I know, this is not my normal blog about food and food related topics, but it is a bonus blog about my two kitties, Otis and Nicodemus instead.  We lovingly call them our puma and our panther.  Otis is our puma and Nicodemus is our little panther.  Otis and Nicodemus are litter mates.  They were originally Kansas farm kitties, coming from my sister-in-law’s farm.  They were the only two survivors when a dog got to their mother and all their other litter mates, killing them all instantly.  Once found, Otis and Nicodemus were hand-raised by my sister-in-law and her daughter-in-law, until we rescued them and brought them home with us.  We brought them back to Colorado when they were about six months old.  They are 3 1/2 now.  My husband and I name our four-legged children by looking at maps of where they (or their origins) come from.  Otis and Nicodemus are both towns in Kansas, and since our kitties are both Kansas kitties, we thought these names just suited them.  My husband wanted one, and I wanted the other one, so we compromised and took them both (although I really wanted both of them all along).  In reality, there was NO WAY we could have separated them, even then, especially after their traumatic beginning.  So today, they are fat and sassy, and getting fatter and sassier everyday.  No more farms for them.  Today, they enjoy the good life of being indoor-only kitties.  They are brother and sister, but they look and act nothing like siblings.  They are absolutely inseparable and sometimes often they act more like mates than brother and sister.  As you look at the pictures, you will instantly know we just had to keep them together.  They are like ying and yang.  You can’t have one without the other.

 

In the beginning.  This was their first day at their forever home with us.

My table toppers and plant eaters.

A new tree.

Tired Bronco fans.  It must have been an exciting game.

Stop with the pictures already Mom.

Sleepy time for the Bronco fans.

 

Watching kitty TV.

That look says it all – “Mom, stopping bothering us”.

Just playin’ around.

I love good seafood, and even though I am land-locked and live in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, we still get to enjoy quite a bit of seafood.  Of course it is frozen, and not fresh, but it is still very good.  We had not had cod in awhile, so when I saw that it was on sale, I just couldn’t resist, and had to get some.  Quite often when I cook cod, I make it as fried fish & chips, which we love.  You know, the Aussie in me just loves fish & chips.  But I thought I would cook it differently this time around.

The other day, when I went to Savory Spice,  Savory Spices of Denver they let me pick out a bag of spices for my birthday, since I went while it was still February, my birthday month.  I chose a a bag of seafood seasoning, knowing I had some cod waiting to be cooked up deliciously at home.   I mixed the seafood seasoning with pecans and dried, roasted garlic to use as my coating for the cod.  I love pecan crusted seafood, and often order it when we go out for a good seafood dinner.  Along with the pecan crusted cod that I topped with a roasted yellow pepper coulis, I served wild rice and Brussels sprouts mixed with apples, bacon and onions and warmed Naan bread.

Baked Pecan Crusted Cod

 

1 1/2 lbs cod

1 cup pecans

2 tsp Savory Spice Seafood Spice

1 tsp dried, roasted garlic

1 egg

dash of milk

 

Mix the pecans and spices in the food processor until the pecans are ground very fine.

Preheat the oven to 375* F.

Whisk the egg and milk together and pat the fish dry with a paper towel.  Dip the fish into the egg mixture and thoroughly coat it.  Then evenly coat the fish with the nut and spice mixture.  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place the fish into the pan.  Bake uncovered for about 35-40 minutes or until the fish is done and the pecans are toasted and crusty.  I am a “saucy” kind of girl, and I love sauces on just about everything, so I made an easy-peasy roasted yellow pepper coulis to top my fish.  Chicken Stuffed with Chorizo and Spinach

This dinner is very healthy and very low fat.  Neptune would have definitely approved of this tasty seafood delicacy.  I completed the meal with a crisp, flavorful Viogner, from another one of our local wineries, Bookcliff Vineyards, located in Boulder.

 

*** You can learn more about Bookcliff Vineyards by checking out their website at http://www.bookcliffvineyards.com.

 

 

I have said many times that LOVE is always the most important ingredient added to any dish or recipe.  However, it is by no means the only ingredient.  For anyone who cooks, we all know that there are simple recipes with only a few ingredients, as well as some complicated recipes that require a lot of ingredients, and often times, some of these are specialized items that are hard to find.  This does not have to be the case though.  Savory Spice is specialty spice shop that offers the finest spices from all over the world.  It is a locally owned and operated business that started right here in Denver, Colorado, by Mike and Janet Johnson, in 2004.  I was introduced to the Savory Spice world a little over a year ago by my friend Janet (a different Janet than the owner), and instantly fell in love with the store and its products.  Both Mike and Janet are avid home cooks and bakers who decided to open a specialty spice shop for fresh and unique spices to enhance their recipes. Today, there are four Savory Spice shops located throughout the Denver Metro area.  They offer 554 different products, and their products are currently used by over 1100 restaurants.  All of the “spices are ground fresh in small batches for superior quality and flavor” and can be purchased in jars or in small bags.  All of the jars are still hand-filled in either the Denver warehouse or in any one of the store locations.  If you have already purchased products from Savory Spice, keep the bottles and jars so they can be refilled.  You get a discount for doing so and you are helping the environment by recycling and re-using the jars as well.  It’s a win/win situation for everyone, plus you are using top-notch, quality spices and flavorings for your recipes.  It doesn’t get much better than  that.  You can learn more about Savory Spice by checking out their website http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/savory/spice‎.

Here are some of my recent Savory Spice purchases.  If I can, I love buying local and supporting small, family-owned businesses.

They even have recipe cards with fabulous recipes that highlight different spices and flavorings.

 

The term Florentine is used in French cooking to indicate a dish is served on top of or with a bed of spinach.  It has been used since the mid 1500’s, when Queen Catherine de Medicis, who was married to King Francois I of France, came to the thrown.  Queen Catherine was born in Florence, Italy.  She was suspicious of the French cooks, so she brought her own cooks from Florence to cook for her.  She had them cook a lot of her foods with spinach.  She also brought spinach seeds to plant with her as well.  Preparing foods with spinach became so popular in France, that the style of cooking with or adding spinach to a dish became known as the Florentine style of cooking.

It is believed that spinach originally came from Persia over 2000 years ago.  It then made its way to China around 647 BCE, but did not make it to the Mediterranean parts of Europe until the 9th century, when the Saracens invaded Italy.   In the 11th century, the Arabs brought spinach to Spain.  It did not make it to England and the rest of the European continent until around the mid 1500’s.  The word spinach is derived from the Persian word aspankh.  When spinach was introduced to the Europeans, there were many different spellings and names for the word spinach.  Some of these were spinech, spinage, spinnage and spynoches.  Today, we Americans refer to it as spinach.

I love spinach and cook in the Florentine style quite often.  Usually I add mushrooms, garlic, onions or shallots and tomatoes as well, and that is exactly how I cooked my chicken a la Florentine.  I served it over a bed of red lentils mixed with barley (I had some leftover barley that I mixed with the lentils to give it more texture), some warm bread with my olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce and a nice crisp chardonnay to complete the meal.  It was simply rustic and simply delicious.  You can also serve it over pasta or rice.  You can also serve the Florentine topping with fish or pork too or tofu if you want to make it vegetarian or vegan.

I marinated the chicken breasts in Italian dressing for about 4-5 hours, to make it nice and flavorful and tender.  Any kind of Italian dressing will do.

Chicken a la Florentine

1 1/2-2 lbs of chicken breasts, marinated in Italian dressing

2-3 cups fresh spinach, stems removed, chopped rough

5-6 mushrooms, sliced

1 large shallot, sliced thin

1/2- 3/4 cup of tomatoes, small dice

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Saute the spinach, garlic, mushrooms and shallots together in olive oil and add the salt & pepper to your likings.  Cook for bout 5-7 minutes, or until the spinach is soft and all the vegetables are completely cooked.  Add the tomatoes right at the very end and mix thoroughly into the vegetable mixture.  Serve atop the chicken.  You can also serve this over fish or pork or tofu too.

 

 

 

 

 

WOW!!!!!  I have been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award, by my friend over at Cosmic Observation.  What an honor.  Thank you so much.

I am supposed to give you 7 details about me.  Hmmmmm!  I don’t know if I am interesting enough to give you 7 details, but I’ll give it a shot.

1.  I was born and raised in Southern California.
2. I was the quintessential California beach bum until I got transferred to Colorado.
3. I have been living in the North Denver Metro area now for 19 years.  I still am ONE with the ocean, but have no desire to live in Southern California ever again.
4. I get my water and ocean “fix” through both my jobs and my passion for scuba diving.  I am both a swim coach, a water aerobics instructor and a swimmer.  I am also not only an avid scuba diver, but I have taken it to the level of Rescue Diver, and at some point I want to take it as far as I can and become a master diver.
5. I am very independent and opinionated and HATE being told what to do, even if it is for my own good.  🙂
6. My children all have 4 legs and tails.  I have never had the two-legged breed of children, only the four-legged ones.
7. My husband and I travel all around the world, at every chance and opportunity we can.  Mostly we dive, but there are also some vacations that are dry and on top of the water too.

The world of blogging has been opened up to me, and there are so many fascinating, interesting blogs out there, which makes it very difficult to choose my nominees.  I have learned so much since I have been introduced to the world of blogging.  I have many interests and follow a wide variety of bloggers.  It is really hard to narrow it down to just a few.  But here are some of my favorites.

1. lillyevechristie

   @lillyevechristie
2. bottomlesscoffee007
3. Michael Ogazie
   @ogaziestheory
4. Gail’s Snapshotsincursive
   @gaildorna
5. dray0308
   @dray0308
6. floatinggold

   @floatinggold
7. hethrgood
   @hethrgood
8. ChecheWinnie
   @thisischechewinnie
9. Amanda Cade
   @amandacade
10. The Eclectic Contrarian
    @thepalmettowoodsman
11. Rarenwise
    @rareity
12. Sadje
    @saadiyanadeem51
13. itsgoodtobecrazysometimes
    @itsgoodtobecrazysometimes
14. Laleh Chini
    @avoicefromiran
15. the britchy one
    @thebritchyone

 

I apologize for falling behind with my blog these last few days.  Life has been very hectic and crazy.  I’ve had more coaching hours, more classes to teach, and just more things in general going on lately.  I’m not complaining; I love to be busy, but sometimes, things add up and I fall behind.  Sometimes, I just need a bit more time to catch up with everything and then I am ready to go again.  After doing a specialty class in the morning, and wine tasting with my friend Elizabeth in the afternoon, there wasn’t much time to do a lot of preparation for dinner once we returned home for he evening.  We had a wine pick-up that needed to be made before the end of February, especially since we did not make it for January either, and because we have been so busy as of late, we had to do it yesterday.  Oh darn, I was forced to sample wines from my favorite local winery, InVINtions A Creative Winery. Let’s Make Wine

Elizabeth had never been to InVINtions before, so we had her taste a few.  Of course, I had to taste a few with her.  We started with whites (we asked for very small pours after this first one), had a couple of reds, and then finished with ports.  InVINtions ports are fabulous!  They offer a wide variety of flavored ports that are truly unique.

When we returned home, there was not a lot of time for a lot of thought or preparation for dinner, and the leftovers were beginning to pile up.  Just in the nick of time, the “Queen” paid me a visit to lend a creative hand.  I had some black Cubano Beans and rice, Fajitas y Frijoles, some ham with roasted green chiles and onions, Part Quiche, Part Fritatta, and some leftover tomato sauce with olives.  HMMMMMMM!  What to make, what to make?  I know ….. Empanadas!  Have No Fear, the Queen of Leftovers is Here  I had already made my basic, go-to dough, with the plan of using it for my quiche, but decided to use potatoes for the crust instead.  Everything was already prepared, so all that was left to do was the assembly and then recooking it.  Easy-peasy!

My ingredients for the filling that got all mixed together.

I rolled out the dough nice and thin, then added the filling and shaped them into empanadas.

Once the empanadas were filled and shaped, I pan-fried them in HOT canola oil until they were lightly browned and crispy.  When pan frying, I usually use canola oil, since it has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which allows it to get hotter without burning.  You want the oil to be very hot before adding the empanadas so the dough does not absorb too much oil before cooking, making them greasy.  The empanadas only take a couple of minutes to cook on each side.  They came out light and fluffy with a crispy crunch as well.  Just perfect!.  I have made empanadas both fried and baked.  I know they are not as healthy when they are fried, but I like the taste and consistency better when fried rather than baked.

I also had one avocado, that could really only be used as guacamole, so I quickly made up a small batch.  It was the perfect topper for the empanadas.  I served them with a quick, box of pasta – I know!  Food from a box!  How gauche!  And within minutes, a quick, easy-peasy dinner was served.  This was definitely not a fancy meal, nor, the most balanced meal, but it was still very tasty.  As you all know, I do my best to make everything from scratch as much as possible, however, I do keep instant foods around for just such occasions, when time is sparse and hungers are flaring.

As you all know, I love “playing with my food” and trying new things.  That’s as much fun as sharing it with all my friends and loved ones once the dishes are prepared.   When we were in Grand Junction, and had our fabulous brunch at Cafe Sol, Sol for the Soul I was intrigued by their quiche for the day.  It was a ham and green chili quiche (which they had already run out of by the time we got there).  I knew by the portion sizes of everything else we feasted upon, that their quiche would be oversized and fluffy as well.  Since we were not able to try it at Cafe Sol,  I decided to make my own version of it once I got home.   I found Cafe Sol’s recipe on line, and of course, I improvised some; but then that’s what I do.  I had some leftover ham in the freezer, as well as some roasted Hatch green chilies that needed to be used, so a ham and roasted Hatch green chili quiche was born.  This quiche is the perfect quiche for those of us who love big, bold, and spicy flavors.  It was YUMMY!

Quiche is a dish that is similar to a savory pie, made with eggs, cheese, cream and then whatever else you decide to add to it and it is all baked together in a crust like a pie.  There is no right or wrong way to make a quiche; today, anything goes.  Use your imagination and let it run wild.  Quiche Is Only Partly French  A frittata is both Spanish and Italian in origin, and is usually made with fried potatoes as well as the egg mixture.  The word fritatta is an Italian word that is roughly translated to mean fried, which was a Italian term used for any style of eggs that were cooked or “fried” in a skillet.  Up until the mid-1950’s, anywhere outside of Italy, a frittata and an omelette were generally thought of as the same thing.   The Spanish cooked their omelettes with fried potatoes added to the egg mixture, and hence the Spanish origins and influences for the fritatta came about.  Today, the term fritatta has become known as an Italian open-faced omelette.  Just like with omelettes and quiches, there are no specific or definitive recipes for fritattas.  Versatility in the recipes is greatly appreciated and welcomed.

Ham and Roasted Green Chili Fritatta Quiche

2 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin

1 1/2 cups cooked ham, cubed

1/2 onion, diced fine

1/2 cup roasted green chilies, peeled and seeded, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

1 tomato, diced fine

8 eggs

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

salt to taste

red chili flakes (optional and to taste)

olive oil for cooking

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or cheese of your choice

 

Preheat the oven to 375* F

Spray either a cake pan or a pie dish with cooking spray

 

Peel and slice the potatoes very thin.  I sliced mine in the food processor.  Line the bottom and the sides of the pan with the potatoes.  Because I knew I was going to be making a very fluffy quiche, I used a 9″ springform cake pan instead of a quiche or pie dish, like I usually do when making quiche.  Place the potatoes in the oven and par-bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are semi-soft.  Then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the potatoes are cooking, cut the rest of the vegetables and ham.  Saute the vegetables and garlic until they are soft and the onions are translucent.

Add the cooked vegetables and the tomatoes to the ham and mix everything together well.

Whisk together the eggs, cream salt and red pepper flakes.

Now it is time to start layering everything together to make the quiche.

Add the cheese to the potatoes.  Then add the ham and vegetable mixture on top of the cheese.

Carefully pour the egg mixture over the filling, making sure to spread it evenly and it covers everything.   If you do not have a tightly sealed baking dish, place the dish on a baking sheet so the liquid does not drip into the oven.  Bake for about 45 minutes or until the eggs are all cooked, fluffy and all the liquid has been absorbed.

This was a simple, rustic meal that I completed with a spinach salad with walnut dressing, and a glass of chardonnay.  Walnuts – The Healthiest Food Around?  It was just perfect after a very long day.  We both really liked the quiche with the addition of the potatoes.  The potatoes added a whole new dimension to the quiche.  This might just be how I make my quiches from now on.

Rules: 3.2.1 Quote Me!

Thank the Selector

Post 2 quotes for the dedicated Topic of the Day.

Select bloggers to take part in ‘3.2.1 Quote Me!’

 

I have been nominated for the Truth & Honesty Award by my friend over at

Bottomless Coffee 007.

I love this blog.  It is always so thought provoking and it definitely makes me think about things.  I am honored and flattered.  Thank you, thank you.

One quote I say, all the time, which has become my signature quote is “Cool Beans!” I  say this many times throughout the day, especially when I am excited about something.  Something else I say on a regular basis is “Be yourself.  No matter what, always be yourself and be true to who you are”.  There are no specific times or days when I say either of these.  They are just part of who I am and what I believe.

My nominations go to ….  They are always going to tell it like it is and keep it real.

1. Goldie over at floatinggold
2. Amanda Cade
   @amandacade
3. Sadje
   @saadiyanadeem51
4. Laleh Chini
   @avoicefromiran
5. the britchy one
   @thebritchyone

 

 

One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to visit new places.  I love to find unique and special places to eat, shop and enjoy the local ways of life.  Going to chain restaurants or shops are fine when you are at home and want something familiar, although, even at home I try my best to not frequent chain restaurants or stores to often either.  But when I travel, I absolutely refuse to eat at a chain restaurant if I have any other choices available to me.  I do my best to support small, local businesses and artists as much as possible.  One such local find and gem was Cafe Sol, located in downtown Grand Junction, at 420 Main Street.  The food at Cafe Sol is all fresh and made from scratch daily.  They have an open kitchen that features the foods they prepare fresh for your viewing.  You actually get to see the foods they are preparing for you as they prepare them.  Their goal is “to serve fresh, wholesome foods to customers who are searching for something unique”.  They are very “passionate about sourcing local, organic and high quality ingredients” to serve their patrons.  Cafe Sol offers a good selection of foods that are accommodating to all palettes.  They offer a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes as well as foods to satisfy the meat-eaters too.  A trip to Grand Junction should most definitely include at least one trip to Cafe Sol as well.

Fresh ingredients prepared for you as you wait.  You can see exactly what is being prepared and how.

So many choices.  What to choose, what to choose.

We all shared a piece of this fabulous green chili cornbread.  They tempted us by having it right out in front where we ordered.  We couldn’t resist, and we are glad we didn’t.  it was so moist and fluffy and absolutely delicious.

We all ordered something unique and different.  Everything was scrumptious!  Traci ordered the Dutch pancake with bananas, walnuts and peanut butter.

Taryn’s salad with eggs and avocado toast was definitely a feast.  By the time she had finished eating, it barely looked like she had even touched her food.

Larry opted for a more traditional breakfast burrito, that was grilled to perfection.

I am always up for new ideas, so it was eggs and cornbread with green chili for me.  Who knew this could be so good?!

Our fabulous feast.  Brunch is served.  Time to eat.