A Jeanne in the Kitchen

The other day when our friends Suzanne and Bill came over, they gave us a big bag of roasted chilies.  We love roasted chilies and use them quite often.  So I created a delicious way to use and to highlight those fabulous, flavorful chilies.  I used the slow cooker and turned them into Southwestern slow-cooked short ribs.  When making small batches, our small rectangular slow cooker is the one we pull out.  I use this one much more than I use our big slow cooker.

 

Southwestern Slow-Cooked Short Ribs

2 lbs short ribs

3 TBSP flour, mixed with salt & pepper to taste

1/2 red onion, diced, medium

2 TBSP garlic

1 can or 2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3 tomatoes, diced medium

1- 1/2 cups, roasted chilies, peeled and seeded, medium dice

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp marjoram

2 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

 

Pat the short ribs dry then coat them with a thin coat of the flour mixture.  Pan-fry in canola oil, or other vegetable oil, for about 4-5 minutes per side to brown.

As the ribs are browning, cut the onions, peppers and tomatoes.

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray.  Once the ribs are browned, place them into the slow cooker and add the cut vegetables on top of the ribs.

Mix the chicken broth with the remaining flour mixture, the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and herbs and combine well.  Then pour on top of the vegetables and ribs.  Cover and cook at a medium-high temperature for about 6 hours.

When done, the rib meat will be so tender, it will literally just fall right off the bone.  I served it over rice with some corn on the cob on the side.  !Desfruitas!

I still have a lot of chilies left over, so there will definitely be more chili dishes coming your way soon.  Thank you Suzanne and Bill.  YUM!

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

 

 

 

I know 2020 has been one hell of a wild ride so far, but now even Mother Nature has decided to act up a bit too.  According to the calendar, it is the end of July.   For all the countries in the Northern Hemisphere, that means it is summer time, and for a lot of places, like here in Colorado, summer time meats HOT, HOT, HOT!  We have been averaging in the high 90’s F or low 40’s C all summer.  But I am actually starting to see some of our trees and bushes transitioning into their fall colors already.  The first time I saw it, I thought it was a fluke, but then I started to see it more and more.  What’s is going on here?  I love Fall, it’s my favorite season, but we’re not done with summer yet.

There is no doubt about it.  2020 will go down in history as one of the strangest years ever, at least in modern history.

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

I gave you a little teaser yesterday when I mentioned we were having friends over for dinner, and that the theme for the evening was Mediterranean.  Mediterranean Spinach and Orzo Salad  It was a simple meal that was simply delicious.  Originally I was going to make something else, but Bill kept teasing how he wanted something with bacon.  So bacon it was.  Bacon wrapped shrimp that is.

The bacon wrapped shrimp was definitely the focal point of the meal.  The surrounding cast were the Mediterranean spinach and orzo salad, along with some pesto focaccia bread (I did not make the focaccia this time, though I easily could have.  Costco had to good of a deal to pass up), and a chocolate cherry coffee cake for dessert.  I could have sworn I had already given you the recipe for this cherry chocolate coffee cake, but I can’t seem to find it.  I guess that means I will just have to make it again so you can have the recipe too.  🙂

I had some leftover tomato-basil vinaigrette that was just perfect as a marinade for my shrimp.  The Chef’s Salad  As I was par cooking my bacon, I marinaded the shrimp in the tomato-basil vinaigrette for about 30 minutes.  If you marinate shrimp or other more delicate seafood in something with an acidic base for to much longer than 30 minutes, it will “cook” the fish, which will make it tough and chewy when you actually do cook the fish.

Par cook the bacon before wrapping it around the shrimp.  You do not want to over cook it.  You want it where it is still pliable with some fat, and not crispy at all.  If the bacon is crispy, you will not be able to wrap it around the shrimp.  So it still has to be pretty soft.   The reason for par cooking the bacon is because the shrimp will not take that long to cook, and the bacon takes longer.  You would either have under cooked bacon when the shrimp is done, or burned, over cooked shrimp when the bacon is done.  Neither of those is a good option. Cook the bacon on a griddle or in the oven so it does not curl up.  You want it to be as straight as possible, again, making it easier to work with when wrapping it around the shrimp.

Once the bacon is semi-cooked, let it cool for a bit and cut it in half.  One of the half pieces is perfect for one piece of shrimp.  Start carefully wrapping it around the shrimp, and then skewer them up.  Grill the bacon wrapped shrimp for about 3-4 minutes per side or until both the shrimp and the bacon are completely cooked.

Once the shrimp and bacon are cooked, slide them off the skewers and enjoy.  If there is a little extra sauce left over, heat it up and top your shrimp with it to add a little extra flavor.

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

We have had so many birds in our backyard lately.  I just love it.  We were sitting out on our deck eating lunch, and we had a red headed house finch who was thoroughly enjoying himself in the catnip and in the trees.  We couldn’t help but to take a few pictures of him.  We have gotten to the point where we just bring our camera out to the deck with us because there is always so much going on.

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

 

We are having friends over for dinner later and tonight’s dinner theme is a Mediterranean one.  I am not going to give away the whole meal just yet, but I will share this quick and easy salad I made earlier.  It’s in the fridge just chilling for later.  You will just have to wait to see what the rest of the meal is later.  🙂

This colorful salad is full of fresh ingredients.  It is a cool salad just perfect for those hot days.

 

Mediterranean Spinach and Orzo Salad

1 can or 2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups orzo

4 cups spinach, chopped and stems removed

2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in 1/2

2 cans either garbanzo beans or cannellini beans, drained

1/4 red onion, diced fine

1/4 green onions, sliced thin

1/2-3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped fine

2 TBSP lemon verbena, chopped fine, optional

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP white wine vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP garlic

1-2 tsp Tabasco, or hot sauce

 

Bring the chicken broth to a boil, then add the orzo and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the orzo is completely cooked.  Drain completely and cool.

Unless I have a lot of nuts, I usually just toast them in a skillet with no oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Combine the cooled orzo, beans, spinach, tomatoes, nuts and onions.

Whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Tabasco, garlic and seasonings and herbs together.

Toss the dressing together with the rest of the ingredients, mixing everything thoroughly.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

I meant to grab garbanzo beans from my basement, but did not realize I accidentally grabbed cannellini beans instead.  Oh well.  I love them both, and both will work just fine.

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

 

 

 

 

Video #2 is now complete.  I just did a video on how to make a steak Caesar salad.  Here are the quick and easy recipes for the croutons and the dressing that I mentioned in the video.

Croutons

stale bread cubed

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP garlic

olive oil

dried parsley, optional

cayenne pepper or Cajun spice to taste, optional.

 

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.

Any kind of bread will do, and you can cube it any size you like.  Use a serrated knife and cut your bread into bite-sized cubes.

Toss the bread cubes with all the other ingredients and place them in a single layer on a baking pan.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, then stir the pieces around and continue to bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until the croutons are crispy.  Remove from the oven and enjoy in your favorite salad.  Feel free to play around with different spices and herbs too.  Have fun with them.

 

Easy Caesar Dressing

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 TBSP lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

 

And now the video that shows how to put everything together.  I used steak for this particular salad, but you can have the Caesar salad as is, or you can top it with chicken, shrimp or salmon too.

Hail Caesar!  Stay safe and stay well Everyone.  ‘Til next time.

 

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.