A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Candy barks are very popular all year round, but especially during the holidays.  They are usually chocolate with different kinds of fruits and nuts or peppermint, however there are no limits to them at all.  I made a healthy version with Greek yogurt, raspberries, pistachios and toasted almonds.  It is very colorful and very festive.  You can make it with any kinds of nuts and any kind of fruit, but this combination just looked very fitting for the season.   This bark is very easy to make.  It is not as sweet as most barks, but then it has no sugar and just a bit of honey.

I love all kinds of berries; raspberries, golden raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc, but blackberries are my favorite.  On a nutritional scale though, raspberries are said to be the healthiest of all the berry varieties.  They are loaded with fiber, and contain 9 g per cup, more than any other berries.  They have a lower sugar content than other berries too, and are high in Vitamin C.  I actually have a few raspberry bushes in my yard, that produce very tiny, very sweet raspberries in the summer.  Sometimes I get a large yield and other years, I barely get anything.  But either way, they are delicious and I try my best to use them all up in as many dishes and recipes as I can.  The raspberries here are from the store.  My plants only produce berries in the summer.

Raspberry Pistachio and Toasted Almond Yogurt Bark

2 cups Greek yogurt with honey

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

3-4 TBSP honey

1 package of raspberries or 1 cup of frozen raspberries, drained

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

1/3 cup toasted almond slivers

Mix the honey, lemon zest and yogurt together, then gently fold in the raspberries and nuts.

Once everything is mixed together, spread the mixture out onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and freeze for at least 3 hours.

When the bark has become solid, remove it from the freezer and break it into chunks.  It melts quickly, so unless you are planning on eating it right away, place it in the refrigerator to let it thaw, but to keep it solid, until you are ready to serve it.

Enjoy.  Have a very Merry Christmas everyone.

In the days of old Mexico, rice dishes were actually considered a type of  “dry soup” or sopa seca.  It was an alternative to the standard liquid version of soup, as we know soup today.  However, the wealthy people would serve both versions of los sopas at their parties and events, both as part of the lavish food displays that were presented to their guests, rather than only offering one or the other.  The phrase a la Mexicana, when used to describe Mexican dishes, means foods that were prepared with onions and tomatoes.  Arroz a la Mexicana is rice that has been made with both onions and tomatoes, as well as other ingredients, and is a staple that can be found in any Mexican household or restaurant.  As with any popular foods, there are many different versions.

I served my arroz a la Mexicana along side my mole enchiladas or enmoladas. Dining Mexican Style.  I love rice dishes of all kinds, and serve a lot of variations of rice all the time.

Arroz a la Mexicana

2 cups long-grain white rice

3 tomatoes, pureed

1 jalapeno, chopped fine

1/2 cup corn

1 cup green beans, cut small

1/3 onion, chopped fine

2 TBSP garlic

4 cups chicken stock or water

1 tsp each fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped fine

salt & pepper to taste

Tobasco sauce to taste

olive oil for cooking

 

Soak the rice in warm water for about 5 minutes.  Add the olive oil to a hot skillet, then add the rice, onions, garlic, jalapeno, and green beans.  Cook until the onions are translucent.  You can add any kind of vegetables, and as many vegetables as you like.  Peas and carrots are often used as well.

Puree the tomatoes in a food processor, then add to the rice and vegetable mixture.  Incorporate well into the rice.

Add the liquid, salt & pepper and parsley and cilantro mixture and mix together well.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.  I used chicken broth because it gives the rice a richer flavor, but you can use vegetable broth or water which will make the dish vegetarian or vegan, if you prefer.  This is perfect side dish for whatever you are serving, whether it is a Mexican dish or not.

Mole is a sauce found and used all over Mexico and Central America, but it is believed to have originated in Central Mexico, in the Oaxaca region.  It is a sauce made from a multitude of different spices and ingredients and there are many, many different varieties.  A traditional mole sauce has at least 20-30 different ingredients that are roasted and ground into either a paste or a fine powder.  In the past, the grinding and roasting processes were done by many different generations of the women in the family and would take a lot of time and effort to make.  Because the mole preparations were so laborious, mole was traditionally served only for special occasions and holidays, and was usually eaten over turkey.   Today, it is much easier to make mole, and it is now used in a variety of dishes.  Mole is NEVER eaten just by itself, and is ALWAYS served over something.  It is usually served over meats, including turkey, chicken, pork, lamb and other meats, but it is also served over tamales and enchiladas or enmoladas.  Each region, and many families, have their own unique versions and recipes for mole sauce, which have been passed down through the generations.  No matter what type of mole you serve, the two main ingredients are a variety of chili peppers and chocolate.  Mole poblano is the most popular and best known type of mole sauce.  It is usually a rich, dark reddish brown sauce that is served over meat, although it can really be any color.  Mole poblano has been ranked number 1 as being a typical Mexican dish and is also known as the national dish of Mexico.

Christmas is right around the corner, so it is only fitting that we had mole at this time of year.  Unbeknownst to me at the time, I made enmoladas with chicken and corn that I served with arroz ala Mexicana or Mexican rice and refried beans.  And of course, there just had to be a margarita especial to accompany the meal as well.  We had a traditional Mexican meal that is served for the holidays.  So …. Feliz Navidad y Desfruitas!

Chicken and Corn Enmoladas

(This recipe calls far the store bought, prepared mole sauce, which is a great and tasty alternative to making it all by hand)

1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken, shredded

1/2 onion

1-1 1/2 cups corn

2 TBSP fresh cilantro and parsley, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

2 jars of prepared mole poblano sauce, such as Dona Maria or Rogelio Bueno

1/2 cup peanut butter

4 cups chicken stock

12 corn tortillas

cheese of your choice, but a Mexican queso blanco is best

2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

creme fraiche or crema Mexicana, optional for topping

Saute the corn, onions and salt & pepper in olive oil.  After they are cooked and the onions are translucent, mix in the fresh herbs, then combine with the shredded chicken and set aside.

To make the sauce, combine the mole sauce and the peanut butter in a sauce pan and cook until everything is well combined, then add the chicken stock and continue to cook until you have a medium thick, creamy sauce.  Make sure to stir frequently so the sauce does not burn and the ingredients are well incorporated together.  I used the Dona Maria sauce, which was a thick paste.

To assemble the enmoladas, heat the tortillas in either a little hot oil and cook just for a few seconds until they are soft and pliable or in the microwave for about 20 seconds.  I heated them up in the microwave.   Coat and spray a 9×13 baking dish, or a clay baking dish if you have one, and line the bottom of the pan with a little of the sauce.  Spread a little bit of sauce on both sides of the tortilla, then add your filling and cheese.  Roll loosely and place the stuffed tortillas side by side in the baking dish.  Repeat until the pan is filled.

Once the pan is full, evenly spread more of the mole sauce over the enmoladas, and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the top.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 375* F for about 15-20 minutes.

When the enmoladas are done, serve along side your favorite Mexican side dishes and desfruitas!   !Feliz Navidad!   My cookbook was an early Christmas gift from mi amiga, Delores.  Perfect Presents  

 

 

 

 

 

Most of you know I have two great big, loving Saint Bernards, Luzerne, who we call Lucie and St. Vincent or Vinnie.   We also have two cats, Otis and Nicodemus.  Otis is my tan puma and Nicodemus is my black panther.  These are all of my loving fur babies.  They bring so much joy and laughter, and we would like to spread it your way too.  So from me and all my fur babies to you, I wish you all a very Saintly Christmas,  a Happy Holiday and a very Happy, Healthy New Year.

 

Deviled eggs are widely popular the world over and are usually served as a first course. The term “deviled” or “devilled” as it is spelled in the UK, was first used as a description around 1786, but was used to describe foods that were either spicy or zesty in the early 19th century, and the term “deviled” has been used ever since.  It seems almost every country has their own version of this tasty holiday favorite.  Some recipes and versions are very simple and others are quite elaborate.  Deviled eggs go by many names, most of which are translated to mean stuffed eggs.   Here in the United States, deviled eggs have many names, such as stuffed eggs, Russian eggs, dressed eggs, and salad eggs, which are all made in the traditional way of mixing the egg yolks with a combination of mayonnaise and mustard and various spices.  They are also referred to as angel eggs when they are made with lighter ingredients.   In France they are known as oeuf mimosa or mimosa eggs, because they look like the plants from the mimosa tree.  Romanians call them oua umplute.  In the Netherlands, they are known as gevuld ei.  On the island of Malta, deviled eggs are known as bajd mimli, and in parts of South America, they are known as huevos a la peruna or Peruvian eggs.  Hungary calls them either toltott tojas, which means stuffed eggs or kazinotojoas or casino eggs.  The Hungarian version of these deviled or stuffed eggs mashes the yolks and mixes them with white bread that has been soaked in milk, as well as with the traditional mayonnaise and mustard, and they can be served either as a first course or as a main meal.  If they are served as a main meal, they are baked with Hungarian sour cream and are served with French fries.  Many European countries refer to deviled eggs as Russian eggs, not because they originated in Russia, but because they are often served on a bed of macedoine, which is sometimes referred to as a Russian salad.  In Germany, deviled eggs are often stuffed with a combination of anchovies, cheese and capers.  Sweden eats their version of deviled eggs or fylida agghalvor as a traditional dish served at the Easter smorgasbord, where they are mixed with caviar and either cream or sour cream and red onions, and are topped with either chives or dill and anchovies or pickled herring.  So as you can see, there are many, many different versions of of what are commonly known as deviled eggs.  No matter what they are called or how they are prepared, they are a favorite first course or appetizer served all over the world.

I made the more traditional version of deviled eggs for my husband’s breakfast potluck.  Because it was a morning affair, he wanted something that would be more breakfasty than most dishes served at a potluck, so he asked for deviled eggs.  Apparently they were a hit.  His platter came back empty.

Curried Deviled Eggs

1 dozen eggs

1 TBSP white vinegar

water

1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

2 TBSP Dijon mustard

2 tsp curry

dash Tobasco sauce

fresh parsley and chives for topping

paprika for topping

 

Gently place the eggs in a large pan and fill with enough water to completely cover the eggs.  Add the vinegar and bring to a boil.  Once the eggs have come to a full, rapid boil, let them boil for 12 minutes.  If you go longer, the yolks will turn gray and will be a bit tough.   After the eggs are cooked, place them in cold after and let them rest for at least 30 minutes before peeling them.    To peel the eggs,  gently crack them on a hard surface and roll them around a bit to loosen up the shells.  Then carefully peel the shells from the eggs.  Cut the eggs in half and gently remove the yolks.  Place the yolks in a separate bowl and mash them with a potato masher until they are almost a creamy consistency.

Once the yolks are mashed, mix in the mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (I like both, and switch them around all the time, depending on whether or not I want more or less tang to the filling), mustard, curry and Tobasco sauce.  You can either whisk everything together or use an egg beater.  Try to make sure the mixture is very smooth, and there are no lumps, especially if you are going to pipe the mixture into the egg whites.  Then fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture.  I usually pipe my yolk mixture into the egg whites.  They did not come out as neat as they usually do though.  I admit, I was doing them late at night, after a long day, and I was tired, so I still had some lumps in my filling.  The lumps kept getting stuck in my piping tip, and then it would just “spit” out the filling.  Yes, it happens even to the best of us.  C’est la vie mes amies, c’est la vie.

After the eggs were filled I topped them with chopped fresh parsley and chives, then sprinkled them with paprika.  This is more of the traditional way to serve them, especially in the United States.  They were very festive and colorful and disappeared very quickly once they were served.

 

 

I have just bee tagged for Christmas by Michelle at

Blessings by Me.

Here are the rules:

1. You must thank the person who nominated you
2. Link back to the original post (the one on this blog) and use the graphic provided.
3. Answer the questions given
4. Nominate at least 3 people. (or more if your feeling like a nice person  )
5. Give the nominees 10 questions to answer (or use the ones previously given)
6. HAVE FUN!

Here are Michelle’s questions:

1. What present did you always want as a child and never received?

      I would have to say a horse as well.  So many little girls want a horse, but so many of us, particularly those who grew up in large urban areas, just never get that.  Hmm …

2. What are your top 5 Christmas movies?

1. A Christmas Carol
     2. Love Actually
     3. A Miracle on 34th Street (the original)
     4. The Grinch
     5. What a Wonderful Life

3. Out of all the Christmas songs, which one makes you truly joyful?

I love Silent Night, but my FAVORITE Christmas song is Christmas Eve in Sarajevo by The Trans Siberian Orchestra.

4. What special memory do you have of Christmas morning, as a parent?

I cannot relate to this one, since I do not have kids.

5. What was your favorite Christmas gift?

There have been many wonderful gifts over the years, but certainly my favorite ones, most recently, are my cameras, both my land and my many underwater cameras.  Although, hands down, the best present is always WHO is around the tree rather than WHAT is under the tree.

6. At what age did you realize that Santa was not real?

WHAT????????  Say it isn’t so.  Santa is DEFINITELY real.

7. How long do you stay awake Christmas Eve setting everything up for the kids?

Again, I do not have kids, so we get up when we do.

8. What traditions have you and your spouse made for your marriage on Christmas Eve  or Christmas Day? 

We are still working on that.  We do, however, have our annual Ornament Exchange and Holiday party, which is always a ton of fun.

9. Are you a all year Christmas shopper or a last minute shopper?

I shop and buy things all year.  I buy things that make me think of someone special at the time I see it.  I love seeing them open their presents too and seeing their expressions of joy after.

10. What is the hardest thing you have ever had to put together for your kids to enjoy?

I have not experienced that “pleasure”.

 

These are great questions, so I pose these same questions to my tagged friends.

Have fun, and merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.  I am tagging:

1. sonofabeach96
   @sonofabeach96
2. The Eclectic Contrarian
   @thepalmettowoodsman
3. Sadje
   @saadiyanadeem51
4. Laleh Chini
   @avoicefromiran
5. illyevechristie
   @lillyevechristie
6. floatinggold
   @floatinggold

It wasn’t exactly the best weather for soup, since it has been unseasonably warm lately, but this soup was just calling out to me, so I had to make it.  I am very glad I did too.  It came out so good.  Beef barley soup was always one of dad’s favorites, and I guess I was just subconsciously missing my dad, which is maybe why this recipe was just calling out to me.  This beef barley soup though, was nothing like the beef barley soup my dad remembered.  Aside from the usual ingredients you would expect to find in a beef barley soup, this one also had a few extra twists with the addition of both red wine and pesto.  From here on out, those extra additions will always be a part of the soup recipe, that’s for sure.  This soup was a meal in and of itself.  All I added was some warm bread and a glass (or two) of a smooth red blend, and dinner was served.   The wine I served was a Graciano, from yet another local winery, located in Boulder, Bookcliff Vineyards.  You can find them at https://bookcliffvineyards.com.  

 

Beef Barley Soup with Red Wine and Pesto

1-2 lbs of beef, cubed

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil for cooking

1 small onion, diced small

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

2 carrots, sliced

1 cup pumpkin, medium cubes (optional)

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes, or 3 tomatoes cut in a medium dice

3 cups beef stock

1/4 cup pesto sauce + more for the topping

1/2 cup barley

2 cups fresh baby spinach, stemmed

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and cut into bite sized cubes.  Heat the olive oil in the skillet, and when the oil is hot add the beef and salt and pepper to taste.  You may actually want to go a little heavier on both the salt and the pepper because these seasonings will help season the soup as well.  Brown the meat on all sides, about 5-7 minutes.  Once the meat is browned, transfer it to the slow cooker and set aside.

In the same oil and leftover seasonings, add the vegetables, and cook until the carrots are semi soft and tender and the onions are translucent.  I still have a bunch of pumpkin I want to use, so I added some to my soup as well, but it is optional.  As i have said many times, I love vegetables, and I love a very wide variety of them, so I add as many as I can to a dish, without over loading.

When the vegetables are cooked, add them to the top of the beef in the slow cooker and set aside again.

Pour the wine into the skillet, cook for about 1 minute and scrape all the drippings off the bottom of the skillet.  Once it is done, add to the beef and vegetable mixture.

Mix together the beef broth, tomatoes and their juice and the pesto and pour over the beef and vegetable mixture.  Now it is ready to start cooking.  Turn the slow cooker on high and cook for about 2 hours.

After the soup has cooked for 2 hours, it is time to add the barley.  Mix everything together well.  Once the barley has been added, continue to cook the soup for another 2 hours, with a slightly lowered temperature.

Right before serving the soup, add the spinach and incorporate well into the soup.  Spoon it into your serving bowls and top with a little additional pesto.  I had a little extra store bought pesto that I used for the soup base, but while the soup was cooking I made some more and I used the fresh pesto for my topping.  Even though the weather has been unseasonably warm, you can’t go wrong with this soup; soup weather or not.  Delicious!

 

 

 

 

Crab is a nutrient powerhouse, containing  loads of necessary vitamins and minerals that all contribute to good overall health.  It is an excellent source of selenium, which helps to keep the thyroid healthy.  There is 3x more selenium found in crab than there is in beef.  Aside from selenium, it is also a great source of B vitamins, protein and omega 3 fatty acids, all of which make for a healthy diet.  If possible, it is recommended to eat crab at least twice a week, although it can be pricey, and is often considered a luxury food, which might make it more difficult to eat that often.  I love crab, and can enjoy it any way it is cooked, but I admit that we don’t buy it that often because it is expensive.  But it sure is delicious, and I enjoy every bite of it when I do buy it.  One of my favorite ways of eating crab is to have it in crab cakes.  I also love curry.   So to combine these two great foods makes a wonderful taste sensation that will have you begging for more.  I made my crab cakes in the Maryland crab cake style, meaning more crab and less “cake”.  They are light, delicate crab cakes that are full of flavor.   I topped the crab cakes with some of my left over Hollandaise sauce Happy Birthdays and served them over wild rice with a spinach salad and a tomato vinaigrette on the side.  The meal was made complete with a glass or two of a cool, crisp viognier, by one of our local vintners, Turquoise Mesa Winery, which is only about five minutes from my house.  You can find Turquoise Mesa Winery at colorado.com/wine-wineries/turquoise-mesa-winery.  

Curried Crab Cakes

1 lb lump crab meat

1 1/2-2 TBSP bread crumbs

2 tsp parsley, chopped fine

salt & pepper to taste

1 jalapeno, chopped fine

1 tsp Tobasco sauce

a dash of Hot sauce (I used some Caribbean hot sauce we bought from some of our travels)

1 1/2-2 tsp curry powder

1 1/2-2 TBSP mayonnaise

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 egg

 

Mix the crab, salt & pepper, jalapeno, bread crumbs and parsley together.  Mix the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, curry, and hot sauces together separately.   Once everything has been mixed together separately, combine the egg mixture with the crab mixture and toss everything together, combining well, making sure to coat all the crab mixture.

Preheat the oven to 400* F

The mixture will be soft and flimsy, so spoon the mixture onto a greased baking sheet and form into a ball.  You can make the crab cakes any size you want depending on the size spoon you use.  I made my crab cakes about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.   Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the crab cakes are lightly golden.

Once the crab cakes are cooked, you can eat them plain, or with a sauce or your choice.  They are best with a light sauce since the crab is light and delicate.  You do not want a strong, bold sauce because you will lose the light, delicate flavors of the crab.

 

Traditions are important to hold onto for many reasons.  They bring us together and they help us form everlasting bonds with others.  Some are cultural traditions and others are traditions within a family.  Either way, I think they are important to hold onto and to preserve and pass down through the ages.

Our friends Janet and Bob have had a family tradition for many, many years, of making and decorating cookies to give as Christmas gifts.  Their tradition continues and yesterday we were lucky enough to partake in the fun and colorful festivities as well.  Janet, her son and his family all baked tons and tons of cookies and boxed them all up as gifts to give to their friends.  After boxing up a heap of cookie boxes, it was time for a pizza break.  After the pizza, the decorations were brought out, and it was time to get to the fun, colorful business of decorating, where our imaginations were allowed to run wild.  There were no rules and no holds barred.  Let the decorations fall where they may.

 

Brian and Shelly boxing up the cookies.

Three generations of family fun in the kitchen.  Janet, Brian and Emily all making the frosting for the cookies.

Shelly and Emily getting ready to mix the colors into the frosting.

Peter and Emily making colors.

Janet in her pantry, proudly displaying all her cookie decorations and supplies.

And the decorating begins.   All those gingerbread cookies on the cookie tray were in need of color and decorations.  We had our work cut out for us.  There was a wide array of various colors and decorations from which to choose.

Shelly proudly displaying some of our finished masterpieces.

All of us showing off our cookie masterpieces.  Believe it or not, we are all so into our work AND no one even tasted or did quality control checks throughout the whole decorating process.

My Bronco mittens.

What Christmas would be complete without ugly sweaters?  We had some pretty “ugly” sweaters too.

Cleaning up after.  All these bins and boxes filling the counter tops are loaded with delicious Christmas cookies.

We got to take home a box of cookies too.

Enjoy the holidays and the holiday traditions with family and friends.  That’s what the holiday are for.  Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season, with a Happy, Healthy New Year.

We eat a wide variety of vegetables all the time.  There are very few vegetables we don’t eat.  In fact, off hand, I really can’t think of any.  Most often, we eat fresh vegetables too. They taste better and are much healthier as well.  This time we enjoyed a casserole made with green beans, artichoke hearts and mushrooms.  Aside from this being a very colorful and tasty dish to make, it was also a very health dish too.  Green beans, artichoke hearts and mushrooms all contain high amounts of proteins (high amounts as far as vegetables go) and fiber, as well as other necessary vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, selenium, Vitamin B and Vitamin D.  And because they are all high in fiber, they are all also very low in calories.

Green Bean, Artichoke and Mushroom Casserole

1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans

1 onion, chopped fine

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half

1 cup mushroom, sliced

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine

2 tsp fresh thyme

1 tsp cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup bread crumbs

1 cup Parmigiano cheese, divided

 

Cook the green beans for about 5 minutes in boiling water.  Then drain and cut into pieces that are about 1 inch in size.  Saute the onions, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil until the onions are soft and translucent.  Toast the pine nuts until the are lightly golden.

Preheat the oven to 350* F

Toss everything together along with the rest of the ingredients, using only half of the Parmigiano cheese.  Make sure to coat the vegetables well.    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the vegetable mixture evenly out onto the pan.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned.  Add the remaining Parmigiano cheese to the top right before serving.  I served the green bean, artichoke, mushroom casserole along side pork chops that I marinated in a chili lime sauce and garlic mashed potatoes with a buttery chardonnay to round out the meal.