Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I usually start from coming up with a theme for dinner, and then find and create recipes that fit into that theme. That is actually why back in the day, I preferred catering to working in restaurants, although, I certainly have many, many years of experience in both. I love to theme cook. So when I made my Saltimbocca alla Pollo, which is Italian, I knew I wanted an Italian side dish to go with it. Saltimbocca alla Pollo. I found a recipe that sounded really delicious, but me being me, I couldn’t just leave it without changing it and “Jeannefying” it. The original recipe was for artichokes Napoletano, which I turned it into Pasta Napoletano. I added more stuff, including the pasta. We all know I like “stuff in my stuff”, so I stuffed my pasta and loaded it with Italian goodness.

“Along the side of the motorway, at the edges of fields and on scruffy wasteland, the most majestic of all of Italy’s wild flowers reigns with nobility”. The wild artichoke.

Artichokes have been a part of the Mediterranean diet throughout the ages. They were cultivated by the Arabs in the 4th century B.C. and have been used for medicinal purposes and delicious foods ever since. The Arabs named this soft-hearted, thorny flower karshuf or karshaf, which is very similar to the Italian name of carciofi. Artichokes were introduced to the Napoli region and from there, spread throughout the Italian world, where they have become a favorite food of the Italian people. Italy is the world’s number producer of artichokes, producing almost 366,000 tons annually. Artichokes are eaten everywhere, and especially in the Mediterranean regions of the world. We love artichokes here in the United States too. California produces 100% of the artichokes consumed in the United States.

I am one of the many, many people who absolutely LOVES artichokes. I could eat them everyday and never get tired of them. That is why I am always delighted to find good recipes for artichokes, that I just have to make and share with all of you. For my pasta Napoletano, I started with artichoke hearts and created a recipe around them. I admit, I rarely purchase whole artichokes. They require too much work. I prefer them already prepared for me. But I buy canned artichoke hearts and bottoms all the time.

Pasta Napoletano

1 lb angel hair pasta, cooked

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

1 TBSP garlic

1-1 1/2 cups mushrooms – for this dish, I kept them whole

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, in oil

1-2 shallots, sliced very thin

1 cup green olives, pitted and cut in 1/2

1 TBSP capers, drained

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

parsley for topping

Parmigiano cheese for topping

Cook the pasta according to the directions.

Sautee the sundried tomatoes, shallots, capers, salt and pepper and garlic together in the olive oil for about 2 minutes, or until the shallots soften and become translucent.

Add the artichoke hearts, olives and lemon juice and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.

When the pasta is completely cooked, al dente style, spoon the vegetables and sauce over the pasta and top with both the parsley and the Parmigiano cheese. !Mangia e Buon Appetito!

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

I love participating in the photo challenges whenever I can. This one is about shore birds. Thank you Lisa for the challenge. Bird Weekly – Photo Challenge – Shorebirds by Lisa Coleman

You wouldn’t think Colorado would have a lot of shore birds, since we are known for the Rocky Mountains, and not the coastal shores. But we do. As many of you have seen through my Nature Walks series, we live on lakes, and we have a lot of shore birds that call our Colorado lakes home. Here are some of our resident shore birds. Most of them are seasonal, but some reside here year round.

We have our blue herons.

Lots and lots of mallards,

Redheads,

Cinnamon teals,

Hooded mergansers,

Buffleheads

and our ring-necked ducks.

We have American white pelicans,

Snowy egrets,

Double crested cormorants,

And of course we have our geese. We have both cacklings,

And tons and tons of Canadian geese.

So even though I do not live close to a beach any more, I still live by the water’s edge, and we have our fair share of shore birds too.

Yet another warm sunny day, with the sun shining brightly. And it’s a shorts and T-shirt kind of day. That’s today. Sunday, we are expecting more snow. Go figure! But, I took advantage of the sunshine today, as I love to do. A lot of my furried and feather friends were out enjoying the sunshine too.

Duck, duck goose.

There was a hooded merganser.

The ring-necked ducks.

And the geese.

There are actually two types of geese here. The differences between the two are very, very subtle. One is the Canadian goose, and the other is a cackling goose. Can you see the differences? The Canadians are bigger and have longer necks, with a more pointed beak. The cacklings are smaller and rounder, with shorter necks and more snubbed beaks. The cacklings must be confused by this warmer weather. Usually we only get them in the summer months.

This is a Canadian.

Then there were the squirrels out enjoying their day. One was playing in the grass.

And another one was up a tree.

We can’t forget about the bunnies. They were out too.

I’m all hopped out. I need a rest.

It’s a bright sunny day. Enjoy the sunshine.

Saltimbocca allo pollo is a very close kissing cousin to the original dish of salimbocca alla Romana. The only difference is the original dish, alla Romana, is made with veal rather than chicken. This dish is very popular in its namesake city of Rome and the Lazio region of Italy, as well as all throughout Italy, and wherever Italian foods are enjoyed throughout the world. But it did not become part of the Roman menu until around the 1800’s. It is believed to have originated in Brescia, Italy.

Traditionally this dish is made with veal, but today, you can find it made with veal, beef or chicken. Here in the United States, it is more popular with chicken than with veal. It is made from simple ingredients that when combined, just make the flavors “jump into your mouth”, which is the translation of the root words, saltare and bocca. It is made from veal or chicken and topped with prosciutto and fresh sage, cooked in a white wine-butter sauce. It doesn’t get much better than that.

I made a Jeanne rendition of saltimbocca with chicken the other day, that I served with my version of pasta Napolitano on the side, and a dry chardonnay for the finish. !Delizioso! I like things with a bit more zip, so I marinated my chicken in balsamic vinegar for about 3 hours before cooking it. This is optional. It definitely enhanced the flavor, but the vinegar was a tenderizer for the chicken too.

Saltimbocca alla Pollo

1 1/2-2 lbs chicken breast

4 oz prosciutto slices

8-10 fresh sage leaves

salt to taste

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup dry white wine.

As I stated above, I marinated my chicken in balsamic vinegar but this is optional. I par cooked my chicken first, then topped it with the proscuitto slices.

Ideally, you want to use a toothpick to secure the fresh sage leaves onto the chicken and prosciutto slices, but my sage was not as fresh as I thought, and when I tried to secure it with the toothpick, it broke into pieces. OK. No problem. I just completely crumbled it and scattered it on top of the chicken and prosciutto instead.

Melt the butter in a hot skillet, then add the chicken and continue to cook until it is golden brown and cooked completely.

Add the salt and the wine and continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated.

When the chicken is completely cooked, remove the toothpicks and dish it up, serving the wine-butter sauce on top of the chicken, along with your favorite Italian side dishes and a dry white wine or Prosecco to make this a perfect Italian meal and evening. I also served it with some warm bread and an olive oil dipping sauce.

!Delizioso! !Buon Appetito! !Mangia!

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Ti next time.

When I made my Galician scallops, the recipe called for the Spanish tomato sauce, but the recipe made a lot and it only required a little. Galician Broiled Scallops, Make it Saucy, Spanish Style. So when you make a lot of something and you only need a little, what do you do with the rest? Well, you know me! You know I will put it to good use. 🙂

One of the other ways I used some of my Spanish tomato sauce was to add a few more ingredients to it, to make it like a bloody Mary sauce. This bloody Mary is not one you drink, but one you add to a steak instead. The vodka is optional, in order to really make it like a bloody Mary, or like carne borracho, but there is no need for the vodka, unless you just want to add it. This steak has plenty of kick already.

I am going to give you the full recipe here, although I started with tomato sauce I had already made. I will also give you the shortened version, that I made as well. Either way, it is very tasty. I served mine with some green beans and stuffed potatoes, and of course, a red blend on the side. Delicious!

Bloody Mary Steak – Version #1

1 bone-in sirloin steak about 3/4-1 inch thick

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup lemon juice

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tsp hot pepper sauce, like Tabasco sauce, or something similar

2 TBSP vodka

3/4 cup tomato juice

2 tsp tomato paste

1 TBSP water

1 TBSP cornstarch

Mix the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice salt, pepper hot sauce and vodka together, then marinate your meat in it for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before cooking.

Then combine 1/3 cup of the bloody Mary mix with the tomato juice, and tomato paste. Heat in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix the cornstarch and water together and pour into the tomato mix and once again, bring to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and continue to cook for about 1 minute, or until the sauce starts to thicken.

Cook your steaks, then top with the thickened sauce.

This is one way to do it, but here is a better way to do it. At least I think it is a better, more simple way to do it. 🙂 I also used some cooked brisket that we had left over instead of a T-Bone steak, plus, I added some kick to it, to make it like a spicy Bloody Mary. I love spice in my foods. 🙂

Jeanne’s Version of Bloody Mary Steaks

1 bone-in sirloin steak about 3/4-1 inch thick

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup lemon juice

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tsp hot pepper sauce, like Tabasco sauce, or something similar

2 TBSP vodka

1 cup cooked tomato sauce

3-4 roasted Hatch chilies or roasted jalapenos, diced medium

Mix everything together and marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before cooking. Save some of the sauce to use as a topping once the steak is cooked too.

Cook the steak to your liking, and top it with the extra sauce. You can also use this same sauce for chicken or pork too. I suppose, you could even use it to top your tofu as well, if you like. Either way, I promise, it will be a “do-over” again and again. I promise, you’re going to love it.

Life is much more fun when you spice it up a bit. 🙂

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

Because of the harsh and extreme weather conditions Colorado gets, we have to re-stain our deck about every other year. This year was most definitely the year to do it. Our deck was in bad shape. So while the weather is still mostly nice, it was a good time for me to get it done. Larry and I both worked on it on Sunday, but I did most of it, and finished it off today, although there are still some spots that Larry is going to have to get to because I can’t reach them. We have a big deck. I did all of the floorboards, all of the stairs and most of the spindles and posts. But for the most part, it is done. I just finished it about an hour ago.

This is what it looked like before.

I am armed and ready to go. I am prepared and ready to paint.

And here I go ….. This was yesterday’s work.

And I finished it off today.

This might just be the last time this particular deck gets re-stained. The next time, we might just have to have a whole new deck built. It is almost 21 years old, and like I said, Colorado is known for its harsh and extreme weather conditions. We get a lot of snow, hail, heat and high winds; all of which can wreak havoc on a deck or outside paint. I think it came out pretty good, even if I do say so myself. 🙂

Galicia is an autonomous community of Spain located on the Northwest Iberian Peninsula, bordered by Portugal to the south, the Spanish autonomous communities of Castile and Leon and Asturias to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Cantabrian Sea to the north. It takes its name from the Gallaeci, the Celtic people living north of the Douro River during the last millennium BC. There are two languages spoken in Galicia. They are the native Galician, a Romance language closely related to Portuguese with which it shares the Galician-Portuguese medieval literature; and Spanish, usually known locally as Castilian. 

Galicia is one of Spain’s top seafood regions, and many of its most famous dishes are based on fish or shellfish. The region even celebrates seafood at the famous O Grove Seafood Festival. I made an American/Jeanne-style version of Galician broiled scallops for dinner. I made the recipe as a main dish, whereas in Spain, and particularly in Galicia, where this dish originated, it is served as a small dish or as a tapa(s). Traditionally it is served in the scallop shell to make for a better presentation. This was the first of three different dishes I used the sweet Spanish tomato sauce for. Make it Saucy, Spanish Style. I made it according to the recipe for the first meal (for the most part), and then we ate it on its own, served over rice for the leftovers. We actually liked it better served on its own, on top of rice, than we did when I followed the recipe. This is often the case when I follow recipes. 🙂 I will give you the recipe as I followed it, and let you decide which is the best way to enjoy it.

Galician Broiled Scallops

2/3 cup olive oil

2 shallots, sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

2 TBSP paprika

1 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup Spanish tomato sauce

salt & pepper to taste

2 lbs sea scallops or large scallops

olive oil and butter for cooking

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Parsley for topping

Shredded Parmigiano cheese for topping

I also added some diced red bell peppers and some asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces. I started off by following the recipe, but I knew it needed more since I was making it as a main dish. These are optional additions.

Sautee the scallops first in a combination of olive oil and butter, for about 5 minutes, remove them and set aside.

In the same oil/butter combination, add the peppers, onions, shallots, paprika and salt and pepper. Cook for about about 2 minutes.

Add the wine and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until the liquid evaporates and the sauce starts to thicken.

Here is where I started venturing off and went a bit rogue. I actually see what I did wrong here too. I should have added the tomato sauce here, but I miss read the recipe. By adding the tomato sauce here, the dish would have been more like the sofrito it was supposed to be. Oh well. Next time. I did NOT add the tomato sauce here, but instead I spread it on the bottom of my baking dish. It did not make much of a difference, but even I make mistakes every now and then. 🙂

Add the asparagus, if using, and re-add the scallops back into the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 190* C.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Because I went rogue, and did things a bit differently, I spread the tomato sauce on the bottom of my baking pan. I had some leftover wild rice and lentils that I added as well, again, to make it more of a meal. Vegan Rice and Lentils I layered my dish.

Next came a layer of the scallop sauce.

Finished with the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano cheese and parsley.

Once the toppings are on, place the dish in the oven and bake or broil, for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese starts to crust over. Now, had I actually followed the directions, I would have mixed most of the tomato sauce into the scallop mixture, and had a little left over to top the scallops with after removing the dish from the oven. To serve this as part of a tapas meal, serve it in a small dish, turn the oven temperature up higher and broil for about 5 minutes, then top each dish with a dollop of the remaining tomato sauce and serve. Like I said, mine was not all that different, but I chose to make a different presentation. The ingredients were the same, but the methods were not. As I always say, “play with your food. Have fun with it”.

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

As you all know, I love to cook and I love to cook just about anything and everything. But since our trip to Spain last year, I have been doing more and more Spanish style cooking. I grew up with and absolutely love the Mexican/Spanish flavors from across the border, but the recipes from Spain are totally different. It is Old World vs. New World. Both are muy delicioso, and though there are similar, they are also completely different, with their own personalities too.

In Spain, and in Spanish cooking all over, sauces are used as building blocks for many other dishes. They add texture and layers to the foods while they cook. Many Spanish dishes are started with cooking, onions, garlic and tomatoes in olive oil until they are cooked down to make a puree. This is called sofrito, or in Catalan, soffregit. Can you see why I am so enamored with Spanish cooking? 🙂 They start off with the most basic ingredients that I use in almost all of my own cooking. How can you go wrong when cooking with garlic, onions and tomatoes, right?! 🙂

My latest venture to the Old World of Spain was a combination of dishes that started with this very tasty, Spanish style tomato sauce. It is a sweet tomato sauce that is muy facil, or easy to make, very versatile, and only requires a few basic ingredients. It can be used for just about anything. I have already used it three different ways, which of course, you will soon learn about. But first, let’s start with the sauce itself.

Sweet Spanish Tomato Sauce

1 cup olive oil

2 TBSP garlic

1 onion, diced fine

3 cups tomatoes, diced medium

2 1/2 cups water

1 TBSP salt

2 tsp black pepper

3 TBSP sugar

Heat the olive oil, garlic and onions and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the onions soften and start to turn golden.

Add the sugar and the rest of the ingredients to the mixture and bring to a boil.

Then reduce the heat, and continue to cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until the sauce is reduced to a puree. Make sure to stir the sauce occasionally too.

When the sauce is done, let your imagination run wild, and use it however the fancy strikes. You can use it for eggs, seafood, pasta, or …..

So when you want to make it saucy, say ole, and sauce it up Spanish style.

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

I can’t speak for anyone else, but one of the main reasons why I blog is to learn new things and to share new ideas with all of you. There are so many wonderful thoughts and ideas out there, just waiting to be shared. You just never know when an idea will pop into your head and inspire you, whether it be an idea, a recipe, music or something else entirely. I came across this recipe for a potato pumpkin tart from blogger, Thea Neven at The Buttered Skillet at https://butteredskillet.com/. You should stop by and say hi. She has some great recipes. This was one of those recipes that just spoke to me, and I just had to try it. And of course, I also just had to make in my own way too. It is similar to Thea’s but I also made it my own as well, like I always do.

Pumpkin Potato Tart

The Dough

I made my basic go-to dough that you have seen me make and use many, many times.

1 1/2 cups flour

6 TBSP cold butter, cubed

1 tsp salt

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

In a food processor, blend the flour, butter and salt together first. Then add the egg and cream and continue to process together until a ball is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

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

Use either a rectangular or round tart pan. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Place the dough into the pan and firmly press it into the pan.

The Filling

I potato, peeled, cut in 1/2 and sliced thin

6 ounces of squash or pumpkin of your choice, sliced thin. This time I used delicata squash.

1-1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP fresh rosemary, chopped fine

salt & pepper to taste

3 TBSP olive oil

1 cup shredded Parmigiano cheese

chopped parsley

This time I used delicata squash. One of the characteristics of the delicata is that the skin is very thin and can actually be left on the squash while you cook it. It is definitely edible and enhances the flavors of the squash itself.

Start by layering the Mozzarella cheese on the tart dough, covering the whole bottom.

Then add the layer of the potato slices and the squash slices, alternating them until the tart is filled.

Mix the oil, garlic salt, pepper and rosemary together and drizzle over the potato and squash rings, covering the whole top area. Sprinkle the Parmigiano cheese and parsley over the top.

Place the tart into the hot oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the dough is a nice, flaky golden brown and the potatoes and pumpkin, or squash, is soft and tender and completely cooked.

This rich and delicious savory tart can be eaten and enjoyed at any time, either by itself or served on the side as part of a main meal. It is very rich and satisfying no matter how you decide to enjoy it. This is perfect dish to celebrate the fall and all its beautiful bounty.

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

It is video time again, and this is just a short little video about a real easy-peasy, super simple treat that will be loved by all. I made some turtle pretzel bites, that take bout 10 minutes to make and will disappear in no time at all. They are loved by all, and you can make them up in jiffy for any party that pops up.

Happy Halloween Everyone. Hopefully your evening was filled with lots of treats and very little tricks. Don’t be scared of the ghosts and goblins that may come your way. Give them some of these delicious treats and everything will turn out to be A-OK!

If you like what you see, please subscribe to my YouTube page, and please, share it with your friends and family too.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time. Happy Halloween!