Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Our Pelicans are very seasonal. They join us in spring and usually stay through the summer. The Pelicans are our largest birds here in Colorado. The breeding males have large vertical plates on their beaks. This helps them to establish dominance over their particular territory. Yesterday the Pelicans arrived. They came just in time to celebrate Earth Day this year. 🙂

Sometimes we see them in big groups.

Often they are together with the Egrets.

We see them off on their own quite frequently too.

And on a particularly lucky day, I can get some good shots of them flying above.

Have a great day and make everyday great. If you allow yourself to see it, everyday always has something good to show us. 🙂

Preserved lemons and olives are two principal ingredients found in many traditional Moroccan dishes. So of course I used both preserved lemons When The World Gives You Lemons and olives for my dishes I prepared for my Middle Eastern Dinner. My Middle Eastern Dinner – Part 1 Most of my dishes were Lebanese and Moroccan, though there is a lot of crossover between all of the Middle Eastern dishes and recipes. My chicken tagine with preserved lemons and olives was one of my Moroccan recipes. It received rave reviews from all.

Moroccan food is influenced by many of its surrounding neighbors and their cultures. It has influences from the Berbers and their love of cooking tagines and couscous; from the desert Bedouins and their love of of dates, milk and grains; the Moors who were exiled from Spain, who brought olives, olive oil paprika and herbs; the Sephardic Jews who brought their food preserving techniques and the use of salts; the Arabs who helped spread all these food ideas and techniques throughout the regions; the Ottomans for kebabs and pastry making; and the French for their cooking finesse.

Tagines are favorites of the nomadic Berbers. They are dishes prepared with either meat, fish, and/or vegetables that are simmered in rich buttery sauces, onions, and often use fruit, herbs, honey and chilies in their sauces. A tagine is also the name of their preferred cooking vessel. The Berbers in the Northern regions close to both Spain and France, tend to brown their meats in butter and/or oil and also add sauteed vegetables to their dishes. The Southern Berbers just throw everything together without cooking them separately first. Time and a slow cook over a low heat or flame are key to preparing a good tagine. This cooking method keeps the proteins moist and tender.

I slow cooked my chicken with lemons and olives, so I was cooking my tagine in the Northern fashion.

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives

I marinated my chicken overnight, so it was full of flavor and very moist and tender.

The Marinade

1 onion

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

1/3 cup cilantro

pinch of saffron threads or powder

pinch of saffron salt, optional

2 TBSP lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup olive oil

1-2 TBSP lemon olive oil, optional

2-3 lbs chicken pieces

Combine everything together and blend in a food processor until everything is like a thick, liquidy paste. Add the chicken pieces and completely coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before cooking.

2 preserved lemons, cut into thin strips, discarding the insides and only using the skins

1 cup green olives, cut in half

1/2 cup dry white wine

1-2 cups chicken broth

2 tsp dried thyme and/or oregano

When ready to cook the chicken, get a large skillet or pot very hot and add a combination of both olive oil and butter. Carefully add the chicken pieces and brown on both sides, cooking for about 4 minutes per side.

When the chicken is browned, remove it from the heat and set aside. Add the white wine to the pan and degalze it. Add the rest of the marinade, the herbs and the chicken broth to the pan, as well as the chicken. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 40-45 minutes.

Add the preserved lemons and olives, cover and simmer again for an additional 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Serve over cooked couscous. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and couscous.

This dish was most definitely a fan favorite. Everyone loved it, and you will too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I hosted my Middle Eastern dinner party last night. Once again, it was a huge success, with lots of rave reviews. There were 16 of us who feasted on the delicious Middle Eastern dishes. Our neighbors Hanaa and Aziz, who were unofficially the reason for the party, were very impressed and Hanaa said I had all the flavors and dishes authentically prepared. YAY! That’s what I was hoping for. 🙂

Once again, I made a fairly elaborate menu. There were two main entrees, with lots of vegetable side dishes and two desserts. The menu included:

• Chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives
• Lamb skewers with mint sauce
• Heirloom tomato and onion salad
• Moroccan carrots
• Falafels
• A mezze platter
• Spicy cilantro potatoes
• warmed pita bread
• Hummus, made by Hanaa
• Tabbouleh, made by Janet
• Orange blossom meringues with macerated strawberries and chocolate orange sauce Orange Blossom Meringues With Macerated Strawberries
• Baklava, by Mumtaz
• Cucumber spritzers with mint to drink

I did the bulk of it all, but I did have a little help as well. Everyone enjoyed it all, and there really was nothing left after the feast. This is rare. I almost always have a little leftover, but not this time. I guess I am getting pretty good at preparing just the right amount. 🙂 With full and happy tummies, we all played some games after, that provided lots of fun and laughter. It was yet another deliciously fun evening spent with friends and neighbors.

Yes, you will get all the recipes for everything I prepared. And after, you can feel confident in preparing your own Middle Eastern feast for family and friends too. 🙂

Life is short. Laugh often, have fun and make the most of it. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

In just a little bit I will be back in the kitchen preparing the rest of my dishes for my Middle Eastern dinner. I have some things already prepared and ready to cook, but I have more to do. Some things, like my desserts, are already made. I figure life is short, so start with dessert. 🙂

One of tonight’s desserts is orange blossom meringues with macerated strawberries and orange chocolate sauce. Yet another delicious way to use up some of my orange chocolate sauce. 🙂

Orange Blossom Meringues with Macerated Strawberries and Chocolate Orange Sauce

The original recipe called for rose water, but then I thought I still have quite a bit of my chocolate orange sauce left, and I have both rose water and orange blossom water, thanks to Julia, so let’s make it orange instead. As you can see, both will work just fine. One will give you hints of rose and the other will give hints of orange. Besides, when have I EVER followed a recipe exactly???? UMMMMM ….. I’m thinking …. Oh yeah! NEVER!!!!! 🙂 The original recipe also called for rhubarb, which is fine, but I like strawberries better, and I was looking for a way to use up more of my chocolate orange sauce.

I made the meringues earlier in the week and had them in the refrigerator until I was ready to finish them.

I tripled my recipe because I wanted to make sure I had enough for all my guests. There will be about 20 people here tonight. I will give you the real proportions instead of my tripled version.

2 egg whites at room temperature

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

pinch of salt

3 drops either rose water or orange blossom water

3/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 200* F or 95*C.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt at a low speed for about 3 minutes or until foamy. Add the orange blossom water, increase the speed and beat again for another 3 minutes, or until if forms into a soft peak. Start adding the sugar, a little at a time, until it is all added in, and increase the mixer speed to high. Beat again for another 3 minutes, or until the egg whites are glossy and form into stiff peaks.

Once the egg whites are stiff and glossy, fill a pastry tube with just a plain, round tip, and pipe the meringues into a round shape, about 2 inches in diameter onto the parchment paper.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until the meringues are dry. Immediately after they are done, remove and make a little well in the center of each meringue with the back of a spoon. Turn the heat off and place the meringues back in the oven for at least another hour, to completely dry out. At this point, if you are not ready to finish them, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the meringues for up to about 3 months.

The Macerated Strawberries

Macerated means to soften or sweeten by soaking in a liquid. It is the perfect way to sweeten strawberries that aren’t as sweet or ripe as you would like them. Maceration is a process in which produce (usually fruit) sits in a flavorful substance (usually sugar, vinegar, or juice), tenderizing the ingredient and intensifying its natural flavors. Stone fruits, berries, and even tomatoes can benefit from maceration, to concentrate their sweetness and soften their texture.

1 cup strawberries, diced fine

2 TBSP sugar

2-3 TBSP black fig balsamic vinegar

Mix everything together and let rest for about 30 minutes or so. Then drain off the excess liquid and place about 1/2 tsp of strawberry mixture into each meringue well.

With a spoon, drizzle the chocolate orange sauce across the meringues. Cover and place back in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

My other dessert for tonight is baklava. I confess though, I did NOT make it this time. I can, but why? I have my favorite local Mediterranean restaurant, called Mumtaz, Mediterranean Mumtaz that makes it perfectly, so it’s much easier and more convenient to buy it from my friend Mo than to make it. I am also helping a small local business. 🙂

Desserts are first this time, but you will soon get the whole menu. I just need to prepare it and cook it all first. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I will be busy in the kitchen once again in just a bit. I am hosting a Middle Eastern themed dinner party tomorrow evening. Planning A Party One of my recipes called for preserved lemons. So, when the world gives you lemons … Preserve them.

This recipe is super easy-peasy and only requires three ingredients – lemons, coarse salt and lemon juice. Yep! That’s it, and time.

Wash and dry the lemons, then cut off the bottoms. Make a couple of deeper cuts into the lemons. Basically you are slicing them into quarters without cutting them through completely. You are just making deep slashes.

Fill each slash with as much coarse salt as it will hold.

Stack the lemons in an airtight container and pour fresh lemon juice over them. Then store them in the refrigerator for anywhere from three days to a month. When you are ready to use them, slice the skins into thin slices and add them to your recipes.

The recipe is basically 1 TBSP of coarse salt for every lemon, with about two TBSP of lemon juice per lemon. You will see what I am making soon. I am going to tease you just a little longer though, while I start preparing everything. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Looking out my window right now, you would think we were still in winter, even though the calendar says it is spring. It is another very cold and gray day and it snowed again last night, with more snow coming again tonight. However, we have had some very nice, warm spring days too. When it is warm and sunny out, all the birds come out to sing their love songs. One of those birds is the Rosy Capped Finch. I have seen so many Rosy Capped Finches out already, and hopefully a lot more to come.

I love the snow and the winter wonderlands we get, but I am done with the snow for this year. I am ready for spring. I want to see the flowers in all their glory, and I want to hear the birds sing.

I have been seeing the startings of my iris blooms for awhile now, but every time I looked, there were no irises. That all changed yesterday though. My yellow irises are now out. WHOOOO HOOOO!!!! Still no purple ones yet though, and they may be delayed a bit longer. We are getting snow again today. Yesterday it was warm and sunny and today it is freezing and snowing. Gotta love our wacky, wacky Colorado weather, especially during spring.

Irises were my mother’s favorite flower, so every time I see them, I know my mommy is close by. She would love these too. She had so many irises, in every color and every style too.

I love crepes, but don’t make them all that often. I like them more than Larry does. I like savory crepes and I like sweet crepes. Savory crepes are used as the main course of a meal, where as sweet crepes are usually eaten as desserts or breakfast. I wanted to vary our menu a bit for dinner, so I made crepes stuffed with chicken and spinach then topped them with a mustard cream sauce. And, I got to use up a lot of my leftovers in the process. WHOOOO HOOOO!!!!

Crepes are both individual pancakes that are very thin, as well as the filled creation you make with the crepes. They are very popular in France, where they were created, but are also very popular all over Europe, as well as the rest of the world too. They are loved internationally. Of course these delicious pancakes go by different names depending on where you eat them. In Italy, they are known as crespelles. Hungary calls them palaesintas. They are known as blintzes in the Jewish communities, and blinis in Russia. The Greeks call them kreps, and the Scandinavians call them plattars.

“In France, crepes are traditionally offered on Candlemas or Shrove Tuesday to celebrate renewal, family life and hope for good fortune and happiness ahead. While making the crepes, it is customary to touch the handle of the frying pan and make a wish while the pancake is turned, holding a coin in the hand. In earlier French times, rural society farmers offered crepes to their landlords as a symbol of their allegiance.” (p. 5 Crepes Sweet & Savory Recipes for the Home Cook by Lou Seibert Pappas).

The word crepe is French, but has its origins from the Latin word crispus. Crepes were originally known as galettes, or flat cakes. For the best results, prepare the batter at least one hour before cooking, though two hours is better. The resting time allows for the flour to absorb into the liquids and for the foam to dissipate. You want the batter to be the consistency of heavy cream.

Crepes with Chicken and Spinach

Crepes can be filled with anything. They are very versatile. The possibilities are endless. I made savory crepes, with sun-dried tomatoes cooked right into the mix. Then filled them with chicken, spinach, mushrooms, garlic and shallots.

The Crepes

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup water

1 cup flour

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil

Whisk everything together just until it is well blended. Do NOT overmix, or you will have tough crepes. Then cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before cooking.

While my batter was setting, I made the stuffing.

2-3 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 large shallot, sliced very thin

1/2 TBSP garlic

2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced small

salt & pepper to taste

1-2 tsp lemon pepper

shredded light or white cheese of your choice

In a hot skillet, cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes in a little butter and olive oil until the shallots are translucent and the spinach is wilted.

Add the cooked chicken and combine together well. Cook just long enough for the chicken to heat up. Once everything is cooked, set it aside and make the crepes.

Get a small skillet very hot and add about 1-2 tsp of butter and swirl it around for EACH CREPE. Add about 2/3 cup of the batter and swirl it around to completely cover the pan. Cook for about 1-1 1/2 minutes per side, or until the batter is mostly dry, then carefully flip and continue to cook for an additional 1-1/2 minutes once again. Repeat until all the batter is cooked.

Preheat the oven to 375*F or 191* C.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

To fill the crepes, add a layer of cheese, then about 2 TBSP of filling. Grab the edges and carefully roll each crepe, and place them side by side in the prepared pan.

When all the crepes are filled, top them with a little cheese and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until all the cheese is melted.

While the crepes are cooking, make the sauce. I made a mustard cream sauce.

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tsp spicy brown mustard

2 TBSP butter

1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

Mix everything together in a small skillet and combine well. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the butter as a finish right at the end of the cooking process and incorporate well.

Once everything is ready, top the crepes with sauce and serve alongside your favorite side dishes. I had some wild rice and asparagus. Then I finished it off with a nice chardonnay. It was a perfect spring meal.

C’est ce bon! Bon Appetit!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I know some of you are not big squirrel fans, but we have so many around these days, and I think they are just so darned cute. They love to be photographed and always seem to be posing for the camera. How can I resist taking lots of pictures of them? 🙂 So for those of you who are not big squirrel fans, I apologize. For the rest of us, have fun.

Get squirrely and have a fun, exciting day. 🙂

I still had some ceviche left from when I made it for the the hockey get together Hockey Nibblies. We could have easily enjoyed as is, but where’s the fun in that? So of course I turned it into something new.

I had some Swai that I pan-fried then topped it with the ceviche. DELICIOUS! In a restaurant, this would have easily been a $30-35 meal. But here at home, it wasn’t expensive at all, especially when made with leftovers. 🙂

Swai fish, also known as Pangasius or basa, is very similar to Tilapia. They are both light and flaky white fish with mild and sweet flavors. They are also both very versatile and lend themselves to many different recipes. Swai and Tilapia are two fish species that have gained popularity in recent years due to their affordability, mild taste, and versatility in various dishes. Swai originally comes from Southeast Asia and is primarily found in the waters of Vietnam, Cambodia, and other neighboring countries. On the other hand, Tilapia originates from Africa and the Middle East but has been widely introduced elsewhere in freshwater habitats around the world.

First, I patted the fish fillets dry with a paper towel. Then dipped them in an egg and cream mixture and then dipped them in a combination of flour, pepper, salt, and lemon pepper to make the coating.

I pan-fried them in a very hot skillet with a combination of butter, lime olive oil and chili olive oil, for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. When cooking fish, especially white fish, you know they are done when the flesh becomes white and flaky.

Once everything was cooked, I plated it all up, restaurant-style of course, on a bed of wild rice, topped with ceviche, with green beans and my cheesy bread twists on the side. Cheesy Bread Twists And to finish it off, a glass or two of some rich, buttery, oaky chardonnay to complete the meal.

Easy-peasy and delicious! This is definitely my kind of meal. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.