Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Sometimes I just crave a good, healthy salad, particularly when it is super hot outside.  Our summer started off late and slow, and was very cool in the beginning, but when it hit, it hit HARD and HOT.  We just broke 2 heat records for September, and today is ONLY the 6th.  Salads are also quick and easy to make when I am pressed for time, which has been quite frequently lately.  This one was especially quick and easy, because I used up a lot of my leftovers, added a few more vegetables and then tossed everything together.  I also made a delicious honey-lime-cilantro dressing to top the salad.  The sweet-hot combination just brought everything to life.

The beauty of making salads is that anything goes.  You can use whatever you have on hand, no matter how little the quantity, and use whatever you like.  There are no rules when it comes to making salads.  I already had some lettuce and tomatoes cut up, but I added a few more tomatoes, a shredded carrot, sliced cucumbers, green onions and some sweet roasted peppers and tossed it all together.

My salad needed a good, flavorful dressing, so I threw a few things together in the food processor and, voila, my honey-lime-cilantro dressing was created.

Honey-Lime-Cilantro Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lime juice

1 TBSP garlic

1 jalapeno, rough cut and seeded

2 TBSP fresh cilantro, stems removed

1 TBSP honey

red pepper flakes to taste

Put everything together in a food processor and blend until it is all mixed together.  Pour over your favorite salad.

To top our salads and to add our much needed protein, I used up the rest of our ahi tuna Tapas in Spain/Tapas at Home – Part 3 – Tapas in Sevilla and some leftover chicken.  Larry had some leftover cheese bread with his, as well as cheese on top of his salad, and I opted for some warmed ciabiatta with a olive oil and balsamic dipping sauce instead, and of course a good chardonnay on the side.  Dinner was delicious, and done in about 10 minutes.  Nothing goes to waste in our house.  I am always recreating with my leftovers.  I have earned my title as “The Queen of Leftovers”.  🙂

I just love life in Colorado.  I am so lucky that I have such a beautiful state to call “home”.  Everywhere you go, there is so much to see, and so much natural beauty all around.  We love taking in the sights of our beautiful state as much as we can too.  For Labor Day, since we both had the day off, we decided to take yet another one of our little get-away drives.  This time, we ventured Northwest and toured around the Cache le Poudre area and through Red Feather Lakes, not far from the Wyoming border and Cheyenne.  We are only slightly over an hour away from Cheyenne too, so this really is still part of “our neighborhood”, in a general sense.  We talked about packing a picnic lunch, but somehow we forgot to actually pack a lunch, so that didn’t happen.  So instead, we did one of our driving tours and stopped for a late lunch/early dinner on the way home.

This house was built in 1889.

Yes, we even had a Bigfoot sighting, in plain daylight too.

After our driving tour, we stopped at The Pumphouse in Longmont for a late lunch/ early dinner.  Even though it was yet another scorcher of a day, it felt very cool and comfortable to be outside in the shade, with the misters spraying us with cool water.  “The Pumphouse opened in May of 1996 as an independently-owned, single-unit brewpub.

The Pumphouse Brewery is housed in the original “William Lugg Building”. William Lugg was a prominent businessman in Longmont during the early 1900’s. The building was erected on the corner of 6th & Main Street over what was previously a wood & coal storage and sales yard. The Lugg Building was initially used as a garage & repair shop, and was known as the Ford Garage. In subsequent years, the building changed hands a couple of times, and was renamed Power Motor Company & Cleland Motor Company, in turn. In the late 1920’s, Mrs. Ollie R. Boggs leased the building & opened a “high class, up-to-date roller skating rink” named Fairyland. This use lasted only a short while, as Standard Oil of Indiana took over the building in 1930 & remodeled it for a service station. It was a large station in its day & was referred to as “Standard Super Service Station” (S.S.S.S.). Mr. Lugg operated the business himself.

J.W. Rankin purchased the building in 1935, and built his business – Rankin Chevrolet – into the largest dealership in a 6-state region. Six years later, it became Troxell Chevrolet under new ownership, & then again changed hands 10 years later to become Wills & Hajek Chevrolet in 1951. They added an Oldsmobile dealership under the same roof a few years later, and after a few additional expansions, they built a new building for their business, selling the Lugg Building to Firestone Tire Company. Firestone sold tires & serviced cars until 1991, and then leased the building to a real estate office & western wear store. In 1995, the 4 original Pumphouse partners bought the building with big plans in mind.

To become a functional restaurant & brewery, the building had to be transformed radically, though much of the original architecture was left intact to preserve the Historical Landmark status of the building. Renovating a building of this nature – one not originally designed for restaurant use – leads to a somewhat quirky layout, but there is no doubt that the atmosphere is that much more charming & intriguing because of this”.

Larry had a Cubano Sandwich with shredded pork and I had a pecan-crusted chicken salad with spinach, strawberries and mandarin oranges.  Both were very good and seemed to just hit the spot perfectly.

Below is the contact information for The Pumphouse.  It is a fun, lively place to hang out, get refreshed and sit back and watch the world go by.

• 540 Main Street
• Longmont, CO 80501

• (303) 702-0881
• info@pumphousebrewery.com

Without ever knowing the reasons or traditions behind the tapeo, this is how I have always enjoyed my foods.  I have always said good food is always made better when shared with good friends and good wine.   I love the socialization that enhances the culinary experiences, and this is what the art of the tapeo is all about; good food, good wine, and good company.  Tapas in Spain/Tapas at Home – Part 1

When we were in Sevilla, we had yet another delicious tapas meal that included a dish made with ahi tuna and a roasted pepper and onion salad, served with bread.  This was a pintxos variety of tapas.  My version is very, very similar to the one we had in Sevilla.  It got rave reviews both here and there, and is now one of my new favorites.

This was the Ahi tuni and roasted pepper and onion salad we enjoyed in Sevilla.

And this is my version of the same salad.  This is a very simple and easy meal to make, but it is so colorful and tasty.

Ahi Tuna, Roasted Pepper and Onion Salad

8 oz ahi tuna cut into squares and seared

1 each red, yellow and orange pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into strips

1 yellow onion, peeled, sliced very thin and caramelized

2-3 TBSP olive oil for cooking

dash of sugar

dash of balsamic vinegar

1 heaping TBSP garlic

1 TBSP capers

salt & pepper to taste

balsamic glaze

Roast the peppers on an open flame or in the oven, though I usually do mine on an open flame. Roasting Peppers

Caramelize the onion slices and the garlic together in a hot skillet with the olive oil, a dash of sugar and a dash of balsamic vinegar.  You want the onions to be soft and translucent, but not to brown.  They are ready just as they start to turn color.

Once the onions and the peppers have cooled, toss them together along with the capers and the salt and pepper. If you can find the large Spanish capers, even better, but I could not find those, so I used the smaller ones.

Cut the tuna into squares and saute in the same pan and same juices as the onions.  Cook just until the tuna is browned on all sides, but still a bit pink on the inside.

When everything is cooked, plate it all up, top with a balsamic glaze and serve with warm bread and wine of your choice.   Enjoy with good friends and/ or family.

Balsamic Glaze

I got this very simple and delicious recipe from fellow food blogger, T and Conversations! Chai with Preethi!  You can find it at chaiwithpreethi.com.   It only has 3 ingredients and it is just perfect.  It can be served on just about anything.  Be creative and use your imagination.

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 TBSP honey or maple syrup (this time I used honey)

1 tsp brown sugar

Bring the balsamic vinegar to a full, rapid boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for at least 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid reduces by about 1/2.  Then add the honey or maple syrup and the brown sugar and continue to cook for another 10 or so minutes.  Let it cool completely.  It will thicken as it cools.  Poor into a container that will allow you to drizzle it over your food and refrigerate until ready to use, then drizzle on your favorite dishes to add some extra texture and pizzazz.

You can eat this salad as is, but I thought it really came to life when served over warmed bread.  it would be really good as a crostini too.

Our first real introduction to Spanish tapas was in Madrid.  There were so many good tapas and good foods, but the one that left the biggest impression on me at the time was the one with the artichokes and Serrano ham, from The Taste Gallery.  Madrid – Part 3- Los Comidas de Madrid.  All the tapas we ate there were fabulous, and some I had already made and enjoyed here at home, long before even going to Spain.  This one was new for me though and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Since I did not have the exact recipe (not that I would really follow it anyway), and I could not find all the ingredients, I made my own version.  Larry and I were the only ones that could vouch for the Spanish version, and how good it was, but we all agreed that my version was very tasty as well.

I could not find the large artichokes that they used in Madrid, so I used canned artichoke hearts instead.  These are my artichokes and Serrano ham tapas before I baked them in the oven.  Since I was recreating a Spanish dish, I wanted all the ingredients to be from Spain as much as possible.  I used Mitica Mahon cheese, which is a soft Spanish cheese and Serrano ham, also from Spain. Serrano ham is a type of ham that comes from the Serrano white pigs that are bred, raised and processed entirely in Spain.  Only this type of white pigs are used if they want to be called Serrano hams.  These pigs have innate genetic traits that give them a distinct texture and therefore a distinct taste that identifies them as Serrano.  Once they are processed, they are then cured for about 2 years to add an even more unique quality to them, which allows for an outstanding taste and texture.  Next time I make these, and believe me, there will definitely be a next time,  I will be a lot more generous with the ham.  I used it sparingly this time, and I decided we needed more.

Jeanne’s Artichoke and Serrano Ham Tapas

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

1 quarter red onion, diced fine

1 heaping TBSP garlic

2 TBSP butter

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 package Serrano ham

5-6 oz Spanish soft cheese, cubed

salt & pepper to taste

2 tomatoes, diced fine – any kind of tomatoes are fine – I used a variety of small tomatoes

olive oil

Mix the breadcrumbs, onions, garlic and salt & pepper together and saute in butter for about 5 minutes or until the onions are cooked, and are soft and translucent.

Preheat oven to 350* F or 180* C.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray, then evenly distribute the cooked breadcrumb mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.  Slice the bottoms off the artichoke hearts to make them even so they can stand upright on the bottom. Place the artichoke hearts in the baking dish.

Cut the cheese into small cubes and place a small cube on the top of each artichoke heart. Spread the tomato pieces around through the dish.  Add some of the Serrano ham on top of each artichoke.  Drizzle olive oil over the dish, making sure to cover each piece.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until all the cheese is melted.  Do NOT over bake or the delicate ham will burn.

!Desfruitas! Enjoy as part of your tapas menu, with a glass or two of your favorite wine and with friends or family.  If you are going to enjoy tapas, then you have to do it proper fashion and embrace the art of the tapeo.  Tapas in Spain/Tapas at Home – Part 1

I fell in love with all the foods in Spain, just I like I did everything else in Spain. One of my favorite food types was the tapas, or small plates, with a glass or two of delicious wine.  But what are tapas?  Tapas are known as small plates of food served with wine or alcohol in between meals.  Tapas are very rarely served without wine or alcohol of some sorts.  The Spanish have made dining on tapas an art form and they call it tapeo. It is not only a gastronomic adventure, but is also a way to socialize and gather with friends while enjoying these small bites of food and wine.  Originally, tapas were not meant to be a meal in and of themselves, but they have evolved into that today.   There is no specific type of food that falls into the tapas category, but rather they are small amounts of a variety of foods that are almost always accompanied with wine.  Some forms use toothpicks and are called pinchos (pinchar means to prick) and the foods are served with a toothpick.  The toothpicks are left on the plate as you finish them and the server/bartender counts up the number of toothpicks on the plate in order to determine the cost of the tapas plate.  There are also pintxos, which almost always come with bread.  Another category of tapas is called cosas de picar, meaning things to nibble, like olives or almonds.  There are also croquettes or fried foods that are served in cazuelas or small earthenware casseroles.   The possibilities are endless.

There are a few different theories as to how the tapas tradition originated.  Some say it was started in the Andalusia region, where small pieces of ham or cheese were used to cover the wine or sherry to keep the flies and the dust out of the wine.  The word tapas comes from the word tapar, which means to cover.  People ate and drink in small quantities throughout the day rather than consuming larger, heavier meals due to the heat and the need to replenish themselves throughout the day.  Another theory is that during the 13th century, tapas were created when King Alfonso X was ill and could only consume small amounts of food followed by small amounts of wine.  Once he recovered, he then decreed that inns could not serve wine without serving food along with the wine.  Some say the reason behind this decree was to enable the peasants to be able to get some much needed nutrition into their bodies rather than only drink, since they could not afford to purchase both food AND drink.  All of these theories have merit to them, and no one really knows for sure how the tapas tradition really started, but eating and enjoying tapas has become legendary in the Spanish traditions and heritage, and now are known throughout the world.  Everyone, in most countries, has their own  “version” of tapas, but no one can really do it like the Spanish, unless they have learned the Spanish customs and ways that encompass the art of the tapas or the tapeo.

Our friends Priscilla and Jonathon were excited to hear about all our Spanish adventures, and so we decided to “gather and socialize” over our own tapas, that were influenced by those we enjoyed in Spain.  As usual, we both made parts of the meal and combined our efforts and then enjoyed great food and great company to make the perfect summer evening.

Priscilla made the delicious gazpacho from yellow tomatoes and marinated shrimp along with the sauteed fingerling potatoes, as well as a scrumptious date and sticky toffee cake for dessert.  Her gazpacho was MUCH better than what we had as out last meal in Madrid, but then that was at the hotel, and the food was OK but not phenomenal like it was everywhere else.  I made my own version of artichokes with Serrano ham, which would fall into the pinchos category and the ahi tuna and roasted pepper and onion salad topped with a balsamic glaze served with warmed ciabiatta bread, which would be the pinxtos variety of tapas.  And of course, there was wine.  We brought a delicious fruity Spanish red that we brought back from Spain.

I will give you the recipes for my tapas contributions later.  I want you to savor the flavors for now, to entice you for later.  There is definitely more to come, so don’t go away.  Ciao for now!

Spicy foods, shrimp and pasta, and even a dash of curry.  WOW!!! Some of my favorite things all cooked up together.  I love it!  How could I not, after all?  This dish is originally from the Tuscany Valley in Italy.  The Tuscany Valley is a beautiful part of Italy too, and is one of my favorite places in Italy, although, it has been such a long time since I’ve been to Italy.  I might just have to go back again sometime very soon and see if it is still one of my favorites.  🙂  I believe this dish was just custom made with me in mind.

Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta

(Pasta con i Gamberi e Gli Aspargi)

Cook your favorite pasta per the directions on the package.  I chose angel hair for this particular dish, but it doesn’t really matter what kind of pasta you choose.

4 TBSP olive oil

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces about 1 inch in size

1 large shallot, chopped fine

3 TBSP parsley, chopped fine

2-3 TBSP sun-dried tomatoes, chopped rough

1 tsp curry, hot or mild, depending on your taste

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

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

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup tomato sauce

salt & pepper to taste

top with Parmigiano cheese and parsley, optional

Heat the olive oil and add the garlic.  On a medium-high heat, cook for about 2 minutes, then add the shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus and seasonings.

Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the shrimp and continue cooking until the shrimp are completely cooked and have turned pink.

Once the shrimp are cooked pour in the brandy and continue to cook for about 2 more minutes.  Be careful to prevent flair-ups when pouring in the brandy.

After the liquid has cooked down to about 1/2, remove the shrimp and set them aside.  Then add the tomato sauce and the lemon juice.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for another 7-10 minutes.  Add about half the parsley and stir in.

Right before you are ready to serve, add the shrimp back to the sauce.  Serve over your favorite pasta, and top with Parmigiano cheese and the rest of the parsley, if you so desire.

Depending on your appetite, serve it with a small side salad and some garlic bread (I served it with my garlic cheese bread) and a smooth red wine.  Delicioso!  Mangia!

I am busy working on actual “work stuff” today, and really don’t have much time to devote to the kitchen at the moment, so I thought I would give you some food for thought from others in the know today.  Fortunately, I usually have time to do both, however, there are those days when time just flies by and I fill my day with to much and not nearly enough time to get everything done.   “These things, they do happen”, “Carlotta, from Phantom of the Opera.

“Dining is the privilege of civilization … The nation which knows how to dine has learnt the leading lesson of progress”.

~ Isabella Beeton, from The Book of Household Management~

“Skillful and refined cookery has always been a feature of the most glorious epochs of history”.  

~ Lucien Tendret~

“If we don’t watch out, the pleasure to be gained from the discriminating enjoyment of food will be lost.  It may not be long before the art of fine cooking is viewed as the invention of a handful of snobs … A whole aspect of living well, of civilization itself, is threatened with extinction”.  

~ Benoit Groult, from “La Mer a la Cuisine”, in Loaves & Wishes~

“No matter where I take my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best”.

~ Pennsylvania Dutch saying~

” You don’t have to cook anything fancy or complicated masterpieces.  Just good food from fresh ingredients”.  

~ Julia Child~

It’s been a long time since I’ve made doggie treats for my Lucie and Vinnie.  I thought, since I have the time off at the moment, and because we were just gone on vacation that it was time again.  They deserve cookies.  Starting next week, my schedule will once again fill up, although it never really slows down all that much any more.   I had the time and I decided to make them some yummy, healthy treats.  They’re never going to turn down homemade treats either, but then again, they rarely turn down any treats.  Also, someone had asked if I ever made dog treats not all that long ago.  Yes, I do.   I made them some strawberry banana dog biscuits.  As expected, they were a hit.

Fritzie always loves to help out when I make treats for the “kids”.  She likes to inspect everything to make sure it all comes out just perfect.  So far, she has always given me her stamp of approval too, but then, the only ones I need are from Lucie and Vinnie.  So far, they have always given me their paw-stamps of approval too.

Fritzie and I only used a few simple ingredients.  Soft bananas, that are turning brown are actually the best when baking.  They mush really easily and are full of flavor.  Dogs need food high in proteins and low in fats.  Dogs can eat and love berries, and they are good for them, but they need to eat them in moderation.  If they overeat them, the doggies could get some nasty tummy aches.

Strawberry Banana Dog Treats

2 eggs

2/3 cup peanut butter, either crunchy or creamy is just fine

2 1/2 cups flour, or more as needed

1 cup oats

2 bananas, mashed

8 strawberries, diced fine

Once the bananas are completely mashed, add the peanut butter and the eggs and mix everything together.

Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the strawberries.  Combine all the ingredients together and mix well.  Form the dough into a ball.

On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to your doggies’ desired thickness, and cut with a cookie cutter.

Preheat the oven to 325* F

Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for at least 35 minutes, or longer if you and your pooch want them to be crispier.

Make sure the cookies are COMPLETELY cooled before handing them out to your precious pups.  I know from personal experience, Lucie’s tummy cannot handle things when they are to warm or to hot.  Once they are cooled, store them in an airtight container.  They do not last long in my house though.

Once the cookies are cooled, it’s time to try them out and see how the pups like them.  If your dogs are anything like my two, they will gobble them up before they have a chance to actually taste them.  But at least you know you are giving them something healthy, which counts for a lot.

Trust me, they were not nearly as patient waiting for these cookies as this picture would indicate.  We had a lot of attempts to get this shot.  You can see on their faces, they were getting more than a little annoyed with mommy for being so mean and not letting them get the cookies right away.

We are back from our fabulous trip to Spain, and the kitchen is open for business as usual once again.  We ate a lot of pork and seafood all throughout Spain, and both of us were hungry for a good steak.  I was still in the Spanish frame of mind though, so this was a good transition meal.  One of the first things I prepared since coming home was this delicious steak dinner topped with a creamy tomato mushroom sauce.  I had seen this recipe for the mushrooms on a video and thought, “I can easily do that”, so of course, I did.  The mushrooms can be served over rice or pasta as is for either a side dish or a light vegetarian meal, or like I did with steak, or with chicken or shrimp too.  No matter how you serve it, I think it will be a winner, and you are all going to like it.  I served it over wild rice with warmed ciabbatta bread and an olive oil dip, along with a bold, delicious, smooth red blend.  What a great dinner to make after a fantastic vacation.  I just noticed we had a steak dinner before we left for Spain, and our first dinner after returning home was also a steak dinner.  HMMMMMM!  I think we like steak.

Mushrooms with a Creamy Tomato Sauce

1 lb mushrooms, rinsed and stems trimmed all the way down

3 cups spinach, stems removed

1 shallot, sliced very thin

1 small can of tomato  paste

2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced medium, or about 1 cup of grape tomatoes or tomatoes of your choice, sliced in half

1 heaping TBSP garlic

olive oil

1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

salt & pepper to taste

In a hot skillet with olive oil, saute the shallots and the garlic for about 2 minutes, or until the shallots are tender.

Add the tomato paste and completely incorporate into the shallots and garlic.

Then add the cream and mix well.

Once everything is mixed together, add the mushrooms, with the rounded parts down and cook for about 7-8 minutes over a medium heat, then turn them over and continue to cook for about anther 7 or so minutes.  Add the Parmigiano cheese  and the salt and pepper and mix together well.  Then add the spinach and the tomatoes.  Cook just long enough for the spinach to start to wilt.

I added a little butter at the end as a finishing touch, which also cut down on some of the acidity from the tomatoes and the tomato paste.  You can eat it just like this, served over either rice or pasta, or you can use it as a sauce to top steak, chicken or shrimp.  I served it over steak.

I thought the creamy mushrooms and tomato sauce was a perfect compliment to the steak.  I hope you like it too.  Our vacation was great, but it feels good to be home too.

Ciao for now!

Well, sadly, our Spanish vacation has come to an end.  We traveled over 1600 miles or about 2600 km.  We saw so many beautiful and wonderful sights, wined and dined on some fabulous foods, met some fun and interesting people, and overall, had a truly fantastic time.  Our last stop before heading home was a night outside of London, just a few short bus stops away from Heathrow airport.

This was our little flat we stayed in for the night.  There were four rooms, all labeled by the seasons, and then a shared kitchen, which of course we did not use at all.  We stayed in the Autumn room.  It was very cute and comfortable, and the owner even stopped by to check on us to make sure we had everything we needed.  We dropped off our bags and headed out.

Our first stop was for dinner at The Three Magpies Pub.  We were famished and what better place to eat in London than a good, old fashioned London pub.  This was just a quick walk away from where we were staying too.  It was nice and refreshing to enjoy some cooler London weather too.  Spain was very, very hot.

This cozy little spot right in front of the fireplace is where we sat to enjoy our delicious dinner of bangers and mash for Larry and a chicken and mushroom pie for me.

While there were still daylight hours, with full bellies, and what little energy we had left, we set out to see what we could see.  On the to-do list was to ride a double decker bus, on the top of course.

The view from the top opened the window to a little bit of life in the outskirts of London.  The bus was free from the airport, and we rode it to the end of the line, but we had to pay to ride back.  We did not have any British pounds, and we were not going to get any since we were only in town for a few short hours, so we walked it back.  It was a much longer walk than what we thought, and by the time we got back to our flat, we were exhausted.  But we got to see some nice flowers and houses on the way back, plus we burned off some extra calories as well.

A traditional London cabbie out for a drive.

Some typical English homes.

In the morning, we headed out, back to Heathrow, headed for home.  At the start of our trip, we flew from Houston to London.  Coming home, we took a different route, and flew over the southern most tip of Greenland.  I think the people who named Iceland and Greenland got it backwards.  Iceland, from all the pictures I’ve seen, is actually green and Greenland is covered in snow.  HMMMMM!  This is our view from 40,000 feet above the ground.

I am always a bit sad when my vacations come to an end, but at the same time, it’s good to get back home too. I ALWAYS miss my fur babies, my peeps, my swimmers, and the general routine of home sweet home.  After all, “There is no place like home”.

I hope you have all enjoyed my special series on Spain as much as I enjoyed sharing all our Spanish adventures with you.  The hardest part was to narrow things down without overwhelming you.  We have no other vacations on the books for the moment, and once again, “The Kitchen” is open for business as usual.

Ciao for now!