Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I just love pumpkin season. There are so many wonderful dishes to make, ranging from soups to savory to sweets and so much more. I also love empanadas. I combined the pumpkin and the empanadas to make a fun new fall dessert. It might just be a new fall favorite. And just the way I like I too. This delicious recipe only requires a few simple ingredients that we all have in out pantries at all times.

Roasted Pumpkin and Chocolate Empanadas

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree

2 2/3 cups flour

2 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup or 2 sticks cold butter, cubed

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces, divided

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425* F or about 200 * C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the pumpkin puree on the parchment paper. Roast for 15 minutes.

While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare your dough by mixing the flour, 2 TBSP sugar, salt and butter together in a food processor. Mix until it resembles crumbled sand.

Whisk the egg and milk together then add to the flour mixture and combine just until everything is moistened.

Once the pumpkin has been removed from the oven, reduce the heat to 375* F.

Once the dough is prepared, form it into a ball and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 thickness. Then cut into either circles or rectangles. You can make them any size you like. I cut mine into circles that were about 4 inches in diameter.

Combine the roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, the remainder of the sugar and about 2/3 of the chocolate. The pumpkin will be hot and will melt the chocolate.

Add about 1-2 TBSP of the pumpkin mixture (or as much as the dough will hold) to each piece and fold over. Pinch the edges tightly, then crimp with a fork on the edges, so the filling does not ooze out.

Once all the empanadas are made, poke them with a fork to make some air holes, then brush them with milk and place them in the oven at the reduced temperature. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown and flaky.

Melt the remaining chocolate (add a dash of milk if you need to) and drizzle the melted chocolate over the empanadas. These are best served hot with a dab of ice cream on the side. My friend Suzanne also brought over some Aussie bites that we served on the side as well. Chipotle Lime Chicken These could have very easily been a meal by themselves.

These were something new and and fun, and definitely DELICIOUS!!!!!!! These are definitely a do-over.

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

The lakes are quiet now, compared to their busy flourishing life in the spring and early summer. But there is still beauty to be found. The birds are still singing in the trees and playful rabbits are hopping all around. I just have to look a little more closely now than I did before, but there is still so much to see.

The colors are vibrantly amazing.

There are still a few ducks left, either out for a leisurely swim, or just lounging about.

And they sing from way up high.

A little fun game of hide and seek, bunny style.

Enjoy the beauty of nature. It’s all around. All you have to do is open your eyes to look and see.

Art is many things and it is something different for everyone. Everyone has their own interpretation of it. It comes in many forms. It is fluid. It is ever changing. Art, in its broadest sense, is a form of communication. It means whatever the artist intends it to mean, and this meaning is shaped by the materials, techniques, and forms it makes use of, as well as the ideas and feelings it creates in its viewers.  Art is an act of expressing feelings, thoughts, and observations. More often than we realize, art can be found in places all around us; a song, a dance, a beautiful dish of food, in nature and even in people. It is a tricky concept to define because everyone’s entitled to their own preferences and feelings when it comes to art. As we all know, art and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder. Being a chef myself, I believe that cooking is one of the most versatile art forms there is. It engages all the senses at once. Food is definitely an art form, and chocolate is the ultimate art form when it comes to food as the medium.

Chocolate is hard to work with because it is so temperature sensitive. If it is too cold, the chocolate won’t melt properly which means it will be very difficult to work with. But if it is too hot, the chocolate will melt and all you will have will be a liquid mess. It takes someone very skilled to be a successful chocolatier. I am NOT that person, but fortunately we do have a masterful chocolatier right here in the North Denver Metro area. Her name is Robin Autorino, and she is an award winning chocolatier who has been named by Dessert Professional as one of the Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America in 2013. Robin is the owner and master chocolatier at Robin Chocolates, located in Longmont, Colorado.

Robin has led a very adventurous life, and has done many things before discovering her passion and talent for the fine art of chocolate. She has lived all over the world and mastered her skills with some of the best chocolatiers and chefs around. You should read her story. She is a pretty amazing lady. And you should definitely try her chocolates. Each one is a miniature masterpiece of perfection. “We often hear from our customers that our chocolates are too beautiful to eat. We couldn’t disagree more. While we do agree that they are beautiful, our goal is to make them taste at least as good as they look. Chocolatier and pastry chef Robin Autorino refers to them as edible art – art for your eyes and your mouth. While we would never recommend tasting a Monet, Picasso, or Rembrandt, we do highly recommend our artisan chocolates and confections.”

My chocolates look like this.

Robin’s chocolates, on the other hand, look like this. This one is a strawberry balsamic chocolate ganache. It literally just melted in my mouth.

You can mix and match and customize your own gift boxes however you like. For my own little gift box, I chose a hazelnut praline, very berry raspberry, blackberry sage and a mint chocolate chip.

In Robin’s chocolate shop, Robin Chocolates, she has cases filled with her beautiful edible art. She has so many varieties and flavors too. Each one is a delectable, beautiful creation, and though I have not tried them all, the ones I have tried are out of this world. I guess that means I need to do some more research, since I can’t choose a favorite if I have not yet tasted all the samples.

I discovered Robin and her chocolates a few years ago at a chocolate convention in Denver. As you can see, her chocolates are absolutely amazing. She is truly a master at her art.

You can go directly to Robin Chocolates, located at 600 Airport Road, in Longmont Colorado, where you can see the master at work. You can also call her at (720) 204-8003.

Or, you can order her edible art online at http://www.robinchocolates.com. However you decide to visit Robin, you will be very glad you did and you will definitely be back for more.

Robin and her Sous Chef.

When life gets you down, all you need to do is eat more chocolate, especially if it is chocolate by Robin and Robin Chocolates.

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

Artichoke dip and its cousin, spinach and artichoke dip, get their roots from the ancient times of the Mediterranean, with some fairly modern German influences as well. The artichoke has been around since the days of the Ancient Romans, and it was the Roman naturalist Pliny, back in 77 A.D., who thought “the artichoke was one of earth’s monstrosities” yet he continued to eat them anyway. Spinach is also a Mediterranean delight that has been around for the millennia as well. The German influence comes Knorr, the popular spice and seasoning mixes you can find in every grocery store today that so many people have used as their seasonings for this dip as well as many other great dips for many years. But spinach and/or artichoke dips really became popular in America during the 1950’s and 1960’s, when TVs became a staple in every household. People started eating more foods in front of their TVs so they wouldn’t miss their favorite shows, and they wanted something that was easy to eat without using utensils. The dips were a huge success, and have been ever since.

I love a good artichoke and/or artichoke and spinach dip. They taste great and are always a hit, though I have to admit, they are NOT the healthiest of dishes. They are laden with fat and calories. We don’t eat them all that often, but every now and then it is OK to splurge. I usually do not add the sour ream to them, and usually only use the mayonnaise, but you can do it either way. We had our friends Suzanne and Bill over, so we were allowed to indulge a bit. This time, I made it a little different than I normally do. I spiced it up and gave it an Spanish update. I added some of my roasted hatch chilies A Bushel of Roasted Hatch Chilies and some ground pork sausage. In a word – Y.U.M.M.Y!!!!!!!! It was a big hit. I served it with tortilla chips on the side.

Spicy Artichoke and Sausage Dip with Roasted Peppers

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and diced

4-5 roasted chilies, small dice

3/4 lb ground sausage, cooked completely

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise or 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup shredded Parmigiano cheese + more for topping

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or a cheddar cheese blend + more for topping.

green onions, diced fine

cilantro, chopped fine-med

Cook the sausage until it is completely cooked and drain off the fat.

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

Spray a round casserole dish with cooking spray.

Mix all the ingredients together well.

Once everything is thoroughly combined, transfer it all into the casserole dish. Top with more of both the Cheddar cheese and the Parmigiano cheese and bake uncovered for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top is crusty.

Once the dip is done, add the chopped cilantro and green onions and serve it hot with either chips, crackers or bread. This is definitely a winner. Everyone will love this one.

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

We took Vinnie on a long walk, totaling about 5 miles. We live in Westminster, and Broomfield is just a hop, skip and a jump away. From our house to Broomfield is about 1 1/2 miles, but we went all around yet another nearby lake/pond and then back. It was a beautiful day and we all needed the walk. There were lots of prairie dogs out and about and quite a few squirrels and magpies too.

The prairie dogs were playful and curious, yet still a bit cautious too.

A new lake/pond that we never knew about, literally just across the way from us.

The big, long walk. One side of the bridge was in Westminster and the other in Broomfield.

The magpies were out in numbers today as well, although I only got a few good shots of them. They were a bit elusive.

But there were lots and lots of playful squirrels all around.

Hope you liked our “Nature Walk”. They are plenty more in store.

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

It’s video time again. This time I made some lamb sliders, Colorado style. They were bold and spicy and filled with lots of Colorado attitude. And they were very good too. This is just one of countless ways you can make sliders. Sliders are fun “little burgers” that have a personality all their own. They are all the rage right now, just about everywhere you go too.

If you like what you are seeing, please click on the bell and subscribe to my YouTube page, and please share it with your friends and family too.

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

As much as I pride myself on making most everything from scratch most of the time, there are times when even I don’t feel like it. Granted, these days are few and far between, but they do happen. Last night was one of those nights when I just really didn’t feel like cooking up a storm, so I made an easy-peasy meal combining leftovers, and God forbid, even using something from a box. Scary thought, I know, coming from Jeanne, from “A Jeanne in the Kitchen“, but it does happen. Rarely, but it does happen. 🙂

I have a knack for being able to dress up even the simplest of dishes so they don’t look like they are either leftovers or that they came from a box. It’s a gift. 🙂

I had some leftover squash butter Crostini with Squash Butter and Ricotta Cheese and Caramelized Shallots that I wanted to use, but I wasn’t quite sure how. I decided to use it as a base that I put my pork chops on top of, then added some of vegetables and a bit of Parmigiano cheese. I do actually have a little bit leftover, yet again, that I already have another fantastic idea in mind for. Stay tuned. You will soon see how creative I can be, if you haven’t already. I made a boxed pasta (a very rare thing) but again, you would never know it, because I sauteed some vegetables and added them to the pasta. All of this was finished off with a light white blend on the side, and it made for a simple, easy-peasy delicious dinner in a flash.

I coated my pork pieces (they were not pork chops) in flour mixed with salt, pepper and Cajun spices, then seared them until they were browned and crusty. I finished them in the oven until they were completely cooked.

For the vegetables and pasta mix I sauteed some green beans, garlic, onions and red peppers along with salt and pepper in some olive oil and butter and just added those to my boxed pasta. Simple, but dressed up.

And that, added with a bit of bread, the last of my crusty cob bread, and wine, was dinner. A Crusty Cob

Did you know it was partially from leftovers or some of it came from a box? If the answer is “NO”, then that means I did my job well. If the answer is “YES” then I still have some work to do. 🙂

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

Chilies of all kinds have been grown and cultivated in Mexico for about 3500 years. According to many accounts, cultivated chile peppers were introduced to the United States by Captain General Juan de Onate, the founder of Santa Fe, in 1609, when the Spanish first came to this region. However, they may have been introduced to the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico by the Antonio Espejo, during his expedition of 1582 – 1583.

Hatch chilies are a special kind of chili, because they are an ideal balance of heat and sweet, though they come in a wide range of spiciness and heat too. When these chilis are roasted, they have a smoky, earthy, almost buttery taste to them, as well as those varying degrees of heat. These chilies are always roasted or cooked because they will be nothing but pure fire otherwise. Roasting, or blistering, is the application of heat to the surface resulting in blistering of the skin, which then separates from the chili flesh, making the skin easier to remove. There are several ways to blister pepper skin for easy removal. When doing big batches, they are placed in a special roaster. When I do small batches at home, I just put them directly over an open flame or grill. These chilies are called Hatch chilies because they are grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, which stretches north and south along the Rio Grande, from Arrey to Tonuco.

It is Hatch chili season here in Colorado, (we Coloradans love our chilies) and just about everywhere you go, you can find little street vendors roasting and selling chilies. You can certainly buy Hatch chilies individually, or by the pound, which will give you about 8 chilies, but they are most often sold in units of either a sack or a bushel. A sack is about 35 lbs and a bushel is about 20-22 lbs. Either way it is a lot of chilies. Luckily, they freeze well. Often these street vendors will run a special, two bushels for the price of one. We learned just how many chilies were in a bushel the last time we bought them this way, so this year we decided to go in with our friends Janet and Bob and we each brought home one bushel’s worth of chilies instead of two. One bushel of chilies is still a lot of chilies though. Last year, we did not peel them and seed them before freezing them, which made them a big pain in the neck to work with. We quickly learned our lesson, and learned to peel them and seed them first, then freeze them.

The peeling and seeding process.

Our final result was eight sandwich bags filled completely. This will go a long way, since I normally use anywhere from 4-6 chilies per recipe.

Make life interesting. Spice it up.

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

A few weeks ago, when I went to our local farmer’s market, I picked up a delicious looking bison steak. The Farmer’s Market I put it in the freezer until I was ready to cook it up and make something special with it. When cooking wild game, I like big, bold flavors (even more than usual) to go with it. You want something strong enough to accompany the big, bold flavors of the game meat without getting drowned out or over powering it. I made a cream sauce with Grand Marnier, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. It topped the bison perfectly. To accompany the bison, I served it over some creamy mashed potatoes and served it with hearty roasted vegetables and my crusty cob bread A Crusty Cob and a hearty red blend to complete the meal. It was a true Colorado meal, finished with a great Colorado wine. The wine was from Bookcliff Vineyards, one of our local wineries. Bookcliff Vineyards in Boulder

I started off by marinating the bison in my Big Game Rub from Traegar, which I marinated for about 8 hours before grilling it up. This also gave me plenty of time to think about what I wanted to top it with too.

I love creamy sauces. They are a weakness of mine. So I decided to make my sauce a bold, creamy sauce, full of big, hearty flavors. I sauteed mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers and roasted Hatch chilies for the base, then added the Grand Marnier and cream to finish it off.

Creamy Grand Marnier Sauce with Vegetables

1 cup mushrooms, sliced in thick slices

1/2 onion, sliced in thick slices

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced in thick slices

3-4 roasted Hatch chilies, skinned and seeded, chopped in a medium dice

1 TBSP garlic

salt and pepper to taste

butter and olive oil to cook

2-3 TBPS Grand Marnier

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2-3 TBPS butter to finish the sauce

Cook the all the vegetables with the salt and pepper, except the roasted peppers, in a combination of both olive oil and butter until the onions are translucent, for about 5-7 minutes.

Add the Grand Marnier, carefully and slowly, and let it flambe. Be VERY careful with this. If you ARE NOT comfortable with it, DON’T do it. The flames will die off in about 1 minute. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Once the flames have died down and most of the liquid has evaporated, add the cream and the roasted Hatch chilies. Mix everything together well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat and add the rest of the butter to mix into the sauce.

Once the bison is cooked, top it with the sauce. Bison is a very lean meat, so you do not want to over cook it or it will be tough and chewy, and will taste like shoe leather. It is best when served medium rare.

The bison came out so tender and flavorful and the sauce was the perfect topping for it too. Proof positive you can still walk on the wild side and be civilized at the same time. 🙂

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