Paella. I’ve never ordered it in a restaurant and I’ve only prepared it twice…and used the same recipe both times.  In other words, I’m far from an expert. Actually I know hardly anything about the dish except that it’s Spanish and that you’re supposed to have a paella pan…which I don’t. About ten years ago, I saw this recipe in Cooking Light and made it and we loved it. It’s been sitting around in my recipe database all this time.   I just served it for the second time last night and we still love it.

Anyone got any good paella recipes? I’d like to try another version.

This recipe is bursting with flavor. How can you go wrong with andouille sausage, shrimp, hot chiles, cumin, cilantro and lime….and that’s only a partial line up.   There’s so much going on in this recipe that one might think the flavors would compete, but it all comes together nicely with an incredible end result. It makes enough to feed an army and it takes a bit of doing to get it to the table. Let’s take a look.

Paella…It’s What’s for Dinner.

• One Year Ago:  Chocolate Chile Cupcakes
• Two Years Ago:  Baked Ziti with Fire Roasted Tomatoes

My baking guru friend Kirsten over at My German Kitchen In The Rockies made these savory cookies awhile back and brought them to a pot luck food blogger meet-up. Everyone carried on and on about how good they were and we all asked for the recipe.

Some of the Wine Time carrying-on-ers and Z

I made them this last week for our January Wine Time gathering and everyone carried on and on about how good they were and they all asked for the recipe.

As you know, once a month, we gather the usual suspects (Dan, Teri, Kathy and Tom) for a get together at our house to enjoy a special bottle of wine and lots of good appetizers and friendship.

Here’s the January appetizer spread.  Kathy brought cheese fondue complete with apples, broccoli, mushrooms and chunks of sourdough and rye bread for dipping.  DEElicious. I put out chunks of jalapeno, cheddar, buffalo bratwurst sausages and Little Smokies. Bowls of BBQ sauce and mustard sauce were alongside for dipping.  And of course some of my pickled beets.

A Wine Time tradition is Cheetos in a crystal bowl.  Dan and Teri brought the Cheetos and a chaser bottle of wine.

I also served Kristin’s cookies. Savory, buttery and Parmesan-y these really are wonderful. Kirsten suggested to serve them with some salty olives and  and a good red wine. She was spot on. A taste of the buttery cookies alongside those olives was sensational and they paired wonderfully with our good red wine. I made mine with Rosemary rather than sage.

Let’s take a look.

Savory Sage-Parmesan Sables … They’re what’s for an Appetizer.

• One Year Ago:  Cajun Meatloaf Sliders
• Two Years Ago:  Sticky Lips Chicken

“You can pickle a beet, but you can’t beat a pickle”  unknown, but my Aunt used to say that all the time.

We’re well into week two of “eat the freezer”. I’ve vowed to use up the stock pile of food that has congregated on every possible shelf in my kitchen exercising minimal trips to grocery store to place meals on the table.  It’s been a satisfying project leaving me with an organized kitchen but not much material for blogging.  So I thought I’d talk about a project that actually took place last October… our beat picklin’ and cannin’ extravaganza.

Pickling beets has officially become a tradition for friend Greg and me. This fall was our second annual project. Last year we pickled 25 pounds of organic Colorado grown beets. This year we were so confident in our skills we purchased 50 pounds and went to work. I have to admit, due to precision teamwork, doubling the amount of beets really didn’t take but 30 minutes longer. It’s a five and a half hour project that produced almost 40 jars.

We pickled beets on a Sunday afternoon smack dab in the middle of a Bronco home game, complete with fighter jets roaring over the house for the National Anthem stadium flyover. We pickled beets in the midst of two adorable curious toddlers, three underfoot Yorkshire Terriers and two heckling spouses.

Greg was even suffering from complications from wisdom teeth extractions. A couple of pain killers for him, a couple of glasses of wine for me and and we were good to go.  Aside from me running outside to see the fighter jets, a few minor distractions couldn’t stop us.

We were very pleased with the outcome of flavors from last year’s recipe, but did tweak a couple of things this year. One of Greg’s relatives suggested that instead of pouring the colorful liquid from boiled beets down the drain, to use it for the water in our pickling brine. We did and both agreed it made for a more flavorful brine.  And as always, good quality products such as organic sugar and quality pickling spice from our local spice shop made for a delicious end product.

It’s interesting, before making my own, I used to buy a brand from a small Colorado company that used locally grown beets and thought they were the best!  Upon conducting a taste test of ours vs. theirs, I was stunned to find that the brand I used to love fell short on the flavor scale compared to our home made. I’m impressed In other words…Greg and my pickled beets kick butt with an end result of a great sweet and tangy combination.  I also like that our beets have a slight crunch as opposed to being mushy.

Let’s take a look.  Basic recipe from Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving … with some tweaks.

Pickled Beets…It’s What’s for a Project.

• One Year Ago:  Pickled Jalapenos Stuffed With Peanut Butter
• Two Years Ago:  Buffalo Burgers

Sear two Mahi Mahi Filets over medium high heat about four minutes per side.

In the meantime, combine 1/2 cup honey mustard, a good dollop of Dijon and add some drained capers and a generouos sprinkle of dried tarragon.  Heat on low.

Drizzle tarragon honey mustard over fish and serve with your favorite sides.

Pictured is a tossed salad with vinaigrette and Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill pita wedges and hummus.

It seems our refrigerator, freezer and pantry have banded together over the past couple of months and become an unruly o-u-t of control trio . To combat them, I’ve declared  “eat the freezer” week. I banned myself from visiting any store that sold any type of groceries and vowed to prepare meals morning, noon and night, using only items on hand. I thought it went very well except for a tri-tip steak stir-fry combination. I realized I didn’t have any rice, so served it alongside warmed up mashed potatoes. Totally ODD! But at least I used up that orange bell pepper, onion and celery.

I found a package of unmarked mystery meat in the freezer. Two pieces of shank, light in color and  I’m thinking it’s veal. This was to become my Saturday “eat the freezer meal” that turned into a slow braised and incredibly flavorful Beef Carbonnade.

Fall off the bone tender beef swimming in a simple flavored gravy which turned incredibly savory during the slow braise process, and served over thick home- style noodles and you’ve got a memorable meal.  Hubs was still carrying on about it this morning.

Let’s take a look:

Beef Carbonnade…It’s What’s for Dinner.

One Year Ago:  Best Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Two Years Ago:  Chipotle Bacon and Eggs Benedict

That’s a handsome male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  A great photo taken by our friend, and fellow birdwatcher, Glenn Walbek.

I think the only action my camera has managed to capture is the yellow of a running egg yolk, or maybe a drip or two of sauce. I can’t imagine successfully photographing a subject that is constantly on the move, darting  behind a limb or taking wing the second you raise your equipment. Glenn has an incredible talent for photographing birds. If you’re interested in more of his photos, you can take a look at his online gallery.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a medium sized woodpecker that spends the Winter as far South as Panama and migrates North to the Eastern United States and Canada each Spring. It seems that along its route to the South this bird accidentally ended up in Colorado and has taken a liking to the grounds of Red Rocks Park. It uses its bill to make small holes in trunk of the tree to extract sap.

The road leading to Red Rocks Amphitheater

For the past 20-plus years, my husband and I have participated in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The area we’ve been assigned to lead is Red Rocks Park in the foothills west of Denver. Pretty nice duty if you ask me. Most of you may know Red Rocks Park as an natural outdoor amphitheater which hosts concerts attracting artists from The Beatles to U2.

From the Amphitheater, looking South towards Colorado Springs

Each December, two weeks before Christmas through the first two weeks of January, tens of thousands of volunteers across North America take part in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Birdwatchers armed with binoculars and checklists go out on an annual mission, starting before dawn and ending at dusk, braving the elements to count the number of birds seen during one designated day. Data collected from this event is used to monitor the health of bird populations and to help guide conservation action.

Looking Northeast you can see urban sprawl and downtown Denver peeking through a cloud of smog.

Our Red Rock’s count takes place the Saturday before Christmas. Our team of volunteers, starting at dawn, hike the park in search of every flying creature we can find and hopefully identify. At the end of the day we attend a compilation meeting where all who have surveyed areas in the Denver count circle meet up to compare and record the statistics. Even though it sounds very technical and scientific, there is a high level of competition to see who has seen the rarest bird that day.  Our Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was right up there in those rankings.

At lower elevations in the park, we always walk this small open stream to look for Wintering over Wilson’s Snipe and American Dipper. None were found this year.

We found resident Canyon Wrens and illicit rock climbers on this formation.

Towering sandstone cliffs with small caves play host as wintering homes for Prairie Falcons, Ravens and Rock Pigeons.

 It’s a great way to spend the day. Spectacular awe-inspiring scenery, nature watching, fresh air and hiking. Some years we’ve enjoyed the day in shirt sleeves and other years have trudged through twelve inches of fresh fallen snow. No matter what the temperature, there’s always a traditional crock pot full of my Chili waiting for us at home.  I’ll be posting that recipe next.

Happy New Year From Colorful Colorado.

I haven’t made a cheese ball in years! But when I saw Lisa’s creation over at Homesick Texan, I knew the hiatus was over and this had to be included somewhere in my Holiday Menus. I decided to make this part of my contribution for a Christmas Day Dinner at our friend’s Greg and Cauleen’s. It was an overwhelming hit. The only thing that made it home was a shiny clean plate and spreader.

In true Lisa Fain style, she takes a traditional dish and turns it into a wonderful Southwestern treat. This is not your run of the mill cheese ball.  Cream cheese and shredded cheddar, kicked up with diced jalapenos, savory with bits of bacon, spiced with cumin and cilantro and finished with a squeeze of lime and you’ve got yourself a Texas sized winner.  You must give it a try.

The only thing I did different was sprinkle the finished product with Aleppo pepper flakes. That’s what you see scattered on the plate in the photos.   Aleppo pepper flakes are Mediterranean in origin and bring a moderate heat level with some fruity and mild undertones. Its flavor is similar to the ancho, but oilier and slightly salty. I’m in love with Aleppo these days and seem to sprinkle it on about everything.  The only place I can find it is our local spice shop. Savory Spice.  If you’ve got a specialty spice shop near you, look for it and give it a try.

Jalapeno-Bacon Cheese Ball…It’s What’s for a Great Pot Luck Appetizer.

• One Year Ago:  Osso Buco
• Two Years Ago:  Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

I hope this post finds everyone basking in the wonderful Holiday Season.  I picture all of you enjoying the postmortem of the season; browsing through new cookbooks, playing with gifted electronics, fiddling with new kitchen gadgets, grazing on leftovers and most importantly, enjoying family. I know one thing for sure, I don’t remember feeling one single hunger pang since  before Thanksgiving.

One of my gifts under the tree this year was a  Cowboy Studio Umbrella Lighting Kit.  What this means is that over the next few months of winter, I no longer have to have dinner prepared by 3:00 in the afternoon in order to get a decent food photo.  The photo above is the first photo I’ve taken using the lights.  It’s my Cherry Dessert. I served it at the Christmas Eve family dinner.  I thought it would be rather rude to usher family members to the table surrounded by umbrella stands with 1200 watt of light staring down at the feast. So in good taste, I staged this the next day.  I’m pleased and look forward to using the lights after dark  in our dimly lit dining room.  Hubs will understand.

Pre-slicing and pre-lighting system

I’ve had this recipe for 100 years.  It’s one of those oldies-but-goodies that probably came off of either a Cool Whip container or a package of Cream Cheese.  It’s really good.

I always like to make a pie for my holiday dinner so I can use my green pie plate with the Santa face cover.  This one’s an easy and delicious dessert year round, let’s take a look.

Easy Cherry Dessert…It’s what’s for ah…er… Dessert.

One Year Ago:  Crock Pot Cowboy Pinto Beans
Two Years Ago:  Sopa Caldosa

Bacon Wrapped Date Appetizer.  Absolutely delicious and a “must order” at JaJa French Bistro

Back in August, our California friends Nancy and Neal were coming to Denver for a few days before we all headed up to Grand Lake for a mountain get away vacation. Once I knew they were coming, I started the arduous task of finding “just the right” restaurant for a group dinner out. Requirements were not that difficult; locally owned, with just the right lively and welcoming atmosphere and with clever mouthwatering food that would make us swoon.  I assumed I’d find that criteria only in Downtown Denver.

Little did I know my search would take me just a few miles from home to historic Downtown Littleton to an unassuming little French Bistro called JaJa. A friend recommended it and what a wonderful recommendation it was!  (Thanks Leah if you’re reading this)

They’ve taken over a 1930′s brick bungalow house.  As you pass through the small foyer, you find small tables intimately placed throughout the two rooms which were once a family’s cozy living and dining areas.   With country french curtains hanging on the windows and the incredible aromas wafting from the kitchen, you feel like you just stepped into someone’s home on a French country hillside. The atmosphere is casual yet elegant, and the food is incredible.

The menu offers an array of clever sandwiches and both savory and sweet crepes…

…And fresh salads…This photo shows their House Salad

And French favorites such as moules et frits, onion soup, steak au pouve and foie gras.

This stacked eggplant and chicken dish is a specialty and special it is.  It’s become my favorite thing to order.  Layers of shredded chicken nestled between crunchy slices of eggplant drizzled in a creamy savory sauce. “To die for” doesn’t do it justice.

One of our visits to JaJa was for Bob’s birthday celebration.  Look at this beautiful layered lemon mousse dessert they served him.

On November 17, to celebrate the release of the 2011 Beaujolais Nouveau harvest, they offered a special dinner menu of boef bourguignon and French onion soup.  We rounded up the “usual suspects” Dan, Teri, Kathy and Tom and enjoyed a wonderful evening complete with a accordion player roaming the room serenading us with lively French tunes.  We ordered an array of appetizers before our French dinner and I can tell you their escargot and fois gras is wonderful.   As you can tell, we’ve made several visits to JaJa’s since our discovery in August, and intend to make it a regular culinary stop.  I understand their Sunday brunch is to clamor over and did I mention that service is impeccable?

Located on Nevada Street just North of Main Street in Downtown Littleton, JaJa Bistro has quickly become our favorite.

Curry Roasted Chicken, Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees.

Rub curry powder all over 4 chicken legs, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a skillet, sear chicken in hot oil until browned all over.

Remove from skillet and saute halved new potatoes in oil just long enough to coat with flavor.

In a baking dish, nestle chicken legs and potatoes and roast for about 20-25 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Serve with cilantro and lemon wedges.

(Note:  Real Simple Magazine served this with fresh okra instead of new potatoes)

Curry Roasted Chicken and Potatoes…It’s What’s for Dinner.

• One Year Ago:  Caramel Corn With Bacon, Cashews and Cayenne
• Two Years Ago:  Orange Slice Bars