A Jeanne in the Kitchen

We have all kinds of meat in our freezers, and I never know exactly what Larry is going to pull out to defrost.  I let him pick the meats and then I fix them how I want.  This time, he pulled out a big beef roast.  OK.  No problem.  I can come up with some very tasty ways to prepare it.  And believe me, I did too.

I made the roast very flavorful and tender on its own, but then I added a compounded butter to really make it come to life.  The butter is known as Buerre a la Parisienne, or a Cafe de Paris Butter.  This butter was first created in the Cafe de Paris in Geneva, Switzerland, in the 1940’s, to accompany a variety of grilled meats, although it was originally created go with a simple meal of salad, bread and fries. What I am going to present to you is a modified version, since the actual recipe is a safely guarded secret, known only to a handful of trusted chefs, mainly in Switzerland, Portugal, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Sweden. This is perhaps one of the original secret sauces of the world.

The Roast

4-5 lb beef roast

2 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP fresh sage, chopped fine

4-5 fresh thyme sprigs, stems removed

2 TBSP olive oil

4 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

 

Mix everything together well and generously coat the beef roast on all sides.  Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3-24 hours before cooking it.

When you are ready to cook the roast, preheat the oven to 450* F.  When the oven is hot, place the roast on the center rack in the oven, fat side up.  Roast for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, turn the temperature down to 350* F and continue to roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130* F for a good medium rare roast.  If you do not like your meat so pink, cook it longer; 140*F will get you to a medium.  You do not want to overcook it though, or the roast will lose its flavor and will become dry and tough.

Let the roast stand for about 15-20 minutes before cutting it.  It will continue to cook a bit.

 

I have served many a roast just like this, so if you do not want the Cafe de Paris butter, no need to add it.  But you will definitely be glad you did.

 

Cafe de Paris Butter

1 stick of butter, softened

1 TBSP ketchup or tomato paste

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp curry powder

salt & pepper to taste

1 shallot, minced fine

1 TBSP capers

1 tsp thyme

 

Mix everything together well then place it in plastic wrap and roll it into a log.  Place the butter roll in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set before using.

Add the butter in large pieces to the roast as soon as it has been removed from the oven, so the flavors can melt into the beef.  You can serve it up with whatever side sides you like, but they need to be strong and bold enough to support the bold flavors of the beef roast.  I made roasted potatoes and curry roasted vegetables.  YUM!

After the butter melts into the steak, slice it up in thin strips and enjoy.  A bold red is the perfect wine choice to go with this meal.  I chose a bold cabernet sauvignon.

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, it was a cold, wintery day, and today it is spring again.  This is so typical of our wacky Colorado weather.  Yesterday, we got about 1-2 inches of snow, and today, most of it is already melted and the sun is shining brightly once more.  The birds and squirrels were happy about this too and came out to play today.

 

One good thing about all this extra time on my hands is that I have become even more creative in the kitchen than usual.  I am going through my library of cookbooks even more so and finding so many great recipes that I just have to try.  Fortunately, my pantry is always well stocked, which means I usually have just about everything I need to prepare these fabulous dishes.  Not only is my pantry well stocked, but so is our liquor cabinet, so I have been cooking more with alcohol than I normally do as well.  It’s odd, we have a very fully stocked liquor cabinet, but other than wine, and the occasional margarita, neither one of us are really big drinkers.  We have some rum that’s over 20 years old, and it is only getting better and better all the time.  Luckily Larry has gotten use to not really knowing what’s for dinner and he is a pretty adventurous eater, so that gives me free reign to try just about anything I want to try.

One of my latest culinary creations was chicken with mushrooms and pearl onions.  It called for brandy, which of course we have, but I had some almond tequila that I decided to use instead.  Oddly enough, I literally had the exact amount the recipe was calling for too.  I also used some of our Costco chicken for this dish as well.  This was our first time to dine al fresco for the season, before we had another bout of snow.

Chicken with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions

1 1/2-2 lbs chicken pieces – either breasts or leg & thighs is fine

salt & pepper to taste

2 TBSP flour

olive oil

3/4 cup pearl onions, peeled

8 oz mushrooms, quartered or sliced

2/3 cup brandy or alcohol of choice

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp thyme, fresh or dried

butter

 

Mix the flour and salt & pepper together and lightly coat the chicken.  Add the olive oil and some butter to the skillet, then brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the skillet and set it aside, keeping it warm.  Since I used chicken that was already cooked, I eliminated this step.

Add more oil and/or butter if needed and saute the mushrooms and pearl onions together for about 5-6 minutes, or until they are browned.

Once the mushrooms and onions are browned, remove the skillet from the heat and add the alcohol.  Be careful of flare ups and flambeing, unless that is what you are going after.

Bring everything to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Mix the cornstarch with the chicken broth and add to the mixture, then add the thyme.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.  Cook for about 2-3 more minutes. Finish everything off with some butter and combine well.

Add the chicken pieces back into the mixture, making sure to completely coat the chicken with the sauce, and continue to cook for about 2-3 more minutes.

I served my chicken over some rice with browned butter and pecans, alongside green beans.  My wine choice was a light, fruity chardonnay.  Delicious!

 

 

 

 

The last couple of days have been nice and warm, and very Spring-like.  I even ventured into my shorts, it was so nice.  Today, on the other hand …. not to so much.  Today is cold, damp and gloomy.  The weather forecasters are predicting snow again.  I think it will come down soon.  It sure feels like it is about to start at any minute.

That is frost on the upper branches of the trees.  It’s April already.  We’ve had our snow.  let’s let Spring begin.

More frost in the front yard too.

So far, out of all this lock down stuff, today is the worst day so far.  Maybe it’s because of the cold and gloomy weather.

I am already on my second “cuppa” today, which I never do.  Since I can’t really even go out for a walk today, I think it just might be a good day to curl up with my cuppa and a good book.  As soon as I finish here, I will be just starting it.  It is a spy novel.  I love spy novels.

Stay safe and stay well everyone.

 

 

Shrimp.  Tacos.  Chili-lime sauce.  OK.  This is a very good combination.  I’m in.  As you all know I am always on the lookout for new and exciting recipe ideas.  I don’t really need recipes so much.  I am really just looking for the inspiration.  Pictures are really all I need.  The recipes, for the most part, I can just look at a picture and I can figure out how to make it.

I knew dinner was going to be shrimp, but what I didn’t know was how I was going to cook them.  I did some research, looked through my extensive library, looked on the internet, and finally, I decided on the chili-lime shrimp.  I decided to make them into shrimp tacos at the last minute.  Definitely a shrimpilicious do-over!

The weather has warmed up enough to pull out the patio set and to start dining al fresco once again.  Shrimp tacos and a margarita out on the deck; definitely a great way to make the most out of these strange and crazy times.

Chili-Lime Shrimp Tacos

 

1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp

1/3 cup lime juice

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp chocolate spiced chili

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

cilantro

 

Mix all the ingredients together well and add the shrimp to marinate for about 10 minutes before cooking.

You can saute or grill the shrimp.  Either way is fine.  I decided to saute mine this time.

As the shrimp was cooking, I was also cooking up some roasted peppers and onions.  I roasted the peppers first until they were completely blackened, then I peeled them, and sliced them into thin strips.  I sauteed the onions and peppers in olive oil with salt & pepper.

When the shrimp was done, I added some chopped cilantro and mixed it all together.  You can serve the shrimp as is, or use it for tacos like I did.

I served my tacos with some Cubano style black beans and rice, made with corn, jalapenos, cumin, salt pepper and cilantro.  Esta muy, muy delicioso!  Desfruitas!

 

 

I apologize to some of you who sent me responses that I did not get back to.  I pride myself on doing my best to get back to everyone as soon as I can.  Often it is the next day, since when I am on my kindle, or “my machine” as I lovingly refer to it, I cannot answer or respond to you, for some reason, and I do not know why.  I was just trying to fix a little problem that I had with my own account, and I noticed there were few responses that were in my SPAM box, that I just noticed.  I never knew things even went into my spam box.  So, for those of you who left me a message, I just now saw them, please accept my apologies.  It was definitely not intentional.  You can always reach me at ajeanneinthekitchen.com or if you need to reach me personally, my email address is ljbjej@q.com.

 

Pasta primavera is one of those dishes that is all about Spring.  Primavera is Italian and it refers to spring.  It is a dish filled with all kinds of Spring vegetables, it’s light, and you can eat it all on its own or as a side dish to something else.   You can add chicken, shrimp, or another meat too if you wish, but the focus of the dish is on the fresh vegetables that are used and not so much on the sauce or the meats.  It can be made with a light creamy sauce, like an Alfredo sauce or it can be made with olive oil.  I switch it up and make it both ways.  Either way, you want to use a light sauce, not a heavy sauce.  The vegetables are the stars here.  You can mix and match your vegetables too.  Whatever kind of vegetables you like will work just fine.  For me, this is very easy since I LOVE all vegetables.

The fame of pasta primavera traces back to Maccioni’s New York City restaurant Le Cirque, where it first appeared as an unlisted special before it was made famous through a 1977 article in the New York Times by Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey which included a recipe for the dish.  There are at least three people who claim to have created the famed pasta primavera dish, so no one really knows who gets the credit.  All we know is that it is delicious and is enjoyed by everyone, all over the world.

Pasta Primavera

I used my leftover mostacelli or penne pasta this time.  Normally I would use fresh herbs, but since I did not have any this time, dried herbs work just as well.

Cooked pasta of your choice

2 cups green beans, cut into pieces about 1-1 1/2 inches in size

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cup asparagus, cut into pieces about 1-1 1/2 inches in size

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 onion, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2/3 cup cream – I used heavy whipping cream, but 1/2 & 1/2 is fine, or just olive oil, if you prefer.

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp each marjoram and thyme and basil

Parmagiano cheese

 

Saute the heartier vegetables together in the olive oil, along with the herbs and salt & pepper for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender.

Add either the cream or more olive oil, depending on what your are using at the time and mix together thoroughly.

Once everything is well incorporated, add the tomatoes and the pasta and mix everything together again.

Before serving, top it off with either some fresh shaved or grated Parmagiano cheese.  Now, it’s ready to enjoy.  Mangia!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am rotating days of cooking new meals and eating leftovers at the moment.   It was a cooking day yesterday.   There is absolutely no need for concern; I guarantee we will NOT starve, in fact just the opposite.  We ALWAYS have plenty of food and wine, and most of the time we have more than enough to share as well.  So if anyone wants to join us, stop on by.   I made some delicious spiced pork chops with a maple-chipotle sauce on top.  It was a tasty combination of smoky, spicy and sweet.  I served it with some pasta primavera, warmed bread with an olive oil dipping sauce, and a rich and smooth malbec that really brought everything together well.

Spiced Pork and Maple-Chipotle Sauce

1-1/2 lbs pork

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

2 TBSP olive oil

 

Mix all the ingredients together to make a paste then generously coat the pork on both sides.  Let this marinate in the refrigerator for at least about 3 hours before cooking.  You can broil, roast or grill the pork.  I used pork chops, but this will also work for a pork loin, or even beef, as well.

Maple-Chipotle Sauce

While the pork is cooking, make the sauce.

1-2 chipotle peppers with sauce, minced

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

3 TBSP chicken broth

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

 

Mix everything together, bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  if you like a more “clean”, pour it through a strainer over the meat.  I personally like “stuff in my stuff”, so I do not tend to pour my sauces through a strainer.  the pork was very tender and juicy and full of flavor.

 

We have a fully stocked refrigerator, with both foods waiting to be made and leftovers from foods already made.  Food is NOT the problem, during these crazy chaotic times.  As much as I love food and love to cook, even I understand we cannot just simply eat our way through all this.  We have been doing our daily walks around the lakes with Vinnie.  He’s loving it, and it gives us a much needed break as well.  We are also finding other ways of keeping ourselves occupied too.  Larry is one of the fortunate ones who has been working from home, but I work with the public and work in aquatics, both as a swim coach and as a water aerobics instructor, so I am unable to work from home.  I am BORED out of my mind.

One of the things we worked on was a puzzle.  We always lead such busy, social lives that this is something we never have time to do.  Now, time is all we have.  We only had one puzzle at home.  From start to finish, it took us about 6-7 hours to finish.  We worked on it a couple hours at a time and spread it out a bit.

This one is all done (we found out we were missing a piece, but we fit all the pieces together that we had.  We thought we were missing two pieces, but I found that AFTER I broke it up and was putting it all away. Oh well).  On to new things and new projects.

Stay safe and stay well everyone.

We are still under lockdown, except of course for pick-up and delivery of foods and essential things.  Even though we are still in lockdown mode, we are still trying our best to support the local businesses too.  Last time it was pizza, We Are Supporting Our Local Businesses, this time is was BBQ.  Besides, it was such a gorgeous day, we just had to take a drive and appreciate the day as much as we could.  We went to Georgia Boys BBQ and Smokehouse, ordered it by phone and brought it all back home to enjoy.  There are two Georgia Boys that are relatively close by, and now we have been to both.  One is located in Longmont, Colorado, Georgia Boys BBQ – The Best BBQ in Town and the other one is in Frederick, Colorado.  Both are delicious and both are happy to provide you with some of the best BBQ and smoked meats around, whether you bring it home with you, or eat it there (when you can again).

This is the Frederick Location.

Georgia Boys specializes in all kinds of BBQ and smoked meats.  My favorite is their burnt ends, but everything is always smoked to perfection and it’s all delicious!  Despite everyone being locked inside, this place was really hoppin’.

Georgia Boys also has a wide variety of side dishes you can take home with you as well, to help really make the meal complete.

Aside from the best smoked meats and BBQ style foods, at the moment, Georgia Boys is also selling something else to help ease everyone’s pain through these difficult times.

But seriously ….. We always enjoy the food and the great customer service whenever we go to Georgia Boys.   They do a great job, even under these very trying circumstances they still manage to provide great service and fantastic food, and always with a smile.  Kudos to all of you for doing such an awesome job, especially now.

We wanted enough for more than just one meal, so we ordered a little extra.  We ordered the burnt ends, always one of my favorite BBQ’d items, pulled pork, smoked brisket, baked beans, and mack & cheese and a variety of different sauces too.  This came with some Texas toast as well.  We will have a few meals from this one.  One the way home, we stopped at Costco and brought home some rotisserie chicken too, just in case we ran out of food.  🙂  Believe me, we had quite a feast, and will have for a few more days to come.  Thank you Georgia Boys.  Keep up the good work.  You are greatly appreciated.

This time we tried the Georgia Boys BBQ and Smokehouse in Frederick, Colorado.  They are located at 141 5th Street, Frederick, CO.  You can call them at (303) 833-3140 or check out their website at georgiaboys.com.  Believe me, if you have a hankerin’ for some great, downhome BBQ, Georgia Boys is the place to go.  They do Southern hospitality right.