Author Archives: cookingwithcandi

Balsamic Syrup – Tomato Time

Posted on July 31, 2012 | 1 comment

The tomatoes are here,  I was at the farmer’s market in Basalt today and the heirlooms and beefsteaks are just starting to show up. I love love these tomatoes.  I bought these beauties today and am going to make a balsamic syrup (reduction) from just ordinary balsamic and drizzle it on my tomatoes .  This is the recipe ( super easy ) for balsamic syrup, I am well aware that you can buy this syrup, however there is no need to if you have a spare 1/2 hour and a bottle of balsamic vinegar. No excuse not to do it, I’m sure you all have some balsamic vinegar in the house, in the time it takes to slice a few tomatoes and cut up some basil you can have homemade balsamic syrup.  Hit the farmer’s market and grab some of these tomatoes . I am going to garnish with some of my home grown basil, and if you like feta or fresh mozzarella it would be amazing on this as well. I actually did sprinkle just a touch of crumbled feta cheese tonite. The balsamic was sweet and delicious, and gave a very sweet flavor to tomatoes and feta cheese and basil. Here’s the bonus, this delicious balsamic syrup will last indefinitely in an airtight container ( I use a mason jar), keep it in fridge and take out when you want to use it.

Balsamic Syrup:

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

Bring the vinegar to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until vinegar reduces by nearly 3/4 of its original volume and starts to thicken like a syrup, this should take anywhere between 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using.  This delicious syrup is great on crusty bread as well. Makes for an amazing dipping sauce.

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Posted on July 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

Came home from our hike up East Snowmass Trail ( which was so beautiful). We were up there for 5 hours , came down and was too tired to even think about shopping for ingredients or getting dressed to go out. Looked in fridge and had cheese and butter. Looked in pantry and had pasta and pepper. There you have it , perfection in a bowl once again. Try it if you haven’t, it’s very rich and very good.

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

This is restaurant worthy pasta, made in a saute pan, 12″ size would be perfect . This pasta has very few ingredients and you probably have all of them in the house . When I am not sure what to make and I really don’t feel like going out, this is up there with my “go to ” meals. It’s comforting and has a kick of heat from the black pepper. Original recipe is just black pepper and the fresher the better, start out with whole black peppercorns, I grind them right before I am using them. It’s an elegant adult version of mac and cheese and a simple standard all at the same time. I try and use 2 cheeses when I can, but if you only have 1 type of grated cheese, it’s fine. Hold on to about a cup of the pasta water, you may need it…

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Posted on July 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

reblogging this recipe because I will be making it tonite! going to bbq some ribs and wanted to make this salad along with it!

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

I originally posted this way back and figured what a perfect day to re-post. This has become my go to Greek Salad and Salad Dressing when I want to make it at home. I of course love anchovies and feel free to put in there. I didn’t have any whole garlic cloves so I used garlic powder and you know what? it worked out just right. If you’d prefer to use chopped fresh garlic go right ahead. I am going to give you ingredients from tonite’s dressing because it tasted just right. This is salad , so please feel free to substitute and leave out whatever you don’t like and add in whatever you like. Joel only eats the lettuce and cheese, I ate all of the other ingredients.  I like to chop up a grilled piece of chicken and add in or a piece of salmon if you’re looking…

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Flank Steak with Cola (Soda)

Posted on July 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Seems a little crazy to dump a cup of Cola on your steak but here you go. I have had this recipe for a while and I guess all the stuff in that Coke works magic on your steak. I use regular Cola Soda ( not diet) and this marinade will tenderize your flank steak or london broil. Marinate overnight, it’s best.  This recipe was in Living magazine and it looked good and it was!

Ingredients:

1 cup cola ( any kind will do, just not diet)

1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

1/2 white/yellow onion , grated

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, chopped ( app. 3 garlic cloves)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 Flank Steak or London Broil

Directions:

Combine cola, vinegar, onion , garlic, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the oil in a bowl. Place steak in a large plastic bag. ( Hefty Ziploc are the best) Pour the marinade over the steak.  Seal bag, press extra air out of bag. Refrigerate overnight. You might want to reserve a little bit of the marinade in a seperate container. When you take steak out the next day , you can brush it with remaining marinade after you grill for extra flavor.

Let steak stand at room temperature for at least an hour or so before you’re going to cook. Remove steak from bag, and discard the bag and marinade. Brush off any and all remaining onion and garlic from steak, or else it will just burn on grill. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper right before grilling, I am pretty liberal with the s and p.

Preheat grill to medium high, and I spray grill with Pam grill spray. If no spray , oil the grates . Grill Steak for probably 10 minutes per side for medium. All grills are different and you’ll have to see for yourself how long. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let it rest for a bit. I put foil over it, this steak is good even when it sits for a while and pretty good cold the next day on a salad.

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Bucatini al’Amatriciana

Posted on July 23, 2012 | 4 comments

Amatrice is a small town in Italy outside of Rome and this dish is named for it. This dish is intended to be made with guanciale , which is a pig jowl and it tastes like a porkier version of bacon or pancetta. I use pancetta, which now comes pre-diced in packages making for a very easy time. I also keep packages of the diced pancetta in my freezer, they defrost very quickly which makes them a perfect dinner ingredient.  I also use bucatini pasta which is thick and ropey with a hole like a straw. I wouldn’t wear white while eating this it’s a messy one. Super easy and delicious. I made it tonite with my marinated flank steak. I also used 2 containers of grape tomatoes, but you can easily substitute with 1 large  can of San Marzano tomatoes ( crushed )The cherry/grape tomatoes give it a lighter sauce, and I prefer it especially in the summer months.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 – 6 oz. diced pancetta ( or 1/4 lb. glacial)

1/2 yellow onion chopped finely

2 garlic cloves , minced

2 containers of tomatoes halved ( I used grape tomatoes , I love them )

*1 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( we like spicy) use your own discretion , can always add at the table

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese, or any kind of Parmesan Cheese

1 lb. bucatini ( you can obviously use 1/2 pound and save any leftover sauce to freeze for another time) any thick spaghetti will do but I love this one in this recipe. Perciatelli is another good choice.

Directions:

In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly. I like my pancetta crispy, but just get it golden brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove pancetta into a separate bowl. Add onions to olive oil till translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes , I do this off the heat. I then add all the tomatoes, some kosher salt ( to taste) and some black pepper and add back in the pancetta. I also add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the tomatoes till they start to break down and form a sauce. Taste for salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for at least 45 minutes , up to an hour for perfect sauce.

Cook Pasta according to package directions, tender but still firm to the bite. Before draining pasta take out about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl, I add a little of the pasta water and then I add the sauce. Toss gently and serve. I served with Parmesan Cheese .

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Palm Beach Lemon Cookies

Posted on July 19, 2012 | 1 comment

This recipe is from my Cookies Unlimited Class.  This recipe should yield about 100 small thin cookies (but it depends on how thin you make them). I would use 2 large lemons for zesting so you get a real zing from the lemon. It is very important that you make sure to refrigerate the dough long enough. This is a nice, plain cookie; very light and perfect for dessert alongside something chocolate. I am also a sucker for anything lemony. They are also a light, perfect summer cookie and they can be frozen , then take out when you need a light perfect cookie.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons (or 1 1/4 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar (plus a little extra for sprinkling on top of cookies)

Finely grated zest of 2 large lemons (make sure you use all the zest!)

4 tablespoons strained lemon juice (use zested lemons)

3 egg yolks (save the whites for brushing the cookies)

*you will need 3 or 4 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans lined with parchment, or you will have to wait ’til cookies cool off and reuse them

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until well mixed (about a minute), then beat in the lemon zest.

Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Lower mixer speed and beat in half the flour mixture, then all the lemon juice. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture, beat till well mixed. (Don’t overbeat; just till mixed well.)

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape and squeeze it into 2 long rolls about 8 inches long and 2 inches in diameter (they may be a bit longer).

Cover rolls of dough and refrigerate. Chill the dough until very firm. You can freeze dough for up to a few weeks if you prefer for up to several weeks. Or just use 1 roll and save the other, but remember dough must be very firm.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, sets racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, beat the reserved egg whites with a fork. Cut each log into approximately 48 cookies (approx. 6 slices per inch) and make sure to rotate the roll of dough often so it doesn’t flatten from the weight of the knife.

Arrange the cookies on the prepared pans about an inch apart in all directions. Brush the surface of each cookie with the egg white, then sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of sugar. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, but check them after 10 minutes.  They may need more time but check at 10 and gauge from there. It was hard for me to tell the timing because in class everyone kept opening the oven doors! The cookies will spread slightly and have a very pale golden color when finished.

Slide the papers from the pans and cool on racks.

After the cookies have cooled, store them in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.

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Smoking Hot Salmon ( on grill or in oven) and a quick Corn Salad from leftover grilled corn

Posted on July 17, 2012 | 1 comment

Grilled Leftover Corn for salad

Always on the prowl for new recipes for Salmon. I usually cook it on the grill in the summer but this could easily be cooked indoors if no grill available. I actually cook this on a piece of aluminum foil on the grill, it really is like an outdoor oven. You can use a basket but I always find it makes such a mess. Whatever works for you, when I have placed fish right on grill it’s just a disaster, so I’ve taken to doing it this way. I played with these ingredients for the marinade and you know I took liberties with the cayenne pepper, so just put a sprinkle if you don’t like it too spicy. The marinade thickened up and it was perfectly delicious with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Cilantro can be eliminated but we love it, so it stays on in this house. I had some leftover ears of Grilled Corn so I threw together a very impromptu Corn Salad which is listed below as well.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Salmon Filets ( I used 1 1lb. piece for the 2 of us) This time out I got Copper River Salmon and it was just delicious. I use Wild Salmon usually. Use whatever you like best

For Marinade:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium shallot – chopped

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup light brown sugar

Cayenne Pepper to taste ( I was generous with it, but it packs a lot of heat)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger ( if you can’t use fresh ginger, use powder ginger , I wouldn’t omit this spice)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the shallots and saute until softened. Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the cilantro. Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the cilantro.

Baste the salmon filet with a bit of the sauce and preheat your grill to a medium high heat. I placed the salmon on a piece of aluminum foil. I just cooked it for about 15 – 20 minutes till the salmon was flaky, and the center was just cooked. You don’t want to over cook it. If you’re placing right on the grill it will cook much quicker. When you finish cooking, remove from grill and serve with some of the remaining marinade as additional sauce. This is delicious with rice and a vegetable. I served with a side of some leftover grilled corn which I turned into a lovely side dish.

Corn Salad from leftover grilled corn

I used 4 ears of corn, you can use 4 cups of any kind of corn . I just happened to have had some corn leftover from a barbque.

1 cup red pepper- diced

1 medium red onion – diced

2 – 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro – chopped

Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice from about 1 small lime

* 1 Jalapeno pepper – seeded and minced ( make sure to remove all seeds if you don’t like spicy) you can omit all together if you don’t like the flavor . I love it.

I just added a little olive oil to taste ,  I would say 1 tablespoon

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

This was really a throw together, but it came out so good!!!!!  Allow the ingredients to blend for a few before serving. Enjoy!

leftover grilled corn

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Chicken Pesto

Posted on July 14, 2012 | 1 comment

 

Pesto after being frozen

photophoto (3)

Chicken Pesto fresh off the grill

A few weeks ago I made some fresh Pesto Sauce for Pasta, I successfully froze the remainder with a thin coating of oil. It came out of the freezer perfectly and I used it as a marinade for some chicken cutlets and it turned out to be so delicious that it is one of my new favorite ways to cook chicken this summer. I love Pesto made with fresh basil, cheese, butter and all those good ingredients why not use it on the chicken? Give it a try, make some pesto and use it for a marinade for chicken and for pasta. And remember if you’re freezing it just put a thin coat of olive oil on top, when it defrosts the oil just seeps into the pesto without disturbing it at all.

I am going to re-post my recipe from my BFF Susan, it is her recipe for Pesto which I still think is the best tasting pesto. It’s creamy and tasty and never fails me. For my dinner party I used 4 lbs. of cutlets , but when I made it for just us, I used 1 lb. which is enough for 3 people.

Ingredients:

Thin chicken cutlets , I prefer the thin kind for this but if you prefer the thicker ones, it’s fine.  How much chicken you will use depends on how many people. The recipe for pesto will yield enough for a lot of chicken ( I used 4 lbs. of cutlets) I marinated my chicken for my party for most of the day. At least 6 hours in refrigerator and took it out an hour before I cooked it, you never want to cook cold meat right out of the fridge plus the marinade needs to come to room temperature. I used plastic bags to marinade the chicken. I love those hefty ziploc bags, they’re the best for this. 2 large bags held 2 lbs. each. When I take it out of baggies, I place in a large baking sheet and sprinkle ever so lightly with a little kosher salt.  It is listed on my blog as Yummy Pesto, if you want to look up original recipe.

I cooked the chicken on the outside grill and it was really delicious, just 3-4 minutes per side, these were thin cutlets and you don’t want to over cook them.

Pesto Sauce:

2 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup Romano Cheese ( grated)

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese ( grated)

1/2 cup Pignolli Nuts ( and as I’ve discovered Walnuts work just as well)

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 – 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic

Freshly Ground Black Pepper ( a few grinds)

Put all ingredients into the food processor except for the olive oil, slowly add that through the top as it starts to mix. Voila! Perfection! a few minutes later you have this delicious Pesto, perfect for Pasta and perfect as a marinade.

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Orzo Salad – and a delicious red wine vinaigrette

Posted on July 13, 2012 | 1 comment

Fresh Basil from the garden

This is a wonderful recipe I am passing on, the original was from Giada de Laurentis and I’ve since doctored it up to suit my tastes.  Upon going to prepare recipe I realized that I didn’t have any garbanzo beans so I substituted red kidney beans.  Feel free to add and subtract ingredients and  do whatever you like with this delightful recipe.  Sometimes you feel like pasta but not really and this is it.   It is perfect at room temperature. What I mostly like about this recipe is that you can use what you have in the pantry and in the house. I have to say the mint and the basil gave it a wonderful fresh flavor and I wouldn’t omit them.  Super Fresh! The vinaigrette is delicious and fresh tasting as well, so give it a try. It also cooks up very quickly which is always a plus for me.

Ingredients: 

4 cups chicken broth ( to keep it vegetarian just use vegetable broth) I like the broth rather than plain water . It adds extra flavor to the orzo.

1 1/2 cups orzo

1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed , I used 1 can of Red Kidney Beans because I wanted to make recipe and didn’t have Garbanzo Beans, it was just fine. Any type of bean is fine.

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, if you can get those great little yellow ones do so. Halve the tomatoes. Use red and yellow. So pretty!

*app. 3/4 cup chopped red onion — If you don’t like onion you can omit it or add a little less

1/2 – 3/4 lb. feta cheese ( sometimes I use crumbled and sometimes I cube it) makes no difference ( I love the cheese but you can omit)

*1/2 bag frozen green peas ( also optional) didn’t use this time–optional

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

3/4  to 1 cup of the Red Wine Vinaigrette dressing ( listed below) but you’ll use as much or as little as you like

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Directions for the Orzo:

Bring broth to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until orzo is tender but still firm, stirring frequently, about 7 – 10 minutes. Drain the orzo as you would pasta in a colander. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss and let the orzo cool down. Set aside to cool completely.

When orzo is cooled down, toss the orzo with the bean, tomatoes, onion, basil , mint and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste with additional salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Red Wine Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in the blender. While machine is running , slowly add in the olive oil. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper if desired.

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Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce (Jewish Girls can cook Chinese Food too)

Posted on July 8, 2012 | 1 comment

FullSizeRenderThis is one of my old tried and true recipes. Perfect for a large get together and totally tasty. There are a lot of ingredients but it is very easy to put together and it’s always a hit! I made the sauce a day ahead which I highly recommend doing, it gives flavors a chance to really come together.  I had all the ingredients in the house and day of I will cook the noodles and mix together. If making sauce ahead of time , take it out of refrigerator and let the sauce sit at room temperature before mixing with noodles. I used 1 teaspoon of cayenne, but because I wasn’t sure of everyone’s taste buds for hot and spicy I left out the chili oil. If you want it spicier you can always add some hot chili oil, or more cayenne pepper.  You can actually make the sauce a few days ahead of time. Enjoy this oldie but goodie. I have played around with the recipe a lot, and have found these ingredients work the best for me. I also like to put a little fresh cilantro on the side for those who love it ( like me) and don’t leave out the chopped peanuts they give it that extra yummy crunch. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 lb. linguine or spaghetti ( or you can use Chinese egg noodles)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

7 tablespoons Peanut Butter ( creamy ) by the way I always use the low-fat one, it’s perfectly fine

2/3 cup warm water

6 tablespoons soy sauce ( use low sodium)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or more to specific taste

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic

3 to 4 scallions , finely chopped

*1 sliced cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned (optional) but tasty and crunchy

*fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

*sprinkle of chopped peanuts ( optional) but extra added crunch if you have them on hand

*dash of hot chili oil ( to taste) I usually just throw in a dash of this.

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, using a fork or a small wire whisk, beat the peanut butter together with the water until it is smooth. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, sugar, and salt. Beat till smooth. If you’re adding hot chili oil this is when you would add that.

Add the chopped garlic, and stir well. Because I was using it the next day, I left out scallions till I cooked pasta .

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water, until noodles are cooled down sufficiently. Place noodles in a large bowl, drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and toss well. Refrigerate noodles until you are ready to serve. About an hour or so before I am ready to serve, I pour sauce over noodles and mix well. Make sure sauce has been left out at room temperature for a while till it’s not too cold.  Add the scallions and cucumbers and mix well. Right before serving you can sprinkle the cilantro and chopped peanuts if you like. I pour about 2/3 of the sauce over noodles and mix well, adding more sauce as I feel necessary. I definitely didn’t use all of the sauce that I made, add slowly and taste as you go along.  Right before serving I usually add some more sauce, but leave it out at room temperature. This is a deadly go to leftover the next day.

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