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 love ceviche, of all kinds. When we are in tropical or island settings, we eat it all the time. We can’t seem to get enough of it. And there are so many different variations too. We have to try them all, right?! 🙂
It turns out that ceviche has its roots in many different cultures. Today, it is a staple in any of the Latin American cultures, as well as Spain, and tropical islands everywhere. Ceviche originated more than 2,000 years ago with pre-Hispanic coastal cultures in Peru, the Moche People, who marinated raw fish with fermented fruit juices. When ceviche was first created, it was marinated in local papaya, banana or passionfruit juices. When the Spanish came to Peru, they introduced citrus fruits, and other ingredients, like red onions, cilantro, and chilies, which further enriched the flavors. When the Asian, and especially the Japanese immigrants came to Peru, they brought their refined marinating processes with them. The Japanese immigrants were accustomed to handling raw fish and introduced techniques that reduced the marinating time, helping to preserve the fish’s fresh texture. With the introductions from all of these influences, ceviche has evolved into the modern versions we enjoy worldwide today.
I made another shrimp version of ceviche, loaded with all kinds of fresh goodness. Most of the ceviches we’ve enjoyed are eaten with chips. We learned to eat it on tostadas with a thin spread of mayonnaise while visiting La Paz a couple of years ago. Obviously, we like it this way too. 🙂
I am still creatively using all my tomatoes, and I added both the sweet 100’s and some more sunny boy tomatoes to this version of ceviche.
Shrimp and Vegetable Ceviche
1/2-3/4 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into small pieces
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/3 cup corn
1 small yellow tomato
1/2 cup small grape of sweet 100 tomatoes, cut in 1/2
Mix everything together well, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until the shrimp is “cooked”.
Serve on either chips or tostadas, and disfrutar! Enjoy! I added avocado slices to mine. Larry is not an avocado fan, so I added it separately to mine. You can enjoy it all by itself like this, or on the side with other things. We enjoyed it as part of a tapas type meal, with my Italian fried wontons and my golden marinara sauce. http://Italian Fried Wontons
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
We didn’t see many birds at our bird banding class, and Larry I and joked we would probably see more birds at the WAS. Sure enough, we did too. This time, we saw mostly European Starlings. That’s OK. They are beautiful birds. There were 1000’s of them, in the trees and filling the sky above.
I was able to get a couple of close up shots of some of the Starlings too.
Wontons are a type of Asian dumpling, dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). The word wonton comes from the Cantonese word “yun tun,” meaning “swallowing a cloud,” referring to the light, floating dumplings. From their humble beginnings, wontons became a popular dish during the Winter Solstice Festival, then spread to become a common food throughout China and an iconic dish globally, notably in Hong Kong and through Chinese diaspora communities. Traditional wontons are usually boiled in a broth. Wontons symbolize abundance and prosperity, especially at Chinese New Year celebrations.
People started frying their wontons centuries ago too, but they really became popular after WWII. While Cantonese wontons were historically served in a hot soup, the practice of deep-frying wontons developed, perhaps as a response to Western tastes, and became popular in Cantonese restaurants in America before 1950. The dish gained popularity with Chinese immigrants in Canada and the West, leading to its adaptation for a Western audience.
When you think of wontons, you think Asian and Chinese food, and rightfully so. But every now and then, you need to think outside the box and be a little more creative. That’s what I did when I made my Italian fried wontons.
I served them with my golden marinara sauce made from all my sunny boy tomatoes. Make It Saucy I am trying to come up with all kinds of fun and creative ways to use my tomatoes. I think I am rising to the challenge. 🙂
Italian Fried Wontons
I made my Italian fried wontons with little bits and pieces of this and that.
I only had 2 sausages, so I created something centered around using those up. I cut the casing off, so they would be ground sausage.
ground sausage
1 small bell pepper, diced fine
1-2 tsp garlic
1-2 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 onion, minced
1-1 1/2 cups chopped spinach
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp each dried oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram
dash of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 TBSP chopped parsley
wonton wrappers
Mix everything together well. For stuff like this, I find mixing it by hand works best, but you can mix it however it works best for you. Once everything is mixed together well, shape it into small balls, about 2 tsp each.
Add the mixture to the center of a wonton wrapper and fold. I folded mine into triangles. Dip your finger into a splash of water and line the edges of the wonton wrapper. Then press firmly and seal.
I fried my wontons in the deep fryer, but if you prefer, you can pan fry them in oil too and make them softer.
We just had a simple dinner of light tapas, with these fried wontons and some fresh shrimp ceviche. Sometimes, light fare and tapas are all we want.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Think outside the box. You just might surprise yourself with the results. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
Though the name states this is a Bengalese stew, this dish actually is believed to have originated in Malaysia and Southeast Asia instead. If it were truly Bengalese, it would not have shrimp, and true Bengalese food doesn’t use coconut milk so much either, so it is really kind of a misnomer. 🙂
Some food experts suggest the dish gained significant popularity during the British colonial era. The British, who found the texture of prawns more appealing than some local fish, embraced dishes like Chingri Malaikari, leading to its increased prestige. Most likely, this recipe was based on a version of Chingri malakari, the signature dish of Bengal. This Bengali style Prawn curry is sautéed with delicate spices and cooked in coconut milk, which is in itself an adaptation of a Malay curry. Over time, the name evolved and its foreign origin was forgotten, with people later mistaking “malai” to mean “cream”. During the spice trade era, Bengal’s position on the Bay of Bengal made it a central hub for trade with Southeast Asia. This enabled a broad exchange of ingredients and culinary ideas. Trade between Bengal and Southeast Asia dates back to at least the Pala and Chandra Dynasties (8th to 12th centuries), which likely facilitated the introduction of coconut-based curries.
West Bengali food is shaped by many different cultures and influences. The cuisine of West Bengal has been influenced by foreign ingredients and cooking styles since the Middle Ages, mainly during the Mughal rule. Shrimp curry does not have a single point of origin, but rather developed in many countries where shrimp and curries were popular, including India, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. It became widespread through cultural exchange and trade, with notable variations in cuisines such as the Goan Prawn Curry from India, Thai curries with coconut milk, and Trinidadian shrimp curry. The origin of Prawn Malai Curry lies in the coastal Bengal region, which is renowned for its seafood and distinctive culinary traditions. The proximity to the sea means an abundance of fresh seafood, and prawns have been a major part of Bengali cuisine for centuries.
I made my own version of this delicious stew, and added a ton of vegetables as well as some crab too. I served it over rice with corn, and cilantro, basil and oregano on top.
Bengalese Shrimp and Crab Stew
When the original version was created, it was served only to the wealthy or for special celebrations, such as weddings or festivals. But today, with the ingredients readily available, many people, regardless of their background enjoy this simple dish.
1-1 1/2 lbs large prawns, peeled and deveined
1 tub or can of crab
1/2 onions, diced
1 TBSP garlic
1 TBSP ginger
1 carrot, sliced Asian style
1 cup peas
1-1 1/2 cups green beans, cut into pieces about 1 inch in size
1-2 ribs, celery, diced
salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste, optional
1 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup chicken or fish stock
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 can coconut milk
1-2 TBSP lime juice
butter and olive oil, or lime olive oil for cooking
1 TBSP either fresh basil, cilantro, or oregano, or any combination thereof
Get a large skillet very hot and add the oil, butter and shrimp. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked, then remove from the heat, set aside and keep warm.
Add all the vegetables except the tomatoes, and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until al dente.
Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, seasonings and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Add the ground almonds and continue to cook for about about 2 minutes, or until it starts to thicken.
Add the shrimp and the crab and mix everything together thoroughly. Add most of the chopped herbs right at the end of the cooking process, and mix, reserving some of the herbs for a topping later.
Serve over your favorite kind of rice and add a few more of the herbs on top. I added some spring rolls on the side and served it with a cool, refreshing chardonnay on the side. Enjoy.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
The word Owimoweh means sleeping lion. There is even a very popular old song, a simple lullaby about a sleeping lion, the original Zulu song, Mbube (meaning “Lion”). Though in the traditional culture, the phrase means something different as well. For my purposes now, I am only focusing on the simple English version.
It seems like every time we see the lions at the WAS (Wild Animal Sanctuary) they are either sleeping or just lazing around. Rarely do we see them being active. Though we did see one lioness thoroughly enjoying the turtle she caught on one of our recent visits. She was so proud of herself too. But today, I am focusing only on the sleeping lions, the Owimoweh.
Oh the lion’s life. I guess being the king of the jungle has its rewards. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
The tomatoes just keep on comin’. I had yet another banner batch. Again, I gave quite a few away, and still had a ton left over. This is my 4th batch, just since Janet and Bob have been gone on vacation, less than 2 weeks. I will pick one more round tomorrow, before Janet and Bob get home from their trip, leaving most of what I pick for them to enjoy. They knew they would not be able to enjoy all the tomatoes while they were gone, and asked me to pick them and do what I could with them while they were gone. And that I did too. I have most definitely enjoyed their tomatoes this bountiful season. 🙂
I made not one sauce, but two. I made another big batch of regular marinara sauce. Making Marinara
And I made a smaller batch of golden marinara sauce with the sunny boy tomatoes. I made it the same way, only using only the sunny boys though. Sunny Boy F1 is a determinate hybrid tomato that matures in about 70 days, producing globe-shaped golden fruit averaging 5 oz-8 oz each. The bright yellow tomatoes have very few seeds, a sweet flavor, and firm texture. They have a slightly milder, and a little sweeter taste than the red tomatoes, but can be used and enjoyed in all the same ways.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Make it a little saucy too if you can. 🙂 Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
When we first got to the Wild Animal Sanctuary (WAS), most of the animals were resting and were pretty calm. It was cool, perfect weather but the animals just didn’t want to play; until later. Then two of the Grizzly Bears were totally going at, having tons of fun wrestling with each other in the pool. They were going at it for quite some time, then they took a short break. Both were pooped. And before long, they were back at it again. But it was all in good fun. These are the same two bears we usually see cuddling with each other. When they took a short break, it also allowed me to get into a better position. I wasn’t about to move and miss the fight though. No way. It was a fun fight. 🙂
OK. Let’s kiss and make up now.
I’m glad this was all just play. It would have been pretty scary if it was a real fight. Of course we love going to see all the animals, but as much as we go, we always see something different. We’ve never seen the bears going at it like this before.
Life is full of surprises. I say, bring them on. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. When you do fight, kiss and make up after, like the bears did. ‘Til next time.
Larry and I did something a little different today. We went to a demonstration/class on how different birds species are banded for recording purposes. The class was taught by bird biologists from The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. It was held at Barr Lake, which is not too far from us. Barr Lake is maybe 30 minutes east of us.
On our way to the class, held outside at the Nature Reserve Center, we saw one of the three resident pairs of mating Bald Eagles. They were feasting on a carp.
They were way out, and this is the best I could get with my zoom.
There was a gull and a Spotted Piper hoping to be able to join them for dinner, but the eagles were not in the mood to share their meal.
We just took a short little nature walk before arrived to where the class was being taught.
They had netted a couple of birds earlier and were explaining the banding process and what they look for when recording all the bird’s information before releasing them back into the wild. After the presentation, we went for another little hike to see the nets, where the birds are caught. They had caught two Wilson’s Warblers on our little hike. Then they explained and demonstrated the whole banding process once again.
This is a young, juvenile male. We can tell by the coloring on the top its head. Wilson’s Warblers are very tiny birds. The bird biologist is holding it in her hands, working and teaching at the same time.
After the bird had been weighed, banded, and checked all around, the teacher placed the little Warbler into the hands of the only little boy at the demonstration for him to release it back into the wild. He was taught how to just gently roll it over in his hands to let it fly off.
It was a very interesting demonstration/class. I might just have to do it again sometime. 🙂
Walking back to the car, we saw some more wild birds too. We saw a Merlin perched high up in a tree.
And we saw a couple of Wild Turkeys running all around too.
We even spied a bunny hiding in the bush.
We were about half way to the Wild Animal Sanctuary (WAS), so after our demonstration, we headed back to the WAS to talk to the big animals once again. We had a fun day communing with nature and the animals.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Do something a little different and out of the ordinary. Walk on the wild side a bit, just stay safe and stay well while doing so. ‘Til next time.
Sesame seeds are some of the oldest cultivated crops in the world, with origins debated between the Indian subcontinent and Africa, and domestication dating back at least 5,500 years. Their popularity spread across the Silk Road, as did many other ancient foods and products traveling along this path. Ancient civilizations across Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China valued sesame for food, medicine, and the oil it produced.
Sesame seeds come from a plant in the Pedaliaceae family called Sesamum indicum L. The plant is an annual herb with foxglove-like flowers that produce pods containing the edible sesame seeds. The pods burst open with a pop when the seeds are mature. This is where the phrase “open sesame” comes from; the bursting open or popping open of the seed pods. The hulls are removed as they contain oxalic acid, which gives them a bitter flavor. Sesame seeds go by many names depending on what part of the world you are in, including beniseed, sesame, sesamum, gingelly, simsim, and til. The phrase, “open sesame” was made famous from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves tale from the One Thousand and One Nights collection, where it is the magical phrase Ali Baba uses to open a hidden cave.
Sesame seeds are easily produced in dry, arid regions because they are robust and drought tolerant. It is believed they were first cultivated in Africa, and then were taken to India via the Silk Road, where they became very popular with many countries and cultures. Today, the biggest producers of sesame seeds are China, India and Myanmar. Some of the world’s biggest importers of sesame seeds include, Japan, Canada, The United States, The Netherlands, France and Turkey. The seeds are used for many different reasons, but mostly to turn into sesame oil, a popular cooking oil used all over the world, in many different cultures. Sesame seeds contain around 50% oil, making them one of the richest sources of edible oils available. Seeds are also used for baking, or for making spreads and pastries too. Most of the time, the seeds are roasted or toasted before being processed or eaten, but they can be eaten raw as well. They have slight nutty flavor and texture, and the flavor and texture intensifies through the roasting process.
There are two types of sesame seeds – black and white. Black sesame seeds, unhulled, are seeds with a more pungent flavor than white seeds, or hulled seeds, thanks to the presence of the hull. They are more intensely nutty and a touch bitter, and the hull delivers a chewy texture which contrasts with the creamy, oily interior.
Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from ground sesame seeds. The most common variety comes from hulled seeds, but unhulled seeds can also be used; the latter variety is slightly bitter, but more nutritious. The seeds are more commonly roasted than raw. Sesame seeds are also part of the Middle Eastern Za’atar seasoning mix. They are also used in many Asian dishes as well. In India, the sesame seeds are used for many things, including making their ghee.
Many foods, from many cultures use sesame seeds. Middle Eastern dishes like hummus and falafel, Asian cuisines using sesame oil, and common baked goods such as bagels and burger buns, as well as cereals like granola, snacks like crackers and halvah, and processed foods including some vegetarian burgers and processed meats, and much, much more. The possibilities are endless and are only limited by your imagination.
As with a lot of old traditional foods, there is a lot of symbolism and folk lore behind the use of sesame seeds. They are known as the lucky food due to their association with prosperity, fertility, longevity, and immortality across various cultures. This symbolism is connected to their rapid growth, impressive abundance, and resilience as a crop.
In Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, sesame is regarded as a balancing food. It improves blood circulation, soothes nervous disorders, and promotes restful sleep. Eating sesame in the evening, for example in the form of oil or paste, may help calm the mind and facilitate sleep.
There are many different health benefits to eating sesame seeds and the products made from them.
1. Vitamins and minerals. Sesame seeds are a good source of several B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc.
2. Fiber. Three tablespoons of unhulled sesame seeds contain 3.5 grams of fiber, which supports digestive health and may reduce your risk of heart disease. Eating more sesame seeds is a good way to increase your daily dietary fiber intake.
3. Healthy fats. Sesame seeds are high in quality protein and healthy fats. These vital fatty acids and amino acids give your body energy.
4. Anti-inflammatories. Sesame seeds contain copper, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and can help reduce swelling and relieve pain.
5. Antioxidants. Sesame seeds provide antioxidants to protect against chronic diseases, and minerals like calcium and magnesium for strong bones and healthy cell function
Just like with anything though, if you are sensitive or allergic to sesame seeds, you should avoid them. Sesame seed sensitivities include things like certain digestive disorders due to high fiber content, and can affect those with low blood pressure, diabetes, or bleeding disorders due to their potential effects on blood sugar and clotting. Additionally, pregnant women, people with gout due to oxalate content, and individuals with certain types of breast cancer should consult a healthcare provider before consuming sesame seeds.
Besides the culinary uses for sesame seeds, many ancient cultures also used the oil for things like perfumes, skin care products and lotions. Ancient Babylonian woman used sesame seed oil to help them stay young and beautiful. There are other ancient uses for the sesame oil as well. The Chinese used to burn black sesame seed oil to make their inks for writing and painting.
So open sesame, and open your world to the many different possibilities and uses these tiny seeds and their oils present.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
I love my birds and animals, all birds and animals, but some just really stand out, high above the others. Hawks and birds of prey are some of my favorite birds. They are so regal and majestic to me. They represent quiet strength and power. I was lucky to get some more good shots of some hawks yesterday.
I see them perched on light posts quite often.
And of course I see them in the trees a lot too. We have quite a few different types of hawks that like to call Colorado home. This one is a Swainson’s Hawk.
This one is a Red-Tailed Hawk. I see these most often.
This one was just pure luck.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 