A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I just love seeing all of our big, beautiful water birds.  They are just so graceful.  This year, we have seen a lot of egrets and cormorants, but not all that many blue herons.  Usually we see a lot of all of them.  The herons we’ve seen this year have all kept their distance too.  They have been very elusive.  But every now and then I get some good candid shots of them, though be it at a distance.  Thanks goodness for a good zoom lens.

 

The elusive blue heron.

 

The egret and the duck.

 

The cormorant just spreading his wings.

While you can, spread your wings and fly too.

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

Pork chops were next in line for the meat rotation.  As usual, I got busy doing other things and did not have time to really think of what to make for dinner, other than we were having pork chops for dinner.  So I had to think of something quick and easy, and of course, delicious as well.  No problem.  I had a ton of vegetables on hand, like I always do, so I made them in a simple Italian style, then served them over orzo and the pork chops.  Italian cooking, like Spanish and Mediterranean cooking, emphasizes using lots of fresh, hearty vegetables; a philosophy I whole heartedly subscribe to.  Not only is it a very tasty way of cooking, but it is also very healthy.

Italian Pork Chops and Vegetables

1-1 1/2 lbs pork chops

2 TBSP garlic – divided – 1 TBSP for the marinade and 1 TBSP for the vegetables

2 tsp basil – divided – 1 tsp for the marinade and 1 tsp for the vegetables

2 tsp oregano – divided – 1 tsp for the marinade and 1 tsp for the vegetables

2 tsp thyme – divided – 1 tsp for the marinade and 1 tsp for the vegetables

2 tsp marjoram – divided – 1 tsp for the marinade and 1 tsp for the vegetables

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

salt & pepper to taste

1/3 cup olive oil

2-3 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced medium

1 zucchini, sliced

1/4 red onion, sliced

1-1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

 

First, make the marinade with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and herbs.  Let the pork marinate for at least 1 hour before cooking.  I grilled the pork chops, but you can cook them however you like.

While the pork chops are marinating, saute all the vegetables and garlic, except for the tomatoes, in olive oil.  I added extra herbs and salt and pepper as needed as they were cooking.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the tomatoes to the mixture.  Let everything simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Once the sauce is ready, top it over your favorite pasta, then add the pork chops, and top again with more vegetables.  I used orzo this time because I wanted a lighter dish.  !Mangia!

This is a light meal that is full of flavor.  It’s a perfect choice for dinning al fresco along with some warmed ciabiatta and a glass or two of vino.  Red or white will do just fine.

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

 

We didn’t have to go very far to enjoy these beautiful birds.  They were literally just in our backyard.  We took these pictures while dining out on the deck.  Despite all that 2020 has thrown at us so far, I have to admit, Mother Nature is doing her best to ease the tensions and is providing us with some much needed beauty.

A little sprague perched up high in the tree.

A yellow goldfinch sitting on the catnip.  Our backyard is filled with both catnip and lemon verbena.

Our little goldfinch even brought a friend to play with.

Our red headed house finches have been stopping by quite regularly too lately.  Same bush, different day as the goldfinches.

We have seen quite a few hawks flying up above, but they are being quite elusive.  It’s been real difficult to get good shots of them, and they are always in flight.  Even though we see hawks all around, it is either when I don’t have my camera with me, or I can’t get to them in time.

And hawks of a different feather, flying right above my deck.  This is the corner of my house.  I took these from our deck and Larry was working from home that day, in the office.  He said the whole house shook and the windows were rattling.  We never found out why they were there.  We had heard they were making a rescue, but they would not need 3.  We think either someone important was flying in and/or there was something that called for the military, in which case, we will never know why they were flying right above us.

We even has a squirrel on the wire.

With all that is currently going on in the world, we all need to step back and enjoy the little things.

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

 

I have certainly had my very lean days, and I am NOT just talking about my waistline either, where money was very tight.  Eating leftovers was often times my only option if I wanted to eat at all.  There were times when I would eat the same meal for a few days straight because that is what I had.  But I get bored having them the same way over and over again.  So I recreate them as much and as often as I can.  Recreating leftovers has become a fun game for me.  How can I creatively recreate from what I already have?  How many ways can I recreate from what I already have?  HMMMMMM!  Let the games begin!  Obviously, I love leftovers, I just don’t always like them the same way as they were when they were first-overs.   This is why my alter ego, “The Queen of Leftovers” and I have become such close, tight friends, and will be remain forever friends as well.

My latest leftover recreation took a turn to the Caribbean when I used my leftover tomatillo salsa Pan-fried Cod with Tomatillo Salsa to make some Caribbean rice.  We go down to the Caribbean A LOT, for diving, and no matter where you are, the basic Caribbean diet is rice, beans and chicken.  Sometimes, if you are lucky, it is chicken, rice and beans.  In then the Caribbean it is said as a joke, but there really is some truth to it as well.  Usually, the first item mentioned will be the primary ingredient, so if rice and beans are mentioned first, there is very little chicken used, whereas if the chicken is mentioned first, you are using more of it.  We were lucky this time, and it was chicken and rice for us.   No beans this time.  🙂

The first of the leftover tomatillo salsa was used when we went to InVINtions and Tocabe.  Tocabe, The Native American Way  We used it on top of the bannock or fry bread.  YUM!  What a good combination.  But I still had some left.  Of course, not really enough to have on its own, but just enough to use it for some rice to spice it up.

I added some corn, red onions, tomatoes, red bell pepper and cilantro.  I diced the red onions, red bell pepper and tomatoes fine, and chopped the cilantro fine as well.  Then all of the vegetables were sauteed in olive oil for about 5-7 minutes, with a little salt and pepper added as well.

I already had some rice cooked, which was added to the corn mixture as well as the rest of my tomatilla salsa.

Once everything was mixed together, I let it all cook for about another 5-7 minutes to heat up the salsa and the rice.  Then I added the tomatoes and cilantro right before serving it and mixed everything together thoroughly.  I did not want either the tomatoes or the cilantro to break down.

Before making the rice mixture though, I made a simple Caribbean  style honey mustard vinaigrette to marinade the chicken in.  I marinated the chicken for about 1 hour before we grilled it up.

Zesty Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp basil

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 TBSP garlic

2 TBSP Spicy mustard

1/3 cup honey mustard dressing

1 TBSP honey

 

Mix everything together to use as either a marinade or a dressing for a salad.

Once everything was ready, I sliced the chicken to make some Caribbean pitas with avocado and served it with the Caribbean rice and a glass or two of a cool, crisp chardonnay.  Just because we cannot travel to any place exotic at the moment does not mean we cannot enjoy the exotic flavors from around the world.  🙂

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

 

 

I met a friend for breakfast at First Watch, The Daytime Cafe in Arvada today.  I had never been there before, but I will definitely go back again.  The name First Watch is a nautical reference to the first work shift aboard ship, which is an appropriate name for the restaurant since First Watch restaurants are only open from 7:00 AM to 2:30 PM

First Watch is a restaurant chain throughout the country, that originally started in Pacific Grove, California in 1983, by Ken Pendery and John Sullivan.  They are in 26 states, with about 300 locations and about 6000 employees.  First Watch bought out the Egg and I and Le Peep, two other morning restaurant chains.

The restaurants’ philosophy for serving fresh, in season produce is simple.  “We follow the sun and partner with the best growers possible.  Here at First Watch, we begin each morning at the crack of dawn, slicing fresh fruits and vegetables, baking muffins and whipping up our French toast batter from scratch. Everything is made to order and freshness is never compromised. We don’t use heat lamps or deep fryers — we use only the finest ingredients possible for the freshest taste around. When you arrive, we welcome you with a pot — not just a cup — of our Project Sunrise coffee, along with complimentary newspapers and WiFi Internet access.”

My friend Alice and I both enjoyed some delicious breakfast as we got caught up with each other and what’s been going on.

Alice enjoyed the Power Breakfast Quinoa Bowl, made with quinoa, Italian sausage, house roasted crimini mushrooms and tomatoes, kale Parmigiano cheese and eggs.  It looked really good and she thoroughly enjoyed it.

I went for a more traditional breakfast, and opted for the Inspired Italian Omelette, which was loaded with Italian sausage, house roasted tomatoes and peppers, fresh herbs and both Mozzarella and Parmigiano cheese.

We both cleaned our plates, so I guess that tells you we really enjoyed our breakfast, and apparently we were a lot hungrier than we thought.

As I said, there are about 300 First Watch Restaurants located around the country.  You should definitely go and try them out.  You will be very happy you did.  We went to the one in Arvada, Colorado, located at 7450 B West 52 Ave., #200.  You can phone them at (303) 439-2202 or find them online at firstwatch.com.

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

 

 

 

 

Well our 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off and Picnic is now officially in the books as a HUGE success.  Now it’s time to get back in the kitchen and start cooking again.

We went out on Sunday, and when we got home I didn’t really feel like cooking a lot, and it was already late.  So I just whipped up a quick stir-fry using up some of my leftovers.  Stir-fries are quick and easy and are a great way to use up all those little bits and pieces that are not enough for a meal on their own too.  We completed the meal with some potstickers and a cool, crisp chardonnay to make for a perfect, quick and easy summer meal.

Ham and Vegetable Stir-Fry

1/2-3/4 lb of ham, sliced into thin strips

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup green beans, stems removed, cut into pieces about 1″ in size

1 TBSP honey

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

1 cup orange juice

1 tsp Chinese 5 spices

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 tsp, or to taste, red pepper flakes

1 TBSP cornstarch

1-2 TBSP basil, chiffonade or cut into thin shreds

2 TBSP cilantro, chopped fine

 

Get your wok or skillet and add cooking oil very hot.  Then add the bell peppers, onions, green beans, garlic, ginger and mushrooms and saute for about 2-3 minutes, or until they are mostly cooked, with still a little bit of crunch left to them.  You do not want to over cook them, or they will become mushy.

Mix the spices, honey and orange juice together and set aside.

When the vegetables are cooked, add the ham and the sauce.  Mix the cornstarch with about 1/3 cup of water, then add to the sauce and mix thoroughly.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes.

You can serve this either over rice or noodles.  I had some leftover pasta I needed to use up, so I served it over pasta.  Both rice and pasta are good choices though, so it is really up to you.

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

Thank you all so much for your FABULOUS submissions to the 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off and Summer Picnic.  We had over 60 submissions, from bakers and chefs of all ages.  WOW!!!!!!  You all did such an AMAZING job.  In fact, you all did so well that not only did you make me VERY hungry, but you also made my job as judge, very, very difficult.  We had a very international picnic this year, with recipes and photos coming in from all over the world.  We had everything from beverages, to desserts and cakes, to breads, to savory dishes.  Our picnic basket was definitely very full, with so many fantastic foods.  This is one great picnic.

Because we had so many submissions and so many categories, I am only going to show the winners for this year’s contest.  But in reality, YOU ARE ALL WINNERS!

And the Winners Are:

1.  Best Effort – Shortbread cookies by Benji, Benji’s Very Big Blog https://benjisverybigblog.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

2.  The Cakes – The Drum Set, by Robbie from robbiesinspirations.wordpress.com 

 

3.  Desserts – Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars by Margot Hamilton, from http://margotdreamsofbaking.ca/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Breads – The Perfect Bread Loaf by Geoff LePard at TanGentalhttp://geofflepard.com/

 

5.  Best Savory Dish – Vegetable Cups by Tandy Sinclair from Lavendar and Lime.  https://tandysinclair.com/

 

6.  Beverages – Watermelon Grenadine Mocktail by Sophie from Foodzesty https://foodzesty.com/

 

 

 

All of you are awarded the 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off and Summer Picnic Gold Cup of Excellence!  You all did a fantastic job!

 

This has been a lot of fun.  We had so many great entries and so many wonderful dishes and recipes.

Thanks to Gary from https://bereavedsingledad.blog/ for all of his good humor and fantastic submissions to this year’s picnic and bake off.

Many, many thanks to Mel at

Caramel (Learner at love) 

for all of her hard work and dedication for making this fantastic summer “picnic” the huge success that it was.  This could not have been possible without her. She is the driving force behind this whole event.

But most importantly, thanks to ALL OF YOU for making this so much fun and such a huge success.  You are all SUPERSTARS in my book!

We can all take a much needed reprieve, then start planning on what what we want to make for next year.

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

OK! I will have the results of the 2020 Great Blogger-Bake-Off and Picnic out to you shortly. While you wait, enjoy reading about last year’s winners.

Get your picnic baskets ready. It’s almost time to party.

It’s crunch time.  I am in the throws of going through all the fabulous entries you all submitted for our 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off.  We have so many this year, which is fabulous!!!!!  Thank you all for you wonderful submissions and for making this such a fun success.  Now my work really begins.  I am honored to have this very difficult job of deciding who will take home the trophy this year.  But because I have so many great entries, I will not be in the kitchen at the moment.  So while I am going through all of your submissions and making my decisions, I will leave you with some food for thought.

 

First we eat, then we do everything else.

~MFK Fisher~

American cookbook author, food columnist and Founder of

Napa Valley Wine Library

 

Your body is not a temple.  It’s an amusement park.  Enjoy the ride.

~ Anthony Bourdain ~

American celebrity chef, author, journalist, and travel documentarian

 

I cook with wine.  Sometimes I even add it to the food.

~ W.C. Fields~

American comedian and actor

 

 

I am not a glutton.  I am an explorer of food.

~ Erma Bombeck~

American author and humorist

 

The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.

~ Julia Child ~

American cookbook author, culinarian, teacher, and TV personality.

 

I should have the results of our 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off ready to post tomorrow, Monday, 7/20/20.  All of you did an AMAZING job.  Good luck!

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