A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Our lakes are getting quite a few visitors for the holidays. ‘Tis the season after all. Yesterday, when out walk-about, I noticed a new goose visiting with my Canadians and the Cacklings. It was a family reunion just in time for the holidays, since they are all cousins. It was a Greater White-Fronted Goose. We’ve had a couple visit our lakes before, but we don’t see them too often.

The holidays are time to get together with loved ones, relatives and even distant cousins. Even the geese know that. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Our Barn Swallows are leaving us for the season, but we will return again in the spring. We must have a few that really like it here though, since some have decided to stay longer than their friends. Usually they leave us towards the end of September, but I am still seeing a few of my dark blue and rust feathered friends hanging around, even this late in the season.

Have a great day and make everyday great. 🙂

I love curry. I know it is one of those flavors you either love or hate. I personally love anything curry. There are many types of curries, from many different countries. I like them all, but my favorite curries are Thai and Indian curries. I like the sweeter & spicy curries best. But if curry is in the name, chances are I am going to like it, no matter where it originates. 🙂

We had pork chops down for dinner and I wanted to change them up a bit, so I decided to make them with a curry sauce and vegetables this time.

The word curry comes from the Tamil word kari, which means “sauce”. It is a cultural blend of spices that has been around for centuries, since about 3300 -1300 BCE . Curries from the Middle East and Asian countries became popular during the early years of the spice trades going back and forth from Asia to the Middle East along the spice routes, then spread to England and beyond in the 18th century.

The possibilities of how to cook with curry are endless. I am volunteering to gladly accept the challenge of trying as many different varieties as I can. 🙂

Curried Pork Chops

1 1/2-2 lbs pork chops

coarse salt & fresh ground black pepper

1 can coconut milk

2 TBSP honey

1-2 TBSP coconut balsamic vinegar, optional

1-2 TBSP lime balasamic vinegar or lime juice

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 TBSP ginger

1 TBSP garlic

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 shallot, sliced very thin

3-5 pieces garlic, sliced very thin

2-3 carrots, sliced

1-1 1/2 cups cut green beans

Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel, then season with the coarse salt & pepper on both sides and press into the porkchops.

Steam the carrots and green beans until tender.

Combine the coconut milk, honey, vinegars, garlic, ginger and/or lime juice and seasonings and mix together well.

Get a large skillet very hot and add olive oil and butter, then sear the pork chops for about 3 minutes per side, until completely browned. Cook until done, or the internal temperature reaches 145*F and the juices run clear. Once the pork is cooked, remove and keep warm. Drain off the excess oil and discard.

In a smaller skillet, add a dash of oil and the sliced shallots and garlic and caramelize until browned. Make sure to stir often. Once they are done, remove from the heat and set aside.

Add the coconut-curry mixture to the larger skillet, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and re-add the pork chops.

I served it over lemon rice, with the steamed green beans scattered on top, and finished with the caramelized shallots and garlic. And served it with a cool crisp chardonnay on the side. You can do the same sauce and use chicken, fish or shrimp too.

Even if I am just cooking for Larry and I, I still like to make it with a nice presentation. Food always tastes better when it looks pretty. 🙂

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

My lakes are filling up with a lot of Canadians these days; Canadian Geese that is. They are flying in for the holidays, getting ready for their long, seasonal stay. I got some good shots of them flying in.

Coming in for the landing.

And settling in for the winter.

The water is just right. Come on in.

Come stay for awhile. Enjoy the scenery. Have a great day. 🙂

This spicy shrimp and sausage dish was created with a little help from my dear friend, “The Queen of Leftovers”. My alter ego and I had a general idea of what to make, and then raided the fridge to use whatever leftovers I could add to it. What “we” created was a delicious spicy shrimp, sausage and veggie pasta very similar to Shrimp Diavolo, which was what Larry was really in the mood for anyway. Shrimp Fra Diavolo So, it all worked out as it was supposed to. 🙂

Spicy Shrimp, Sausage & Veggie Pasta

I added some leftover sauces to my recipe, mainly just to use up some leftovers; just doing what I do best. 🙂 Don’t worry about these extra additions when making it on your own. If you have them, great, if not, don’t sweat it. I used my leftover tomato sauce from my Middle Eastern chicken Middle Eastern Chicken With Tomato Sauce and my leftover harissa sauce Some Tunisian Tastes – Part 1 – Steak With Harissa.

3/4 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed

3/4 lb Andouille sausage, sliced

1/2 large zucchini, sliced thin

3-4 large tomatoes, or more if they are smaller, diced – I used a combination of Campari and grape tomatoes

1 TBSP garlic

5-6 large mushrooms, sliced

1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1-2 TBSP lemon balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

olive oil

red pepper olive oil, optional

Get a large skillet very hot and the oil(s). Then add the vegetables and seasonings and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until they are al dente, stirring frequently.

Remove the vegetables and set aside to keep warm. Add more oil(s) if necessary, and add the shrimp and sausage. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimp and sausage are cooked.

Re-add the cooked vegetables, tomatoes, chicken broth, and the extra tomato based items if you are using them. Mix together and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring often.

Drizzle the lemon juice or lemon balsamic vinegar over sauce and mix in well right before serving. The lemon will really enhance all the flavors. Serve over cooked spaghetti or pasta of your choice. If you like, sprinkle some Parmigiano or Mozzarella cheese on top. Even though it is a shrimp dish, it also has sausage and tomatoes, so I served it with a smooth, medium-full bodied red blend on the side. You can also add chicken to the mix as well, if you like. Either way, I promise, you are going to love it. 🙂

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

When wining, I usually make some kind of a charcuterie tray since they are so easy to take with us, and meats, cheese, crackers, and various spreads all go very well with wine. I also usually bring a variety of olives too, for the same reason. I mix it up a bit, but they are usually variations of the same theme.

This time, there were only three of us wining, so I paired it down a bit. The only real difference for this trip, was that I made a curried Thai chicken salad to spread on our crackers too.

Thai Curry Chicken Salad

I used up my leftover Middle Eastern chicken Middle Eastern Chicken With Tomato Sauce and mixed it with a shredded carrot, green onions, and a Thai curry mayonnaise.

1-2 cooked chicken breasts, diced small

1 carrot, shredded

1/3 cup green onions, sliced very thin

1-1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1-2 TBSP lime balsamic vinegar or lime juice

1-2 TBSP coconut balsamic vinegar, optional

1-2 tsp grated orange peel

2 tsp curry – I used Thai Red curry

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

Combine the chicken, carrot and green onions.

Mix the mayonnaise, vinegars and seasonings together and mix well. Add as much as needed to the chicken mix and gently fold in. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I used the chicken curry as a spread for crackers, but you can make it into a sandwich as well, and if you like, you can top it with a bit of jalapeno Jack cheese and avocado and toast or grill it to make a spicy chicken melt. You can also add a scoop to an avocado or a tomato for a small salad. However you decide to serve it, I think you are really going to like it. It is quick and easy-peasy and very tasty too.

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

We love a good steak in our house, and we eat quite a bit of it too. Because we eat a lot of steak, I am always looking for new ways to serve it. As delicious as steak is just on its own, I get bored eating it the same way all the time. I love to be creative and to play with my food, as you all know. 🙂

I had some pesto, Compari tomatoes and shredded Parmigiano cheese, so I combined them all together to make steak Italian style.

First I marinated the steak for about 2 hours before searing it to get a nice crust.

I seared it for about 3 minutes per side in a very hot skillet with a combination of olive oil and butter.

While the steak was browning, I was heating the oven to 400*F or 200*C. Once the steak was browned on all sides, I smeared a little pesto sauce on top, then added a layer of the shredded Parmigiano cheese and topped it with the tomato slices. Then I popped it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, to roast the tomatoes a bit.

Once it was done, I added another dabble of pesto on top then served alongside some leftover scalloped potatoes and asparagus, with a delicious, full bodied red blend to complete the meal. The steak was nice and rare/medium rare on the inside, browned on the outside, tender and juicy and full of flavor. What more can you ask for in a good steak, right? It was perfecto!

!Delicioso! It’s colorfully festive and delicious too. Plus, bonus, I got to use up my leftovers. That’s always a plus. 🙂

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

All of my fall and winter water fowls are coming back to town for the season. My Barrow’s Goldeneyes are now coming back too. I have two types of Goldeneyes that visit our lakes, The Barrow’s and the Commons. My Commons haven’t arrived yet though. They are some of my seasonal late comers. Both types are also known as the whistlers because of the trilling sound coming from their wings while in flight.

Be ever on the look-out. You just never know what you’re going to see or who you’re going to meet. 🙂

Pumpkins and squash are kissing cousins and are from the same family. They are members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Cucumbers and melon are also part of this family of vine growing fruits and vegetables. These are some of the oldest cultivated crops in the world, dating back to about 5500 BC. They originated in the Mesoamerican times, in South and Central America, though today, they are found around the world. In some places, like Australia and New Zealand, all winter squashes are known as pumpkins, but the word “squash” is commonly used for the summer squashes, which are picked young with soft, tender and edible skin like the zucchinis and yellow buttons.

Pumpkins and squash come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Gourds are also part of this large family, though they are not edible. There are hundreds of different varieties. I use and enjoy so many different kinds, mostly in the fall and winter months. I love cooking with pumpkins of all kinds.

Pumpkins and squash originated in Central and South America, but are grown all over the world today, with the top producers being India, Russia, Iran, The United States and China.

Squash, maize and beans, known as the “three sisters” to Native Americans, were all grown together and had a symbiotic relationship with each other. Corn stalks provided the “poles” for the bean stalks. Beans added nitrogen to the soil for other plants, and the large, sprawling leaves of the pumpkins and squash shaded the soil, keeping it cool and moist, which hindered the growth of weeds.

The Native Americans used and ate these foods in very similar ways that we do today. They were eaten fresh, or in soups and stews, baked, eaten whole, sliced and dried to be stored for the winter and ground into flours. The flesh and seeds were also boiled and eaten. The gourds and dried shells were used as bowls.

When Europeans discovered these delicious vegetables, and brought them back to Europe, at first they were not considered to be foods fit for humans, and fed them to their animals and livestock. They were also an “unreliable” food source because in many parts of Europe the climates were too cool and the growing season was too short. But in the warmer climates of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean areas, they thrived. They were introduced to the Far East by the Portuguese sailors in the 1540’s.

The name pumpkin, as the largest members of the Cucurbitaceae family are known as in America, actually comes from two sources; pumpion from Old English, which came from the French word pompon.

Pumpkins and squash are very healthy, not only for us, but for animals as well. They are high in fiber, high in antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, and polyphenols, which can help fight chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and they also help by improving blood pressure, supporting gut health.

It’s pumpkin season. Enjoy them while you can. Be creative and cook them up in as many creative ways as possible. Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween. 🙂

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

Yesterday I saw all kinds of things while out walk-about. All were fun and interesting, but the thing that captured my attention the most was the sighting of another Belted Kingfisher. This time, it was a male. I like the things that I don’t see all that often, and those are what I get really excited about. He was towards the end of my walk, up high in a tree, quite a ways off, but I still saw him and was able to get a couple of shots before he decided he had had enough and flew away. I am always grateful even if I am only able to get a couple of shots. A couple of shots is better than none. 🙂

And he’s off.