A Jeanne in the Kitchen

They say imitation is the best form of flattery. I definitely believe this to be true. As you know, I am always on the lookout for good recipes and new dishes to try. I find them all over the place, from a wide variety of sources. I have a plethora of cookbooks. I get ideas from restaurants I visit. I remake recipes from friends, and I try things I find on the internet, just to name a few. And often times, I am even inspired by recipes I discover from our own “blogging family members”. I have recently been inspired by not one, but two recipes from within our own bloggosphere; the stuffed French Toast from Sheree, from The Musette and A View From the Back https://viewfromtheback.com/ Stuffed French Toast and a version of Indian Butter Chicken or Makh ani Chicken from Cedar Oak Farms https://www.facebook.com/cedaroaksfarm/ and The Wacky Spoon https://thewackyspoon.com/. Of course I say “inspired by”, since you know I am going to personalize them and make them in my own way. And that is part of what makes cooking so fun. We all have different ideas and different interpretations, making the end results truly unique to our own tastes and personalities. 🙂

Mahk ani Chicken is a rich, buttery and flavorful dish that is made with all kinds of traditional Indian spices and warmth. Butter Chicken (known as murgh makhani — chicken with butter), is similar to British tikka masala.

Butter chicken is a curried dish that was inspired from Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral, founders of the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi, India, in the 1950’s. The curry was made “by chance” by mixing leftover tandoori chicken in a tomato gravy, rich in butter (makhan). Before the partition of India and Pakistan, Kundan Lal Gujral made tandoori chicken in a dhaba in Peshawar in the 1920s. Gujral didn’t want to be wasteful, so he experimented with dried chunks of chicken, added tomatoes, butter, and some masalas to the gravy and thus, gave birth to the famous butter chicken. The mains differences between butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are that butter chicken is more creamy and has less tomatoes in the dish that chicken tikka masala.

For the most part, I followed Ella’s recipe pretty closely, but I also made some additions and tweaks here and there to make it my own. I added vegetables and onions, as well as some honey-ginger balsamic vinegar. I also added more butter. I used chicken breasts that I cut into pieces rather than other chicken parts. As I always say, don’t be afraid to play with your food. Be creative and have fun. 🙂

Indian Butter Chicken with Vegetables

Yes, there are a lot of spices used. This is typical for Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. The combination of all these different spices gives a rich and layered flavor to the dishes.

4 tomatoes, diced

1 stick of butter, divided

1 TBSP dried ginger

2 TBSP garlic

1 large jalapeno, diced fine, or 2 smaller peppers

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp dried cloves

2 tsp cardamom

1-2 tsp crushed peppercorns

1 6-oz can of tomato paste

1-2 chipotle peppers, diced fine

1 tsp paprika

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup chipped cashews – I used my leftover honey-lime cashews

1 TBSP poppy seeds

2 lbs chicken

1 TBSP garam masala

1 tsp chili powder – I used ajo garlic chili powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 TBSP sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

salt to taste

1 cup green beans, cut into pieces about 1 inch long

1/3 cup onions, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 orange bell pepper, diced

Mix the tomatoes and spices together and set aside. Combine the vegetables, garlic and ginger and set aside.

In a hot skillet add the oil and some of the butter. I used a combination of regular olive oil and lime olive oil, along with the butter. Carefully add the chicken pieces and brown them on all sides. Once browned, remove the chicken from the heat and set aside.

In the same pan and oil, add the tomatoes and spices and cook for a few minutes before adding the tomato paste, cinnamon sticks and chipotle peppers. Combine thoroughly then add the vegetables, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, so the tomatoes break down and make a sauce. Stir frequently.

At this point, the spices and aromas were oh so fragrant, and only got better as I continued the cooking process.

Add the cream and the rest of the butter and once again, thoroughly incorporate into the sauce.

Add the chicken into the sauce and completely cover. Add the honey-ginger balsamic vinegar (if using)combine well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

The end result will be a rich, exotically spiced cream sauce with your chicken being very tender, juicy and full of flavor .

I served my chicken and sauce over a combination of lentils and rice with some warmed naan bread on the side and a cool, crisp chardonnay to finish it all off. The crisp chardonnay will pair very nicely with the rich and exotic spices of the sauce.

This is a meal to be enjoyed slowly so every bite can be savored. Thank you Ella for this fantastically delicious idea. It was a huge hit. In fact, we liked it so much, I am going to add some shrimp to the left over sauce and do it all over again. YUM!

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

French toast is breakfast classic not just here in the United States, but pretty much all over the world. It has been a favorite since the days of the Ancient Romans. When the Ancient Romans were eating what we now know as French Toast, back in the 5th century A.D., it was known as aliter dulce, or another sweet dish, because bread was dipped in milk and then fried in butter and topped with a sweetener. Sounds very familiar, right?!

During the Medieval times of France, this dish became known as pain perdu, which literally means lost bread, because it was made from stale bread that was dipped in an egg and milk batter and then fried. This was a way to cut waste and to use up everything. All food was a very precious commodity back then, and even stale foods needed to be used. What we in the United States know as French toast, goes by many other names in various parts of the world, including pain perdu. It is also known as Spanish toast, German toast, nun’s toast, eggy bread, torriga, poor knights of Windsor, Bombay toast, and many other names as well. It became known as French toast when it spread to England and then to America in the 1700’s.

The basic recipe for French toast consists of three main ingredients – bread, milk and eggs. And of course, there are many other different variations. Today, most of the recipes include sugar and vanilla in the batter. Sometimes it is stuffed with either a cream cheese or yogurt or whipped cream filling. Sometimes it has fruit added. And sometimes it has chocolate added to it. Once again, there is definitely more than just one way to make this delicious breakfast favorite. The only limitations are the limitations of your own imagination.

The other day, Noah and I made a fruity version of this breakfast classic. Noah, like me, is not a big cheese eater, so no cream cheese filling. I didn’t think about using yogurt, but instead chose to have Noah make some whipped cream for his filling. Only after we made the whipped cream did I learn that he is not a big fan of whipped cream either. But he thoroughly enjoyed the French toast with fruit. We served it with some grilled chicken and apple sausage. I think his smile says it all. He was ready to dig in and enjoy.

The recipe I used was borrowed and tweaked from our very own Sheree, from The Musette and A View From the Back https://viewfromtheback.com/. Merci beaucoup, mon amie.

The Batter

1 egg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk – I used cinnamon swirl almond milk

2 TBSP sugar – I used raw sugar

dash of vanilla

pinch of salt

2 pieces of thick egg bread, the thicker the better

The Filling

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

dash of salt or salty shakes

1 TBSP sugar

sliced fruit of your choice

sprinkle with powdered sugar, optional

maple syrup to top, optional

Mix the batter and dip the bread into the batter. Shake off the excess. Get a skillet nice and hot and add some butter. Carefully place the bread into the hot skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.

When the bread is golden brown, add the filling if using, and some of the sliced fruit on top of one piece of the bread, then repeat. Noah loves his fruit, so he used a sliced banana, some raspberries, blackberries and strawberries for his topping. Then he added a little powdered sugar and some maple syrup as well.

And here is his finished creation. Yet again, Noah and I had a good time in the kitchen, and he thoroughly enjoyed his latest culinary creation. He is so much fun. He is always open to trying everything, and he really gets into his cooking.

It was kind of healthy, right?! He did not use any of the whipped cream, and it was loaded with fruit, plus we served it with some chicken and apple sausage. So it wasn’t all bad, plus, Noah is young and strong, and eats everything in sight, without an ounce of fat on him, unlike me, who has enough fat for both of us. Noah even joked about that. I told him I use a lot of heavy whipping cream when I cook, because I love creamy sauces. He said he could tell. Oh well, it is what is is, and I am what I am. Too late now. My secret is out. 🙂

Make the most of everyday. Stay safe ands stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Spring is in the air, and all my wild critters seem to know it. My squirrels are playful and active and are all over the place. They just love to have their picture taken too. It seems like they are always posing for the camera. Here are some pictures of some fun, curious and playful squirrels.

He didn’t know the camera was on him here.

But now he does.

I like his little smirk here. He is such a ham.

Always make the most of your days and enjoy them all.

Once again, I invited “The Queen” to stop by for a visit. We found all kinds of good things in the fridge to work with too. Once again, from little bits of this and little bits of that, we created something really tasty. I made some Cajun dirty rice with black beans, in honor of Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday. Usually dirty rice is made with red kidney beans. I didn’t have any kidney beans at the time, but I had plenty of black beans. I like them both and use them both for many different recipes, but then I like beans in general.

Dirty rice was invented in Louisiana around the late 1700’s. It was the food of the poor people. Rice is one of Louisiana’s main crops, so it is readily available and relatively cheap. To make it go further, to feed more people, cooks would add whatever they had leftover to the rice. Often times, these additions made the rice look “dirty”, hence the name dirty rice. Dirty rice is most common in the Creole and Cajun areas of Louisiana. Dirty rice is frequently referred to as Cajun Rice in Louisiana and other parts of the South due to the dish’s history with the Acadian immigrants of Louisiana. Cajun rice typically incorporates Andouille sausage, bell pepper, celery, and onions along with a blend of traditional Cajun spices. In some southern regions, it is also called rice dressing. I used all of the above listed ingredients and then some. I also added a little lime vinaigrette to the mix as well.

My rice was already cooked, as was my Andouille sausage. I started off by cooking the peppers, garlic, onions and Cajun seasonings, then added my Hatch green chilies and all my cooked foods and beans to the mix. I used the lime vinaigrette as my cooking oil for all my vegetables, to give a little extra zip to the dish.

Once everything was all cooked and heated up, it was time to enjoy. I served it with my Tuscan ribs. Tuscan Style Beef Short Ribs with Lemon Rosemary Sauce and a glass or two of a cool, crisp chardonnay. Laissez le bontemps roulez!

Don’t be afraid of those leftovers in your fridge. Play with them and see what you can create. You never know until you try, right?! You just may surprise yourself and come up with something really tasty too, like I usually do. 🙂

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

When most Americans think of ribs, they automatically think BBQ. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. There is absolutely nothing wrong with BBQed ribs, but there are so many other ways of preparing ribs too. Ribs are eaten in just about every country in the world, so WHY would they only be BBQed? As with anything that makes it way around the world, there are many different and delicious ways of preparing them.

Italians, and particularly Northern Italians, love foods with lemon. These ribs were made with hints of lemon. They are similar to what the Italians call rosticciana. They were so full of flavor and just melted in our mouths. The meat literally just fell right off the bone. I served the ribs over some Cajun styled black beans and rice or another version of dirty rice and a salad of mixed greens. I used the lemon-rosemary vinaigrette for both the ribs and the salad, so you can see it is a versatile dressing.

Of course I didn’t follow the recipe exactly. You know I played with it tweaked it, and as a friend of mine would say, I “Jeannefied it”. Here is my version.

I started off by slow cooking the ribs for about 4 hours on medium-high heat. I cooked it in some ham broth I had made, along with some lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, black pepper and a dash of lemon balsamic vinegar. I didn’t measure any of it, like I normally don’t. I guestimated. I put in about 3-4 cups of broth, 1 TBSP garlic, 2-TBSP lemon juice, 1-2 TBSP lemon balsamic vinegar, and about 2 tsp of black pepper.

Once the meat was cooked, I topped it with a delicious lemon-rosemary vinaigrette. This vinaigrette was fantastic on both the meat and on the salad as well.

Lemon-Rosemary Vinaigrette

As you may have noticed, I like simple recipes that use everyday ingredients. This lemon-rosemary vinaigrette is just that too.

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 TBSP garlic

2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped fine

2 TBSP lemon juice

black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil, rosemary and garlic in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds to really bring out the aromas and flavors of all of them. Then add the lemon juice and black pepper and whisk everything together well.

I spooned it over the ribs and then tossed my salad greens in it too. !Fantastico! My wine of choice was a crisp, cool chardonnay that matched the meal perfectly.

I guarantee you’re going to like this one. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

I don’t know if all these new ducks and birds have always been around and I just never noticed them, or if they are just now coming back after a long absence. What I do know, is that after living on our lakes for 15 years now, I am seeing a whole bunch of new birds and ducks and more wildlife in general. I LOVE it. I love making new friends. My new duck friend is the American Wigeon. Aren’t he and and his mate gorgeous? 🙂

We can never have to many friends. I am always open to making new friends. 🙂

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything on my nature walks. I still go out walking, as much as I can, when we are not buried in snow or have frigid temperatures, but I have been busy sharing my photos from Belize with you. Belize is now a happy memory and we are home again. It’s time to start focusing on what I have in my own backyard once more.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I love my birds, as well as my ducks, and flowers , prairie dogs, and just about everything else I can photograph as well. I guess it just really comes down to the fact that I love photography, and I will do my best to capture whatever I see through my lens. 🙂 We have had a lot of birds around lately. They are all flitting about, singing their songs of joy, trying their best to woo their mates.

My robins are beginning to come back again. This guy was totally posing for the camera. He knows he is a handsome bird.

Then there were some colorful House Finches having fun with the berries in the tree.

And I finally got some decent pictures of some Chickadees. I have been trying to get some good shots of these for quite some time, but was never able to do so until now. Just when I thought I had them, they would fly off. I just got lucky this time.

Spring must be on it’s way. I can hear the birds singing and chirping right now.

Spring, winter, summer or fall, always spread your wings amd fly.

I guess old dogs can still learn new tricks. I am always learning new things. I just learned something new about the significance of blue aprons. Blue aprons are what new chefs in training wear when learning how to cook. Apparently this is a culinary tradition that is practiced all over the world. In all my years of cooking and studying foods and cooking techniques, I never knew this. Even my “little chefs” wear blue aprons. I just bought the blue aprons because I liked the color. I had no idea about the significance behind it. Now I do, and so do you. 🙂

I try my best to learn something new everyday. I love learning new things. Learning new things keeps us young, even if only young at heart.

So keep learning, stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I knew I was going to be making a coffee cake with some of my left over fruit, from when I made our church Super Bowl spread. Cooking At Home Again I used up the rest of my pineapple. I combined it with some macadamia nuts and toasted coconut, and the result was a deliciously tropical Caribbean coffee cake. Yet again, it was a big success. It disappeared very quickly. The Caribbean coffee cake are the squares around the edges, and in the center. I added some raspberry tarts to my platter and then sprinkled a few chocolate covered Acai berries around for added color and decoration.

I have officially used up all the fruit that I had leftover. And Larry didn’t think I could do it. HA HA HA!!!!! He should never underestimate my abilities to recreate from leftovers. When will he ever learn? 🙂 Strawberry-Kiwi Cake

For this cake, I started off with a basic coffee cake recipe, then added the rest. I knew I was going to use up the pineapple, then as I was going along, I decided to add the chopped macadamia nuts as well. As I continued, I thought, “let’s add some toasted coconut too”, and voila! The result was a Caribbean coffee cake.

Caribbean Coffee Cake

The Streussel

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup coconut flour, optional

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

4 TBSP cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup toasted coconut

Mix everything together either by hand or with a pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse sand. Set aside.

The Cake

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.

Spray cooking spray in a 9×13 baking pan and then coat with a light coating of flour or coconut flour.

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup coconut flour, optional

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups diced pineapple

1/2 cup toasted cocaonut

1/2-3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Like with most cake recipes, combine all the dry ingredients together and mix well, then set aside.

Then mix together the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and blend in between each addition. Add the vanilla and 1/2 the milk, and blend together again. Then add 1/2 the flour mixture and blend. Repeat again and blend until everything is just blended.

Once the batter is mixed, add the coconut, pineapple and macadamia nuts and fold into the batter.

Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan. The evenly spread the streusel mix over the batter.

Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick that has been inserted in the middle comes out clean and the streusel topping is golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

All the is needed to do now is to sit back and enjoy and let every bite transport you into a little bit of the tropics. A little tropical excursion like this is a much needed and appreciated break from the cold, harsh winter weather.

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

It was another cooking day with the boys, Micah and Asher. As with their big brother Noah, I always try to have them make a wide variety of foods that are simple and fun. Noah made a Denver omelette the other day Breakfast for Lunch, so I thought it would be fun if Micah and Asher did something similar. They made mini quiches and some pan-fried potatoes. Who knows, maybe we will have a cook-off one day, brothers vs brother. 🙂 It was their first experience with purple potatoes too, though they insisted they were beets. 🙂

As you can see by their smiles, they liked their recipes.

The potatoes were just tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and some garlic seasoning. The only difference between their potatoes and Noah’s potatoes were that the boys cooked them on the stove top in a skillet and Noah grilled his on his George Forman grill.

The mini quiches, were similar to Noah’s omelette too, but we baked them in muffin pans in the oven.

Mini Quiches

Preheat the oven to 350* F.

Spray a muffin pa with cooking spray.

Just like any quiche, you can add whatever you like to the filling. I just had the boys make it simple and we used things I know they like.

6 eggs

3 TBSP milk

1/2 cup bell peppers, diced small – we used red and orange this time because the boys like those better

1/2 cup cooked bacon or ham diced small

1/2 cup tomato, diced small

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic seasoning

1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice

Add the diced ham, tomatoes and peppers to the bottom of each muffin tin.

Whisk the eggs, milk and seasonings together and pour over the toppings in each muffin tin. Fill to only about 3/4 full. Top with the cheese.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the eggs are puffy and the center is set and does not jiggle. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan.

These mini quiches and potatoes were gobbled up quickly and both got big thumbs up from both Micah and Asher, as well as mom and their big sister. I think they were a hit. 🙂

Keep it fun and make it interesting and stay safe and stay well in the process. ‘Til next time.