A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Our lakes have been pretty quiet recently.  I guess all our visitors we had earlier this year have ventured off to other places.  We did, however, have a surprise visitor, whom we haven’t seen much of this year.  We had a blue heron playing and thoroughly enjoying himself by the water’s edge.  I actually got some really good shots of him this time.

The evening was filled with surprises.  I was very happy about my heron and finally being able to get some great shots of him, but just as we were finishing our walk, we had another beautiful surprise.  Sadly, this beautiful sunset is the result of all the raging fires, but beauty comes to us in many forms, from many sources, even through sadness and times of darkness.

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

 

 

 

“A Jeanne in the Kitchen” has a new video out.  This one was inspired by my alter ego, “The Queen of Leftovers”.  This time I made some empanadas and cookies, using, you guessed it ….. leftovers.  The empanadas were made with some of my leftover wild rice with chorizo, Colorado in the Kitchen that I served with my peach salsa Palisade Peach Salsa.  I served it with corn salad, that is one of our summertime favorites.  I thought I had made a post about my corn and tomato salad, but apparently, I didn’t.  It is super easy and simple to make.  Here is the recipe for it.

 

Corn and Tomato Salad

1 package frozen corn, thawed and drained

1-1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

2 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade

2 TBSP fresh lemon verbena, chiffonade, optional

2-3 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1-2 tsp black pepper

a dash of salt

 

Toss everything together and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

 

And here is my latest video.  If you like it, please, subscribe to my YouTube page and share it with your friends and family.

 

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

 

You all know how we love to go for our little day trips all over the place.  We love discovering all the hidden gems our beautiful state has to offer, but what makes it even better is when we can share these hidden gems with our friends and family when they come to visit.  Because Tim and Leslie are doing a big driving RV vacation, the last thing they wanted to do was to spend another long day in the car for sightseeing.  Fortunately, Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs are only about 1 1/2 hours south of us, and there is plenty of things to see and do while in the area.

Our first stop was The Cave of the Winds.  As early legends of over a thousand years ago tell, the Jicarilla Apaches told of a cave near Manitou Springs where the Great Spirit of the Wind resided.  Approximately 4 – 7 million years ago, the limestone fell below the water table. … As more limestone dissolved over many thousands of years, pockets grew into passageways. Passageways grew into rooms, rooms grew into caverns, and the caves were slowly formed.  The name Wind Cave comes from the wind that naturally blows out (and in) of the small natural entrance to the cave. … Wind Cave is most known for its delicate calcite formations called “boxwork”. The vast majority of the world’s discovered boxwork, 95%, is found in Wind Cave.

Inside the Caves.

After leaving The Cave of the Winds, while still in the area, we could not leave without stopping at The Garden of the Gods.   Garden of the Gods Park is a registered National Natural Landmark that includes 480 acres of dramatic views of 300′ towering sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies.  Back in 1859, when a surveyor named Rufus Cable first saw the towering fins of rock jutting over 300 feet into the air near Pikes Peak, he enthusiastically declared that it was “a fit place for the gods to assemble!” From this excited outburst came the name Garden of the Gods.  The Garden of the Gods is one of my favorite places to visit here in Colorado.  It is both spiritual and magical, and is truly a breathtaking miracle to behold.

Pictures are great, but they just don’t give it the full justice it deserves.

Sharing the magic and hiking the trails.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.  I never get tired of sharing my beautiful state of Colorado.

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

Colorado, like California, is pretty versatile when it comes to food.  We have many different influences that shape and mold our dishes to make them unique to our state.  When our friends Tim and Leslie came out to visit, I wanted to make dishes that were completely from Colorado, so I went to my Colorado cookbooks for ideas and inspiration.  I knew I was going to make the elk steaks.  I just needed the perfect side dishes to compliment the elk. When Friends Come Together

All I did for the elk was to use the rub I bought from Wally’s that is specifically for big game.  I let it chill in the refrigerator all day before grilling it to perfection, which is a beautiful medium rare.  Wally’s Quality Meats  Elk is very lean and is rich in protein, which makes it very healthy.

Because we were having wild game, I needed something bold and “wild” to accompany it.  I chose to make wild rice with chorizo and vegetables as one of the side dishes.

 

Wild Rice with Chorizo

 

1 1/2 cups wild rice

1 lb ground chorizo

1 red bell pepper, diced fine

1/2 onion, diced fine

1-1 1/2 TBSP garlic

2 roasted Anaheim peppers, peeled, seeded and diced

salt & pepper to taste

2 cans chicken broth

olive oil for cooking

 

Cook the chorizo, then add the vegetables and garlic and olive oil and cook until the vegetables are tender.

Add the rice and saute it for about 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the liquid has evaporated.

For vegetables, I just cooked some green beans and then sauteed mushrooms, garlic, onions and peppers to add.  It was like putting pieces of a puzzle together.  Everything “fit” together just perfectly.

I have a lot of chorizo rice lift over, so I am pretty sure you will be seeing it again in the very near future, only packaged differently.  🙂

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

 

Our friends Tim and Leslie have already come and gone.   I fixed us a completely Colorado meal on the first night they were here.  Saturday, we took them down to Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs and did The Cave of the Winds and  Gardens of the Gods, and then to InVINtions  A Toast to InVINtions! for some Colorado wine tasting.  Sure they taste plenty of great wines in California, where they live, but we have plenty of great wines from here too, that have their own Colorado personalities.  Tim and Leslie were only here for the weekend, and the weekend flew by quickly.  They left this morning, and I miss them already.  We had a great time.

The first night they were here, I fixed a very Colorado dinner that included elk steaks Wally’s Quality Meats, cooked to a perfect medium rare and topped with my peach salsa, Palisade Peach Salsa, wild rice with chorizo, green beans with vegetables, Parmagiano sesame biscuits and some Colorado wine from Grand River Cab Franc, from our own Colorado vineyards out in Grand Junction that Tim and Leslie picked up along the way.

I wanted to make a special meal since Tim and Leslie do not make it to Colorado that often.   It was just the four of us for dinner, and then Priscilla and Jonathon joined us later for dessert, which was a chocolate pecan tart and some port from once again, InVINtions.

Leslie, Priscilla and I have all known each other since 7th grade, and we have remained close friends through the years.  Please DO NOT do the math.  It is way too many years, but like a good wine, we are just getting better and better with age; well at least Priscilla and Leslie are.  Me, not so much.  🙂

Old friends are the best friends.  They are the family that you choose.  Love you both lots and lots.

I will give the recipes for our Colorado meal later.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone.  ‘Til next time

 

Elizabeth and I always have so much fun together, despite the large age gap between us.  She is always up for any adventure and whatever she does, she does with gusto.  She has a real knack and passion for cooking, like I do, and has a very long and extended “bucket list” of things she wants to learn how to cook.  Shrimp scampi was one of those bucket list items.  Don’t Skimp on the Scampi  Yesterday, she learned how to make it.  She did a fantastic job.  On to the next item on the list.  One down, a bazillion more to go.  Elizabeth is my STAR student.  🙂

Elizabeth is cutting her vegetables.  She always has that big beautiful smile, no matter what she is doing.

Cooking the peppers, mushrooms and garlic.  Lots of garlic!

Cooking the shrimp to perfection.

Getting a few pointers and tips from the pro.

Putting it all together.

And voila!  The piece de resistance!  We served it with some pesto foccaccia and a cool, crisp fume blanc.

Toasting to a job well done!

Life is short.  Have fun and enjoy.  Never take it for granted.  It’s the little things that matter most.

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

 

 

We have company coming in from California tomorrow, and I have been busy baking up some treats for all of us to enjoy.  My friend Leslie, whom I have also know since 7th grade is like family, and her husband Tim, are coming to stay with us while en route to their final destination of Yellowstone.  I have a special dinner planned for tomorrow, but I am getting other things prepared too, such as some apple and peach crumb squares.   We are going to take Leslie and Tim to the Cave of the Winds, down in Manitou Springs, on Saturday, and I figured we needed some goodies that could travel along with us as well, just in case we get hungry along the way.

Larry does not like peaches, otherwise, I would have only made a batch of peach squares.  So I divided my squares.  Half are peach and half are apple.  I LOVE peaches, and our Palisade peaches are the BEST.  Palisade Peach Salsa  Hopefully everyone will be happy.

These squares are layered.  First there is the crust, then the filling and then they are finished with the streussel crumb topping.

 

Preheat the oven to 375* F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spray the foil with cooking spray.

 

The Crust

3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cubed

 

You can either make the crust by hand or in a food processor.  Mix everything together until it resembles a fine sand.  Then firmly press onto the foil, making sure to spread it out evenly and covering the whole pan.  Bake the crust for about 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden.  It may crack a bit.  That’s OK.

The Filling

You can use any kind of fruit you like.  I made 1/2 apple and 1/2 peach this time.  I am only going to give you the full recipe for one type of fruit, but if you split them like I did, just divide the portions in 1/2 and evenly divide them.

4 lbs peaches or apples, peeled and diced

4 TBSP butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tsp cinnamon if using apples and 1 tsp ground ginger if using peaches

1 TBSP cornstarch

3 TBSP lemon juice

 

Mix the cornstarch and lemon juice together and set aside.  Then mix the rest of the ingredients together and place them in a skillet to cook over a medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit is soft.  Stir occasionally.

Add the cornstarch mixture and mix in thoroughly, stirring constantly until it thickens.

Evenly spread the filling mixture out on top of the cooked crust.

While the filling is cooking, make your streussel topping.

 

Streussel Topping

1 cup flour

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped coarse

1/2 cup soft butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 TBSP vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Mix everything together by hand until it forms into a ball.

Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit filling and bake again for about 40-45 minutes or until the topping browns.

Once the topping browns up and forms a light crust, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.  You should get 24 squares.  You can refrigerate the squares for about 1 week or you can freeze them for about 3 months.  Personally, I don’t think they are going to be around long enough to freeze.  They will disappear very quickly, especially when you serve them with ice cream, as Larry likes to eat them.  You can have them for breakfast or dessert or a perfect anytime snack without the ice cream too.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, August 19, would have been Julia Child’s 108th birthday.  Happy Birthday to the one and only true Queen of the Kitchen.  She was a pioneer to women and to the culinary world in general.  She will always reign supreme to all Culinarians around the world.

“Learn how to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have fun!”   Bon Appetit, Julia!

 

In my latest video, when I “took us down to Argentina” with my chimichurri, I also made an Argentine humito con sofrito.  Video #5 – Argentine Style Chimichurri Sauce  This particular version is a combination of two different Argentine and South American traditional cooking styles that are combined to make a vegetable souffle.  It was made with both humita and sofrito.

Humita is a Native South American dish that has been around since long before the Spanish came to the New World.  It was a typical food from the Andean culture, which extended from Venezuela down to Argentina.  These Native recipes have been passed down through the generations and have not changed much through the passages of time.  Each region has their own particular version and style.  The word humita comes from the Native quechua jumint’a.  It is basically like a savory masa harina that is used for tamales or empanadas.  In Argentina, humita is known as a creamy corn filling.  Because Argentina has a very large Italian population, and Italians love cheese, the Argentine version of humita is almost always made with cheese.

Sofrito is a Spanish term that means lightly fried or sauteed.  It is almost always a combination of peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes, and often times has other vegetables and seasonings included.  Sofrito is used to enhance rice dishes and stews and other savory recipes all throughout the Spanish world.

Argentine Humita con Sofrito

5 cups corn

2 cups milk

4 TBSP butter

1 cup onion, chopped fine

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 green bell pepper, diced medium

1/2 red bell pepper, diced medium

3 tomatoes, diced medium

1/2 lb butternut squash or pumpkin, cubed

1 zucchini, sliced

1 tsp sugar

salt & pepper to taste

3 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Parmagiano cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 325* F.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

 

Blend the corn and the milk in a food processor until it becomes a thick mash.

Saute the rest of the vegetables, except the tomatoes, in butter and/or olive oil for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add the tomatoes and seasonings to the mixture and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes.

Incorporate the corn mixture and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20 minutes.

When the vegetable mixture is cooked, carefully spoon it into the prepared casserole dish.  Mix the eggs and basil together then mix it thoroughly into the vegetable mixture.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Then remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 425* F and top the dish with the Parmagiano cheese.

Put the dish back into the oven at the higher temperature, and continue to bake for another 12-15 minutes.  When done, just spoon it up to go with your favorite South American or Argentine dishes.  It will have a slight crust on the top and will be smooth and delicately creamy on the inside.

My best friend Priscilla, whom you have “met” many times through my blogs, and is actually the inspiration for my blog, is originally from Rosario, Argentina, which is a suburb of Buenos Aires.  She gave her stamp of approval for my Argentine dinner.  Her words were “Yay!!! Buenísimo!”  Coming from someone who is from Argentina, and is herself a fantastic cook who comes from a long line of fantastic cooks, this is very high praise indeed.  Priscilla and I have known each other since 7th grade.  We grew up together in Pasadena, California, where we lived about 10 minutes away from each other, and now here in Colorado, where we both live, we are still only about 10 minutes away from each other.  Funny how things work out.   Te amo mucho mi Amiga!

!Mangia y Desfruitas!

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

 

While we were having our floors redone, cooking at home was not an option.  Yes, it was an inconvenience in a lot of ways, but there were advantages as well.  The most important advantage is that now we have brand new, beautiful hardwood floors.  The Kitchen is Closed Again – Part 5  Another fun advantage was that we got to go out and try some new restaurants as well, such as The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill.  Mediterranean food has always been one of my favorite types of food, both to eat and to cook.  It’s always so fresh and full of flavor, and is one of the healthiest diets around too.  You just can’t go wrong when you go Greek.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is a fast-casual restaurant, that is a growing trend in the restaurant industry today.  You order your food at the counter and then it is brought to you at your table once it is ready.

The restaurant was spotlessly clean with very helpful, friendly staff members and the food was fabulous.  I loved the very creative decorations too, especially all these hanging plants.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is a franchise and each restaurant is independently owned and operated.  The one in Westminster, Colorado opened its doors in Feb. 2020 and is owned by Jack Jones.  “We’re living proof that quality ingredients, authentic Mediterranean recipes, and friendly hospitality still matters in the restaurant industry,” said Jim Butler, Leader of United Franchise Group’s Food Division. “We’re excited to celebrate the brand’s first franchise location in Westminster and for what is to come with this brand.”  There are 36 locations in various stages of development around the country.  The Great Greek was started in 2016, in Henderson, Nevada by Nick Della Penna and Trent Jones, and has been rapidly growing ever since.

The menu at The Great Greek offers a wide variety of traditional favorites “such as savory skewers off the grill, refreshing salads or wraps, and mouth-watering appetizers, to palate-pleasing appetizers, tender gyros, and delicious desserts”.  Almost everything is made fresh daily in house too.  The baklava is made by Jack’s wife daily too.  And it is delicious, just as everything else was.

Larry ordered a gyro and fries.  We love gyros and eat them quite often.  This one was loaded with fresh gyro meat, tomatoes and tsaziki sauce.

I decided to order a full meal of chicken kebabs that came with rice and a salad.  Larry and I split the salad, so we both had some vegetables for the day.  It was very good and once again, I could not eat everything, so the rest of it came home with me for another great meal later.

Even though we were completely full, we still had to try some dessert.  Life is short, so you always have to make room for dessert.  Most of the dessert came home with us too though.  We had a dessert sampler platter that included some delicious rice pudding, baklava ice cream, baklava and some Greek cookies.  Once again, our taste buds were thoroughly delighted.

I love discovering new restaurants that offer great food almost as much as I enjoy cooking things myself.  You just never know what you gems are going to be uncovered.  All you have to do is be adventurous and enjoy the delicious journey ahead.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is located at 14315 Orchard Parkway, Suite 400, in Westminster, Colorado.  You can contact them at http://www.thegreatgreek.com or by phone at (720) 608-4888.

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