Author Archives: cookingwithcandi

S’Mores Baked in the Oven

Posted on August 25, 2017 | 1 comment

IMG_8638IMG_8636IMG_8639 IMG_8641 IMG_8642IMG_8634 IMG_8633 IMG_8632Oh Wow!!! what could be better??? truly easy and very little fuss , perfect with the kids and perfect for the adults. Very rich and gooey. Whole thing takes about 40 minutes from start to finish and you can re-heat the sliced bars in the microwave for about 30 seconds if you have some left-over. It’s great for a large group and I would say about 12-15 servings here. Let’s hold on to the last few weeks of summer with this delicious dessert.

For a very traditional s’mores taste eat immediately, I think they tasted a little better after they cooled down for a bit. Whichever way you prefer them –this is a great recipe for a crowd. You can prepare first and then pop in the oven while you are having dinner. Enjoy!

*also I was able to obtain these amazing square marshmallows in the supermarket, if you see them –grab them otherwise just regular old marshmallows will do the trick.

Ingredients:

Crust:

18 graham crackers

1/4 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter-melted

*parchment paper — I think you’ll want to work with it for this recipe–it can get difficult once they harden to get them out of pan. Clean up was a snap with it.

Topping:

3 extra-large Hershey Bars (or 7 regular-size ones)

24 jumbo marshmallows–look for the large square ones

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 Pyrex type baking pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper , allow an extra couple of inches of paper to hang over the edge.

In the food processor bowl, pulse the graham crackers until they are finely ground. Transfer the crumbs to a medium-sized bowl.

Add the sugar and salt to the graham crackers and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are moistened. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer.

Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden. Let the crust cool off completely before adding chocolate. I probably let it sit off heat for about 1/2 hour.

Arrange the chocolate bars (see picture) evenly on the top of cooled crust, I had to remove 1 row of chocolate to fit it in pan and left a little uncovered crumbs around edges. Arrange the marshmallows on top of the chocolate, leaving a little space between each one (see photos) Marshmallows will expand slightly.

Bake until the chocolate is soft and beginning to melt, and the marshmallows are evenly toasted on top. Probably about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven.

I couldn’t wait to eat them but I would suggest letting them cool off for  a little bit, cutting was easier when it cooled down ( after 15-20 minutes) I was able to cleanly cut slices. It’s more like campfire s’mores when you eat them hot out of the oven and certainly messier.

You can re-heat the sliced bars in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. If you are keeping them , cut them and store individual slices.

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Cauliflower, Orzo and Feta Salad

Posted on August 22, 2017 | Leave a comment

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

IMG_0858 Completed Salad

IMG_0854 Before I added the spinach

I just purchased Chrissy Teigen’s new cookbook “Cravings” and I was super impressed by the book and her recipes. I have to admit I follow her adventures in cooking and life on her Instagram account so when I saw the book was coming out I wanted to buy it. It has some amazingly delicious recipes in it and this one jumped out at me and begged to be made. It was totally delicious and I have made it numerous times now.  So thanks to Chrissy Teigen for this recipe and check out her cookbook,  it’s very worthwhile.

I made cauliflower and orzo in the morning and put together ingredients as they cooled down. The cooling off of orzo and cauliflower was the only time-consuming event in making this recipe. You can refrigerate salad once cooled down, but I would bring it to room temperature prior to serving.

This…

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7-UP Bundt Cake

Posted on August 21, 2017 | 1 comment

Amazingly Delicious Bundt Cake made with 7UP Soda!!!

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

IMG_7176IMG_7179IMG_7183IMG_7238IMG_7237IMG_7234IMG_7222Now you have to wonder how a cake like this ever get discovered in the first place? Baking with actual drinking soda sounds both disgusting and intriguing but I was up for the task. I promise you it was delicious. IMG_0563IMG_0561  I gave up drinking soda a few years ago and now I’m going to put it in a cake? But that’s exactly what I did. I had to wonder how a cake like this came to be,  was someone drinking 7-UP and spilled 3/4 of a cup in by accident? OMG it’s a lot to think about it but all I can say is WOW! I did a little research on the recipes and there are quite a few out there, most of these “soda” cakes seem to hail from the South.  Baking is a little tricky up here at high altitude but it went well. Bundt cakes make you look like…

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Champagne Vinaigrete and Kale/Brussels Salad

Posted on August 19, 2017 | 1 comment
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Colorado Kitchen

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Dressed Salad

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Ingredients

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View from Deck

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Joel’s Salad with lots of Parmesan Cheese–hey he ate it!

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This Champagne Vinaigrette appeared on my blog back in 2012. It’s really perfect on any kind of greens and this is the salad that I made along with it. I love Kale but I don’t like feeling like I’m eating the front lawn. I like my kale very finely chopped and massaged with dressing. I use my food processor to chop the kale and I dress the salad ahead of eating it and let it sit for a while so that the kale can absorb as much of the dressing as possible. This salad was really delicious and I know this is almost impossible to believe but I got Joel to eat some of it! The way I did that was to add a lot of parmesan cheese to his plate and he ate it. I also threw in a picture of my kitchen and a picture of the view from one of our decks . Enjoy this dressing it is perfection in a bottle and good on almost anything you put it on. I will be making this salad again and again.

Champagne Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (Maille makes a wonderful mustard)

1/3 cup Champagne Vinegar

1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Honey

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt to taste app. 1/4 teaspoon to start

freshly ground black pepper , a few grinds of the mill to taste

Ingredients for the Salad:

1 bunch of Kale or a bag of washed and chopped kale , baby kale is great as well — if you can buy washed and chopped it saves lots of time

1/2 lb. of Brussels Sprouts, washed and cut thinly–now you can buy brussels already sliced which makes prep super fast and easy!!!

*this is optional but it adds pretty color and some more crunch. 1/2 small head radicchio, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup of Grated Parmesan or Shaved Parmesan

1/2 cup of dried fruit, I used dried craisins, but raisins, cherries, any of them will do

1/2 cup pignoli nuts, I roast them in the oven for about 4 minutes till they get toasty. ( in oven at 350 degrees for about 4 mins.)

*add any seasonal fruits or vegetables or protein you may like,  this is just a basic salad idea.

Directions:

Using my blender I threw all vinaigrette ingredients  except for the olive oil which I slowly streamed in through the top of blender until dressing emulsified. Taste for Salt and Pepper and you’re good to go.

Wash and Dry the Kale, remove the stems and ribs and just use the leaves. Even better you can buy triple washed kale already chopped. I still put that through my processor because it’s not chopped enough for me.

In the food processor I chopped up kale slowly, you don’t want to over chop the kale either. As soon as it starts to break down I stopped and removed it and added more.  I do it in sections till it’s all chopped.

Slice Brussels very thinly into slices , they will fall apart as you slice and mix them into salad.  Add Brussels to Kale with all other salad ingredients except for Parmesan Cheese. I added cheese when I was ready to serve to individual plates.

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Raw Chopped Salad pre dressing

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Basic Corn Salad

Posted on August 16, 2017 | 1 comment

This is the time of the year when corn is at its sweetest and readily available all over. There are times I buy fresh corn but don’t feel like serving it on the cob, even though it is perfectly delicious this way. This corn salad is a suggestion for you as a side dish with very little ingredients and pretty much all corn. I like to serve as a side dish in the summer because it can be made ahead and served at room temperature.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and keep on Cooking with Candi.

Ingredients:

5-6 ears of corn , schucked

1/2 cup small diced red onion

3 Tablespoons cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons good olive oil

1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt – you can always add more salt after you finish and taste for salt

1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper the same applies for the pepper as for the salt

app. 1/2 cup cut up fresh basil leaves–use as much or as little as you like –it adds wonderful flavor

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the corn for app. 3 minutes (just to let go of the starchiness) Drain and immerse in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. When the corn cools down , cut the kernels off the cob , cutting close to the cob to get the whole kernel. I use a bundt pan to catch all the kernels.

Toss the corn kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

How simple and easy is this?IMG_5739

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Marinated Flank Steak

Posted on August 15, 2017 | Leave a comment

I was having some people over for dinner and I like Flank Steak because you cut it up into thin slices and everyone gets a little bit without feeling like they ate a ton of meat. It cooks up on the grill super fast– about 5 minutes on each side. And it is awesome when used in fajitas!!!

This is what I did. Here are some pics from that night.

Ingredients:

3 lb. Flank Steak

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice –app. 1 large lemon

1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 cloves garlic–minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

in a medium sized bowl, mix all the above ingredients. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours but I did it overnight till dinner the next day.

Pre heat your grill and turn to medium high heat.

I like to oil the grates and spray with Pam spray. Place steaks on the grill and discard the marinade .

Grill depending on the thickness of your flank steak app. 5 minutes each side.

Enjoy!

 

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Corn and Tomato Soup – no cream

Posted on August 9, 2017 | Leave a comment

DSCN0358DSCN0382DSCN0381The corn is so delicious right now that I had to make this soup. I was going to save this recipe for the Fall but I used the fresh Olathe corn at the market now and couldn’t wait to share. When the corn is not as fresh and sweet you can definitely use frozen . I used fresh tomatoes from the farmers market and fresh Olathe corn ( local in Colorado) but I happen to know Long Island has particularly good sweet local corn. So while the getting is good and you can get fresh vegetables please do so. Farm to Table here we go again.

I made this soup for dinner as an appetizer. I think it would be good cold but I prefer it warm.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 shallots , coarsely chopped or 1 large one

1 teaspoon kosher salt ( more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ( more to taste)

3 1/4 cups corn, or 1 lb. bag of frozen corn thawed it’s approximately 5 – 6 ears of fresh corn

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian

2 beautiful medium size tomatoes, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces*

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn

Directions:

In a large dutch oven ( Le Creuset) type of pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, salt and pepper, cook stirring occasionally until shallots are soft, app. 5 minutes. While this is going on cook up the corn as follows.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and just cook corn till it turns yellow for 1-2 minutes, then I throw into an ice bath to stop the cooking. When corn is cooled down cut kernels off cobs.

Place the cooked shallots, corn and chicken stock into the blender.

Pour the corn mixture back into the pot. Bring the mixture to a low simmer , cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, just to heat through.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tomatoes and basil, let it cook for another 10 minutes or so.  Taste for Salt and Pepper.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve!

*to seed the tomatoes, cut them in 1/2 horizontally and using a small dessert spoon, scoop out the seed and discard. The seeds make the soup too watery.

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Posted in Healthy Cooking with Candi, soup, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

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Fresh Basil Pesto

Posted on August 6, 2017 | Leave a comment
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Chicken and Pesto on the Grill

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Pasta Pesto

The original recipe for this delicious pesto appeared back in May 2011 on Cooking with Candi.  Yummy Pesto was the title. This is the same recipe from my BFF Suki. I have tried many pesto sauces and this remains my absolute go to favorite. It is super easy and while the basil is abundant you should make it and freeze it. When you freeze the pesto in a container, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top . I have it frozen for up to 3 months. I use it on chicken, pasta, and it’s wonderful as a spread. This recipe is good for 2 lbs. of pasta usually. So I use 1/2 and freeze the rest if it’s just the 2 of us.

Pesto Chicken on the Grill with Grilled Peppers and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Fresh Basil

If you are going to use on chicken , just brush on the chicken sprinkle a tiny bit of  kosher salt on it and  let it marinate for at least a few hours and it can be marinated  overnight in the refrigerator. Take it out of fridge and let it sit at room temp. before putting on the grill. That’s it!

*You’ll need a food processor

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil (washed)

1/2 cup romano cheese (grated)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese ( grated)

1/2 cup pignolli nuts or walnuts

1 cup extra virgin olive oil–use a good one

1 – 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter (it’s good if the butter is softened before adding) you can soften in microwave

4 cloves garlic – peeled and whole

freshly ground black pepper–to taste

*kosher salt to taste if you feel you need it after finished making pesto

Directions:

I put all ingredients except for olive oil in the food processor. Give it a few grinds using the blade attachment. Then I slowly add in the olive oil through the top of processor while it’s on. Beautiful green pesto! so easy. Taste for salt and pepper

Cook pasta and drain and add pesto. Done!

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Chicken Fajitas on the Grill

Posted on August 2, 2017 | 2 comments

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IMG_5593.JPG Wow–Fajitas on the Grill and the best part is there were no pots and pans to clean up! Cooked in Aluminum Foil Packs right on the grill! They call them Hobo Packs.

Very quick prep and delicious ingredients. Feel free to substitute whatever peppers you would prefer. This is what I did.

Last night there were 4 of us so I used about 2 lbs. of chicken but kept everything else the same and it worked out just fine!

You’ll need heavy-duty aluminum foil for the grill.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenders–you can 1/2 them lengthwise into thin strips or leave them whole which is what I did. If you can’t find tenders use a cutlet and cut into thin strips.

1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick (approximately)

1 poblano chile or serrano chile whatever you can get. Stemmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips. I used both .

1 Red Bell Pepper–cut into strips lengthwise

1 Yellow Bell Pepper –cut into strips lengthwise

*you can really use any peppers that you’d like–these are the ones I used Shishito Peppers would be wonderful as well.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper- you’ll need to be fairly generous with the salt –I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill.

4 -6 fresh oregano sprigs–at least 1 in each packet–I used 2 in each packet.

1 lime, thinly sliced crosswise

Warm flour or corn tortillas, sour cream , guacamole and salsa and some hot sauce for serving. I used small tortillas but any kind will work out nicely. This is a very easy Summer Meal.

Directions:

Cut up all the veggies, onions and chicken and light the grill, I had the grill turned up high , it should be medium to high. I put it to high to pre-heat and then lowered to a more medium – high, if you are unable to do this step just check on them after 12 minutes to make sure the bottom isn’t burning.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken, onion and all the peppers with the olive oil and cumin seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss again.

Arrange 4 14 inch sheets of heavy duty foil on a work surface ( see pics) app. 14 inches don’t get the ruler out. Just eyeball it, it needs to fit a pile of veggies and chicken. Last night I increased the chicken so we had about 6 packs.

Pile the chicken and veggies evenly on one 1/2 of each foil sheet and top with the oregano and lime slices. Fold the foil over the ingredients and pinch the edges to seal.

Place the foil packets on the grill, close the lid and cook over moderately high heat until the chicken is cooked through, anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes.

Open the packets and serve with warm flour fajitas, sour cream , guacamole, salsa and hot sauce.

*Packets can be made a night ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

 

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BBQ Baked Beans

Posted on August 1, 2017 | Leave a comment

Perfect for a side dish for BBQ or indoor dining! I made these baked beans for a dinner party this summer and completely forgot to post the recipe . It’s not vegetarian friendly since I did use bacon and am afraid if you leave it out you would be leaving out an integral layer of flavor. These are sweet and delicious and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. I love a well stocked pantry and always have canned beans, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, mustard, dark and light brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. I used dark brown sugar but if you have light you can use. You’ll need thick-cut bacon and a medium yellow onion. I love when I use ingredients that I have in my house.

I saw this recipe on Valerie’s Home Cooking on The Food Network.

www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

4 slices thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 15 ounce cans Cannellini or Great Northern white beans

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the bacon in a large cold skillet and cook over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is almost cooked to a crisp. About 10 minutes.

Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally , until the onion is softened, another 10 minutes or so. Add 1 can of the beans with their liquid. Drain and rinse the second can of beans, then add them to the skillet.

Add the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill. You’ll taste for salt and pepper again at the end of cooking.

Bring to a low simmer, then transfer to a small baking dish. Bake uncovered until thick and bubbly, about an hour.Taste for salt and pepper.

I cooked in my small Le Creuset from start to finish and served in my pot right to the table. Either way is fine.

Serve Warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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