A Jeanne in the Kitchen

In a period of four short days, we made the transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  The Christmas cards are all done and are now in the mail.  Most of the Christmas lights are up outside.   And the house is decorated.  On top of all this, we had a very busy social calendar this weekend as well.  Needless to say, I did not have a lot of time to do a lot of cooking.  Nor did I have the energy to do so either.  So I just made some quick and easy fish tacos.  They only took a few minutes to make and they were delicious too, and mostly healthy.

We had some fish sticks that needed to be used, but they were too small to just have on their own.  We love fish tacos and eat them quite often when we are traveling around the tropics.   I made a quick and easy slaw from Brussels sprouts, in addition to some rice mixed with corn, and fish tacos were born.  Then we topped them with avocado and sour cream and finished them off with a margarita especial.  Fabuloso!

Sometimes my favorite way to cook is to look in the refrigerator to see what I have and to  just go from there.  I knew I did not have any lettuce or cabbage, but I had Brussels Sprouts, which are part of the cabbage family, so I made a Brussels sprouts slaw to serve on top of the fish tacos.   I just made enough Brussels sprouts slaw for our tacos, and I did not measure anything (but then I rarely do).  I just used up some of my vegetables that were already cut and needed a new purpose.

Brussels Sprouts Slaw

Brussels sprouts, stem removed and sliced thin

jalapeno, diced fine

red onion, sliced thin

yellow and orange bell peppers, sliced thin

cumin

salt & pepper

cilantro lime dressing

Toss everything together and saute for about 5-7 minutes.  I cooked it just long enough so the vegetables were not raw, but not too long to make them soft.  I still wanted them crunchy and snappy.

After the slaw was made, I fried the fish sticks and cut them up.  I heated up some tortillas, melted some cheese onto them and started layering the tacos.  Voila, we had a quick, easy and delicious meal of fish tacos.

I think people look forward to the Thanksgiving desserts almost as much as they look forward to the turkey.   Some people may even prefer the desserts to the turkey.  I admit I did not go over board this year because one of nieces loves to bake too.  She is actually very good.  Her specialty is vegan desserts.  So since most of the family is vegan, and she likes to do those desserts, I stepped back and let her have at it.  She brought a few different vegan deserts including a chocolate silk pie, a vegan pumpkin pie, some kind of a chocolate flourless torte and some pumpkin doughnut holes.  Sadly, I do not have any pictures of her desserts.  I meant to take some, but things got chaotic once dinner was finished and it was time for dessert.

The only desserts I made for our meal this year were a pumpkin pie and and an apple pie.  However, I really only made the pumpkin pie because my husband bought a store bought apple pie, so that doesn’t really count as me making it.  I tried a new recipe for the pumpkin pie this year too.  It was one of the easiest pies to make and one of the best pumpkin pies too.  I wanted to make a pecan pie as well, since that is my favorite, but I am really trying to cut back on my sweets, and no one else wanted pecan, so I got out voted.  It’s just as well.  i do not need the extra calories.  I got off easy this year.  🙂

Pumpkin Pie

Crust or Pate Sucre

1 1/2 cups flour

6 TBSP COLD butter, cubed

3 TBSP powdered sugar

a pinch of salt

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

Blend the flour, butter, salt and powdered sugar together in a food processor until it is all crumbly.  Then add the egg and the cream slowly, while continuing to blend.  Keep processing everything together until it all forms into a ball.  Remove the dough ball from the food processor and wrap in plastic wrap, then let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.

Preheat the oven to 425* F

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-1/2 ” thick, then lift with the rolling pin and gently lay the dough onto the pie dish.  Press the dough firmly into the baking dish to shape it and crimp the edges by pinching them with your fingers.

Pie Filling

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree or 2 cups of cooked pumpkin puree

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

Mix everything together well and pour into the pie crust.  I added pecans to the top of the pumpkin custard mixture before baking.  Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch or when it no longer jiggles when shaken.  Let the pie cool completely before adding whipped cream and serving.

Before baking.

I added the whipped cream right before serving the pie.  Lucie and Vinnie helped me clean out my bowl after I had already served the pie with the whipped cream.  After all, they like Thanksgiving too.  Lucie is enjoying her whipped cream so much, she is even wearing some in her ears and on her nose.

The calm before the feasting.

I am thankful for so many things, but most importantly for good friends and family, good health, a beautiful home, a warm heart, and the opportunities I have been given.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Our Thanksgiving dinner was way more than just the turkey, although at Thanksgiving, the turkey will always get top billing and will always be the center of attention. Since most of my family that joined us is vegan, we had a lot of vegetables and vegan foods.  I also was cooking for seven kids, ranging in ages from 6-15, so most everything was pretty simple, certainly much more so than my usual cooking  Aside from the turkey, I also made 2 kinds of mashed potatoes, both vegan and non-vegan.  The vegan mashed potatoes were  made with rice milk and vegan butter, and then regular garlic mashed potatoes with butter and heavy whipping cream for the rest of us.  There was also stuffing, using my leftover chorizo and spinach from when I made my Chicken stuffed with chorizo and spinach, obviously NOT vegan.  Chicken Stuffed with Chorizo and Spinach  This time of year is a great time of year for the Queen of Leftovers to appear.    We also had vegan, gluten-free rolls as well as herbed popovers for those of us who wanted real bread.  Herbilicious Popovers  But before we starting eating the main meal, we had a cheese and salami platter with crackers, served on one of my brand new serving platters from Cheforward, Presents for the Chef.  As usual, we had enough food for about another 10 or so people to join us.  So where were you?  I had enough food for everyone  🙂

Everything just seems to pop and come to life on this new serving platter.  I just love it!

I had just the exact amount of extra chorizo and spinach filling for the stuffing.   You can use any kind of bread you like, just make sure it is at least a few days old, and crusty, even a bit stale is a good thing.  This will ensure that it really soaks up the liquid and when cooked it will stay very moist.  I used a garlic loaf that I cubed.  There are so many different and delicious varieties of stuffing recipes.  There is no one particular one that is better than any others.  I usually vary them year to year, doing something different all the time.

I sauteed my onions, garlic and celery until they were soft and translucent, then mixed everything together, along with 1 can of chicken broth.

Once everything is well combined, add it all to a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Really press down and compact the bread, making sure it absorbs all the liquid.  Wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375* F for about 40-45 minutes covered.  If you want a little bit of a crust to the stuffing, remove the foil and continue to bake for abut 10-15 minutes.  Do not overcook though, or the stuffing will become dried out.

For veggies, I just made some corn, and then a vegetable medley with three different colors of cauliflower and broccoli and carrots.  These were all safe bets and pretty staple vegetables that most kids are guaranteed to eat.  I know all my nieces and nephews are big cauliflower fans too.  I just made it more fun by having the three different colors.

And then there was bread …. well popover rolls, actually.  I used fresh rosemary, chives, sage, thyme and oregano mixed in with the flour.  Herbilicious Popovers  I make these quite often.  I love how they are so light and buttery, and they just seem to go with everything.

These are just the foods I made.  We had a whole other array of vegan foods that my “sister” brought.  Needless to say, we had a feast for sure.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving.  Yet another successful Thanksgiving has come and gone, and is now in the history books.  There were eleven of us all gathered together to celebrate my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.  It was my husband and myself and my “sister”, her husband and all seven of their kids.  We had a full house, a full table, and at the end of the evening, full tummies as well.  We basically had two full Thanksgiving meals combined into one.  My “sister’s” husband, my husband and I all had the traditional Thanksgiving fair, complete with turkey, stuffing and all the fixin’s.  My sister and all of her kids, however, are vegan, so they had their own version of Thanksgiving dinner, complete with tofurkey (NO, I DID NOT make the tofurkey.  I hate the stuff.  We bought it and cooked it according to the package directions), and plenty of vegetables and potatoes to go around for all of us.  And of course, there were lots of desserts as well, both vegan and non-vegan.  It does not really matter so much what is on the table to be served, but rather who is at the table to be served that makes the meal and the day so special.

I had a 16 3/4 lb turkey, which was more than enough for the three of us who were eating it.

I made a juniper brine that I poured over the turkey and let set in the refrigerator for about 1 1/2 days before cooking the turkey.

Juniper Brine

2/3 cup salt

2/3 cup sugar

6-10 whole cloves

1 tsp juniper berries, crushed

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns, crushed

1 tsp allspice

1-2 tsp fresh sage, chopped

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2-3 bay leaves

8 cups hot water

4 cups cold water

1 plastic turkey brining bag

large pan to hold the turkey

With the back of a small skillet, crush the whole peppercorns and the juniper berries by basically smashing them with the back of the skillet and then firmly pressing them until they crack.  This only takes a few seconds.  Mix all the ingredients together in the hot water in a large pot.  Boil for 3 minutes, or until all the sugar and salt have completely dissolved.  Add the cold water and cool to room temperature.  Place the turkey into the brining bag and pour the whole contents of the liquid into and all around the turkey.  Place the bag with the turkey breast side down into a large roasting pan and loosely cover.  Let it set in the refrigerator anywhere from 12-36 hours before cooking.

Once the turkey is ready to cook, empty the liquid and discard the bag and all its contents.  Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel.  Gently separate the skin from the meat, by working your hands gently under the skin.

With whatever rub you decide to use, generously rub the whole inside of the turkey, underneath the skin with the rub.  Spread it evenly over all the meat of the turkey.

This year, I decided to make a Cajun turkey and I made a Cajun rub.

Cajun Rub

I stick butter, softened

1 TBSP garlic

1-2 tsp each sage, oregano, thyme, and marjoram

1 TBSP Cajun spice mix

1-2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1-2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 500* F

Mix everything to together and rub generously over the meat, in between the meat and the skin of the turkey.   Generously coat the turkey’s outside with salt, pepper and olive oil .  Then place it back into the roasting pan, breast side down.

Place the turkey in the pre-heated oven and roast for about 20-30 minutes at 500* F.  Then turn the heat down to 350* F.  Continue to cook the turkey for about another 30 minutes or so, breast down, then carefully flip the turkey over to continue cooking, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 160-165*F or until the juice comes out clear.   The time will vary according to the size of the turkey.  Usually allow for about 15 minutes per pound.  I had a 16 3/4 lb turkey, so I roasted it for about 3 1/2 hours.  While the turkey is cooking, baste it occasionally with the juices to keep it moist.  Let the turkey rest at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before starting to carve it.

This post is one of a small series of posts regarding Thanksgiving.  Please stay tuned.  there was a lot more to eat than just turkey, although the turkey came out great.

I will be busy in the kitchen, making preparations for tomorrow, so there will not be a formal post today.  However, I just wanted to send a message of thanks to everyone.   I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving to be shared with those you love and hold dear.

I know this post is out of my normal range of posts, however, I wanted to share this beautiful scarf with all of you.  It was made by Michelle Miller.  She is one of my “blogging” friends and she is so talented.  Stop by and check out here website Blessings By Me@michellemiller1978 .   If you hurry, she just might have time to make something special for you as a holiday gift.

Please focus on the scarf and Lucie, not the tired chef who just got home from swim practice.  🙂

We eat a lot of chicken.  It is so versatile, and it seems like the possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking with chicken.  When it’s cold out, I love something delicious, straight out of the oven to “warm the cockles of my heart” as my dad used to say.  Last night was a perfect night for a hot dish out of the oven too.  I made chicken stuffed with chorizo, spinach and mushrooms, and topped it with a red pepper coulis for dinner.  I served it with wild rice and asparagus topped with mushrooms, garlic, onions and red peppers.  It was a very colorful dinner, with the reds, oranges and greens of the season.

I roasted my pepper first, so I could let it sweat and cool before peeling it.  I just place directly on the burner of my gas stove and then got it completely blackened.

Once the pepper is completely blackened, place it in a plastic bag to let it sweat for at least a half hour.  The blackened outside will just peel right off very easily after it has cooled.  Once all the peeling has been removed, rinse it off to remove any additional peeling that remains. Cut off the top and remove all the seeds by just sliding your fingers in a downward motion, and all the seeds will slide right off.

While my pepper was cooling, I made the filling for the chicken.

Chorizo, Spinach, Mushroom Stuffing

4-5 mushrooms, sliced thin

1 TBSP garlic

1 shallot, minced

about 2 cups baby spinach, with stems removed, chiffonade

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb ground chorizo

olive oil

In a hot skillet, add the chorizo first, and break it up, and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients, and saute until the sausage is completely cooked.

Once everything is completely cooked, set it aside and let it cool.  If needed, drain off the excess oil.

Look at the size of this chicken breast.  Can you believe this is ONLY 1 breast?  Wrap the chicken in plastic wrap and pound it out with a meat tenderizer until it is only about 1/4-1/2″ thick, so you can roll it.  Make sure to pound it out on a cutting board so you do not ruin your counter tops or island surface.  You might have to re-adjust the plastic wrap so the chicken is completely covered when you are pounding it out, otherwise you will destroy the meat.

Once the chicken is flattened, add the stuffing mixture and fill the center, but leave about 1/8-1/4 inch around the edges free.   Then roll it in a tight spiral, making sure to fold in the edges, like you are rolling a burrito.  Regardless of what stuffing you use, the procedure is the same.

Place the rolled chicken breast(s) into a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray and roast at 375*F for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked.

Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

1-2 whole red peppers (you can use any color pepper you want)

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

2-3 TBSP olive oil

Roast the peppers until they are completely blackened on the outside.  You can do this on a grill, in the oven, or as I do, directly on the burner of my gas stove.  Unless I am roasting a lot of peppers at the same time, I usually just place them right on my burners.  Once the peppers are completely blackened, place them in a plastic bag to let them sweat for at least 30 minutes.  Once they have cooled, just slide your fingers over the skin, and it will peel right off very easily.  Cut the top of the pepper off, and remove the seeds.  Again, they will just slide right off with just your fingers.

Place everything in a food processor, and blend until you have a thick liquid.  This can be served either warm or at room temperature, although I prefer it warm.  Top it over your meat and serve.

Because the red pepper coulis is a mild, light sauce, and it was served over chicken, my wine choice was a nice rich, buttery, oakey chardonnay.

WOW!!!!  I have been nominated the Sunshine Blogger Award, once again.  Thank you so much Sadje, from Keep It alive.  I am very honored.   I am very happy to see that so many people are enjoying my blog, A Jeanne in the Kitchen, found at ajeanneinthekitchen.com.

Who is you favorite Music Artist and name three things you like about them?

This is a really hard question for me to answer because I have such a wide range of music that I love and listen to.  It really kind of depends on my mood at the time.  I love all kinds of music, as long as it is GOOD music.

How old were you when you do you first Creative Writing or Graphic Design (Drawing)?

I have been writing all my life in some way or another.  One of my degrees is a BA in English Literature.

Why and How Long have you been on WordPress Blogging?

I started my blog, A Jeanne in the Kitchen in March of 2018.  So I have only been blogging for a few months.

What is your favorite Holiday, if any to Celebrate and Why?

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  It is about getting together with loved ones and appreciating and being thankful for what you already have.

If you were on the dance floor. What’s your best dance move?

I love to dance, but do not dance much anymore.  I grew up with the fun music of the 80’s, so all those dance moves that were popular then were what I did my best to dance to while out on the dance floor.

What inspires you to write?

I think writing is just something I need to do.  It comes from deep within.  I have a need to express myself in whatever creative outlet I can, and writing is just one of many forms of my creativity.

Do you find it challenging to write through adversity?

No, in fact it is the opposite.  Writing, particularly through adversity, is kind of my cathartic release.

If were offered an opportunity to live in a different country and write for a year. What place would you choose and why?

The gypsy in me would love this opportunity.  Australia would make the most sense, since I have so many family and friends there, but I would make the most of the opportunity no matter where I was.  I would look at it as an adventure, and I love adventures of all kinds.

What is you favorite color?

I actually have 3 favorite colors – green, blue and purple.  They are the colors of the ocean and I have always had a deep love for and connection to the oceans of the world.

Do you still enjoy using handwriting your work?

Always.  I am a tactical learner.  Writing things out helps me think.

When is your favorite time to of day or night to create your work?

Because of the way my schedule is, I usually do most of my writing during the day, in the early morning, but my creative muse strikes at all hours, and when she appears, I have to follow her lead, whenever that time happens to be.

There are so many deserving bloggers out there, but I had to narrow it down to only 11.  In my book, we are all winners.  Good luck to everyone. My nominees for this award are:

1.lillyevechristie

Swedish meatballs aren’t from Sweden.  Yep, you are reading this correctly.   Swedish meatballs are well loved and enjoyed the world over, and with Sweden being in the name, it is easy to think that Sweden is where they originated.  Nope.  They actually originated in Turkey.  In the early 1700’s Sweden lost a war with Russia, and King Charles XII, who was the King of Sweden at the time, was exiled to the Ottoman Empire, near Bender Moldova, for five years before being allowed to return back home to Sweden.  When he was able to return home, he brought back a few foods and recipes as a gift from the Empire to the Swedish people.  He used food as a way to strengthen the relationships between Turkey, the Ottoman Empire and Sweden.   Some of the foods and recipes he brought back with him were stuffed cabbages, coffee, and the meatballs or kofte, as they are known in Turkey.   These kofte were served with a brown gravy made from sour cream and evolved into what is now known as Svenska Kottbullar in Sweden, or Swedish meatballs to the rest of the world.

Swedish Meatballs

1/2-3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2-3 TBSP butter

olive oil

1 small onion, chopped fine

1-1 1/2 lbs ground beef, or a combination of both ground beef and ground pork (2/3 lb of beef and 1/3 lb pork)

1 egg

1 TBSP brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ginger

2 1/4 broth, either chicken or beef

3 TBSP flour

8 oz sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 175* C

Mix the breadcrumbs and the heavy whipping cream together and let sit for about 10 minutes.

While the breadcrumbs and whipping cream are setting, saute the onions in half the butter for about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and translucent.

Mix all the spices, ground beef, sauteed onions, brown sugar and the egg together, incorporating everything together well.  Then add the breadcrumb mixture and mix well again.

Once everything is completely mixed together, form the meatballs, about 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 in size.  Cook the meatballs in the rest of the butter, mixed with a little bit of olive oil.  Cook the meatballs until they are browned on all sides.  The middle will still be pink, but they will cook more when you place them in the oven.

When the meatballs are ready, place them in a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and add about 1/4 cup of broth.  Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for abut 40 minutes.

Whisk the flour into the butter and oil that is left in the skillet, then slowly add the remainder of the broth.  Mix everything together well, making sure to really incorporate all the meat drippings into the mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes.  When everything is well incorporated together, turn the heat off and add the sour cream and salt and pepper as needed.

Add the meatballs to the gravy and serve over either cooked pasta or mashed potatoes.

I served my meatballs over cooked pasta, with some green beans and an herb bread.  I chose to go with a rich, oakey, buttery chardonnay because the sauce is more or less a white sauce.  Enjoy.

I have been busy getting ready for the upcoming holidays that are quickly coming upon us and have not been spending as much time in the kitchen these last few days as I normally do.  You know, there are so many other things that need to be done at this time of the year, on top of all the cooking and baking.  There are Christmas cards, which is what I have been busy working on these last few days, cleaning, presents, decorating, etc.  Because I have been busy with all of these other preparations, I am going to leave you with a few more quotes from the pros of the both in the kitchen and words of prose.  But have no fear, Jeanne will be back in the kitchen, cooking up a storm again, in no time.

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.

~Aesop~

Cuisine is when things taste like themselves.

~Curnonsky~

When we no longer have good cooking in the world, we will have no literature, nor high and sharp intelligence, nor friendly gatherings, nor social harmony.

~ Marie-Antoine Careme, “the King of Chefs, and the Chef of Kings” ~

We may live without poetry, music and art; We may live without conscience, and live without heart; We may live without friends, we may live without books; But civilized man cannot live without cooks.

~Owen Meredith (Edward R. Bulwer-Lytton)~