Italy, I love thee...but....

 Anyone who knows my husband and I, knows we have been seriously infected by the travel bug. I will fore go iPhone's (much to the chagrin of others who detest my "dumb" phone), shopping sprees, new cars, etc. in favor of multiple vacations per year.
 In life, everyone has different priorities. For some, it is creature comforts, the latest gadgets, name brand luxury items. For me, it is experiences, places and memories I can draw from. Often times those experiences remind me how wonderful our world is all the while humbling me by realizing just how spoiled I am right here in the good old U.S. of A.
 Last month my husband and I spent nearly 3 weeks in Italy. We LOVE Italy. Our first "big" vacation together was in Italy, we were married in Italy, we feel very connected to the culture, the cuisine and the beauty. All of that being said, we were smacked in the face with a reality that I can only surmise comes from age and admittedly, a bit of impatience. We are, after all, American.
 The last time we were in Italy was seven and a half years ago. Back then, it was our dream to someday make a life there. We knew making that a reality could be tricky but we truly felt it was the perfect destination for us. Since then, we have had another child, both kids are in school, Paul has a fabulous career and as often occurs, that dream seemed to be slipping a little further away with each passing year. Obviously, we were so excited to return to the country we felt such a strong connection to. The trip was WONDERFUL. We saw old friends, we revisited Positano where we were married and we made our way down the boot and across the Mediterranean to Sicily. It was a trip we had been talking about since we first started going to Italy. The far less charted southern Italy held a mystique that we were excited to experience. It was everything we expected and more. Breathtakingly beautiful, slower paced, crystal clear Caribbean like, turquoise water. What's not to like?
 Just sitting here and rereading my description of our trip I almost....ALMOST have to ask myself the same question. Oddly, what fell short for us was the lack of variety in cuisine. Don't misunderstand me, Italy has a vast array of choices within their own cuisine and it is amazing. The bounty of which they have to draw from is second to none, wonderful seafood, produce, a zillion different pasta's. What we missed was the variety of other cuisines.
 It is no secret, based on the origin of my blog alone, that we LOVE food, all kinds of food. This time, after a couple of weeks we found we were restless of the food and wishing for other choices and taste profiles. We missed the convenience of grabbing a "quick" coffee. We missed breakfast. Not pancakes and bacon necessarily but something closer to breakfast than prosciutto and salami with little prepackaged toasts. With that realization, came the more melancholy epiphany that as our life has marched on since our last visit, the Italy that we thought should someday be our home, no longer held the same fascination. We really missed some of the minor,  yet important things that mattered to us. With that sad eye opener came another realization that seemed to numb the blow a bit. We realized for all the things about America that my husband and I abhor, there are many things such as the amazing variety in nearly everything that we take for granted on a daily basis that we love. We are spoiled, plain and simple. Spoiled, yes, but moreover, once again, grateful to Italy for yet another wonderful life lesson.
 We know a couple of things from our most recent travels. We maintain Oregon is still not our cup of tea...at all. Sun, sand and palm trees is still very much on our radar, but those things can easily be found in many areas of the southern United States. It looks as though, when the time is right, we will remain state side but we will forever be infected by the travel bug and continue our pursuit of adventure. Can't wait to see what's up next!

Till next time,

Jenny Lou

New Menu (updated 10/25/2013)

	Jenny Lou's Sweet and Savory Kitchen Menu
	Sweet Scones
	Sweet Scones come in sums of 8 regular size or 12 minis
	Cranberry/Walnut Platter	$18.00
	Blueberry/lemon zest	$18.00
	Chocolate/Filbert	$19.25
	Buttermilk	$16.00
	Savory Scones
	Savory Scones come in sums or 12 regular size or 16 minis
	Sundried Tomato/Basil/Parmesan	$27.00
	Bacon/Cheddar/Leek	$30.00
	Thyme/Chive/Swiss	$25.20
	Jalapeno/Cheddar	$25.80
	Other Tasty Treats
	Orange/Amaretto Pound Cake (10 Slices)		$22.00
	Blueberry/Buttermilk Breakfast Cake (12 pieces)		$24.00
	Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese icing (16 bars)		$32.00
	Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies (Dozen)		$15.00
	Peanut Butter Cookies (Dozen)		$13.50
	Snickerdoodle Cookies (Dozen)		$13.50
	Whipped Cheesecake on Walnut shortbread with
	fruit compote		$25.00
	Sampling of Cocktail Party Specialties
	For themed event dishes and additional menu items please inquire.
	I specialize in creating menus to fit your taste and budget.
	Pulled Pork Sliders with spicy slaw on sweet cane rolls (per dozen)			$25.00
	Secret Recipe Chicken Salad Sliders (per dozen)			$31.00
	Chilled Thai Spiced marinated prawns (2 dozen)			$48.00
	Stuffed Roasted Jalapenos (per dozen)			$22.00
	Fresh Dill Chevre cheese ball with Crackers			$18.00
	Smoked Salmon cheese ball rolled in walnuts with Crackers			$25.00
	Hissy Fit Dip (You gotta try it to believe it – feeds several)			$35.00
	Contact Information:		Ordering Guidelines:
	Owner: Jenny Steenson		·         Orders must be place 48 hours in advance
	Phone Number: 541.598.4216		·         Special Requests accepted but not guaranteed
	Email Address: pandjsteenson@hotmail.com		·         Checks made payable to Jenny Steenson
	Blog: justjennyloubaking.blogspot.com

 

 



Okay, Okay, so keeping up on my Blog is NOT my strong suit

 Well happy fall! I am dumbfounded at how long I manage to go in between posts. When I first started my blog I was really good about it. What happened? LIFE is what happened!
 Back in March I stopped working. It is the first time in my life I have not had a job in corporate America. One would think that would give me oodles of time to do things like, say, keep my blog up to date. Ney, ney...I have found 92 thousand others things to occupy my time.
 At the very least, I thought I would have had one day since March when I was home to just sit around and read a book or watch mindless television. No such luck. It is the detriment of being ridiculously compulsive about staying busy and keeping every facet of my life in good working order.
 No complaints though, not working has given me all the time I need to dedicate to my little business.
 My business has gone from simply baking tasty little treats to full catering jobs. How this occurred, I cannot exactly pinpoint. I will say it pleases me tremendously and I couldn't be happier about the variety.
 Really and truly though, my goal is to be MUCH better about keeping up on my blog. If you haven't heard from me in sufficient time, please, feel free to give me a friendly, yet stern reminder to get off my arse.
 My next post will be an updated menu. Please, take a look at it and remember your referrals are GREATLY appreciated.

Cheers,
Jenny Lou

What can I say? It's been forever...AGAIN. I have a really nummy recipe for you though...

Hi all! No I am not dead...I have not fallen off the earth...I have just been busy letting my life get in the way of keeping up on my blog.

 Those of you that know me know the winters here in Oregon kill me. The cold, the gray, the short days...ugh! The one silver lining is that not wanting to go out in the dreaded cold does inspire me to cook. I love looking up new recipes, tweaking them, failing at some, succeeding at others. Tonight, Sunday dinner was a success. I thought I should share. I thought it was good, but those of you know who the real critic is in my house...yes...my adorable husband Paul. He gave it a resounding two thumbs up. YAY me!

 I got this recipe off of Pinterest. How many of you are Pinterest users? I've been a Pinterest member for quite a while but I just could not understand the attraction. One day, after hearing all the hoopla and seeing all the Facebook posts about it I decided I was going to sit down and figure out what I was missing out on. Oh good Lord...I am hooked! The things I find on here are things I likely wouldn't have imagined googling or they are things I didn't even realize I might take an interest in. If you haven't tried Pinterest, then give it a shot. There is oodles of good information all in one spot.

 The recipe I tried tonight was for White bean chicken chili. You can find the original recipe pinned on my "Yummy dinner things" board. The following is my rendition (this is done almost completely in a crock pot.)

 4 - 15 oz cans low sodium organic white beans drained and rinsed 2 bone in chicken breasts (3 to 4 lbs.)
3 cups low sodium organic chicken stalk
1 3/4 white onions finely chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
1 jalapeño
1 Serrano chile
1 1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 lime juiced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 cans smoked green chilies
1 small can salsa verde
Ground sea salt
Ground black pepper
Olive oil

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 Lightly coat both chicken breasts with olive oil and salt and pepperto taste. Bake in a glass pan for 35 to 40 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs. Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool completely. Take the drippings from the cooked chicken and pour it into a large skillet. Once cooled, remove the skin and shred the chicken. 
• Empty 2 cans of the beans and 2 1/2 c. Of the chicken stalk into a crock pot and turn heat to high. 
• Finely chop the white onion and empty into the skillet with the chicken drippings and a 1/2 c. Of the chicken stalk.
• Chop jalapeño into thin rings (don't remove the seeds)
• Mince Serrano chili with seeds
• Add the garlic, jalapeño, and Serrano to the onions and coat all with 1/2 tbsp. of the cumin. Sauté on medium heat for a good 15 minutes stirring often.
• Dump the onion mixture into the crockpot with the beans and broth.
• Add the two cans of smoked green chilies and the chili powder
• Add the shredded chicken. Turn on low heat and cook for two hours.
• Take the last 2 cans of beans (rinsed and drained) and empty them, along with one cup of the broth from the crock pot and the salsa verde into a food processor and purée.
• Empty the contents into the slow cooker, stir and cook on low for another 2 hours.

• Optional garnishes: cubed avocado, cotijo cheese, sour cream and cilantro.

We chose cilantro and a dollop of light sour cream.

This is a healthy, savory alternative to the tomato based heavy chili con carne.

Enjoy! As always, I would love your feedback.
Until next time...be well.

Xo
Jenny Lou

Since February...REALLY??

 Oh my goodness...it has been since February that I last blogged. Perhaps you can all relate? Where has the time gone? I can assure you I've not lost interest or stopped cooking in that time. Apparently, my life gets in the way of my lofty aspirations. 

 What have I been doing since the last time I made an entry?? Let's see, in March it was my daughters carnival at her elementary school. The lovely women on the committee were kind enough to give me the opportunity to make the sweets for the event. It was an outdoor adventure theme this year so all treats had a S'mores theme...all 300 of them. It was fun and they were a hit. In my book, that's a success on both fronts. I have had a few other jobs on the side and more coming in.


 I was surprised to find out that not all brides want a wedding cake. Did you know that? They don't want cupcakes either...Alas, this has led me to the privilege of being commissioned to do some dessert tables for weddings. Who knew? Lucky me right?


 I've not stopped my Sunday dinners either, however, I haven't been able to do it as consistently with Spring here as I was in the fall and winter months. It would help if I could reach back in my memory bank and tell you what I have made...hmmmm...Goulash! Yes, I remember a Hungarian Goulash! A bit too much caraway in it for my taste and a little too soupy so I don't recall it being a recipe I would pass along. Like any recipe you use for the first time, it allows you to make modifications the second time. Once I get around to those modifications I'd be happy to share. 


 At the end of April through mid May Paul and I went to Spain. Spain is a LOVELY country with wonderful people, FANTASTIC inexpensive beer and wine and some of the most beautiful views we've been exposed to. All that was positive was slightly hampered by the cuisine. Now, don't misunderstand, it's NOT bad. It just wasn't our taste. We could only handle pork so many ways, potatoes so many ways, eggs again and again. In addition, I don't really love anchovies and the idea of seeing a tapas tray at every bar no matter what time of day with octopus and Russian salad (somewhat bland tuna salad) just got a little tiresome. We were in the Andalucia region which is the southern half of Spain, south of Madrid. It's not the whole south but it covers a vast area of the south. It is breath taking. It was surprising that the food really did not vary by city at all as each city we visited had a vastly different culture. There are certainly other types of food aside from the Spanish fare, however, in our experience, they do their own cuisine best. So, in conclusion, if you have the opportunity to visit Spain do it! Be more educated than we were about what to expect during meals. Just like anywhere, you will undoubtedly find something you really like and that will be your go to meal when you don't feel like being adventurous. 


 I promise to be better about writing. It's a habit I have to train myself on again. I really do love it and I love hearing from each of you. I will post some new recipes very soon with modifications and all. 


 Until next time...


xo 
Jenny Lou

A Little Trip to India for Sunday Dinner

 After a long week dealing with a crazy work week, sick babies, testing out a few new recipes (Brown butter hazelnut cake...thank you Ms. Corrin, you're right, I did need that recipe in my life) I was excited for Sunday to come around and give my kitchen some undivided attention. 


 You guessed it...another Sunday dinner. This week, my culinary adventure took me to India. I really like Indian cuisine but admittedly, have never been brave enough to attempt creating a dish from this country. Why oh why was I such a chicken? 


 I would surmise that most of their dishes are fairly labor intensive. Based on the way spices are incorporated, simmered to perfection, and the meals are created in stages I salute this culture and the overriding tradition of teaching children to cook in the family kitchen at a young age. There is always something to learn and appreciate about different cultures when you attempt to emulate a dish from their country. 


 This week I chose to attempt Chicken Tikka Masala. I have to admit, I am an avid browser of the Pioneer Woman website. I have never been steered wrong by any of her recipes and the beauty of most of them is they are very easy to tweak and customize to the tastes of your audience. This recipe was on her website and so I figured why not? When I announced yesterday that we were going to have Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner tonight, I can tell you I did not exactly receive a rousing round of encouragement from my most honest critic, my husband. Obviously, I was undeterred, I made it anyway. 


  I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous when it came to serving time. I tasted, tweaked, tasted some more until I thought it seemed right but that doesn't mean my family was going to agree with me. So, I dished up my husbands plate first and then waited, breath held, for the verdict. "This is very good honey." Phew! That is all I wanted to hear. Once again, I am slapped in the face with how personal cooking is. 


 This dish was so fun for me to make. I used spices that I have used either on an incredibly limited basis or never at all. Garam Masala? Ever heard of it? I had heard of it but I can say with no shame at all that I had no idea what it was. I certainly had no idea it was an Indian spice mix. Now that I know, I am going to be on the lookout for additional recipes that call for this lovely mixture.


 If you don't mind working in stages, taking a bit of creative license, and devoting a few hours of your day to your kitchen I would highly recommend trying this recipe. Yet another to add to my "make it again" list.


I am providing you with the recipe, if you'd like to see pictures of the recipe as it is made in stages click the link. Get in there and experiment, when it pays off...there is no better feeling!


http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/chicken-tikka-masala-by-pastor-ryan/


Recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 whole (to 4) Chicken Breasts
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Coriander
• Cumin, To Taste
• 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 piece (approximately 2 Inches) Chunk Fresh Ginger
• Garam Masala
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
• Sugar
• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• _____
• OPTIONAL:
• Fresh Cilantro
• Chili Peppers
• Turmeric
• Frozen Peas

Preparation Instructions

Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with some kosher salt. Next sprinkle them on both sides with some coriander and cumin. Then coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt. Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken. It should have slightly blackened edges. Remove from oven.
Next dice one large onion. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince your garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 by 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Also throw in about 1 tablespoon of salt.
Next you are going to add about 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice. And if you like it hot, this is also when you will add your hot chili peppers. Serranos work well. Now you are going to add your can of diced tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add about 1 tablespoon sugar. Let this mixture simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.
To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 4 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but make sure that you use Basmati rice.
After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, add in the 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Now, chop up your chicken breasts into chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro is a nice addition if you like cilantro. You can also throw some frozen peas into the cooked rice, give them a stir, and allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas. It tastes great and gives another nice dash of color. Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top. Make sure to have some Nann bread handy, too.

Posted by Ree on

How about a good Chimichanga??

 As I have mentioned before, I love making Sunday dinner. This is not a long standing tradition for me. Actually, this is fairly new. In all honesty it started because I have so many recipes I wanted to try but was really struggling with finding the time. Maybe it isn't the most wholesome reason for starting a Sunday Dinner tradition but it's the truth. What I have learned is just how nice it is to take the time on Sunday's to really put my heart into a meal for my family. 


 For many, Sunday dinner conjures up images of roast beef and potatoes or a whole baked chicken with some sort of vegetable on the side, you see where I am going, the very traditional Leave it to Beaver american cuisine. Let me let you in on a little secret... I do not love, nor do I even remotely miss the food of my childhood. I don't really care for traditional, so much, in that I don't really enjoy Thanksgiving with the exception of some things I have tweaked to make them more interesting. I will share some of those things as the year progresses and we get closer to holiday cooking. Not to worry though, I have some lovely suggestions for Easter and Mothers Day brunch that I will be posting over the coming weeks.


 Sunday dinner for me, at this juncture, is about trying something new each week and not at all about traditional or Sunday dinner formalities. If a game is on and we've decided to stay in our pajamas all day, no matter, come to the table in your jammies, sit down and dig in. Just ENJOY it. Guests are always welcome too as I have yet to master the art of cooking in moderation so there is always plenty to go around.


 Last Sunday, I made Chimichangas and let me tell you they were a hit. These were not your traditional deep fried Mexican egg rolls, these were baked. Don't misunderstand, they still had to be brushed with a butter/oil combination to accomplish the crispy texture of the tortilla but this was an alternative, in my mind, that was significantly healthier than deep frying. For those of you that are vegetarian, consider a cheese filling or a Spanish rice with beans and cheese. I used chicken but you can follow this same recipe and substitute the base of your filling. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt
• 1 small tomato, chopped, plus more for topping
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 15-ounce can refried beans
• 4 10-inch flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, (or Queso Fresco) plus more for topping
• Mexi-sauce, for topping (see below)
• Shredded lettuce, for topping
• Mexican rice, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
2. Melt the butter with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet; transfer to a bowl.
3.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
4.  Add the chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt; toast 30 seconds. 
5. Add the tomato and cilantro and cook until slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken and sour cream and warm through. Remove from the heat.
6. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with some of the butter-oil mixture.
7.  Spread 2 tablespoons refried beans down the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on both ends. Top with 1 cup chicken mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Fold in the ends and roll up.
8. Put the chimichangas seam-side down on the baking sheet; brush with the butter-oil mixture. Bake 8 to 10 minutes per side, brushing again after you flip. Top with the sauce, more cheese, lettuce and tomato. Serve with rice and the remaining beans.

Make Chi-Chi's Mexi-sauce:

1. Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a skillet with vegetable oil. 
2. Add a pinch each of chili powder, cumin, sugar and salt; cook 30 seconds. 
3. Stir in two 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles (drained and rinsed); cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken broth and simmer until thickened, then puree. 
4. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. 

I am telling you...try these. They are definitely going in my "make again" pile. 


Until next time!


xo
Jenny Lou