I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
We have a lot of different birds all around us, though some we see all the time, while others only on occasion. The Belted Kingfisher is one of those birds we only see on rare occasions, at least in my neck of the woods. I always get real excited when I see birds I don’t often see, although to be fair, I also love seeing all my regular feathered friends too.
These pictures aren’t the best, but he was far away and I zoomed in as best I could. But I saw him, and I got him. I didn’t get an opportunity to take a lot of pictures because he was gone in a flash.
Traditional gyros are Greek sandwiches usually made with slices of meat, mostly lamb, but often a combination of lamb and beef, or even turkey or chicken. They have been eaten in Greece since around the early 1900’s. They are very similar to the döner kebabs of Turkey and shawarma of the Middle East. Though the roots of the gyro date back 100 years, the modern day gyro as we now know it, is a fairly new creation, most probably created in New York, around the 1970’s.
The name gyro comes from the Greek γύρος (gyros, ‘circle’ or ‘turn’), and is a calque of the Turkish word döner, from dönmek, also meaning “turn”.
When I made my batch of lamb last week, It’s Ok, I’ll Make Lamb I only used half of the lamb I purchased. So the next batch became gyros. I made them with all the traditional Greek toppings and fixins’. Gyro meat is traditionally stuffed into a warm pita with tomato, red onion, a few French fries, and a healthy dose of tzatziki served on the side. Once again, it was a combined meal. I made all the gyros and Lauren brought some corn chowder, a delicious salad, and some cantaloupe. We all enjoyed a very tasty Mediterranean meal out on the deck before heading off to our next adventures for the day.
I started off by marinating the lamb for about 6 hours in just a basic herb and garlic marinade.
Then I made the tzatziki sauce and chopped up the tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers. As you all know, I love all different kinds of ethnic foods, and I try to keep them as authentic as I can when I make them, though there are always plenty of recipes from which to choose. There is never just one way to make something.
Tzatziki Sauce
This sauce is very easy to make and takes no time at all, and it is so cool and refreshing.
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 heaping TBSP garlic
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
1-2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced medium-fine
2-3 TBSP red onion, diced fine
Mix everything together and combine well. Chill until ready to use.
We cooked the lamb and heated up the pitas on the grill, and then it was time to wrap up the gyros and enjoy them out on the deck.
I also plated up a variety of olives for us to enjoy along with some French fries, making the meal even more authentically Mediterranean and Greek.
It was a perfect summer meal that was made even better while sharing it with our good friends Mike and Lauren.
It all looks Greek to me and that is A-OK. Even simple everyday things can be turned into a celebration of life and all that is good. Make the most out of everything. Enjoy all your days. Everyday is always a better day when shared with good friends, loved ones and family.
Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
It is still salad weather. We eat at least one big salad per week as our main meal during this time of year too. There are so many great salads and so little time to enjoy them. We do the best that we can though.
When I made my Alabama white BBQ sauce, Alabama Styled White BBQ Chicken I had some left over, so I turned it into a dressing and made a big delicious salad that would highlight this dressing/sauce perfectly. Make it nice and peppery to rally make all the flavors come to life.
This salad was loaded with all kinds of fresh, tasty goodness and it was just perfect for a hot summer’s eve. I loaded it up with apples, chicken and bacon. Everything is better with bacon, right? This salad was no exception either. Served with some chilled chardonnay and some warmed ciabiatta bread, it made for a perfect summer meal.
Chicken, Apple and Bacon Salad
The Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP garlic
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 shallot, minced fine
1 TBSP black or mixed peppercorns, crushed
Mix everything together well and chill until ready to use.
The Salad
Mixed salad greens or Romain lettuce
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
1 apple, chopped
4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
3 oz provolone cheese or cheese of your choice, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
Layer the salad starting with the lettuce, then adding the apples and onions and cheese (if using). For Larry’s salad he got both provolone and feta cheese, since I had just a little Feta that needed to be used as well. Mine, of course, had NO cheese at all. You can also use dried cranberries too if you like, I didn’t think of that at the time, but it would really make the salad pop. I love dried cranberries too. I wish I had though of it earlier. Next time.
Add the chicken, then top with avocado slices, if using. Add your dressing and then top with the bacon crumbles. Don’t be shy when it comes to adding the bacon. YUMMY!
This is a simple salad that is simply delicious. It was a explosion of different tastes and textures that just worked perfectly. I guarantee, you’re going to love thissuper summer salad.
Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
I love the red winged blackbirds and their chirpy little song. They are so beautiful. Usually we see a whole bunch of them, but this year not so much. I did however get some good shots of the last ones I saw.
This one is a female. You can tell because she is not so brightly colored as the males.
This one is a male. See the difference in heir wings?
Muffins are a favorite snack for everyone. You can pick them up and eat them at anytime of the day, plus they are easy to take with you when you are eating on the go. We all love our muffins. There are so many different ways to enjoy them too. They are very versatile.
My latest muffins were chocolate muffins topped with a little “toffee”. I kind of made this recipe up based on a picture I saw in the grocery store.
Chocolate Muffins with Toffee Topping
Preheat the oven to 375* F or 190* C.
Spray your muffin tins with cooking spray and line with paper muffin cups.
2 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup or 1 stick melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Combine all the dry ingredients together and mix well.
Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy, then add the eggs 1 at a time, and mix in between each addition.
Alternate the dry ingredients and the milk, adding 1/2 at a time, and mixing in between each addition.
Once everything is combined, carefully fill the muffin cups.
Combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and the nuts and then sprinkle some on top of the muffins before baking.
Bake the muffins for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick that is inserted in the middle comes out clean.
These little muffins are perfect at anytime. They are not too sweet and are very easy to eat.
Have a great day. Stay cool, stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
When Jenni and I were sampling the wines at Balistreri Vineyards, Touring Denver – Part 2 – Balistreri Vineyards we were saying what the wines would go really well with, and surprisingly, lamb came up numerous times. I guess we were both hungry for some good lamb. When I found out that Jenni did not have to be back as early as we first thought, it was a great opportunity for me to fix us a us all a good lamb dinner.
I served the lamb with some sauteed vegetables, couscous and a deliciously smooth, red blend. No, the wine was not from Balistreri, but from InVintions instead.
On the way home, we stopped at Costco and picked up a lamb roast, and once we got home, I immediately started marinating it. I made an orange, red wine and pepper marinade for it.
Orange, Red Wine and Pepper Marinade
1 – 1 1/2 cups red wine
1/3 cup orange balsamic vinegar
1/4 red onion, diced very fine
1 TBSP garlic
1 TBSP mixed peppercorns, cracked and smashed
1 TBSP fresh oregano, rosemary and thyme, chopped fine
Mix everything together and coat the lamb, or beef or pork. Allow to marinade for at least 2 hours before cooking, if possible. We were still on a time crunch, so I was not able to marinade it for that long, but we still let it rest for about an hour before putting the lamb on the grill.
Once the lamb was on the grill, I reused the sauce to make a wine reduction sauce to top the lamb.
Put the sauce in a sauce pan and bring to a full rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes or so, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Make sure to stir frequently so it doesn’t burn.
Some people like to strain the sauce before topping the meat with it, so it is just the sauce, but I like all the extra goodies in my sauce. I think it adds a lot more personality to the dish.
Once the lamb was cooked to a nice medium rare, it was time to plate it up, top it off and dress it up. We seared it to make a nice crusty outer layer and the meat was juicy and tender on the inside. Perfect!
And voila! Dinner was served in hardly anytime at all. We all loved the lamb and the sauce. Larry was pleasantly surprised when he got home from work. He was expecting leftovers. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.
After taking the candy tour at Hammond’s Touring Denver – Part 1 – Hammond’s Candy Factory, and going to Balistreri VineyardsTouring Denver – Part 2 – Balistreri Vineyards, we felt like it was good to walk around a bit. Another fun touristy thing that has made it’s way on to the go-to list whenever we have visitors in town is the RiNo (River North District of Denver) art walk. So of course, when my niece Jenni was here, I took her there as well. Every time I go, there is always something new to see.
The art is so creative and colorful, and it is always changing. Every inch of available space is painted. There are no rules and there is no rhyme or reason as to what is painted or how. There are the newest works to my eyes. There is always so much to see too. It’s hard not taking a ton of pictures.
I love this one because of the old church clock in the background mixing with the vibrant new walls of the RiNo.
Yet another old, steepled church in the background, once again mixing the old and the new.
As you can see, there is a lot of talent to be found on the walls, in the streets, and on the windows of the RiNo.
There are even a handful of scattered fun sculptures around too, though mostly some form of painting is the preferred medium of expression.
The artwork of the RiNo is ever expanding. It is a fun, free way to see the creative side of Denver.
After a full day of experiencing many different sides of Denver, it was time to come home. At first, I thought our time was going to be limited, but Jenni extended her day a bit more, and she was able to come home for a bit. I cooked us all a delicious lamb dinner before taking Jenni back to her friend’s house, and then flying back to Iowa early the next morning.
The summer flowers are beginning to fade as the seasons are about to change. There are still a few of the beautiful summer blooms out, but they won’t be around much longer. Here are a few more, to help keep summer going as long we as can.
Enjoy the flowers while you still can. Soon they will be gone and a new beginning is on the way.
After touring Hammond’s Candy FactoryTouring Denver – Part 1 – Hammond’s Candy Factory we were ready for our next adventure. Jenni and I both love our wines, and we were ready for to do some wine tasting. So we did some research and lo and behold, there was a winery, Balistreri Vineyards, that was only about a mile away from where Hammond’s was. How could we pass that up?
Next stop, Balistreri Vineyards. Balistreri is a new vineyard for me too, so yet again, we ventured to a new place for both of us. Balistreri is a little oasis located in the heart of the industrial part of town. You would never know it though. By looking at it, you would think you are in the middle of wine country.
Balistreri Vineyards hosts a lot of weddings and events, and you can easily see why. This is the front entrance. In the back there is an even larger area where they set up for concerts and other events as well. We were told they are having four wedding this weekend.
Balistreri Vineyards is a family-owned & operated, all-natural winery located just 10 minutes outside of Downtown Denver. All their natural wines are made from Colorado grown grapes that are grown in Palisades, in Western Colorado, or what is commonly known as the Western Slopes.
Balistreri Vineyards was first started in 1998, by John and Birdie Balistreri. John wanted to create a wine in the traditional old world Italian style, like his family made back in Sicily. Prior to 1998 the Balistreri family was only making wines for family and friends, but then decided to make it commercially for all of Denver to enjoy as well.
Birdie Balistreri was originally a florist and grew flowers. Today, that very same land that was used to grow Birdie’s flowers home to the Balistreri EventCenter and Winery. This is Birdie, or as she fondly calls herself, “the Wino’s wife”.
Julie Balistreri, “the Wino’s Daughter” and winemaker as well.
Balistreri offers about 20+ different wines, mostly big, bold, dry reds. However, they do have some ports and slightly sweeter wines and some white wines, that are actually “orange” in color. They are just white wines that have been made with the skins still on them, and the color is a light orange rather than the normal white we see.
Philip is explaining the process of making the “orange” whites.
Larry, my DD, was not with us today, so I had to go very light on the tastings. I did a a light flight, and only tried a few of the wines, but Jenni did the bulk of the tastings, and she tried all the wines. My flight was called “The Welcome Back Flight” and consisted of a viognier, a sangiovese, a tempranillo, a malbec and a petit verdot. All the wines were very good, but I think my favorite was the petit verdot, although I really liked the sangiovese too.
Birdie took us on a tour of the wine cellar too, where she showed us the process of how they make all their wines, the old fashioned, natural way.
Balistreri is considered a boutique winery and produce about 8,000 cases of wine per year. Currently they have 386 barrels in their cellar.
Everything is still done by hand, and all the bottles are hand dipped in wax to seal them too.
Don is getting the labels ready to place on the bottles. He is lightning fast and everything is done to perfection.
Not only were there good wines to enjoy at Balistreri, but there was also some fun and funky art as well. There were also doing some wedding preparations taking place too.
Once again, we had another fun and informative adventure while exploring Denver. We both thoroughly enjoyed the Balistreri wines and hospitality. Balistreri Vineyards is located at 1946 East 66th Street, Denver, CO. You can call them at (303) 287-5156 or you can visit them online at http://www.BalistreriWine.com, or better yet, go in person and let the tastings begin.
Stay tuned. The Denver adventures of Jeanne and Jenni aren’t done yet. There is still more to come.
I guess maybe because change is in the air, but lately my walks around the lakes have been VERY quiet. Only a few ducks and geese are out these days. Although, that being said, I did capture this one little barn swallow who was just singing away. He seemed so happy.
I guess he just had a son he wanted everyone to hear. Doesn’t he look happy?
Be the singing swallow, and sing your song for everyone to hear.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 