A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are not as closely related to each other as we would think. They are from different families and have different qualities. They also have different nutrients as well. A potato is a tuber, whereas a sweet potato is actually a large root or a thickened stem, although they both grow under ground. Sweet potatoes grow best in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. At first it was believed they were native to South and Central America, but now evidence is showing that sweet potatoes have been in Polynesia and Asia since about 1000 A.D. They range in colors, coming in white, yellow, orange, red and purple. There is not much difference in the flavors and nutritionally they are all about the same too, however the white sweet potatoes are a little drier and a bit less sweet than the other options and colors.

Fall is very colorful time of year, and I love all the colors of the season. I like to play with the fall colors when I am cooking too. This time I was mixing both my sweet potatoes and my colors. I used white, orange and purple sweet potatoes to make a colorful and tasty new dish that accompanied my honey, mustard and tarragon roasted chicken and my stuffed mushrooms with artichokes, peppers and sausage. Video #13 – Making Stuffed Mushrooms, Spicy Artichoke and Sausage Dip. It was a very good combination. I finished it with a dry, slightly sparkling Argentine chardonnay too.

This dish has a slight Moroccan flavor to it because of the exotic spices I used.

Tri Colored Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Glaze

3 medium sized sweet potatoes, 1 of each color, peeled and either cut into thin matchsticks or spiraled

1/3 cup pomegranate juice or orange juice

1/3 cup honey

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 tsp orange zest

1 tsp orange pepper seasoning, optional

1/2 tsp nutmeg

black pepper to taste

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

fresh cilantro, chopped for topping

I do not have a spiral cutter so I cut my sweet potatoes into thin matchsticks, or julienned them instead.

Add the sweet potatoes into a pot of boiling water and boil for about 3-5 minutes, then drain.

In a hot skillet, combine the butter, honey, all the spices and seasonings and the pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens a bit.

Once the sweet potatoes and the sauce are done, toss them together, using only as much sauce as needed to coat the sweet potatoes without drowning them in sauce.

Before serving, top the sweet potatoes with pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro and you will have a beautifully colored and exotic dish in no time.

This dish looks even more exotic if you have a spiral maker, but it still comes out very pretty even if you don’t. Either way, you are really going to enjoy it. This dish goes very well with either chicken, turkey or pork.

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

It was video time again, and this one was a very simple recipe, using, you guessed it, more leftovers. I just love showing you how creative I can be with my leftovers. I would love to see some of your creative leftover uses too.

This video shows you how to make some quick and easy stuffed mushrooms, using my leftover artichoke, pepper and sausage dip as the filling. Spicy Artichoke and Sausage Dip The beauty about making stuffed mushrooms is that you can use anything you like as the filling. There are no rules. They are also super easy to make as well, and they are always a big hit, no matter how or where you serve them.

Two of my 3 (currently) fur babies decided to make a cameo appearance as well. Nicky (Nicodemus) even had a “speaking” role. Does that mean I need to start paying her now?

If you like what you see, please subscribe to my YouTube page and share it with your family and friends too.

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

Well, once again, I am trying to whittle away some of our leftovers. We are also going out of town for a few days, so I want to clean out the fridge as much as possible before we go, which means I haven’t been cooking as much again lately. So I thought I would leave you with some thoughts of what we “really” say say in the kitchen, behind closed doors and away from the public’s ear. Back when I was running professional kitchens, I used to tell my staff they could come into my office and yell, kick, scream, and do whatever they needed to do to vent. But as soon as they walked out those doors and were back with the public, they needed to be calm, cool and collected once again, and that smile needed to be ever present to the public, regardless of what was going on either privately or publicly. The public can never see us sweat. That smile to the public is part of your uniform and it needs to be worn daily, at all times and it needs to be worn with pride.

Today so many people think the Chef’s life is the glamorous life. Oh NO, NO , NO !!!!!!!! When working in a commercial kitchen, be prepared for LONG hours, and working NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, and HOLIDAYS. When your friends and families are out partying and enjoying themselves, you are behind a hot stove working your butt off. Colorful curse words and expletives are loud and abundant. The “F” word is one of our favorite words in the professional kitchen. Believe me, it is said A LOT!!!!! All of that, and more so than not, you are usually vastly underpaid too. You have to do it because you LOVE IT! Working in a kitchen and being a chef is either in your blood or it’s not. It is most definitely NOT for the faint of heart or the weak.

Sadly, I have worked with many people who fit this category.

Fortunately, I have worked with many people who fall into this category as well.

And believe me, I have made more than my share of mistakes.

So if you have any dreams of making it as a Professional Chef, you’ve got to work hard and surround yourself with great talent. You’ve got to pay your dues and make a lot of sacrifices. Be creative and dare to dream. And just maybe, if you are one of the lucky ones, you will make it to the top too. But you won’t get there if you don’t put in lots and of blood, sweat and tears. In order to make it, you’ve got to WANT it and you’ve got to EARN it, and even then, there is no guarantee.

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

It is a gorgeous fall day. The colors are vibrant and bright. The sun is shining brightly, and their were lots of animals out enjoying their day. We took Vinnie on a nice long walk through our open space and this is what we saw.

This is our tree in our front yard. It’s about time to get out the rake.

We actually saw a couple of turtles today, even though it is kind of late in the season for them. But there was one big snapping turtle that lifted his head to say hi.

We saw a lot of prairie dogs out and about today too.

While we we walking, I told Larry I wanted to see a coyote or two, since it’s been awhile. We did not see any on our walk, but we did see one from our deck while we were having lunch.

I wanted to see coyotes today, and that we did, and right from our very own deck too.

Nature’s beauty. Mother Nature always does her best. It just doesn’t get any better.

No matter how much you think you know about something, there is always more to learn. Thanks to our very own AMERICA ON COFFEE, I learned some new things about the hats or toques worn by chefs. I never knew that the number of pleats in a toque represented how much a chef new about different ways of cooking. Here are some more fun food facts I bet most people didn’t know.

1. The best way to sweeten white onions is by caramelizing them.

2. Freezing a cake before spreading the frosting on it will make it easier and less crumbly.

3. If you place a wooden spoon on the top of a boiling pot it stops the liquid from boiling over because it relieves the pressure and pops the bubbles.

4. 3 tsp = 1 TBSP

5. Throwing spaghetti against a wall is a good, throw dramatic, way of determining if it is cooked enough. If it sticks, it’s done.

I just thought these were things we all needed to know. Have fun, play with your food and learn something new.

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

Today, while out on my walk, I thought I wasn’t going to see anything. The lakes were beautiful, but they were very quiet and still. At first, I thought all I was going to see were rocks.

I would have enjoyed my walk either way, but seeing my “friends” come out certainly made my day. When I least expected it, a blue heron flew right beside me. I almost didn’t get this shot. I was more than a little surprised to see him fly by and didn’t have my camera ready. You don’t realize how big they are until you see their wingspan.

This is how I see the herons most of the time, although this guy looks a bit angry. Maybe he was just as surprised to see me too. I guess I invaded his space.

Maybe if I just close my eyes, she will go away.

Here, he seems to be smiling again.

The tall wild grasses always looks so pretty as they dance in the breeze.

There were even a few friendly squirrels who came out to play today too.

Life is short. Enjoy it while you can.

I just love pumpkin season. There are so many wonderful dishes to make, ranging from soups to savory to sweets and so much more. I also love empanadas. I combined the pumpkin and the empanadas to make a fun new fall dessert. It might just be a new fall favorite. And just the way I like I too. This delicious recipe only requires a few simple ingredients that we all have in out pantries at all times.

Roasted Pumpkin and Chocolate Empanadas

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree

2 2/3 cups flour

2 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup or 2 sticks cold butter, cubed

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces, divided

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425* F or about 200 * C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the pumpkin puree on the parchment paper. Roast for 15 minutes.

While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare your dough by mixing the flour, 2 TBSP sugar, salt and butter together in a food processor. Mix until it resembles crumbled sand.

Whisk the egg and milk together then add to the flour mixture and combine just until everything is moistened.

Once the pumpkin has been removed from the oven, reduce the heat to 375* F.

Once the dough is prepared, form it into a ball and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 thickness. Then cut into either circles or rectangles. You can make them any size you like. I cut mine into circles that were about 4 inches in diameter.

Combine the roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, the remainder of the sugar and about 2/3 of the chocolate. The pumpkin will be hot and will melt the chocolate.

Add about 1-2 TBSP of the pumpkin mixture (or as much as the dough will hold) to each piece and fold over. Pinch the edges tightly, then crimp with a fork on the edges, so the filling does not ooze out.

Once all the empanadas are made, poke them with a fork to make some air holes, then brush them with milk and place them in the oven at the reduced temperature. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown and flaky.

Melt the remaining chocolate (add a dash of milk if you need to) and drizzle the melted chocolate over the empanadas. These are best served hot with a dab of ice cream on the side. My friend Suzanne also brought over some Aussie bites that we served on the side as well. Chipotle Lime Chicken These could have very easily been a meal by themselves.

These were something new and and fun, and definitely DELICIOUS!!!!!!! These are definitely a do-over.

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

The lakes are quiet now, compared to their busy flourishing life in the spring and early summer. But there is still beauty to be found. The birds are still singing in the trees and playful rabbits are hopping all around. I just have to look a little more closely now than I did before, but there is still so much to see.

The colors are vibrantly amazing.

There are still a few ducks left, either out for a leisurely swim, or just lounging about.

And they sing from way up high.

A little fun game of hide and seek, bunny style.

Enjoy the beauty of nature. It’s all around. All you have to do is open your eyes to look and see.