A Jeanne in the Kitchen

You all know how the Queen and I are very close.  We are the bestest of buddies.  She has been showing up in my kitchen a lot lately; a lot more than usual, because of this whole COVID19  stuff going on.  Most of the world is going threw this same thing, and sadly, most of us are all stuck at home, with nowhere to go.  Larry is one of the fortunate few (for now) and he can still go into work, although he is not going in as frequently, which means he is not taking lunches with him so much either.  And this means, I have even MORE leftovers in my fridge than normal too.  So I have to get even MORE creative with my leftovers than usual.  But that’s OK.  I LOVE these creative, culinary challenges.

Not long ago, I made some Southwestern ahi tuna steaks that were oh so good.  Southwestern Ahi Tuna Steaks  I liked the green chili and corn sauce so much for the tuna that I made it again, but this time I made some pork empanadas from the remainder of our smoked pork that I pulled out of the freezer.  As good as the sauce was with the tuna, it was even BETTER with the pork and the empanadas.  Smoked Pork and Vegetable Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa  Most definitely, a do-over!

This time around, the whole meal was comprised of leftovers – leftover pork and beans, leftover couscous, the pork in the empanadas, and the red pepper coulis as well.  Parmagiano Crusted Pork Chops  It may not have been the most ideal combination, but somehow, it all magically came together just fine.  That, AND it also cleared out some space in my fridge for even MORE leftovers to come.  🙂

Since these are all made from leftovers, I am not going to give the actual recipes again, but I will show how I made them instead.

The thinner you can make your dough, the flakier the empanadas will be.  However, you do not want to make your dough so thin that it will not hold your filling either.   I rolled my dough to about 1/4 ” in thickness.  Also make sure your surface has enough flour to ensure the dough does not stick to it when rolling it out.

When the empanadas are made, put them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour before cooking them.  Make sure you seal the edges well, so the juices don’t run out and make your dough to mushy.  You can either bake them or pan-fry them.  I have done both, but I prefer to pan-fry them.  I think they come out lighter, crispier and flakier if they are pan-fried.  If you are going to bake them, add an egg wash to them before baking them.  That will help brown them up.

I love empanadas, and make them quite frequently.  It really doesn’t matter what I fill them with either.

Don’t let these tough times get to you.  Look them in the “eye” and rise to the challenges they present.  We will all get through this.  We just need to be strong and hang in there.

 

 

When it’s cold and there is a thick blanket of snow covering everything outside, the best thing to make for dinner is a warm, thick chowder to help take off the chill.  I took some ham our of the freezer and decided to make a ham chowder.  Chowders are my favorite soups and it was just the perfect day for a chowder.  It was most definitely a soupy kind of day.

 

When I make soups, I like to make them nice and chunky and loaded with stuff.  With my soups and chowders, you KNOW what’s in the soup.  You can see all kinds of hearty goodness and you can actually see lots of ingredients, unlike store bought soups, where they often leave you guessing.  This chowder is loaded with big chunks of ham, potatoes and vegetables.  I used carrots, onions, broccoli and to spice it up just a tad, I also threw in 1 jalapeno pepper.  I made my own ham stock and chicken stock too.  It was a simple meal that just hit the spot.

Ham Chowder

5-6 cups, cooked ham, cubed

3 large carrots, cubed

1 onion, diced

2 TBSP garlic

1 small of head broccoli, cut into small florets

1-1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cubed or quartered, depending on the type of potatoes you use – I used the golden fingerlings

1 jalapeno, diced fine – optional

6-8 cups broth – I used both ham and chicken

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil and butter

1 TBSP fresh herbs, chopped fine – I used sage, thyme and oregano

1/2 cup flour – or more or less depending on how thick you like your chowders

1 cup heavy whipping cream

 

In a big soup pot, get your oil and butter hot, then add the vegetables and saute for about 7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the carrots and potatoes are semi tender.

Add the ham, the broth, the seasonings and the flour.  Mix everything together well.  Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add the cream and the herbs and mix everything together well.   Adjust the seasonings if needed and add a little more flour if you like your chowders thicker.  If you are adding more flour, make sure to incorporate it very well and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.  There is nothing worse than getting a mouthful of uncooked flour in your soup.

Once everything is ready, it’s time to soup it up.  It is the perfect feel good, comfort food for a cold wintery day.  It warms you up from the inside out.

 

Nothing says spring better than lemons, rosemary and asparagus.  I combined them all together, hoping to bring in the spring with this delicious spring meal.  The meal WAS delicious, but spring is a bit late coming to town this year.  Oh well, at least we had a bit of spring at the table.

I don’t know what happened to the rest of my photos for this meal, and the preparations, but it was very easy to make, so I think you will all be just fine.

Dinner was chicken with lemon-honey-rosemary sauce, golden potatoes, wild rice and asparagus with mushrooms and the rest of my red pepper coulis.  Parmagiano Crusted Pork Chops  I also finished off the rest of my wine and cheese bread.  Some Colorado Wine & Cheese Bread  You all know how I love to use up those leftovers, so whenever I can do so, it just makes my day.  The Queen (of leftovers for those of you who are unfamiliar with my alter ego, and one of my best friends to cook with) would be oh so proud.  The meal was completed with a nice citrusy Spanish chardonnay.  It may not have been spring outside, but at least we had a little spring on the inside.

Chicken with Honey Lemon Sauce

3 lbs of chicken pieces, bone in and skin on

1 1/2 lbs small potatoes – I used the golden potatoes, cut in 1/2 lengthwise

3 TBSP butter, melted

3 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP honey

2 TBSP garlic

2-3 springs of fresh rosemary, chopped fine

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 TBSP lemon juice

1-2 tsp lemon zest

2 lemons

 

Preheat the oven to 375* F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Slice the lemons and line the bottom of the pan with the lemon slices.  Add the potatoes.  Place the chicken over the lemons and potatoes.

Mix all the rest of the ingredients together combining well, then pour over the chicken, lemons and potatoes.

Place the chicken in the oven and roast, uncovered for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165* F.  Baste the chicken with the sauce periodically too, to help keep it moist.  If the chicken starts to brown to much, cover it with foil for the remainder of the cooking time, if needed.

When the chicken is done, plate it up and top it with more of the sauce.  The chicken is slightly crispy on the outside and very moist and tender on the inside.  OMG!!!!  It came out so good.  You don’t have to wait for spring to come to enjoy this spring-like meal.  It is perfect anytime.  🙂

 

 

 

I think Mother Nature is a bit confused at the moment.  In the last days of winter, the temperatures were in the 70’s, and I was in shorts.  The first day of spring gave us anywhere from 5-18 inches of snow, depending on where you are.  WHAT?????  Really?????  Today is still cold, but at least it is not snowing any more.  Although, to be fair, March is supposed to be Colorado’s snowiest month.  February is going to be very hard to beat though.  This February, we had a ton of snow.

This is what we looked like yesterday, the first day of Spring.  We started off with rain.

The rain quickly turned to snow,

and the snow came down for the rest of the day.  Early on, you could see signs of my irises popping up, but those were soon buried too.

We are completely blanketed beneath a thick layer of snow.  And this is how our spring is starting off.

We are home bound because of the Corona virus, but we cannot even go outside for long because of Mother nature.  At least Lucie and Vinnie are prepared.  Lucie is busy playing with all of her babies, and is even willing to share them with us.

We all know how much the Irish love their potatoes, so it comes as no surprise to see how creative they are when creating new potato recipes.  I love potato cakes and could eat them anytime.  I also love Brussels sprouts.  Combining them just made them even better.  I also added bacon, green onions and some leftover sauteed apples.  They had a hint of saltiness and a hint of sweetness.  I know it sounds like a strange combination, but all these flavors really worked well together, and is something I definitely plan on making again.  I served these along with my Beef & Guinness stew for St. Patrick’s Day. Irish Stew

Potato Cakes with Brussels Sprouts

2-2 1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and diced

3/4 stick butter

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream or milk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

4-6 slices bacon, diced

1/2 cup cooked apples, optional

3 TBSP vegetable oil

2 cups Brussels sprouts chopped

6 green onions, sliced thin

1/2-3/4 cup flour and/or breadcrumbs, as needed

 

Cook your potatoes and mash them with the cream, butter and salt.  You want the potatoes to be stiff for these.  If they are too soft add the flour and/or breadcrumbs as needed to thicken them up.  Let them cool so you can work with them.

In the meantime, cook your bacon first, until it is almost crispy.  Then add the Brussels sprouts, green onions and apples if you are using them, and the salt & pepper. Saute everything together until everything is cooked and the vegetables and apples are cooked.

When the vegetables are tender and the bacon is cooked, mix everything thoroughly into the mashed potato mixture.  Add a little flour to your hands and form into patties and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Put them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set before frying them.

Heat the vegetable oil until it reaches about 350* F.  Carefully add the potato patties and let fry for about 3-4 minutes per side, carefully turning them over in the skillet or pan.  You want them browned and crisp.   Serve immediately and eat while hot.  Delicious!

 

I find it very interesting that some of the most popular foods today started out with very humble beginnings, and were the foods of the peasants and the poor.  Irish stew definitely falls into this category.   Today, Irish stew is good comfort food that you can find in any Irish pub, but it grew out of necessity.  Irish stew was created by using very simple ingredients that were readily available and could be thrown together and cooked in one pot.  Originally, mutton was used instead of lamb or beef.  Mutton is old sheep.  It was readily available because people kept their sheep through old age for their wool and the milk.  Because mutton is older sheep, it is also tougher meat, which meant it needed longer cooking times.  When the Irish started to emigrate to the United States, lamb was not as popular here, but beef was plentiful, so beef was substituted for the lamb and mutton.

The potato was brought to Western Ireland via South America and the New World in the 16th century and has been a vital ingredient to Irish cooking ever since.  The potato is probably the most valued ingredient in all of Irish cooking.

The method of stewing foods is one of the oldest cooking methods, dating back to the times of the Roman Empire.  Stewing foods became popular to the Irish in the late 19th century, during times of turmoil and poverty and was an easy way to prepare foods with minimal effort and minimal ingredients.  It became a way of survival in tough turbulent, economic times.  Often times, the stews were cooked in stouts or other alcohols because clean water was not as readily available.  By cooking with the stouts, it not only added flavor and moisture, but also added some much needed nutrients as well.  The most basic version of Irish stew was mutton, potatoes, and onions.  Root vegetables, such as carrots and parsnips, were added if they were available.  Today there are many variations to Irish stew, but it always has potatoes and onions, and is still very true to its peasant roots, no matter where you go.

Being true to the Irish in me, and believe me, I have quite a bit of the Celtic blood flowing threw my veins, I used leftovers.  When Larry smoked the ribs, there was no way we could eat them all in one sitting, so of course, we had some leftover.  I used the meat from the beef short ribs for my stew, so I was able to cut out one step of the stew-making process by not having to cook my meat again.

Irish Beef Stew

2 lbs beef, cut into pieces

salt & pepper to taste

olive or vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 parsnip, sliced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced or quartered

1 lb small potatoes, quartered – I used red potatoes

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp each, dried thyme, marjoram, rosemary

2-3 bay leaves

1 14 oz can Guinness or other dark stout

1 can beef broth

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1-2 cups frozen peas

1 cup pearl onions

2 tsp water

2 tsp cornstarch

 

Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in the cooking oil.  When the meat is completely browned, place it a slow cooker.  Add all the vegetables and potatoes to the meat.  I like to mix everything up together to ensure everything cooks and is flavored evenly, but you do not have to.

Mix all the wet ingredients, the bay leaves and the cornstarch together then pour them over the meat and vegetables.  Again, I like to mix everything together, but this not necessary if you do not want to.

Once everything is combined in the slow cooker, cook it at a medium temperature for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally.  When it is ready, and the meat and vegetables are tender, remove the bay leaves and dish it up.  I served my Irish stew with some Irish potato cakes (stay tuned for the recipe), warmed bread and my wine choice was a bold and fruity red blend.  Now to be completely traditional, you could serve it with more Guinness or Irish stout, or Irish whiskey too.  Slainte!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.  While St. Patrick’s Day is now associated with wearing green, parades (when they’re not canceled) and beer, the holiday is grounded in history that dates back more than 1,500 years. The earliest known celebration was held on March 17, 1631, marking the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick in the 5th century.

Much of what is known about St. Patrick’s life has been interwoven with folklore and legend. Historians generally believe that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Britain (not Ireland) near the end of the 4th century. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in Northern Ireland. After toiling for six years as a shepherd, he escaped back to Britain. He eventually returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary.

The American Southwest is a unique section of the United States that is found nowhere else.  It has it’s own unique qualities, traditions and foods.  The states of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada are all states that make up what is known as the American Southwest.  Though there are similarities, each state also adds its own particular personality to the mix.  It is best described as a mixture of the wild west meets old world Mexico.  The people of the Southwest are rebellious in nature, and like to live life by their own rules.  This is evident in all they do, and it comes out in the foods they cook as well.  Even though I grew up in Southern California, I too have always been a rebel, both in life and in the kitchen.  I had the rebellious Southwestern attitude long before I moved to Colorado.  I think it comes from having a fiery red-head as a mother who came from Southeast Texas, and an Australian as my dad.  Both Texans and Australians are known for being rebels and living life on their own terms as well.  I got it from both sides, so you can only imagine how fiery I can be.

The other day, before all this pandemonium struck and there was still food in the stores, I saw these beautiful ahi tuna steaks that were just calling out to me.  I love ahi tuna.  It is one of my favorites.  For whatever reason, when I cook ahi tuna, I tend to make it Asian style, so I am really expanding my possibilities and trying it in many other ways as well.  I love all the Latin flavors and styles of cooking, so I decided to give my tuna a Southwestern flavor this time.  I will most definitely be preparing it this way again too.

I am sure this goes without saying, since you all know I do my own thing regardless of what recipe I am TRYING to follow, but I look at a recipe, and then instantly make it my own.  So of course, it was ONLY inspired from the original, which is normal for me.

Southwestern Ahi Tuna Steaks

1-2 lb ahi tuna steaks

salt & pepper to taste

1/3-1/2 lb Macademia nuts

1 TBSP lime juice

1-2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 TBSP sugar

1 7 oz can of roasted green chilies, diced

2 cups corn

1/4 cup cilantro

1 shallot, minced

1 TBSP garlic

1 tomato, diced

1-2 tsp oregano

olive oil

butter

 

Preheat the oven to 375* F.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

 

Combine the Macademia nuts, olive oil and salt and pepper in a food processor and combine until you have a thick paste.  How to Flavor Your Meats

Generously coat the ahi tuna steaks with the Macademia paste and pan-fry in a hot skillet with both butter and olive oil for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until the nuts are browned and a crust has formed.

When the nuts have been browned, place the tuna steaks into the prepared baking dish and roast for about 15-20 minutes.  Ahi tuna is BEST when it is pink on the inside, so do not over cook.

As the tuna is cooking, prepare your sauce.  In the same skillet, add the lime juice, corn, garlic, shallots, green chilies, sugar and spices, and scrape the bottom of the skillet.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cilantro and continue to cook for about 1-2 minutes more.

You can use this sauce/topping with hearty seafood, like ahi tuna, chicken or pork, and it will be great with all.  You can also use it as a topping, like I did or as a stuffing.  I served this over some leftover couscous along with a my wine & cheese bread Some Colorado Wine & Cheese Bread.  My wine choice was a light white blend, which really complimented the spiciness of the sauce perfectly.  Let the rebel in you come out.  Kick up your heels and your taste buds.  Walk on the wild side and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone around the world is now familiar with the Coronavirus, also known as COVID 19.  There is a lot of speculation, fear and panic about what is being called by the WHO as a pandemic.  This article helps explain what the Coronavirus is and what to do about it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/28/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus/?arc404=true

With all the Corona Virus shutdowns and hype, we refuse to give in and give up.  We are still going out and enjoying life while businesses are still open.  This is just a virus.  Those of us of a certain age have seen and lived through far worse.  Take precautions and keep yourself protected for sure, but life still goes on.  I am NOT going to let all this silly media hype slow me down or stop me from living my life.  So, my PSA being concluded, as I said, LIFE GOES ON!  Go out and live.

Janet, Bob, Larry and I all went out to our favorite winery, InVintions, A Creative Winery Bottling the Wine.  After an afternoon of wine tasting, it was time for dinner.  There was an Indian restaurant nearby that Janet wanted to try, so off we went.  It turns out, we had been to this sister restaurant owned by the same people, in Louisville last year, but we didn’t realize that until we looked at the address on the business card.  Surprise, surprise, we really liked the restaurant – AGAIN!  🙂  Now we know there is one closer to home AND down by our favorite winery.  We are covered at both ends.

Whether we are in Louisville or Centennial, we know we can find some fantastic Indian food at Bawarchi Biryanis Indian Cuisine. 

Celebrating life and having fun.

Grilling up some special sandwiches.  I don’t know about you, but I have never seen a grill like this before.  The Chef looks happy with the results.

This is something new, but what a great idea.  You can push the buttons to summon your server.  Wouldn’t this be great if all restaurants had this?

We have have all learned that often when we go out, there is way TOO much food, but we want to try as many things as we can, especially when we go to new places, so we order a few menu items and we all share.  We started off with a potato dosa that was served with four different sauces.  Starting from the right, we have a cool and creamy yogurt sauce, dahl, tomato chutney, and finishing with a peanut and cashew sauce.  We tried them all and all were very good.  The potato dosa was phenomenal.  We all agreed it was the best dosa we ever had.

After the dosa, we had our entrees.  We ordered some chicken vindaloo, with a heat level of about 6.  In most Indian and Thai restaurants you can order your food with varying degrees of heat.  We all love spicy, but even for us, a 6-7 is about as high as we dare go in either of these restaurants.  If we go beyond a 7, we will all be paying the price later.  Along with the chicken vindaloo, we also ordered some garlic naan bread, rice and some curried goat.

Two more sauces came with the goat dish.  Once was a peanut and fenugreek sauce, and the other was another yogurt sauce with coriander (cilantro) and parsley.

Everything was fantastic.  As always, we enjoyed out time together.  There was lots of good wine, lots of good food, and of course, lots of good company.  That is really what life is all about, after all.  We enjoy it to the fullest, and even in these times of panic and chaos, we still manage to enjoy and make the most out of everything.

Sadly, we had to pass on dessert.  We were so full.  There was absolutely NO room left for these decadent treats.  There was a nice selection of ice cream flavors, many of which were quite exotic and would have been very interesting to try.

And some beautiful desserts that sadly, we had to pass on as well.  There is always next time though.  🙂

Whether you are in the North Denver Metro area or the South Denver Metro area, you know there will be some very good, authentic Indian cuisine at Bawarchi Biryanis Indian Cuisine near by.  If you are in the North Metro area, visit the Louisville location, at 390 S. McCaslin Blvd and if you are down south, you can go to the Centennial restaurant at 11001 E. Arapahoe Place, Unite B1.  We’ve eaten at both now, and both are great.  If you are going to the Louisville location, you can call them at (303) 955-8228 or reach them online at bawarchisuperior@gmail.com or at http://www.bawarchisuperior.com.  When down south, you can reach them at (720) 799-5666 or reach them at bawarchidenver@gmail.com or http://www.bawarchidenver.com.  You are in for a very delicious treat no matter what location you choose.  Bring your friends and bring your appetites and let the feasting begin.