A Jeanne in the Kitchen

As you all know, I love my plants and flowers. I love all kinds of succulents too. I have three Christmas cacti, but only one that is really blooming beautifully at the moment. Tis the season.

The Holiday season has officially begun. Unofficially it started with Halloween, but the official start was Thanksgiving. The count-down has started. This is my first of a new series of posts leading up to Christmas Day – “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”.

Here in the United States, we have the traditions of Black Friday, which is day after Thanksgiving. It is a HUGE event with most businesses and retailers offering huge sales that draw massive amounts of people to their businesses in hopes of getting all kinds of great deals on their holiday purchases. Normally I am NOT a fan of Black Friday and do NOT partake in these activities. I hate crowds and I detest all the mobs associated with Black Friday. However, when wine is involved, that is a different story. 🙂

You have seen my posts about InVINtions for years now. We have been members there for 10 years. And every Black Friday, they have their own fun traditions. Of course we participate and have fun with them. Video #17 – INVINtions, A Creative Winery This year was no different. Usually, they have everyone come in their pajamas for games and great deals. Last year, we played Monopoly or Wineopoly. This year, they went back to the pajama party, but I guess I missed that part of the memo, so we did not come in our pajamas. But we went with Janet and Bob, and we all had a great time and got some great deals as well, even though we were dressed in our street clothes. Janet and I always bring a feast and this time was no different. No one will EVER go hungry when Janet and I are in charge of the food. That is for sure. 🙂

Black Friday at InVINtions. Let the wining begin. Larry literally stands heads above the rest and is one of the first people in line. He is in the striped shirt.

There were so many other goodies besides wine too. I did not need anything, but I got another one of their big mugs with a steaming cup of mulled wine. I did this last year too.

Janet and Larry holding down the table, making sure no one helps themselves to our bounty.

As I have said many many times, there is nothing better than celebrating good times with good friends and good food, and of course, good wines too. Let’s all start ringing in the holiday season with lots of good cheer.

On a side note, we had some issues with our network and I was out of commission for a short bit. But things are seemingly back on track, and so am I.

Stay well and stay safe Everyone. May we all enjoy this beautiful and joyous time of year and let’s start ringing in the Holidays!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It all about being thankful for what you have and getting together with loved ones. We had a small gathering of friends over, but we all had so much fun. Everyone brought something delicious, and we ate, and we ate, and we ate. After dinner we played some games and we laughed, and we laughed, and we laughed. It was a very fun and festive evening, just exactly how it is supposed to be too.

Yes, I was in the kitchen cooking most of the day, and I prepared all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes like stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted vegetables, a colorful salad, and of course, the main attraction – the TURKEY. Julia brought her famous rolls and Lauren made a fantastic antipasto tray.

The star of the day.

And the co-stars.

Julia and her beautifully delicious rolls.

We had already started nibbling on Lauren’s antipasto tray before I thought of taking a picture of it, but trust me, it was beautiful, delicious and very creative.

Celebrating a bit before sitting down to eat.

When it was time to eat, Larry starting carving the turkey. We were all hungry, and were ready to get this party started.

For desserts rather than making big pies this year, I made small little nibblies instead, including some of my caramels. Video #18 – Making Caramels with Priscilla.

We had a very Happy Thanksgiving indeed. I hope all of you did too.

No matter what is going on in the world, there is still so much to be thankful for. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the States. It has always been my favorite holiday.

I am cooking and we are hosting a small group. Of course there will be a big turkey as the center of attention, plus everything else that goes with turkey.

I wish you all a very Happy and safe Thanksgiving. Count your blessings. We have many.

Here in the United States, and I am sure in many other parts of the world as well, we live in a throw-away society and sadly, this applies to a lot of foods too. This breaks my heart, especially when so many people around the world would love to have the foods we throw away. We are so programmed that if something doesn’t look “perfect” or is different than what we are used to, then it won’t taste “perfect” either. But this is not true at all. In fact, it is just the opposite. Here are some examples: 1) When bananas start to brown, people throw them away, but those are just what you need for making banana breads or mashing them up to use for baking. 2) When bread dries out it is often thrown away, when instead it could be turned into either croutons or as a stuffing or bread pudding. And 3) When salsa starts getting a bit vinegary, use it for a sauce. After all, when making tomato sauces, you often add either wine or vinegar or both anyway, so why not add a vinegary salsa as well. By no means am I suggesting to eat foods that are not edible and have gone bad. I am just saying that just because they no longer look “pretty” doesn’t mean that are not still usable in different ways. Necessity is so often the mother of invention, and waste not want not.

We eat a lot of salsa in our house, but there are times when we just can’t get through it quick enough and sometimes, even though it is still well within the “use-by dates”, it just has a bit more of a vinegary taste than what we like for either eggs or chips and salsa. This was the case the other day. So I used it my sauce and made a delicious spicy Mexican chicken stew with it. I would much rather use it in another way if at all possible than throw it away.

Spicy Mexican Chicken Stew

2 lbs chicken pieces, skin on

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 green bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 red onion, sliced thin

1-2 jalapenos, diced fine

2-3 cups salsa

3-4 tomatoes, diced medium

1 TBSP ancho chili pepper

1-2 TBSP garlic

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp sage

1/2 cup dry red wine

2- TBSP lime olive oil, optional

olive oil and butter for cooking

salt & cayenne pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Get a Dutch oven very hot and add the butter, olive oil and lime olive oil (if using) then add the chicken and brown completely, about 6-7 minutes per side.

Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the heat and set aside. Add the peppers, onions and garlic to the oil and saute for about 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the chicken and place on top of the vegetables. Then add the salsa, tomatoes, wine and the spices.

Mix everything together well, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cilantro right at the very end and incorporate it into the sauce. Then serve over cooked rice. I also added some rolls and of course, more wine. I served it with a smooth and fruity Malbec.

The chicken was so tender and tasty. It literally just melted in our mouths.

Be bold. Walk on the wild side a bit and stray from the norms. Think outside of the box a bit. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. 🙂

Stay safe and stay well Everyone, and to all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Cashews are some of my favorite nuts, though they are really not nuts at all. They are the seeds of the cashew apples. Whatever you wish to call them, I love them and I often eat them by the handful. They are healthy and full of nutrients and a great source of protein and healthy fats. But like everything else, sometimes, I like to switch things up a bit and do something different with them too. This time I “candied” them in a chipotle lime sauce.

The cashew is native to northeastern Brazil. Portuguese missionaries took it to East Africa and India during the late 16th century, where it became abundant at low altitudes near the seacoast. At first, Europeans did not know how to eat these fabulous nuts or seeds. They learned by monkey see, monkey do. That’s right. They learned by watching the capuchin monkeys eat them about 700 years ago, though the natives of Brazil have been eating cashews for at least 7000 years. Today, India is now the world’s largest producer of cashews.

The cashew seed is surrounded by a shell containing toxic oils, such as anacardic acid. This is the same acid found in poison ivy. After the toxins are removed, the cashews must be graded and sorted. The entire process is labor-intensive as well as hazardous, which helps explain part of why cashews are so expensive.

Chipotle-Lime Cashews

These cashews are super easy to make and are great for parties and entertaining. They also only require a few simple, basic ingredients and really only take a few minutes to cook up.

3 cups roasted cashew nuts

2 tsp dry chili chipolte powder r 1 dry chipotle chili ground into a powder

3 TBSP maple syrup

2 TBSP olive oil

I TBSP lime juice

1-2 tsp lime zest

Place all the ingredients into a large, hot skillet and cook over a medium high heat until the nuts are all coated and the syrup starts to thicken, about 5-7 minutes. Stir constantly so the nuts don’t burn.

Once the nuts are ready, pour them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread them out into a single layer.

Allow them to cool completely then break them apart and serve. They will be a big hit at your next party or get together and will be perfect for the upcoming holidays. I served them at our caramel class as a snack while we were working. The Caramel Class There was no way we could stop at just one. We ate them one after another. Fortunately, I made a lot, so I still have plenty left over.

Don’t be afraid to go a little nutty, just make sure you stay safe and stay well ‘Til next time.

Priscilla and I have been making our famous caramels for years now Video #18 – Making Caramels with Priscilla and we thought is was time to actually start teaching others how to make them as well. They are easy to make, yet can be challenging at the same time. Here in Colorado, we have our own specific challenges due to the dryness and the altitude. I made a batch a few days before everyone got here and even though I have been making them for years, it took me four tries because it never set properly. Fortunately the 4th time was the charm. We are still learning new things and new techniques, even after all these years.

Laura is prepping her pan.

Lauren is chopping her pecans. She got really creative and added some praline liqueur as well.

And the process begins. Laura and Lauren are at the stove, stirring their pots.

We made 5 batches of caramels this time. We had to make them in shifts, with two of us at the stove at a time. Laura is watching and learning from the pro.

After the caramels were done, we had to toast with a margarita. And we all enjoyed some tamales and green chili in celebration. Video #22 – Green Chili. YUM We all had a good time and a lot of laughs. AND A LOT of caramels too.

Life is short. Make the most of all the time you have. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

It was another Friday funday. I was cooking with my boys again, Micah, Asher and Noah. Even though they are all brothers, it is two separate lessons, with different menus.

Micah and Asher made an apple and cheese salad and vegetable quesadillas. They were having a lot of fun making them both and they certainly enjoyed eating them when they were done too.

Let the fun begin. Micah is preparing the vegetables for the quesadillas.

Asher is cooking them up just right.

The main ingredients for quesadillas are cheese, or queso, and tortillas, other than that, anything goes. This time we used zucchini, yellow or crookneck squash, corn and bell peppers mixed with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano and salt & pepper to taste. We sauteed the veggies first in olive oil and set them aside for a bit. Then we placed one small tortilla in a small hot skillet and added some cheese on top. The boys wanted mozzarella cheese. When I make them for me, I prefer jalapeno jack cheese. Once the cheese was melted, we removed that tortilla and added another one, which we topped with the vegetables and then added the first tortilla. Lightly press the top tortilla to “glue” it to the vegetables and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted. Remove it from the pan, cut and serve. Serve immediately. These are best when served hot. I like to add both salsa and either fresh avocados or guacamole on top of mine.

We did all the prep work for both the salad and the quesadillas before we started cooking. Here the boys are preparing the salad.

Apple & Cheese Salad

1 head lettuce, chopped or torn – we used Romaine, but you can use any kind of lettuce you like or spinach or kale, or a combination thereof

1 apple, again, your choice, sliced very thin – we used a gala apple

2 oz cheddar cheese or your choice of cheese, cubed

1/4 cup toasted pecans, optional

Dressing

1 shallot, diced fine or minced

1 TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1 TBSP honey

1/3 cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and only add as much as is needed right before serving so the lettuce does not wilt. Do not add to much or the salad will be swimming in dressing. This is supposed to be a light salad.

Once the boys were enjoying their lunch I went downstairs to work with Noah. The last time Noah and I worked together, he mentioned he loved BBQ, so his menu was BBQ chicken and a corn and tomato salad to go on the side. You have seen this corn and tomato salad many times. It is so easy to make and is one of my favorites.

Corn & Tomato Salad

2 cups frozen corn, completely thawed

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 small shallot, sliced very thin or 1/4 red onion sliced very thin

1 TBSP fresh basil chiffonade, or cut into very thin strips

2 TBSP olive oil

1-2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Combine it all together and chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Noah’s BBQ chicken was still cooking when it was time to go, so I did not get any pictures of his chicken, but here is the recipe.

2 lbs chicken pieces

2 onions, cut into thick slices

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil

The Sauce

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 TBSP worcestershire sauce

1 TBSP molasses

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 TBSP dried onion

1/4 tsp dry mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425* F or about 210* C

Combine all the ingredients for the BBQ sauce. Add the chicken pieces and marinate for about 30 minutes. Reserve some of the sauce before adding the chicken so you can top the chicken later, after it is cooked.

Toss the onion in the salt, pepper and olive oil and line the bottom of a baking sheet with the onion mixture.

Place the chicken on top of the onion slices and bake uncovered for about 40-60 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked. Once the chicken is cooked and the juices will be clear, then remove it from the oven and serve. Add more sauce to the chicken before serving it. Enjoy!

It was another fun day in the kitchen. Everyone had a good time and everyone enjoyed what we made. Always a good sign. 🙂

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

This is the last of my fall colors series. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. The colorful leaves are gone and have blown away. Winter is coming. It’s on it’s way.

These are the remains of our amazingly beautiful fall season of 2021.

To every season, there is a beginning and an end. Every season has its charms. Every season has its beauty. When one season’s beauty fades, it leads us to the beauties of another. And the cycle continues.

What is pot-au-feu? Pot-au-feu, or pot on the fire, is the French version of a pot roast or beef stroganoff. It is thought to have originated in the Alsace region of France, but no one really knows for sure. It is a thick, hearty stew made with beef and vegetables in a cream sauce. Some version of a pot-au-feu has been around since the days of the Ancient Romans, but it made its appearance to the general population somewhere around the 12th century. At the time, it was a humble dish enjoyed mostly by the poor. The ingredients varied by what the people had and where they were. Every pot was different, and they differed each time they were made, even in the same household.

The name pot-au-feu, or pot on the fire, came from the fact that most peasant households had a single hearth, in which a small fire would be kept burning for most of the day. Suspended from a hook, or nestled in the corner, was a large earthenware pot. In the morning, the ingredients would be thrown into this, covered with water and left to cook slowly for several hours. At lunch – then the main meal of the day – the meat and most of the vegetables would be consumed, while the thick broth that remained would be left to bubble away over the fire until the evening, when it would be served for dinner. The ingredients may have differed from household to household, but the method of cooking it was the same everywhere you went. It was usually only eaten for special occasions though, since meat was rarely eaten by the poor, and even then, it was only when times were good. During the lean times of the 16th century, however, pot-au-feu went from being a humble dinner for the peasants, to a dinner served to the more affluent, since the poor could no longer afford such a “luxurious” meal, and even the wealthier people were experiencing tougher financial times.

The origins of the beef stew dish can be traced to King Henry IV of France who ruled between 1553 and 1610. He was quoted as saying that all peasants should afford chicken in their pot at least once a week on Sundays. But as soon as money was more readily available, it once again was thought of as a dish for the “lower classes”. In the 20th century, when more people had more access to more money, it once again rose to popularity throughout the general populations, and has remained popular ever since.

This dish is made with simple, everyday ingredients. You can use chicken, beef or pork, and a combination of whatever root vegetables you have and that you like. It is then served over a hearty pasta or noodles of your choice.

American Pot-Au Feu or Beef with a Mustard-Mushroom Sauce

2-2 1/2 lbs of beef roast

cooking oil or olive oil mixed with butter

3/4 cup beef broth

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp marjoram

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP garlic

4 cups mushrooms, cut in half

2 cups small whole onions, peeled

2 cups carrots, cut into small pieces about 1-1 1/2 inches in size, or baby carrots

1 8-oz container of sour cream

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup flour

cooked noodles or pasta

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven until it is sizzling hot, then add the butter and/or oil and add the meat to brown. Brown the meat completely on all sides.

Combine the beef broth, garlic and seasonings and add to the beef once it is completely browned. Cover it and bring everything to a rapid boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for 1 1/4 hours. Then add the mushrooms, carrots and onions and return to a rapid boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Continue to cook for an additional 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

When the vegetables are tender, remove the meat and vegetables and set aside. Combine the flour, mustard and sour cream and mix well. Add enough water to the juices to make 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Then add the sour cream mixture and incorporate it thoroughly with the pan juices. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until it is thick and bubbly.

Re-add the meat and the vegetables and incorporate them into the sauce.

Before serving I sliced the meat into thin strips and then served it all over penne pasta.

The meat and vegetables were very tender and the sauce divine. Since this is a beef dish, with a very rich and thick creamy sauce, I served it with some rolls and a glass of a bold red zinfandel to complete the meal.

C’est si bon, or French for oh so good.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.