A Jeanne in the Kitchen

9/11 – Never Forget

Today is September 11. Twenty-three years ago today, America was attacked by terrorists. I will ever forget. I hope America and the whole world will never forget either.

Barbados – Part 1 – Getting There

Many people think Barbados is a Caribbean Island. But it is actually considered to be an island in the Atlantic, since most of the island is above the Caribbean Ocean and is situated in the Atlantic Ocean.

Getting to Barbados from Denver was no easy task. There are NO direct flights. We took a red-eye from DIA to Panama City, Panama first. That was about a 6-hour flight. Then we had a 4-hour layover in Panama City before leaving for Barbados, with another 4-hour flight ahead. We did get an upgrade though, and got to fly business class. This was a first for us. We even got served a delicious breakfast.

Panama City from the air.

We flew over the northern coast of Venezuela. With the current circumstances in Venezuela, this is most likely the only way we will ever see Venezuela too.

Flying into the Barbados airport.

The population of Barbados is almost exclusively African, with a lot of African cultures and influences. They are very proud people and celebrate life at every opportunity, especially through art, music and bright colors. This jubilant scene greeted us as we were going through customs.

We stayed in a smaller hotel the first night, since our timeshare was not ready for us, then moved into our timeshare the next day, where we stayed for the remainder of our stay.

Even though we were exhausted on that first night, we still had a little energy left for some island explorations and dinner before calling it an early night.

Our real island adventures would start the next day. 🙂

Chicken Tagine with Artichokes and Tomatoes

I know you all are curious about our Barbados trip, and I have lots to share about that too. But I wanted to share how I finished off my fresh garden tomatoes first. 🙂

Silly me. Before we left, I forgot to store my tomatoes and accidentally left them out on the counter all week. They were still good, they just got a bit soft. No worries though. When they get soft, they are perfect to add into soups, sauces or stews, or in this case, a tagine.

Tagines are both a North African or Middle Eastern cooking vessel as well as a type of stew. There are endless possibilities. Be creative and use your imagination.

Chicken Tagine with Artichokes and Tomatoes

I marinated my chicken in a lemon garlic sauce for about 1-2 hours before cutting and cooking it.

4 chicken breasts

1 TBSP garlic

1-2 tsp turmeric

2 TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP olive oil, or garlic olive oil

red pepper flakes to taste, optional

While the chicken was marinating, I made the harissa paste.

Harissa Paste

1 TBSP chipotle chilies in sauce

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp sumac, optional

coarse salt to taste

1-2 TBSP olive oil

Mix everything together well until it forms into a paste and set aside.

The Tagine

1 onion, sliced very thin

1/2 preserved lemon slices When The World Gives You Lemons

1- tsp sugar

1-2 tsp harissa paste

1 1/ cups chicken stock

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

1 can chick peas, drained

4-5 tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup green olives, sliced

1 TBSP each fresh oregano and thyme, chopped fine

salt & pepper to taste

Combine the onions, sugar and lemon peel and saute in a hot skillet with the olive oil, for about 3 minutes, or just until they start to caramelize. Cut the chicken into cubes and add to the onion mixture, and continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, herbs and the harissa paste and combine thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Incorporate the chick peas, artichoke hearts and olives and cook for an additional 5 or so minutes.

Serve over couscous and top with a dash more harissa paste on top, then add some warmed flatbreads or pitas on the side. Delicious! I served it all with a cool, crisp white blend too.

I have now used all of my fresh, delicious tomatoes. Don’t throw them away when they get a little soft. Just repurpose them. We all get a little soft in the middle sometimes, trust me, I am living proof. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Tomato Tart

Janet and Bob’s tomato garden was once again very prolific this year, and they gave me a ton of tomatoes.

Unfortunately, we were leaving in just a couple of days. I gave some of the tomatoes away to both Mike and Lauren and to our neighbors, Hanaa and Aziz, and tried to use as many as I could before we left.

One of the ways I used some of those delicious tomatoes was by making a tomato tart.

I love tomato tarts and make them quite often. They go with everything.

I started by making the dough, with lots of lemon pepper. Lemon and tomatoes go together perfectly.

Basic Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

6 TBSP cold butter, cubed

dash of salt

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

Pulse the flour, butter and salt together in the food processor until it resembles coarse sand. I also added about 1 TBPS of lemon pepper for this tart at this point too. Add the egg and the cream and mix until it forms into a dough ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.

When the dough is ready to work with, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to fit whatever pan you are using. Press it into the pan firmly.

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 191 *C.

Line the bottom of the tart with shredded mozzarella or jack cheese, or a combination of any light shredded cheese you like. Use a variety of tomatoes and slice them into thin slices. Then arrange them on top of the cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the dough is lightly golden in color. Allow the tart to cool slightly before drizzling with pesto, optional, and removing from the pan and slicing.

!Mangia. Buon Appetito! I promise, you are going to love this. It goes with everything, or you can just eat it on its own. It is perfect no matter how you decide to enjoy it. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Home Again

Hello Everyone. I’m back. We arrived home yesterday morning. We had a good time and the diving was great. I will be back into my normal routine again soon. First, I am still doing laundry, and house cleaning and going through all my pictures. I am about half way done. We came home and hit the ground running. We are already hosting as big party for our friend Bryan on Sunday, so I am getting prepped for that too. 🙂

Our Barbados dive team. We dived with everyone all week. We all left on Saturday too. Thank you Roger and Shanikah (on the ends) for all the great diving. 🙂

Barbados Bound

We are off once again. This time we are Barbados bound, for of course, more diving. we are leaving tonight and will be gone, and off the grid for about 10 days. So, be good, or at least have fun, while I’m away. I’ll see you soon. 🙂

This is us diving in Cabo, our last dive adventure, in January.

Nature Walks – Dragonflies and the Caterpillar

The lakes are pretty quiet these days. There were no birds, or ducks or geese, which is very unusual. But I did see some dragonflies. There was even a caterpillar that someone found. He let me take pictures of his find too.

This is on its way to becoming a beautiful butterfly.

Often times the little things are better than the big things. You have to look harder to see them, which makes you appreciate them even more. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Peach Sago

Sago, known as sabudana in India, is a starch that derives from the pith of sago palm trees, has been used by people for thousands of years. The root is cleaned and crushed to release milk, which is then rested, drained, and shaped into small globules. The globules are then roasted, dried, or polished to achieve their milky white color. Sago holds cultural significance in many communities where it is cultivated, serving as a symbol of abundance and hospitality. In some cultures, sago plays a role in traditional ceremonies and celebrations, further highlighting its importance beyond the realm of cuisine. It is very similar to tapioca. Tapioca is a starch that comes from the South American cassava plant.

Sago soup is a Cantonese dessert made of tapioca pearls (sago) and coconut milk and can include toppings such as mango or taro. I had peaches, so I made it with peaches instead. Besides, I like peaches better than I like mangoes. 🙂

Noah and I were going to make this as well, but since our cooking classes ended, and I already had everything, I made it instead.

Peach Sago

6 cups water

1/3 cup tapioca pearls

1 can coconut milk

3 TBSP honey

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

3 peaches, peeled and diced

whipped cream

1/4 cup toasted coconut

Bring the water to a rapid boil, then add the tapioca or sago pearls. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to separate the pearls.

Combine the coconut milk, honey, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix in the tapioca.

Peel and dice the peaches and fold in about 2/3 with the tapioca mixture.

Divide the mixture into 6-8 small glasses or ramekins equally.

Top with whipped cream, the remainder of the peaches, and some toasted coconut. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

This cool refreshing dessert is a perfect treat for a hot summer’s day. It’s just sweet enough, to tickle your taste buds without being too sweet.

Noah missed out. I think he would have loved this sweet treat. I know you will too. If you don’t like peaches, try it with something else. Be creative. Play with your food. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Nature Walks – More Pretty Flowers, Before They Are Gone

Summer is turning into fall, and that means we will be seeing fewer and fewer flowers from now on. But, there are still some bright, beautiful flowers around, so I appreciate them while I still can.

Color your world beautiful, today and everyday.

Pork and Vegetable Wontons

I thought I had one last cooking session with Noah, but apparently, I made a mistake, and my last session with him was last week, not yesterday. But I had already purchased everything and had it all ready, so I still made everything that he and were going to make, and it was dinner for Larry and I.

One of the things I made to go with the sushi was some pork and vegetable wontons with a spicy dipping sauce. I also made a quick tomato and cucumber salad. Janet and Bob had quite a banner crop this year and gave me a ton of tomatoes. I traded some wontons for my tomatoes. This is just half of what they gave me. I gave the other half to Lauren and Mike, but I digress.

Back to the wontons.

Pork Wontons with Spicy Dipping Sauce

We had some pulled pork in the freezer that I used, then added some shredded Napa cabbage, red bell pepper, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, black garlic and ginger oil, pickled onions and cilantro. I didn’t measure anything. I just diced everything into small pieces and added small bits of each and mixed it all up as my filling for my wontons.

As usual, I have quite a bit left over, so I am sure I will turn it into something else that is equally delicious at some point. Into the freezer it goes until I decide what else to make . 🙂

I added about 1 tsp of filling to each wonton wrapper. Before folding them, I coated the edges with some water to help seal the wonton wrappers, and then pinched them together. I may have filled them a little too full, so some of them didn’t want to stay sealed. 🙂