a crusty bread on the side. This sauce is to good to let go to waste, and the bread will definitely help with that by dipping it into the sauce.

Even though all the ingredients used are simple, everyday ingredients, when combined together, they blossom into a delicious or deliciosa exotic meal from the Mediterranean. It was oh so good and easy to make too. In my book, that is always a win/win.

Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Yesterday was a perfect picture day. My camera was clicking a 100 clicks a minute. There was so much to see. And squirrels were everywhere. Some were getting very frisky too, in all ways. But there was this one squirrel, literally in a tree in my backyard, that was just posing for my camera and he was having so much fun. My camera loved him as much as he loved my camera. He was just the perfect model.

Have a squirrely day and make the most of all your days. 🙂

Shrimp, like chicken, is very versatile and can be used for just about everything. It goes with all kinds of sauces and vegetables. It can be grilled, boiled, sauteed, baked, poached, and oh so much more. It comes in all sizes, and is found in most places around the world. It is one of the world’s favorites, and it is definitely one of my favorites too.

I very can rarely resist shrimp, no matter how it is cooked, but when it is paired with pasta, I am hooked. Two great tastes that taste great together.

The recipe that caught my eye this time, originally called for crab, which I also love, but I had shrimp and that is what I wanted to make. I use recipes as guides and inspirations. Rarely do I actually follow a recipe exactly. Most often, I look at a recipe and then create my own thing. And of course, this is exactly what I did this time too.

I love all kinds of vegetables, so I am always adding a lot of vegetables to just about any dish I make. This time was no exception. The more variety of vegetables, the better too.

Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta

1 1/2-2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1-1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1-1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

olive oil and/or lemon olive oil for cooking

1 cup dry white wine

2-3 TBSP lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

2 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade

2 TBSP lemon verbena, chiffonade, optional

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed and cut in 1/2

3-4 tomatoes, diced medium

1/2 cup mixed olives, sliced

1 TBSP Peruvian peppers, optional

1 lb cooked angel hair pasta

Add the oil(s) to a very hot large skillet, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and continue to cook until the shrimp is done, about 4-5 minutes.

Carefully add the wine and allow to cook for about 2 minutes.

Add all the vegetables and seasonings and combine well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for just about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the lemon juice right at the end and incorporate well. Once everything is ready, spoon it all over the angel hair pasta, then top with the basil and lemon verbena. Serve with some warmed ciabiatta or crusty bread and a cool, refreshing Mediterranean white wine, such as a white temperanillo or an albarino. Even if you are dining in your own home, or out on your deck, you will feel miles away. You will be on a Mediterranean vacation, at least through the course of dinner.

!Mangia! ! Desfruitas! Bon appetite! Enjoy!

Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Roses are so beautiful. There are so many different varieties and colors. All have their own special, unique beauty and charm. I just love roses. I love everything about them. Even their thorns are part of their charm, as long as you don’t pricked to badly by them. We have so many beautiful roses in bloom right now, I just had to share them with all of you .

I hope you all have a very rosy day.

Life these days is getting pretty intense, all over the world. There is so much going on and it seems all we hear about are all the negatives in life. Sometimes we just need to step away from all of that and have a good laugh or two. Laughter, after all, is the best medicine. Laughter combined with food is even better. So I am giving you some more food funnies to help lighten your load and brighten your day.

I am a major cookie lover, so this one speaks volumes to me.

My kitchen, my recipes! Larry has learned NOT to question the chef. I know how to play with big knives.

We all know EVERYTHING is better with bacon.

The secrets of a successful chef.

And another favorite of mine. This was a staple in my house as I was growing up. Oh yeah, I was the one doing the cooking too, so I had final say. 🙂

Have a great day Everyone. Stay cool, stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Sometimes the “friends” I see on my walks are pretty adventurous and bold. They are not afraid of me and I guess they know I am not going to hurt them and will just let them be. So they often just come right up to me. it seems like they just love being the center of attention, and often pose for the camera. I will take as many pictures of them as they allow.

This little Chipping Sparrow was loving his camera time.

Nature is our friend. When you are kind to nature, she is kind to you.

Chicken is probably one of the most versatile types of meat around. The possibilities and recipes are endless. Because of the versatility of chicken, we tend to eat a lot of it. That also means I am always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to prepare it.

I came across a new recipe that was just perfect for a summertime meal. It included asparagus and edamame beans. I love edamame beans, but I have to admit, I don’t cook with them all that often. Partly because I am not always sure what to do with them. But they worked very well in this recipe.

Chicken with Asparagus and Edamame Beans

3 TBSP flour

salt & pepper to taste

1 1/2-2 lbs chicken breasts

olive oil and lemon or lime olive oil oil (optional) for cooking

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

1/2-3/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup edamame beans

1 lb asparagus cut into 1-1 1/2 inch spears

2 TBSP fresh dill, chopped

1 TBSP sour cream

1 TBSP lemon or lime juice

red pepper flakes, to taste, optional

Combine the flour and salt & pepper and mix well, then coat the chicken breasts completely. Get the oil nice and hot in a large skillet and add the chicken. Cook for about 4-6 minutes per side, or until golden brown on both sides.

Add the onions and garlic and mix together well. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add the wine and continue to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the bottom to get all the scraps. Then add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 6-7 minutes.

Around the last 3 minutes of the cooking process, add the edamame beans and the asparagus and continue to cook, stirring frequently.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the heat and add the sour cream, lime or lemon juice and the fresh dill and incorporate into the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed. I also added a bit of red pepper flakes. I used lime juice because that is what was the most readily available at the time, and it came out great. Though I actually prefer lime juice to lemon juice for a lot of things too.

I served it all on top of wild rice, with a crusty ciabiatta on the side, as well as a glass or two of a chilled vermiento white wine, though any cool, crisp white wine will do very nicely.

This dish is just loaded with summer goodness. It was very tasty and made even more enjoyable by dining al fresco, out on our beloved deck.

Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. Til next time.

Like me, all of our lake residents prefer to be out and about when the temperatures are cooler, either in the early hours of the mornings or at dusk. Lately, it has just been way to hot to be out and about during the heat of the day. There was a Common Grackling cooling himself down at the water’s edge. He looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself too. I just love his spectacular colorings. I think these are such beautiful birds.

Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. Have a great day. ‘Til next time.

Today, I give you the last of the VBS snacks. I call this one fish bait. I don’t know if this is what this snack is really called, but sticking with an underwater theme, it just seems appropriate and the name seems to fit. It is a combination of all things kids love to munch on for snacks.

The “fish bait” is a combination of goldfish, Swedish fish, pretzel sticks and popcorn. I also added the rest of the Sweet Tarts for more color. Besides, I had them, so why not use them, right? Just combine everything together and mix well, then bag them up. To make it more fun, I bagged them in colorful bags.

I just kept adding to my bowl as needed and stirring it all up until I had got used it all up and my big bowl was empty. In total, I made 92 bags.

If you have been following my VBS series, you would know just busy I was. Even though all of these are very simple, easy-peasy recipes, they were time consuming too, especially since I made them in the volumes that I did. Just to recap, I made about 200 clamshell cookies Snacks for VBS – Part 1 – Clamshell Cookies, about 130 schools of fish Snacks for VBS – Part 2 – Schools of Fish and about 92 bags of fish bait – ALL in one day. I was wiped out at the end of the day. They were all a lot of fun to make, and definitely for a very good cause. They were labors of love, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

The VBS starts today and will continue all through the week, and all these snacks will hopefully be enjoyed by all the kids who attend all week long. Lacy did a FABULOUS job of decorating the church too. One of our other parishioners drew and painted all these fabulous cutouts of all kinds of marine life. She did an amazing job with these too. They were used to transform the church into an aquarium for the week. The kids are well on their way to becoming underwater enthusiasts.

Have a great day and a great week Everyone. Stay cool, stay safe, stay well and carry on. ‘Tl next time.