Author Archives: cookingwithcandi

My Favorite Macaroons–Traditional Style for Passover

Posted on March 15, 2012 | 1 comment

I am not sure why I only make these macaroons during Passover. They are definitely my favorites; they are very easy to make, look totally professional, and are the Passover cookie in my book. These can be made ahead of time and stored. I usually make a few days before the Seder because I dip them in melted chocolate (just the tops). You don’t have to dip, you can leave plain. I dip up to 1/2 the macaroon in the chocolate. They are sweet and crunchy on the outside, and moist and chewy on the inside. After Passover, if there are any left over, I freeze them. Cannot have them lying around. Of course you may make these any time of year…they are always welcome on the menu.

*When dipping, just turn macaroon upside down (with peaked part into the chocolate). I usually go just a bit more than the top (probably 1/2 the macaroon into the chocolate). Use as much or as little as you like.

*just a little note, silpat is awesome to use for this recipe instead of parchment paper. You must cool completely before trying to lift off the paper. Also before you dip into chocolate I like to cool down completely.

Ingredients:

3  large egg whites (When I bake, I always leave eggs out so that they are at room temp.)

1/2  cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 package (14 oz.) sweetened, flaked coconut ( I like this Angel Flake Baker’s Brand, but they’re all fine)

*1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (You can really use any semi-sweet chocolate to melt. It’s just easy with the chips.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (you can use non stick cooking spray, like Pam, but I just line with parchment, which works really well).

In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt until frothy. With a fork, stir in coconut until moistened.

Using a level tablespoon (measuring ones are perfect), pack the mixture into the spoon, so all macaroons are equal size. Drop mixture onto prepared sheet (cookies will not spread). Bake until golden brown, about 25 – 30 minutes. Towards the end, check on them to be sure they don’t burn. I make a little peak with my fingers on the cookies before I bake them (this makes for easier dipping).

*To melt chocolate on stove top: I bring a small saucepan of water to a rolling boil, and on top of it put a small stainless (oven proof) bowl filled with the chocolate.( works like a double boiler if you don’t have one) When it completely melts, take off heat. Once macaroons are completely cool, you can dip the tops. Just make sure chocolate and macaroons are cooled off first. Just dip top of cookie in chocolate and place on a plate to cool. When I am all done, I refrigerate the macaroons to set the chocolate. You can leave in fridge until you are ready to serve and take out with enough time to bring to room temp. Before serving, I usually use a cool cookie sheet with parchment paper to cool off cookies once they’ve been dipped.

*should yield about 20 – 25 cookies. You can double if you’d like.

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Spring Time…it must almost be Passover!

Posted on March 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

I am so happy that Spring is in the air. Warm weather and yes, matzoh balls on the brain! Now that we can feel the warm weather, Passover will be here before we know it and that “here we go again” feeling is starting to kick in. I always used to do Passover in my house for a huge crowd. Now I go to my daughter Jenn’s house, and yes, we have to sit in all that lovely traffic and over 2 bridges but it’s worth it.  We will just be getting back to NY from CO, and it would be too much to attempt a sit down Seder for everyone at our house.  I still plan on  cooking though, and I am going to give you recipes that have worked so well for my family over the years, a few new ones from friends and  some oldies but goodies that have been in my family for generations. I will be posting all of these recipes with the word Passover in the heading and category. Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday. If you have any great recipes to add to this collection, please feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to post them.  Thanks to those of you who have been sending me recipes.  I will start posting very shortly. Sadly, I have no pictures from last year, and obviously am not going to start cooking now! After cooking this year, I will be posting all photos, and please feel free to share your pics, stories, and recipes with me.

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White Bean Soup

Posted on March 11, 2012 | 1 comment

Beautiful, hearty, soup–rustic in flavor and perfect to take the chill out of a winter day or night. I love soup as a meal. Just mix with salad and crusty bread and you’re good to go; it’s so satisfying. If you’re looking for a vegetarian meal, take out pancetta. If you don’t care, leave it in because it adds a real bite to the soup. Of course, by now you have an immersion blender but if you still haven’t gotten one, you’ll use the blender.

I always suggest the Le Creuset dutch oven because it is the best pot for preparing winter favorites such as soup and stews, and it’s the best pot I’ve ever found for braising meats. I have one in Colorado and one in New York and wouldn’t dream of cooking without it. The Le Creuset distributes the heat slowly and evenly, ensuring picture perfect results almost every time. If you’re getting married, register for one. If you’re a mother, ask for one for Mother’s Day! It’s a perfect gift…and I’m not even being paid by the company!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

4 ounces chopped pancetta (it’s available in almost all supermarkets, chopped in a 4 oz. package)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cans ( 15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth

3/4 tsp. finely chopped thyme (fresh)

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (parmesan cheese)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven pot (Le Creuset) over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp. olive oil. Cook pancetta for about 5 minutes. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Add garlic, and cook for another minute. Add beans, broth and thyme, and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. Off the heat, puree with immersion blender until smooth. Stir in cheese if you’d like, and then salt and black pepper. I add a pinch of red pepper flakes, but it’s totally optional.

So simple, so elegant, so delicious.

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Chicken Balsamic – Easy Weeknight Dinner

Posted on March 7, 2012 | 1 comment

These are ingredients we all almost always have in the house (just make sure you also have a shallot).  I like to marinate for a few hours but if you can’t just do it for the hour. I did it the other night for 2 hours. Also lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper before putting in skillet. I found that this added to the flavor, because chicken can be very bland, and needs a little salt (even with the soy sauce); just go lightly, it doesn’t need a lot. I made this for dinner last night and served it on top of Caesar Salad, which is here on my blog, under Caesar Salad Dressing. The dressing has a lot of bite and it’s very delicious. This chicken is easy, and I recommend that when you take it out of oven, let it sit for a few minutes, then slice it and put back in pan and let it absorb some of the marinade before serving. This chicken is light, moist, low in calories and very tasty. This would also be great on the grill in the summer.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup minced shallots

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in a zip top plastic bag, add vinegar mixture, seal. Marinate in fridge for at least an hour. (I did it for 2.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, remove chicken from bag and place on a plate; reserve marinade. Place marinade in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes, or until syrupy, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. If you have a pastry brush, get it out so you can brush chicken with marinade.

Heat a large, oven proof skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, swirl around pan. Before adding chicken, sprinkle it lightly with salt and pepper, very lightly on both sides. Add chicken to pan and saute about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and brush with marinade generously. Place pan in oven for at least 10 minutes or until done. (Check it for doneness.) When done, remove from oven; brush with remaining marinade and let it sit for a few minutes. I then removed to a cutting board, sliced each breast, placed back in pan, swirled around marinade, and let it sit for a few before placing it on Caesar Salad.

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Rotisserie Chicken and Pasta

Posted on March 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

Baby BroccoliRotisserie Chicken and Pastashredded chicken in broth

There are those nights when the last thing you feel like doing is going out. A home cooked meal would be great, but it’s 5 o’clock and you haven’t prepared, etc. Here is a great meal you can make with a quick stop to your nearby grocery for a rotisserie chicken and a few ingredients.  I make this meal with broccoli rabe or baby broccoli (which seems to always be available in produce section) or even just regular broccoli. If you can pick up fresh pasta that is best; if not, dry pasta will do just fine. This meal is a staple around our house and this is how I make it. I originally found it in Giada De Laurentis’s family dinner book. I made a few changes to the original which better suits us.

Ingredients:

1 lb. broccoli rabe (or baby broccoli or just regular broccoli), trimmed (I cut it into 1- 2 inch pieces, and use just tops of broccoli)

Kosher salt to taste

1 package pasta, fresh or dry (Fettucine is great, but I used Perciatelli this time)

16 oz. chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 small lemons)

1 tablespoon lemon zest (first zest then juice)

1 roasted chicken, shredded

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (in 400 degree oven for about 5 – 10 minutes  until fragrant; browned not blackened, be careful)

*2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (if you don’t have no big deal. It’s delicious but not totally necessary.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

*pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (I like it hot)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. I use the pasta insert for the broccoli (just easier). If you don’t have that, just add the broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, approx. 3 minutes. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Leave water, return to a boil and use for pasta. After pasta is cooked, drain it and reserve 1/2 cup of the water.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, bring the broth and lemon juice to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the broth is reduced by about 1/2, app. 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and simmer ’til just heated through, another 2 minutes or so. Turn off heat. Add the pasta, broccoli, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese (reserve last 1/4 cup for topping), pine nuts, parsley, oil, and lemon zest. Toss to coat well which is why you will need a large skillet. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water as you toss to moisten, and season with salt and pepper to your liking. I let it sit out ’til we are ready to eat, and then heat it up and add additional pasta water if it is dry. This is a light meal, and it’s very healthy.

Place pasta into bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese (and if you like, crushed red pepper) to your liking, and serve.

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Tuscan Chicken Stew

Posted on March 2, 2012 | 2 comments

This stew cooked up super fast, and was very tasty and very healthy. I only used 3 oz. of spinach even though the recipe calls for 6, because 6 oz. would be way too much spinach to get past Joel. Even with just three oz., he picked out all the green from his plate. Oh well, there was more for me, and I love spinach.  This whole recipe–from start to finish–took under an hour. It should serve 4 nicely.  A nice loaf of crusty bread would be perfect alongside. The beans give this recipe enough that you don’t really need pasta but if you want to stretch this recipe you can add pasta or rice. Oh and the spinach adds a little green for St. Patricks Day!

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp. fennel seed

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. fresh minced garlic

1 tsp crushed rosemary (dried)

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. black pepper

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes-this is where the thicker breasts work best

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used Chef’s cut)

1/4 cup red wine

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 oz. (about 1/2 box) baby spinach leaves (If you love spinach, add the whole 6 oz. that the recipe calls for. It will wilt down anyway. I just had to serve it to Joel, and he won’t touch it with all that spinach.) (fresh spinach in a box /bag)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. I pat the chicken breasts dry, cut into 1 inch cubes, and salt and pepper the chicken before adding it to the skillet. I then add the chicken to the skillet and brown for about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and place in a separate bowl. Add onion and fennel seed to the pan, cook and stir on medium heat or until translucent and tender. (If the mixture is very dry, add a bit more olive oil.)

Stir in beans, tomatoes, red wine, remaining spices and salt. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, stir in as much spinach as you’d like, cover and cook for about 5 – 10  minutes or until spinach has sufficiently wilted. This chicken doesn’t need any accompaniment but a nice crusty bread would be nice.

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Cookies and Milk with Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Very Crispy, Very Crunchy)

Posted on February 28, 2012 | 1 comment

Bakers Sugar/ ultra fine sugar for a crispier cookieCookies and MilkCookies and MilkCaught Joel eating the batterCaught Joel eating the batterCrispy Chocolate Chip CookiesCookies and MilkCookies and MilkCaught Joel eating the batter

Caught Joel eating the batter

I just love a crispy chocolate chip cookie. Plain and simple. I don’t love the chewy ones nearly as much.  While perusing through all of my magazines and books, trying out new recipes, etc., I found this one. It’s similar to many I have but the few key ingredients like superfine sugar and vegetable oil make all the difference. The recipe was in The Food Network Magazine. This recipe produces a crispy cookie pretty simply. Nothing beats a comforting cold glass of milk with a dunked chocolate chip cookie. I’ll take it any day of the week. These cookies are great with tea and coffee, as well. You can freeze them and take them out as you want them. I cannot keep these cookies around because I will eat them all. I keep only a few out and freeze the rest in a big Ziploc freezer bag, they defrost very quickly. The use of vegetable oil in this recipe helps the batter spread, so the cookies come out extra thin and crispy. Superfine sugar makes for a fine, crumbly, crispy texture as well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, softened (leave it out at room temp. or microwave for a few seconds to soften, not melt)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup superfine sugar

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Beat the butter, vegetable oil, superfine sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 5 minutes (use the paddle attachment). The mixture will look a bit separated at this point. Beat in 1 teaspoon water and the vanilla until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. (Do not overbeat.) Beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand at the end.

Drop small tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart.  Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking process, I rotated the cookie sheet after 10 minutes, they baked between 12 and 15 minutes in my oven .  You want them to be crispy and brown, not just around the edges. You can see in photos they were flat and crispy with chips coming out of cookie, original recipe called for 20 minutes that would have been way too long in my oven. They came out perfectly but I did keep an eye on them. After you rotate them, just keep an eye on them.  If cookies spread into one another in the oven take a sharp knife and cut them apart while they are still warm  then when I lifted off cookie sheet they came apart.  When finished, remove the cookies from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets.

Pour a large cold glass of milk and knock yourself out! As you can see from the pictures, I caught Joel eating the batter, which tasted pretty amazing.

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Academy Awards Sunday and What I’m Doing

Posted on February 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Academy Awards Sunday is here. My plan is to ski or hike during the day, have my DVR set for pre-show on E!, and then the main event and of course the after show. (and don’t forget to DVR the Fashion Police ) I like to get home, put on my PJs and just set myself up for the night of nights. As most of you are already aware, I am an avid movie fan. This year I even did an actual mail in ballot with all my picks, so wish me luck. I have seen all the top nominees with the exception of a few documentaries and foreign films. It’s tough to do it all. I think I will have to dig in to some of those wonderful leftovers that are in our freezer–maybe the lasagna and the italian wedding soup.  This is the beauty of cooking a lot and freezing the leftovers. They are perfect for a night like this when all you want to do is curl up and watch TV. The thing of it is that I really do love to watch by myself. This is not to say that there won’t be a lot of  texting going on, but no phoning–it’s too distracting. Texting and pausing is totally acceptable, and if I have to talk I will. Joel will usually make an appearance for a few awards, but he lacks the patience to stick it out. So here’s to my annual Oscars Party of One and may the best movie win!

*P.S. Just a hunch , I think the Artist is going to win, (and I adored it) but I would really love to see Hugo win.

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Garbage Pail Pasta – Pasta from the Pantry – Vegetarian style

Posted on February 23, 2012 | 2 comments

What a name for a most delicious pasta dish. The recipe comes from Arthur Schwartz’s cookbook , “The Southern Italian  Table” , I actually saw it in an article from the Wall Street Journal of all places.  It contains 13 simple ingredients that are put together. It contains 3 kinds of nuts, but I only had 2 and that worked out just as well. My family was here and Kerri being a vegetarian , I am always on the lookout for new and exciting vegetarian recipes. If there is an ingredient that you really don’t like , take it out. I was trying to think of substitutions for what we had , I wanted to keep it vegetarian but I suppose you could substitute anchovies ( chopped finely) for capers, you need the salt and bite of the capers, and I suppose anchovies could do the trick. The olives add salt, and I chopped them up good as well, because Joel would probably not touch it if he knew they were in there. The raisins add sweetness and use the golden ones, they will look better.  Kerri doesn’t love olives and she loved it. My son in-law Brian kept eating it out of the fridge, and so did Kerri and Jenn.  So it got the family seal of approval and I will definitley make it again. You can experiment with other pasta, but I prefer just plain spaghetti, not too thick and not too thin. I also changed around quantities of a few ingredients to my liking, so feel free to do so.  It’s really a “whatever you have in the pantry ” kind of pasta.  Cooks rather quickly , and very tasty. ( like you’re in Italy)

It was bound to happen that the photos of this dish got erased, so sorry I only have the one of me cooking , it’ll have to do.

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon finely chopped walnuts

1 Tablespoon whole pine nuts ( Pignoli)

1 Tablespoon finely chopped hazelnuts ( I didn’t have so I doubled up on Pignoli, and everyone loved it)

3 Tablespoons raisins ( use golden ones)

1 rounded tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped

1 Package of Grape Tomatoes diced ( you can use cherry tomatoes as well) original only called for 1/4 cup but I used whole package, and it was wonderful)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

6 small black olives ( preferably Gaeta) pitted and coarsely chopped

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt for cooking pasta,  plus more to taste. Be careful with the salt, add as needed.

8 ounce box of Spaghetti ( use whatever kind you like best or have in pantry) I always use Spaghetti or Perciatelli

Parmesan Cheese for topping if you so desire

Directions:

In a 9 or 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat, when hot , add nuts and saute until pine nuts become lightly colored.

Add raisins, capers, and tomatoes. Cook , stir frequently, for at least 5 minutes ( tomatoes will start to break down)

Add oregano, parsley, and olives. Stir well, Cook for a few minutes, Salt to taste. Set aside. I actually let it sit in pan on hot stove for a while till I was ready to mix in pasta. It really broke down nicely, the longer it sat.

Boil spaghetti in at least 3 quarts of water with a heaping tablespoon of salt. When cooked, drain well. I saved a cup of pasta water, in the event pasta came out to dry, I used a little of it. It’s not imperative but I always do that with “sauceless pastas”

Toss pasta with seasonings  over low heat until well mixed. I then put in a large bowl and continued mixing and added a bit of the pasta water . It was perfection.

If desired, serve with grated cheese ( I desired)

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Pasta e Fagioli ( Pasta and Bean Soup)

Posted on February 21, 2012 | 2 comments

Me and My Grandson Brody/ from visit with the family

019I have been making this soup forever,  This is really just a tomato base soup with beans and pasta. How bad can that be? unless you hate beans and pasta that is. I usually have ingredients in the pantry and it is a wonderful warm experience, with a nice salad this is a perfect meal. I do use dried beans so I need to soak overnight, if you want to cheat you can just use canned beans. It is a wonderful hearty soup halfway between a soup and a pasta.

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes ( San Marzano)

10 – 12 fresh basil leaves

red pepper flakes

handful of italian parsley, chopped

5 – 6 cups cooked beans and their liquid ( I use cannellini beans usually) any type of bean will work I use Cannellini or Red Kidney beans and a combination of both is beautiful.* feel free to use canned if you don’t have time to cook the beans. ( 2 cans rinsed and drained) the canned beans work out perfectly and it’s a very quick and easy way to go.

5 cups water

app. 1 cup pasta, elbows, tubetti, ditalini, or broken spaghetti

salt and freshly ground black pepper ( I probably used about 1Tablespoon of Kosher Salt but you’ll have to taste for yourself , start with a Tablespoon and use more as needed) Pepper I just add in a few grinds of the pepper mill ( about 12) and taste , taste , taste!

Directions:

In a large , heavy stockpot ( Le Creuset) saute onion in olive oil. When onion is golden and transparent, add garlic. Cook for a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and herbs. Cook until the tomatoes begin to thicken and reduce, about 10 minutes.  Taste for salt.

Add the beans and their cooking liquid. (* see notes on cooking beans) Add the water. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes – until the beans begin to break down and the soup begins to thicken. Lower heat to a slow simmer, as low as you can.  Stir frequently to prevent it from sticking and burning bottom of the pot. Taste for salt and pepper again.  I always like it to simmer for a long time, an hour would probably do it, but if I have the time I let it sit for as long as I can.  Sometimes after it’s been simmering for a while ,  I turn off the heat and right before serving just bring to a boil and add pasta. Just be careful not to let it burn, stir frequently . If you need more liquid add water a little at a time, I showed a picture of my pot filler which is the greatest thing to have in a kitchen, makes it super easy to fill a pot.

When you’re ready to serve, right before add the pasta and cook until pasta is al dente, about 5 – 10 minutes depending on type of pasta you’re using. I used ditalini.

Serve immediately in large soup bowls.

Guests can drizzle some good olive oil and grate some Parmesan Cheese over.  Should serve 8 – 10 depending on appetites. I froze remainder for another time.

*Cooking dried Beans:

Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water – about 2″ – 3″ above the beans. Soak overnight.

Rinse and drain the beans, remove any stones, foreign matter, or beans that have not expanded.

Place the beans in a heavy pot and cover with water – about 2″ above the beans.

Bring the beans to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and cook at a very low simmer. Do not allow beans to boil hard. The beans should retain their shape. Cook until beans are tender. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of beans and how fresh they are. Plan on cooking for 2 to 3 hours.

The beans will now be ready to be used for any recipe calling for cooked beans.

If you don’t have time to soak or you just forgot, you can place beans in the pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, cover and let stand for 1 hour, and then proceed with the rest of the directions.

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