Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

We carnivores love our meat.  We love it fixed and prepared in so many different ways too.  The possibilities are endless.  We love our meats to be full of flavor, moist and tender and juicy.  What is the best way to bring out all these qualities in our meats?  Well, a lot of it depends on how you cook your meats, but so much of also is dependent upon how you season your meat as well.

1.  We have rubs.  Rubs are usually a mixture of dried herbs and/or seasonings that are rubbed all over the meat.  They add great flavors to the meats.

2.  We have marinades that are either an oil based or liquid based, which are great for leaner meats.  They add moisture to the meats and give a nice crispiness to the edges as well as provide lots of flavors.  These include most of the sauces we use, whether they are homemade or store bought and from a jar.

3.  There are vinegar and acidic based marinates that are used for flavor and for tenderizing meats.  The acids break down the proteins in the meats which tenderizes them.

4.  And we have pastes that we can rub all over our meats.  Pastes are a little bit of all of the above methods for flavoring meats combined.  They are thicker and are not as liquidy as other types of rubs or marinades, and they are usually less acidic, so they do not tenderize the meats as much as something with more acidity.

There is no right or wrong method on how to season and flavor your meats.  It is as individual as you are.  Some meats or cuts of meats lend themselves better to certain methods over others, but it really comes down to what your preferences are.  I have said it before, and I’ll say it again; it’s OK to play with your food.  Try different methods, flavorings, spices, and see what you like.  Make the most of your meats.

Thank you all for Larry’s well wishes.  He is almost completely healed from his little bug.  In fact, he is feeling so much better, and he decided to smoke some ribs on the smoker.  He did a small batch of both beef short ribs and pork spare ribs.  I have to admit, ribs are NOT my favorite, but I do enjoy them every now and then.  When I do eat them, I prefer the beef short ribs to the pork spare ribs.

I sauteed some Brussels sprouts with apples, bacon, shallots and red pepper to go along with the ribs, as well as some of the leftover arroz verde and mushroom strudel.  Mushroom Strudel.  Other than the ribs, that needed to be smoked for a few hours, everything else was just quickly thrown together in no time at all to make a fairly impromptu meal.

Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon

As you can see, this delicious dish only takes a handful of simple ingredients.  This is obviously just small amount.  Make adjustments accordingly.

1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, with the bottoms removed and cut in half

1/2 red bell pepper, diced fine

1 apple, peeled and diced – I like galas, but you can use whatever type you like

4-5 slices of bacon, cut into pieces

1/2 shallot, sliced thin

1 TBSP garlic

2-3 TBSP olive oil

salt & pepper to taste – more pepper than salt though, because the bacon will add a salty taste too.

Cook the bacon first, making it on the crispy side.  Once the bacon is cooked, remove it from the heat and set it aside, reserving the bacon grease.

Add the olive oil to the bacon grease and then add the vegetables and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are tender.

Once the vegetables are all cooked, add the bacon back in to the mixture and mix thoroughly.  It’s now ready to serve and enjoy.  I love the combination of apples, bacon and Brussels sprouts together.  The flavors just come together perfectly.  You’ve got the bitter from the sprouts, the salty from the bacon and sweet from the apples.  In a word, YUM!

Apparently my mushroom strudel is a HIT!!!!! Mushroom Strudel  I have already been exchanging so many e-mails from so many of you and have ALREADY, in just this short time, learned so many new things.  Dolly, from koolkosherkitchen has given me so many very helpful pointers and tips for working with phyllo dough, along with so many other good, helpful hints and tips about general stuff from others.  I LOVE IT!!!!!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  We are all hear to help and to learn from one another, and today has definitely been proof of that.  What an AWESOME group we have!!!!!!! Thumbs up to ALL of you!

A strudel is a type of sweet or savory layered pastry with a filling inside. The history of strudel dates back for hundreds of years, it was made as an easy yet satisfying meal by the poor. The name Strudel comes from the German word for “whirlpool” or “eddy”. The rolled version of the pastry looks like the inside of a whirlpool.

Strudel is most often associated with Austrian cuisine, but is also a traditional pastry in the area formerly belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Strudel gained popularity in the 18th century through the Habsburg Empire (1278-1780). In these countries, apple strudel is the most widely known. Apple strudel is considered to be the national dish of Austria, and is the official state pastry of Texas. The Viennese are the ones who made this dish famous with their delicate, thin layers of dough and sweet, tart apple filling.

It was the Turkish Baklava pastry, introduced into Austria in 1453 that laid the foundation for strudel. Gradually strudels with different fillings were created. The oldest strudel recipe is for a milk-cream strudel. It was handwritten in 1696 and the original can be found at the Viennese City Library.

From 1800 onwards many types of strudels were created. These include apple strudel, almond strudel, semolina strudel, rice strudel, quark strudel, milk-cream-strudel, grape strudel, poppy strudel, nut strudel, cabbage strudel, meat strudel, damson strudel, cherry strudel, pear strudel, apricot strudel, ham strudel, coffee strudel, Parmesan strudel, roll strudel, mushroom strudel, herb strudel, and cinnamon strudel.

I love strudels of all kinds, but working with phyllo or fillo dough is still something I need to work on and practice with.  I am admitting a flaw …. I am not as skilled as I would like to be with phyllo dough.  🙂  But, I share both the good and the bad, and sometimes the ugly, with all of you, so here is my attempt at a mushroom strudel.  I think my oven may need to be recalibrated, because I had my strudel in for almost double the time it was supposed to bake, and it still looked a little pale.  But fortunately, looks aren’t everything.  It still tasted very good.

Mushroom Strudel

I lb mushrooms, sliced thin – I used baby portabellas, but you can mix them and match them with other types of mushrooms however you like.

1 shallot, minced fine

1 TBSP garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

2 TBSP butter + more that is melted to brush on top of the dough

salt & pepper to taste

6-8 TBSP fresh chopped herbs of your choice – I used thyme, oregano, and rosemary

1/2-3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or cheese of your choice

3-4 sheets of phyllo dough, defrosted according to package directions

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

Saute the mushrooms, garlic, and shallots in the butter and olive oil combination and salt & pepper for about 3-5 minutes, or until they are done.   Add the chopped herbs towards the end of the cooking process and mix everything together thoroughly.

With a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms from the pan, draining it as best as you can,  then place them in a separate bowl or container until you are ready to use them.  I saved my oil and butter combination and used that for some other things later.  Once the mushrooms have cooled, mix in the egg and the egg yolk.

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

On a smooth surface, CAREFULLY unfold the phyllo sheets.  Lay one sheet down, then brush with either the remains of the mushrooms or melted butter.  Then carefully place another layer of phyllo dough on top and brush with more butter again.

Evenly spread the mushrooms over the phyllo dough, then sprinkle with the cheese.

Carefully add another layer of phyllo dough on top of the mushrooms and repeat as necessary.  Then carefully start to roll from the smaller side.  Once the dough is rolled into a log, again, brush with either the melted butter or the butter and oil combination leftover from cooking the mushrooms.  I chose to use my remains because it was full of flavor from the mushrooms and the herbs, and since it was just cooked in butter and olive oil, I did not see the need to melt more butter.

This is where I started to have A LOT of problems.  I drained my mushrooms, but they must have still had a lot of liquid in them, and my dough started to really fall apart.  Also, I think my phyllo dough may have been slightly past its prime, and it was very fragile and delicate, even more so than normal.  But I carefully rolled my log as best as I could and patched up the places that had holes with some of the bits and pieces that broke off.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes (my recipe called for 15-20, so just watch it carefully).  Once it has browned, remove your strudel from the oven and let it cool for about 5 or so minutes before slicing it an an angle with a very sharp serrated bread slicer.

This can be served alone as an appetizer or as a side dish and part of the meal.  I served mine as a side dish, alongside some rib-eye steak topped with chipotle garlic butter, pan fried potatoes (I used the remainder of my oil and butter for my potatoes) and green beans almondine, and of course wine.  The wine was a grenache/shiraz blend that we made a while ago.  Bottling the Wine

This is how a proper strudel should look.  Mine was close (yeah, right), but as you can see, I still have some work to do to get it to be perfect. Working with phyllo dough is a challenge for me, and I LOVE a challenge.  I love phyllo dough, but it is very delicate, which can make it very difficult to work with as well.  You want the strudel to be flaky and crispy, with a nice golden brown color all around.  It should just melt in your mouth.  Mine definitely melted in our mouths, and it shared all the other qualities, it just didn’t look as pretty as this one does.  Oh well, I still have some work to do.  Maybe next time.  🙂

Lately, it seems as though I have been going through a lot more leftovers than normal, which is strange, because I don’t remember cooking all that many things that would leave a lot of leftovers.  But, apparently, I did.  I have also been making more things that I have already presented you with, and I don’t want to “bore” you the same old, same old.  🙂  Also, Larry is fighting some kind of bug, so he does not have much of an appetite at the moment either, which means i am not coking as much.  NO, it is NOT the coronavirus or COVID19.   So, I will leave you with some breakfast related quotes today instead.

Popcorn for breakfast!  Why not?  It’s a grain, like grits, but with high esteem.

~ James Patterson, best selling author ~

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.

~ Adelle Davis, American author and nutrionist~

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

~ Doug Larson, American journalist ~

Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.

~ Oscar Wilde, Author ~

A recipe has no soul.  You, as the cook, must bring the soul to the recipe.

~ Thomas Keller, chef and proprietor of The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon, Bar Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc. ~

WOW!!!!! Two weeks in a row I am following Sheree’s request for the “Friendly Friday Photo Challenge”.   As many of you know, Sheree is are very own, from

View from the Back

This time Sheree is asking for pictures of art.  Art is most definitely in the eye of the beholder, and is very subjective.  Once again, I accept.  These are pictures of some of my “art” done by me.  Now whether or not the qualify as art is another story.  The older I get, the more I am discovering some of my very latent and hidden artistic talents.  Regardless of the quality of my “art” I have fun with it, and that is really all that matters.  🙂

There are no deadlines for any Friendly Friday Photo challenges.

Paintings by Jeanne

Glassworks by Jeanne

Needlework by Jeanne

As you can see, I am willing to try just about anything.  I enjoy working with my hands and always have.  It doesn’t matter if I am cooking, painting, working with glass or doing needlework, or any other medium.  I just love working with my hands and being creative.

My kitchen is always pretty well stocked, with just about anything you can think of.  But the MOST important ingredient in my kitchen is OLIVE OIL, followed closely by garlic.  I use it for everything.  It is in every dish and almost every recipe.  And I use it quite generously too.  I would be having panic attacks if I ran out of olive oil, or garlic for that matter.  I buy my olive oil in the 2 pack gallon-size at Costco.  That usually lasts about a month, if I am lucky and use it a little less generously than normal.  Fortunately, Costco is very close, so on those rare occasions when I am cutting it close, I can secure “my fix” in no time.

When I am cooking with olive oil, I use just the regular virgin olive oil.  But when I am using it for a dipping sauce, I usually go for the extra virgin style.  I KNOW, you are going to think me quite “gauche” because I poor my Costco oil into a smaller container that I can use more readily.  I am NOT an olive oil snob by any means of the imagination, but there are certainly some brands that are better than others. I keep it right by the stove so it is never more than arm’s length away when I need it.  We actually bought this extra virgin brand in Spain when we were there.  There is no better olive oil than what you can find all through out the Mediterranean countries.

Olive oil is the juice of the olives after they have been pressed.  It has been around since the beginning of civilization.  Olive oil originates from the Mediterranean regions of the world.  Maybe it started in ancient Greece or ancient Rome, or somewhere else in that area.  No one really knows for sure, but the whole Mediterranean region has relied on olive oil for 1000’s of years.  It is obviously used in all the kitchens, but it has also been used for many, many other things as well.

Olive oil has been used in many different religious ceremonies too.  It is used to light the Menorahs in Judaism. Olive oil also has religious symbolism for healing and strength and to consecration—God’s setting a person or place apart for special work. This may be related to its ancient use as a medicinal agent and for cleansing athletes by slathering them in oil then scraping them.  It is used in, and mentioned, extensively in Islam and in the Qu’ran.  The Catholics and Orthodox Greeks use it for baptisms and for the ordaining of priests and rabbis in the Jewish faith.

Olive oil is used for health and beauty products too.  It is in everything from soap to shampoo to body lotions to make up.

Olive oil is also loaded with many health benefits too.  It is claimed that olive oil in the diet will 1) help relieve pain; 2) can help alleviate anxiety and depression; 3) will strengthen the immune system; 4) will help with stroke prevention; 5) helps fight osteoporosis; 6) helps prevent skin cancer; 7) enhances beauty; 8) helps fight diabetes; 9) and improves brain function, just to name a few of it’s claimed healing properties.

To the ancient Greek traders, olive oil was a very important commodity.  It was the back bone of the import/export trade in ancient times because it has always been so highly valued and so versatile to so many.  Olive oil has always been a part of the old world, but it was not introduced to the new world until the late 1600’s.  The ancient Romans can lay claim to the increases in olive oil production, which they started back in 200 BCE.  Today, the Mediterranean countries are still the major producers of olive oil, which are responsible for 95% of the world’s olive oil production, although it is also produced in South America and California too, as well as other dry and arid places around the world.  Today, it is estimated there are roughly 800 million olive tress growing and producing throughout the world.

There are three main varieties of olive oil.  They are the 1) low quality olive/pomace oil that has 2% or less acidity.  These are not usually labeled as olive oils and definitely need to be refined before consumption.  These oils have a higher smoke point and are better for cooking with.  2)  Medium grade olive oil, which has an acidity rate of 1-3% acidity rates.  Most general olive oils fall into this category.  And 3) Extra virgin olive oil, which is the highest standard of oil and has over 3% acidity rates.  The extra virgin olive oils are the most flavorful of the oils too.  These oils have a very low smoke point and will burn easily.  These are best when used for dipping sauces or dressings or pouring directly over your foods.  Extra-virgin olive oil is made from pure, cold-pressed olives, whereas regular olive oil is a blend, including both cold-pressed and processed oils. Any cold-pressed oil that doesn’t meet extra-virgin standards is then refined to get rid of undesirable impurities, giving the oil a more neutral flavor and lighter color.

As much as I want to cook new and different items ALL the time, sometimes, I have to make things more than once.  We do have our favorites we like to eat as well as being adventurous.  We can’t always eat something new.  You have seen many variations of my stuffed chicken.  It is definitely one of those favorites that I make quite often, plus it is a good way to use up some leftovers too.  This time I used the rest of my artichoke and olive tapenade for my filling.  Filet Mignon with a Lemony Artichoke and Olive Tapenade

I served my chicken with a roasted pepper coulis, wild rice (also leftover) and asparagus topped with mushrooms, and a light, fruity white blend to balance out and complete the meal.  I also finished up the last of my olive bread.  A Batch of Tuscan Olive Bread

Since I have made this many times, I am not really going to give you a recipe.  I will just walk you through the process instead.  There really isn’t a specific recipe anyway.  As you know, I try to reuse and recreate my leftovers as often as I can.  It has become a fun game for me.

Start by wrapping the chicken in plastic and using a meat tenderizer to flatten it out.

Once the chicken has been flattened to a thickness you can roll and work with, dip it in an egg wash and a breadcrumb coating, then add your filling.  This time, I used mozzarella cheese and my artichoke and olive tapenade.  Then roll the chicken together and secure with either toothpicks or string.

Carefully place the rolled chicken into a hot skillet with either olive oil, butter, or a combination of both and brown it on both sides.

Preheat the oven to 375* F.

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

Carefully place the rolled chicken pieces in the baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked and the juices come out clear.

While the chicken is cooking, make your sauce, if using one.  One of my favorite, easy-peasy go-to sauces is a roasted pepper coulis.  You can use any color peppers you like, but I prefer the red, orange and/or yellows.  Roast them until they are completely charred, then place them in a plastic bag and let them sweat for about 30 minutes.  Carefully rub off the charred skin, rinse and remove the seeds.

Place the roasted peppers in a food processor along with some garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper and process until everything is pureed and you have a sauce.  I used 2 peppers, and added 1 TBSP garlic, about 1 tsp each of both salt & pepper and about 3-4 TBSP of olive oil.

When everything is ready, plate it up and enjoy with a glass or two of your favorite wine or other beverage of choice.  This is just good old fashioned, delicious comfort food.  Enjoy!

You have all probably figured out we love Mexican food here at our house.  We eat a lot of it, on a fairly regular basis too, so I am always looking for new recipe ideas.  Enchiladas are pretty easy to make, and can be either layered or rolled.  I do both, mainly just to mix them up a bit.  They can also be filled with just about anything you want too.  The only limiting factor is your imagination.  Chicken Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms  I made this same basic recipe, only I used some smoked pork instead of chicken and I made my own smoked tomatillo salsa rather than an enchilada sauce from the store.  Both chicken or pork work very well and both are very good.

The roasted tomatillo salsa is super easy to make and only requires 4 ingredients, one of which is water.

1/2-3/4 lb tomatillos, peeled and roasted

2-3 roasted chipotles peppers in sauce

1/2 cup water

`1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 500* F.

When the oven is at temperature, place the tomatillos in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the tomatillos are soft and blackened.  Turn them over after about 10 minutes to make sure they cook evenly.

Once the tomatillos are ready, place them and rest of the ingredients in a food processor and process until it becomes liquid.  That’s all it takes to make this delicious, smoky salsa that is full of flavor.

I layered my enchiladas this time.  As I mentioned before, you can use whatever you like for the filling.  There are no rules.  Use what you like and use what you have.  I was trying to use of my leftover smoked pork.  I still have some, since I only used about half of what we had, so I have to come up with yet another delicious way to use the rest of it up.

For my filling this time, I used spinach, mushrooms, red peppers, garlic and onions.  Saute everything for about 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.

Once the vegetables are done, add the pork and mix thoroughly.  You only need to cook this long enough for the pork to heat up since it was already cooked.

Once the filling is ready, remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375* F.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread some of the salsa evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Then add your tortillas.  Cover the tortillas with salsa, then evenly spread your filling over them.  Add cheese of your choice and repeat until the pan is full, ending with a layer of cheese on top.

Place the tray of enchiladas in the oven and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese forms a light “crust”.  Sprinkle with the toppings of your choice, like cilantro, tomatoes, sour cream, avocados, and/or green onions.  Let the enchiladas cool for about 10 minutes before cutting, and serve them up with your choice of side dishes.  I served mine with arroz verde or green rice and some sauteed squash and mushrooms.

This is my kind of meal.  It was simple and easy, I got to use up some leftovers, and it was mui, mui delicioso!  !Que Bueno!

We started off the day with our fabulous brunch at EAT! Food and Drink When You’re Hungry – Go Out to EAT! and just kept on going from there.  After brunch we had a little respite before making it a full day of events.  The next thing on the agenda was to pick up Janet, Bob, Nadeen, and our niece Cora, and off we went to do some indoor skydiving at IFly.  We all survived and are ready to fly again.  Most of us had all done it before, but it is still always a lot of fun.  Maggie was our instructor who safely navigated our flights.

While we were in the neighborhood, and we had a wine pick up to do anyway, we made a quick stop at InVINtions, A Creative Winery, and one of our local favorites.

After a taste or two of wine, we ventured across the parking lot for some Middle Eastern food at Sahara.  Wining, Dining and Dancing  We have been there a few times, and love the food and the belly dancing.  We thought that would be a good way to end the day.  Cora had never seen the belly dancers and for Nadeen, it was like a little bit of home for her.

Look at all the attention to detail.  These tables are just gorgeous!

We let Nadeen do the ordering for everyone.  She did a great job.  We enjoyed everything she picked out for us.  Nadeen and the owner of Sahara, Moe Ettachfini.

We started off with a few appetizers – hummus and pitas, falafels and stuffed grape leaves.

Next came the main courses.  We all shared and had lots of little bits of everything.  Once again, we were very full by the time we had finished eating, and once again, everything was delicious.  Nadeen ordered us a beef shwarma, a chicken dish, a lamb dish and a vegan/vegetarian option for Cora.  We loved it all.  She chose well.

After feasting, came the belly dancer.  She did a good job and we were all very entertained by her prowess.  (I apologize for the poor quality of these pictures.  Larry was a little preoccupied and was focusing on other things).

All the girls -the young, the thin, the beautiful, the “more experienced girls” and the fat one, me.

If you are looking for a fun and festive way to spend your evening, Middle Eastern style, Sahara is the place to go.  Sahara is located at 9636 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village, CO 80112.  You can contact them at either (303) 790-4707 or on their website http://www.moroccanfooddenver.com.