A Jeanne in the Kitchen

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.

I have a feeling this is going to be a very pretty spring. It is still early spring, and already everything is blooming up nicely. There are so many blooms all around, and everything is already so bright and colorful. I am loving it now. I can’t wait to see everything in full bloom and bright colors.

Here are some of our latest blooms. All of my trees are filling out nicely. Unfortunately, they are also wreaking havoc on my allergies though, but it is all worth it. They all look so gorgeous and colorful.

Have a bright and colorful day, today, tomorrow and everyday. 🙂

I don’t really need a reason to have a party. If there is not a holiday or significant reason, I’ll create something. I love to entertain and I love to cook and feed people. My Australian “brother” (long story) says “she’s a feeder” and he is absolutely right. 🙂

I am having another get-together this weekend, for about 15-20 people. The reason … Well, there really isn’t one, other than I just wanted to do something special for my neighbors, Hanaa and Aziz, who are always so thoughtful and helpful.

I think you can probably tell by my cookbooks, what kind of party I am hosting this time. 🙂

All of these books have FABULOUS recipes and ideas, but for this particular party, I am making everything from these two books only. My menu is already planned, and my shopping list is made. I have even started preparing some things that can be prepared in advance. But you will have to wait just a little bit longer to see what exotic delicacies will be served. A little anticipation is a good thing. 🙂

There will be plenty more opportunities to use the other books. Larry always says there is not enough time for me to cook everything from all the cookbooks I already have, but I am doing my best to prove him wrong. The only problem with this is that, you NEVER have your last cookbook. There is always another one that captures your attention, that you just have to have. 🙂

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

Colorado has three species of phoebes, but the ones I see most often are the Says Phoebe. They usually stay around visiting from March-October. They like to sing their little s’wee or s’yew songs. I have been seeing quite a few Says Phoebes lately too. Usually I find them perched atop something so they can look out and peruse their territory.

I was following and watching this one little bird fly from place to place and he allowed me to catch him at all of his locations. I think he liked having the paparazzi follow him. 🙂

If you are patient enough, there is so much to see. All you have to do is open your eyes and let nature come to you. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I know you probably think we eat fancy meals every day, but we don’t. We actually eat a lot of simple, easy meals too, especially if it is just for the two of us.

The other day, I bought some “lobster”, which is really the imitation lobster, once again made from pollock, just like the krab. In all honestly, I can’t really tell much difference between the two, though there is definitely a difference between real lobster and real crab. That being said, the imitation versions are both very good. At first, I was going to add the “lobster” to my ceviche, but it had enough shrimp in it and didn’t need anything more. So I made a lobster salad instead, and then made lobster melts with it. We enjoyed them with French fries out on our beloved deck and had a very pleasant, relaxing lunch.

Lobster Salad

This was just a simple, easy-peasy little salad that is perfect for anytime you are looking for something quick to make or to take with you when on the go. Anything goes, but since the lobster flavor is very mild, you want to keep the spices and flavorings of the salad mild as well.

1 package lobster, diced small

1/4 red bell pepper, diced very fine

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 tsp lemongrass curry or mild curry, or to taste

1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix everything together and chill. Easy-peasy. I like to mix my mayonnaise and spices together separately so the flavors are well blended. Also, this allows you to use only as much of the mayonnaise mixture as you need, without drowning out the salad and the flavors of the other ingredients.

I made my sandwiches open face sandwiches, but this is just a personal preference. Once ready to make the sandwiches, I buttered one side of the bread and put it buttered side down in a hot skillet to grill it. Then I added some jalapeno jack cheese on top, though you can use any kind of mild cheese you like, covered it and let the cheese melt. Once the cheese was melted and the bread was lightly golden and crispy, it was time to add the lobster salad and avocado slices.

This is a perfect idea for a quick and easy-peasy lunch. With warmer weather coming, I much prefer to be outside, enjoying the sunshine, than inside cooking over a hot stove, so simple and easy-peasy is always welcomed. 🙂

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

Spring is in full swing now, and I am seeing more and more Northern Flickers out and about. I will never complain when meeting up with these gorgeous feathered friends. The males are so handsome with their red crested throats. The females are pretty too, though their colors are much more muted.

This one looks like a female.

This is the male. I tend to see more males than females. I guess because the females are busy attending to their nests.

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