Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I love fruit and I love salads. It seems summer is the perfect time for both. I created a summer fruit salad to compliment my new Pineapple White Balsamic Vinegar I just received in my new goodie box from Beyond The Olive. More Goodies To Try

I started off by making a pineapple jalapeno vinaigrette and let it set overnight so all the flavors blended together just perfectly. Then I made a tossed fruit salad with jalapeno bacon and Prosciutto and mixed the pineapple jalapeno vinaigrette in with all my other ingredients. This salad is a perfectly cool summer time salad to help beat the heat.

Pineapple-Jalapeno Vinaigrette

2 oz pineapple white balsamic vinegar (from Beyond The Olive)

2 oz white balsamic vinegar

1 large jalapeno, diced fine

1/4 either fresh cilantro, lemon verbena and/or basil, chiffonade very thin

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp honey

Combine everything together well and let set for awhile. I let it set overnight.

Pineapple, Blueberry, Prosciutto, Jalapeno Bacon Salad

1 1/2 heads lettuce, chopped small – I used Romaine

1 container fresh blueberries – toss some in with the salad and save some for topping if you like.

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1 cup pineapple, diced small

1 3 oz package Prosciutto, sliced very thin and into small strips

4-5 sliced jalapeno bacon, cooked and cut into small strips (regular bacon will work just fine too)

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

Toss all the ingredients together and then pour in as much dressing as you like, and toss it all together once more. Pour the dressing on right before serving so the salad doesn’t get soggy.

Once everything is tossed together, it is time to enjoy this cool summer salad and help take away some of the heat. You can serve it as a side salad or as a main salad. Either way, I promise you are going to love it.

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

It used to be whenever I would see the cormorants out and about, they were alone and solitary. But this year they have been much more social and are making friends with the pelicans and egrets a lot more than they have before. They are also on lake one a lot more than usual as well. I love it. Life is, after all, much more fun with friends.

He has claimed his throne

and he is telling everyone

he’s sitting on top of the world and this is HIS rock!

The egrets are ready to challenge him on his reign though and are busy plotting their takeover.

He is coming in to make his move.

I think he is claiming victory. The cormorant is gone.

Nope. He changed his mind and doesn’t want it after all.

Enjoy your day. Take it all in. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I feel very honored every time a company reaches out to me, asking me to review their products. And I LOVE testing and trying out all these new products too. So, please, keep them coming. I will gladly try them all out for you 🙂

Yesterday, I received a goodie package in the mail from Beyond The Olive located in Pasadena, California. Beyond The Olive is owned and operated by Lisa Grabow. I spoke to her and thanked her for my fabulous goodie package, and you can just tell from talking to her that she takes great pride in her olive oils, vinegars, and all of her products. I love her enthusiasm. Not only do I love supporting small businesses, but I especially love supporting small businesses from my hometown of Pasadena. WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!! Go Pasadena!!!!!! 🙂

“Beyond The Olive is a Southern California customer favorite and recognized as a premier reliable source for quality California Extra Virgin Olive Oil, vinegar and other delectable products. With A Gold Medal at last year’s New York International Olive Oil Competition, the only North American Olive Oil to win a medal at Toronto’s International Olive Oil Competition, 6  consecutive wins as Best Specialty Food Store, four medals at the Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition and being named “One of the 10 best places in the World to buy EVOO”, customers have grown to love and trust this local, family business, founded in 2009. As part of the Los Angeles artisan food movement [they] strive to not only contribute exceptional products, but also support other local food innovators. [Their] values are simple: Integrity in everything [they] do, provide quality products and service with commitment to community, and build strong relationships.”

My goodie package contained all kinds of fun stuff. There was a jar of Green Olive Tapenade, a jar of Artichoke and Olive Tapenade, and 4 small sample bottles of fun, unique olive oil and balsamic vinegars, including a Barrel Aged Fig Balsamic Vinegar, Jalapeno Garlic Olive Oil, Smoked California Olive Oil and a fun Pineapple White Balsamic Vinegar. Don’t those all sound fun and exciting? I am already coming up with some great recipes that highlights all these fun flavors. Lisa even sent me the recipe of the month to try as well. It is for Orange Olive Oil Cupcakes. Yum! And you know I will definitely try that one out very soon.

The olive oils and vinegars.

The tapenades

The Beyond The Olive products are sold in many different areas and states, with more and more locations being added all the time. Next time you are in Pasadena, go check them out and give them a taste. But if you are not in Pasadena, give them a call at 626-844-3866 (EVOO) or you can contact them either online at INFO@BEYONDTHEOLIVE.COM.

Thank you Lisa for such a fabulous, fun gift. You know I am going to have a great time trying out all these fantastic items. I can hardly wait. In fact, I think I will be surprising you all with something tomorrow. 🙂

Enjoy the day. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Normally I don’t have the same or similar flavor combinations two days in a row, but every now and then it just happens. I really like the spicy-orange combination that I created for my chicken kebabs, and there was a salad recipe I had been wanting to try for quite some time, and they just happened to be similar in flavors. Lots of Lemon Verbena That’s OK. One time I made it with chicken and the other time with steak, and one was over couscous and skewered and one was a salad, so totally different, right?! I served this delicious spicy-orange steak salad with some cheese bread and of course, wine, and it was too beautiful a day to enjoy it any other way but out on the deck.

Spicy-Orange Steak Salad

The dressing was very similar to the marinade I made for my kebabs, only I added some white balsamic vinegar, olive oil and jalapenos as well.

Spicy-Orange Vinaigrette

1/4 cup fresh lemon verbena, chiffonade, or cut into very thin strips

1 jalapeno, diced fine

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 TBSP garlic

1-2 tsp spicy orange seasoning

1 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3-1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar

Mix everything together well and set aside until you are ready to use it.

I also used some of the dressing as a marinade for my steak. I let the steak marinade for about 3-4 hours.

The Salad

1 head of lettuce, you choice, shredded or cut into bite sized pieces. I used Romaine this time, but red leaf lettuce or arugula would be fine too.

1-2 lbs cooked steak, marinated in spicy-orange dressing

1 orange, peeled and sliced very thin

1/2 lb of fresh asparagus, cooked and cut into pieces about 1-1 1/2 inches long

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 can baby corn, drained and cut into pieces

croutons, optional

I made this as a composed salad. A composed salad is usually either a layered salad or a salad that is neatly and/or decoratively arranged on the plate. I started off with the lettuce, then added the red onion and orange slices.

Next, I added the asparagus and corn pieces, then topped it all with the cooked steak, croutons and dressing. I added my homemade croutons on top. When the Bread Gets Crusty, Turn It Into Croutons

Priscilla was over for dinner, and said she would have never thought of the spicy-orange combination with steak. She loved it. To me, I was just throwing together something that was quick and easy. It was delicious, that’s for sure. I love salads like this in the summer time. Just throw things together and keep it cool and keep it easy. Then enjoy the rest of your day.

Enjoy your weekend. Stay safe and stay well. “Til next time.

It is lemon verbena season again in my backyard. Every year it takes over my backyard. It always smells so good and fresh and lemony. I do my best to use as much of it as I can, though there is no way I could ever use it all up, and every year I get more than I had the year before. So with so much lemon verbena, every year, I try to get very creative with it. I use it for everything from salads to sauces and dips to pesto.

This time, I added it to my sauce for my chicken skewers to make a citrusy sauce. My sauce was super easy to make. Once I mixed everything together, I cubed my chicken and marinated it for about 3-4 hours, then skewered it all and put it on the grill. I made it like a Mediterranean style meal, and served it with couscous and green beans topped with garlic and shallots and some Peruvian peppers on the side, and pita bread. I served a cool, crisp chardonnay on the side. Perfect!

Orange Citrus Chicken Skewers

1 1/2-2 lbs chicken breasts cut into large cubes

1 cup oragn juice

1/4- 1/2 tp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp spicy orange seasoning, optional

1/4 cup fresh lemon verbena, cut in a thin chiffonade or very thin strips

Combine all the ingredients thoroughly, then add the chicken. Let it marinate for about 3-4 hours before putting it on a skewer. Coat with a little additional sauce, if you like things nice and saucy like I do. Place them on the grill and cook until the chicken is completely cooked. Once everything is cooked, serve it up with your favorite side dishes, along with a cool glass of wine, and your are all set for a perfect, quick and easy summer meal.

Stay safe, stay well, and make the most f our day. ‘Til next time.

Yesterday was my first day of practice; a very early morning practice as well. I have to be at the pool at 6:00 AM every morning, which means I get up about 4:45 or so. They Call Me Coach Needless to say, I didn’t really feel much like cooking a big meal, so we just grilled up some sausages, some corn on the cob and I made some potato salad. It was a simple, typical easy-peasy summer meal. But you know I almost always have a backup plan.

I am going to give you some more wise words from Julia Child herself.

“No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.”

I was thinking of this quote the other day when my chocolate lava cakes turned into chocolate soup. Chocolate Soup

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

“I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.”

I think this may be one thing Julia and I DO NOT have in common. I’ve been cooking since I wee little thing. I used to have a picture of me cooking when i was about 3, but I can’t find it anywhere now.

“If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.”

I definitely like her way of thinking here.

“Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?”

Enjoy. Make the most out of everyday and live like there is no tomorrow.

Stay safe and stay well. “Til next time.

I just wanted to give you all a head’s up ….. I am coaching again. It has been a long while in the making, but once again, I am back at the pool, where I belong (when not cooking). This time I am the HEAD COACH! I have about 116 kids, ranging in age from about 6-18. Today was my first day. It is only for the summer, but I am hoping something will come up after the summer season as well that will be more permanent. One day at a time though. This being said, I am going to try my best to keep posting daily, but it will just be a day by day thing. Now, I just need to get MY butt back in the pool and start doing my swimming again too.

Little is known about the origins of hoisin sauce other than it is Cantonese in origin. The name hoisin comes from the Chinese word for seafood and earlier formulations might have had a seafood ingredients to provide the umami flavor. Today, it doesn’t contain any seafood. Even though there is no seafood usually used, it has a slight “seafood” flavor”, hence the name. It’s funny how things change so drastically over time. 🙂

Hoisin sauce is darkly-colored in appearance, and is sweet and salty in taste. Although regional variants exist, hoisin sauce usually includes soybeans, fennel, red chili peppers and garlic. Vinegar, 5-Chinese spice  and sugar are also commonly added. Hoisin sauce is used in both Cantonese cooking and Vietnamese cooking and can be used as a dipping sauce, a sauce for meats of all kinds, or for vegetables and wraps, especially lettuce wraps.

We had some pork chops down, and Larry decided he wanted something with an Asian flair. I went through my extensive library and came up with something both different and delicious. I decided on making some hoisin pork chops that I served with some Asian vegetables, rice, and some fried potstickers, with wine on the side, of course.

I made the sauce then used some of it a s marinade for my pork and used more to top it when everything was done. I marinated my pork for about 2-3 hours. It came out so juicy and tender, and of course, full of flavor. This time, I grilled the pork chops, but you can pan-fry it or roast it as well.

Hoisin Sauce

1 cup hoisin sauce

2 TBSP sambal oelek sauce

2 TBSP garlic

2 TBSP ginger

1/2 cup dry red wine

salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything together and combine well. I poured some over my pork chops and let them marinade for about 2-3 hours.

I like lots of vegetables in my foods too, so I cut up a bunch of vegetables and sauteed them in hot oil. This time I used baby corn, green beans, mushrooms, sweet potato and a shallot, all sliced very thin or cut in matchstick style.

Once everything was cooked, I started layering it all up. I purposely chose not to add the sauce to the vegetables because I did not want it to be to overwhelming. So instead, I layered everything, starting with rice, a little dab of my hoisin sauce, then the sliced pork, with more sauce on top. I added the vegetables on top of the pork. It made the colors really pop and stand out, plus the hoisin sauce, which is a strong, boldly flavored sauce, did not overpower the flavors of the vegetables. I meant to add some sliced green onions on top of my vegetables, but forgot. Oh well. Sometimes, that happens. I did, however remember to add some crispy fried onion pieces on top, which was a good addition.

This dish was so colorful and full of flavors and just seemed to hit the spot. Because of the spiciness of the sauce, I would recommend a lighter, more fruity white wine, such as a Riesling or a Gewertztraminer (sp), although a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio will do just fine as well.

Stay safe, stay well, and enjoy the day. ‘Til next time.

I, like many others, over extend myself sometimes, and I buy things, with ideas in mind of how I want to make them, and then life happens, and plans change. When working with food, sometimes this means you need to come up with a plan “B” real quick or you will need to throw food away. I hate throwing away food unless I absolutely have too. So, I get creative instead.

I had planned on making something that used my pesto and some French bread, but that never happened. So, I have been using my pesto for other things. My French bread got really crusty, which was making it to hard to eat as is. So ……. When the bread gets crusty, turn it into croutons.

You can make croutons with as little or as much bread as you need to. There are no right or wrongs and no absolutes with this recipe, except that they are going to taste absolutely scrumptious. Croutons are a very easy way to use up your end pieces or dried bread. You can add whatever flavors you like and mix and match with whatever you have. This is an old trick from my restaurant days. It used up our breads that were not good enough to eat or serve on their own, and it was a great way to save on costs too, because we did not have to purchase croutons when we could easily make them up in house. This time, I made them with Parmigiano cheese, roasted garlic flakes, salt, pepper, olive oil, melted butter and dried parley.

Preheat the oven to 400* F or 200* C.

With a serrated knife, cube the bread into bite size pieces.

Mix together the butter, oil and all your other ingredients, then toss the bread into the mixture to coat well and spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the croutons become golden brown and crisp. Toss them about half way in between to help them cook evenly. You can add them to soups or salads or just munch on them one at a time as is. They will be full of flavor.

Stay safe, stay well and enjoy the day. ‘Til next time.

Here in the United States, it is Memorial Day Weekend. It is a 3-day weekend, and usually marks the start of the summer season. But Memorial Day itself is a day of remembrance for all those who paid the ultimate price and made the ultimate sacrifice in order for the rest of us to live freely. For that, we are forever in your debt. Thank you so much for those who gave their all for us. You will never be forgotten.