A Jeanne in the Kitchen

In the past 24 hours, Colorado’s weather has been all over the place.  Yesterday, the temperature was about 80* F and I was quite comfortable in shorts.  Last night, when I left swim practice, the wind was howling and the temperature had dropped about 25*.  This morning, it was cold, but not terrible and no snow.  Thursdays are my busy class days, and I had a break in between classes this morning, so my boss sent me on a coffee run to Starbucks.  From the time I first got into work until the time I left for coffee, the sky had dropped about 4″ of fresh snow, and it is still snowing.  This is our first snow of the season too.  It’s a little early, but not unheard of. But for this being our first snow, we are getting hit pretty hard.  It’s like Fall was only here for a short time and then all of a sudden – B-O-O-M!!!! Winter hit, out of nowhere.  I cancelled my other two classes for today, and believe me, I am very glad I did too.  The roads were a mess, and there were quite a few accidents.  Some roads have already been closed.  My car thermometer read 19* F when I got home.  It is very cold outside, but at least I made it home safe and sound.  I am enjoying another “cuppa” as I write, to help “warm the cockles of my heart”.

This is what it looks like right now at my house.

I knew the snow was coming, but I did not expect so much. Last night was a cold night too, but nothing like today.  I was prepared though and made a hearty Shepherd’s pie.  When I first mentioned it to Larry, he was not so keen on the idea because he thought it was to warm to make it, but when we were eating it last night, he was glad I made that choice.  It really helped warm us up.  It was just a simple meal of my Shepherd’s pie with some warmed sourdough bread and red wine.  This is one of our wines that we made.  (I know, I had a smudge on my lens, but I have since cleaned it off).

Jeanne’s Shepherd’s Pie

2-3 lbs ground hamburger

1/2 onion, diced fine

1 carrot, diced fine

1 cup of frozen peas

3 potatoes, one cut into a small dice for the filling and the other two for mashed potatoes

1 TBSP garlic

1 cup of green beans, cut small – I used fresh, frozen are fine too.

1/2 cup flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream – about 1/2 cup for the filling and the rest for the mashed potatoes

salt & pepper to taste

fresh thyme

butter/olive oil for cooking and more butter for the mashed potatoes

Cook one potato, the garlic, onions and vegetables in the butter/olive oil until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes, then add the ground beef, mix in thoroughly and continue to cook until the beef is completely cooked.  Add the seasonings and the thyme and mix together thoroughly.

Once the meat is completely cooked, add the flour and the cream and mix in well to make your sauce and to bind everything together.

When the sauce is made, continue to cook for about 5 minutes, at a reduced heat.  Then spoon the mixture either into a baking pan or individual ramekins sprayed with cooking spray.

While the filling is cooking, boil the other potatoes to make the mashed potatoes.  Normally, I like my mashed potatoes a little heavier, but for this dish, I made them nice and creamy so I could pipe them onto the filling.  I make my mashed potatoes with heavy whipping cream, but you can make them however you like.  When the potatoes are cooked, mash them up, making sure to get all the lumps out.  You can either spoon them onto the filling or pipe them with a piping bag.  I like to pipe mine.  Once the filling has been topped with the potatoes, bake at 350* F or 180* C for about 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly golden on top and have a little bit of a crust to them.  Then, eat away and enjoy the simple goodness of Shepherd’s Pie.

Part of how Janet wanted to celebrate her birthday was by strolling along in the RiNo District to see all the street art.  We did that before dinner at Barcelona.  Birthday Celebrations – Part 2 – Barcelona.  Some of the art is just amazing.  There are some very talented artists who have painted their work on anything that stands.  Some of the streets have art work, most of the building do, and even some of the gates and electrical boxes do as well.  It’s really pretty fascinating to see what a lot of imagination and some paint will do to add personality to a place.

The RiNo District, or River North District of Denver, is an interesting blend of urban charm and unique industrial revival that has become quite the tourist destination for things to do in Denver.  It is on the Top 10 list of U.S. neighborhoods to visit.  Old historic warehouses and factories have been converted to restaurants, bars, jazz and night clubs, and homes where people live. The people that live and work in the RiNo are a diverse mix of creative people and business owners ranging from visual artists, designers and furniture makers, to craft distillers and brewers, winemakers, creators of unique outdoor gear and small-batch coffee roasters.   The “RiNo District is playing center stage for the resurgent arts and cultural scenes that have transformed D-Town into the cultural dynamo of the American West.”  – Greg Benchwick.  Once you get there, park the car and walk the area to really experience all it has to offer and to see all its charm and beauty.

The Rhino, or RiNo, as it is known in these parts, has become the symbol for the District.

Here is just a sampling of some of the art on display in the RiNo.  There are some truly amazing artists in this community.  There are NO rules, and the artists have created whatever their muses spoke to them with.

If you look at this picture one way, you see a boy.

If you look at it from the other direction, you see a girl.

Even our state flag made the murals.

Some of the artists in action.

These are but a few fantastic samples.  You have to go to the RiNo and see all the art for yourself, up close and in person, to fully appreciate it.  I hope you all enjoyed this little artistic diversion.

Even though it seems as though I have not been cooking in my own kitchen much these days, I really have been cooking here at home too.  The things I have been preparing are “repeats” of dishes and recipes you have already seen though, so I have not been posting about those.  We’ve been to busy celebrating.  There has been a lot to celebrate lately; our anniversary and 2 birthdays.

We celebrated yet another birthday this week.  This time it was my friend Janet’s birthday.   She chose to go to Barcelona, a Spanish Tapas restaurant that has an ever-changing menu of different tapas and Spanish dishes that highlight the ever-changing seasons of Colorado.  Barcelona is also known as a wine bar, and “offers an award-winning selection of wines from Spain and South America—and boasts one of the largest Spanish wine programs in the U.S”.  We once again ate in the Spanish way and embraced the Spanish tapas tradition of sharing it with friends and wine.   We ordered a variety of different tapas plates to share around the table and a couple of bottles of Spanish wines, including 1 Temperanillo and 1 Albarino, and a couple of glasses of sangria as well.  We all ate to much, but we all had a great time, especially the birthday girl.

Here we are in front of the wine room.  We are ready to party.

All the tapas from which to choose.  So many from which to choose and not nearly enough room in our tummies.

Chef Riley even came to the table.  Chef Riley and Chef Jeanne were exchanging ideas.  It turns out he is a new “neighbor” of mine.  He just bought a house very close to where I live.

And the real stars ….. the tapas.

Of course there was wine too.  Milo, our server, presenting the Albarino I chose.  It was an excellent choice too, I have to say.

We even had cake.  Milo brought out a special goat cheese cheesecake with cherries for the birthday girl, Janet.

We all had a fabulous time.  It was a perfect evening.  Barcelona Wine Bar is a definite must when visiting Denver, and particularly the RiNo district, also known as the River North District.

Barcelona Wine Bar is located at 2900 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80205.  You can reach them online at barcelonawinebar.com or on facebook at facebook.com/bwbrino or just give them a call at (303) 816-3300.  The location may say Denver, but your heart will definitely say Spain.

Denver, Colorado is known for many things.  One of those things is that Denver is lovingly called the mile high city because the City of Denver sits a mile above sea level.  One mile = 5,280 feet which = 1600 meters which = 1.6 km.   As a swimmer, and a distance swimmer at that, I have swam (and still do) many, many millions of miles and meters, so I am very familiar with all these numbers, but I digress.  We have many bars, restaurants, magazines, and all sorts of other businesses that have 5280 in their names.  One such local restaurant is called 5280 Burger Bar and they also have an ice cream shop attached to the restaurant known as 5280 Ice Cream.  Currently there are 2 5280 Burger Bars, one in Denver and the other one is Westminster.

The other day we had the pleasure of going to 5280 Burger Bar in Westminster to celebrate Nadeen’s birthday.  Nadeen is the exchange student who is living with our friends Janet and Bob for the year.  She comes from a small town in Israel, and she is quickly getting used to life here in America.  It’s all a brand new world to her.  Since none of us had ever been to 5280 Burger Bar before, but we had been planning on going for quite some time, we thought Nadeen’s birthday was a perfect opportunity to go try it out.

5280 Burger Bar and Ice Cream was an idea that was “conceived by two guys who simply love great burgers”.  The owners and creators of 5280 Burger Bar and Ice Cream are Don Redlinger and Clay McPhail.  Their concept was to create a gourmet, hand-crafted burger bar, restaurant, and ice cream shop, using all the freshest and best local ingredients around.  The first restaurant opened in Downtown Denver, in the Denver Pavilions area.  All the beef and and produce come from locally owned and operated farmers and producers and they offer 12 locally brewed Colorado beers on tap.  This is truly a home grown and local business, and it is a win/win that helps everyone in the community.  Everything on the menu is hand made from scratch everyday, including the buns for the burgers, and they offer a variety of different buns too.  The burgers include everything from beef to buffalo to veggie and vegan burgers, as well as salmon, tuna and chicken for the non beef eaters.  There really is something for everyone.  5280 Burger Bar and Ice Cream’s motto is “Whether you’re looking for a hand-crafted burger, house-made ice cream, brew or signature drink, we welcome you and look forward to serving you soon!”  This motto was definitely being honored when we visited.

The decor of the restaurant is modern and hip, and is very friendly and welcoming to everyone.  Once we sat down, Quinn, our server, came over and made all of us feel right at home.  She was so much fun and so full of personality.  Quinn was a true delight.

We all ordered our burgers and salads, which of course, were amazing.  You could definitely taste all the freshness in every bite.  As you can see, The Denver Broncos were playing that day, and we locals were showing our support for our team, even though they ended up losing at the last minute.  Quinn was so cute.  How could she not notice we were Bronco fans, and when they lost, she even drew a picture of Traveler (the horse) on our check and said she was sorry our team lost.  We all ordered the sliders, which were big burgers all on their own, and they came with delicious salads too.  And of course we had to order some of the delicious home made fries as well.  We all had a fantastic feast.

During our meal, EJ, aka Enermy Jean, the General Manager, came over to introduce himself to us.  He is another gem and real asset to the restaurant.  He, like Quinn, was also a lot of fun and beaming with personality.  When we told him we were celebrating Nadeen’s birthday, he invited next door to 5280 Ice Cream after we finished our meal, for some amazing home-made ice cream for dessert.  We were already very full, but how could we resist?!

There were so many different flavors that it was hard to choose.  I was so full, I actually had to pass, but I enjoyed the few bites I stole from Larry’s ice cream.  Once again, it was huge hit and all the flavors were out of this world.

Whether you are in Denver or in Westminster, visiting 5280 Burger Bar and Ice Cream is a definite must.  You and your taste buds will be very happy indeed.

We went to 5280 Burger Bar in Westminster, located at 4301 Main Street, Westminster, CO 80031.  Their phone number is (720) 887-5970.  I am sure we will be frequent visitors, since this is literally just down the street from us.

The Denver location is 500 16th Street Mall, #160, Denver, CO 80202 and their phone number is (303) 825-1020.

5280 Burger Bar and Ice Cream get 5***** in my book.  We are so glad we went and you will be too.

Red rice, or arroz rojo, is a very popular side dish for just about any Mexican or Southwestern meal around.  Red rice is also known as both Spanish rice or Mexican rice, although they do not traditionally eat red rice in Spain.  So how did it become known as Spanish rice then if they don’t eat it in Spain?  Well, there are a couple of theories.  The first is that since it was introduced to Mexico by the Spanish through their conquests in Asia and the Philippines, it was called Spanish rice.  The second theory is because they speak Spanish in Mexico, and this is a traditional dish in Northern Mexico, it is called Spanish rice. This dish is eaten almost daily by most people who live in Northern Mexico yet in Southern Mexico, the people eat white rice instead.  The red color comes from using either pureed tomatoes or tomato sauce or ketchup.   There are many different ways to make this traditional Mexican dish, but it almost always is made with chicken broth, tomatoes, garlic, chilis and onions.  Everything else is just a bonus.

I made my red rice to serve with my chipotle mushrooms Chipotle Mushrooms and empanadas.  Pork and Pumpkin Empanadas.  It made for a perfect Southwestern meal.

Red Rice

This is but one of countless versions of this dish.  This is one of the easiest ways to prepare red, Spanish or Mexican rice.

2 cans chicken broth – I made my own

1/2 tsp cumin

1 TBSP garlic

1/4 onion, chopped fine

1/2 tsp

chili lime seasoning

1 /2 tsp coriander

1 tsp each  fresh oregano and thyme, chopped fine

1 cup rice

salt & pepper to taste

3 TBSP butter

3 TBSP ketchup or tomato paste

Mix the seasonings, chicken broth and ketchup together and set aside.

Saute the onions and garlic in the butter in a sauce pan for about 2-3 minutes, then add the rice and mix it in thoroughly.  Toast it slightly for about 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken broth mixture.

Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the rice is cooked and tender.  Add the oregano and thyme to the mixture once you have reduced the heat.

When the rice is done, serve it up with your favorite Mexican or Southwestern cuisine and enjoy.  !Desfruita!

Mushrooms have been a popular food around the world for centuries.  They have also been used for medicinal purposes for centuries as well.  It is estimated there are between 300-2000 different types of mushrooms, but in the United States, there are only about 10 types that are grown commercially.  Mushrooms for culinary purposes were first  introduced to the United States in the 19th century, from France, where they had been cultivated since the 1600’s.  Today, the United States is second only to China in mushroom production.

There are many health benefits associated with eating mushrooms.  Not only are they used medicinally, but they also contain a lot of protein and fiber, and are loaded with minerals such as copper, potassium and selenium, which helps prevent cell and tissue damage as well as helps to support the immune system.  Mushrooms also contain  vitamins such as vitamins B and D and are high in anti-oxidants.

I have always been a big fan of mushrooms, long before I found out how healthy they are for us.  I can and will eat them no matter how they are cooked.  I could easily put mushrooms in everything, or just eat them all on their own.  I cook with a lot of mushrooms.

The last time I made empanadas  Pork and Pumpkin Empanadas,  I froze some.  I took those out of the freezer for dinner last night.  I was looking for some quick and easy side dishes that would go well with the empanadas, and decided on some chipotle mushrooms and red rice or arroz rojo.  I also had some leftover roasted pepper sauce that I used to top the empanadas, which was a very nice accompaniment.

Chipotle Mushrooms

2 chipotle peppers with sauce, chopped fine

1/4 cup butter

1/2 yellow onion, chopped fine.

1 TBSP garlic

1 lb mushrooms, stems removed, but kept whole

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1-2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped fine

Saute the onions, peppers and garlic together in the butter for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.  Then add the mushrooms, bottoms down and stir into the mixture.

Cook for about 5 minutes, then turn the mushrooms face down and continue to cook for about another 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook for just a couple minutes more.  Add the oregano and mix into the sauce right before serving.

The mushrooms went very nicely with the red rice or the arroz rojo.  It was a perfect early fall meal.  Delicioso!

Greetings All!  Once again, I have been nominated for The Sunshine Blogger Award, by gifted50 at Pene’ Pasta for the Soul! for Loving her spunk and her food. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of you, your support, and your recognition.  It is truly an honor.  None of this would be possible without all of you, my loyal followers.  The Sunshine Blogger is about recognizing the community of fellow bloggers for their creativity, positivity, and inspiration.  So let the sunshine in.

Sunshine Blogger Award Rules:

1. Thank the Blogger who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog so others can find them.
2. List the rules and display an award logo on your blog post.
3. Answer the 11 Questions the blogger asked you.
4. Nominate up to 11 new blogs to receive the award and notify them by commenting on any of their posts.
5. Ask the Nominees 11 new questions.

11 Questions for My Nominees:

1.  What time of day you consider your most creative?

I am creative whenever my muse comes to visit me, whenever, wherever that may be.

2.  Who/what encouraged your love for writing?

I have always loved writing, but my favorite teacher was Mrs. Helgeson,in my advanced AP English classes in high school, always encouraged us to write.  We wrote everyday.  She was such an amazing lady and such a big influence, not only on me, but many others as well.

3.  Have you ever regretted posting something on your blog, and if so why?

No regrets.  I say what I think and I speak my mind.  If others don’t like it, that’s their problem, not mine.  More people need to learn to speak up while we still can.  If not, we may lose that right and privilege.

4.  What is the best advise you have received and from whom?

Never be afraid of who you are.  Again, Mrs. Helgeson, along with my parents.

5.  Name your most defining quality.

???????  I guess that I am always ME, no matter what, good or bad.

6.  What is your favorite meal and why?

Dinner.  It is at the end of the day, and I can unwind with a glass or two of wine over a good meal and just relax.

7.  What advise would you give yourself 20 years from now?

Never give up.  Never give in.  Keep on moving on.

8.  Who/what is the most influential force in your life?

My parents.  They always taught me to believe in myself, to fight for what is right, to protect those who can’t protect themselves, honesty is ALWAYS the best policy and to ALWAYS live by the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you”.

9.  If you could travel the universe, where would you go?

I would go everywhere.  I want to see it all.

20.  What do you think of our world today?

It’s one big giant mess.  We seem lost with NO direction.  We are spiraling deeper and deeper into a black hole.  It’s very scary.

11.  Have you ever had a divine encounter, if so tell us a little more about it.

I have had many, but the one that really stands out is as soon as my mother passed away, within seconds, there was a lullaby being played on the speakers of the hospital, and the nurses told me a new baby had just been born.  I have no way of ever knowing, but I had this intuition that it was a little girl, who had just been named Theresa, which was my mother’s middle name.  I felt my mother had just come back and her spirit lives on.

I am adopting something I have learned from other bloggers whom I admire, and rather than naming 11 other people for this awesome award, I choose to only nominate a few bloggers.  There are so many fabulous people and blogs out there and it is very difficult for me to choose.  We all fill our own nieches out there, and we are all so different.  Everyone is a super star in their own way.

1. Flavia Vinci
   @sudpertuttalavita – because of all the exotic places I get to visit through her blog.
2. rozinaspersiankitchen
   @rozinaspersiankitchen – because of all the wonderful and unique foods she has introduced me to.
3. Cyranny
   @cyranny – because of all the intriguing and thought provoking questions.  She makes me really think about things I may not have thought of before.

The questions that were asked of me are great questions, and I will ask the same questions of you.

11 Questions for My Nominees:

1. What time of day you consider your most creative?
2. Who/what encouraged your love for writing?
3. Have you ever regretted posting something on your blog, and if so why?
4. What is the best advise you have received and from whom?
5. Name your most defining quality.
6. What is your favorite meal and why?
7. What advise would you give yourself 20 years from now?
8. Who/what is the most influential force in your life?
9. If you could travel the universe, where would you go?
10. What do you think of our world today?
11. Have you ever had a divine encounter, if so tell us a little more about it.

Best of luck and Congratulations to all.  You are all super stars in my book.

We all know the health benefits of eating a wide variety of vegetables in our daily diets.  But getting kids to eat vegetables can be one of the toughest jobs a parent has, or so I’ve been told.  Not having children of my own, except the four-legged kind, I have to rely on what actual parents tell me.  My four-legged children eat their vegetables all the time, and they never complain about it either, but I digress.  So, how can parents get their kids to eat more vegetables?  Hide them.  Hide them in something they readily eat, and they will never even know the difference.  So what is a fool proof way to hide the vegetables you want your kids to eat?  Hmmmmm.  BROWNIES!  Yeah, that’s the ticket!  Kids love brownies.  They gobble them up as fast as they can.  Hide the vegetables in the brownies.  It will make the brownies a bit more healthy and your kids will eat their vegetables too.  It is a win/win situation.  That is exactly what I did too, not so much for kids, but for Larry.

As you know, my kitchen seems to be secretly growing zucchini.  I started off with the one HUGE MONSTER zucchini that Larry brought home from work one day, and they just kept appearing in my kitchen, seemingly out of nowhere.  This was the first of the zucchini invaders.

Then another one showed up while I was still trying to figure out how to use up the first one.

And they just kept coming and multiplying.

I think I am finally getting the zucchini invasion under control, and I am down to only about 1 1/2 at this point.  AND I love zucchini too.  I have been throwing it into everything lately.  My latest effort to control the zucchini invasion in my kitchen was to put some into brownies.  All I can say to that is ….. YUM, YUM!

I came across this brownie recipe that also added 2 cups of shredded zucchini to the mix.  WOW!!!  They are so moist and flavorful.  They are decadently delicious without the decadence.  I  shared them with a friend yesterday and she said they were some of the best brownies she had ever had.

Zucchini Brownies

1 1/2 sticks melted butter

2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp instant coffee or espresso

2 cups shredded zucchini

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C

Line a 9×9 baking dish with aluminum foil, then spray the foil with cooking spray.  This is a new trick I just learned myself.  The brownies just pop right out and clean-up is a breeze.

Mix the sugar, salt, and vanilla together.  Melt the butter and then mix in the coffee.  Add the butter and coffee mixture to the sugar mixture and blend everything together well.

Whisk the eggs together then add to the butter-sugar mixture.  Mix together until just blended in.  The more air you mix into the batter, the crispier the brownies will be, and who wants crispy brownies.  Brownies, after all, are supposed to be soft and ooey and gooey.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and cocoa powder together, then fold into butter, egg and sugar mixture.

Mix everything together, again, only until just blended.  Once your batter is done, add the zucchini and continue to mix until everything is thoroughly mixed together.  Then pour the mixture into your prepared baking pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the brownies are set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Once the brownies are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely to continue to set, before cutting.  Then cut them into squares and dust with powdered sugar.

I guarantee, if you add zucchini to the brownie mixture, the kids will love them and they won’t even be able to tell they are there and you can sit back with a smug grin on your face knowing you actually got your kids to eat their vegetables.  It’s a win/win.  Everyone is happy.

By now you all know I LOVE wine; wines of all kinds, although my favorite is hands-down a rich, buttery, oakey chardonnay.  I also vary my wines depending on the weather and what’s on the menu, as well as where I am at the time.  I love trying all kinds of local wines, wherever I am.  Neither of my parents were drinkers at all, and I really am not a drinker either, except when it comes to my wines.  I LOVE wine.  I love everything about wine.  Maybe, it is because I grew up in Southern California and the state is heavily dotted with wineries everywhere you go.  Maybe it is because I am 1/2 Aussie, and wineries are very big and popular down under too.  Maybe it because of my love of good food and good wine is always a good match for good food.  Or maybe, I am just a wino.  It could even be a combination of all of the above.  Who knows?  All I know is if it is wine, chances are I am going to drink it, although unless it is port, I am not a fan of sweet wines.  I much prefer them dry to sweet.  I am always looking for new wineries to try out, and I visit them often, wherever I go.  I have also taken many wine courses.  By no means am I a sommelier, but I do know quite a lot about wine.  If I could do it all over again, I would be a viticulturist, or a winemaker by trade.

We have about 200-300 bottles of wine in our wine cellar, downstairs.  We have a wide variety of wines from many different wineries around the world.  Each region and each country offers their own unique qualities, so it’s hard to compare wines from different areas and different parts of the world because they are all unique unto themselves.

Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly any other purely sensory thing”.  ~ Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon~

“One not only drinks wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it, and – one talks about it”.  ~ King Edward VII of England – 1841-1910~

“Wine goes with everything, no matter the dish, no matter the occasion, no matter the time”.  ~ Jeanne 

I have even been known to paint and create my own things wine related, such as some paintings, trivets and wine glasses.  We even make our own wines on occasion.  The wine pictured here is one of ours that we made.  I also made these lavender truffles as well.

Life is short.  Drink up and enjoy!  Cheers!