Category Archives: sides

Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salsa

Posted on August 12, 2012 | 1 comment

Three of my favorite things in the world in one bowl! Tomato, corn and avocado! All I do is chop up some very ripe tomatoes, and combine with raw corn kernels, and diced avocado, some chopped up fresh cilantro , and fresh lime juice .(about juice of 1 lime)  I like to add a little heat so I put in some minced fresh jalapeno or minced serrano chile. Season with salt and pepper, and there you go a delicious fresh salsa perfect alongside any piece of fish, chicken or just for snacking with chips! Let it sit in lime juice for a bit before serving. Use as much or as little of any of the ingredients. What a perfect side dish, what a perfect fresh raw salsa to serve on chips!  The possibilities are endless here. It’s all fresh and raw and wonderful. Did I mention super easy?

*also a little trick to take corn off the cob is to use your bundt pan, put corn right in the center hole and using your knife cut down from the top, this will prevent corn from flying all over the place and all kernels will just fall directly into the bundt pan. Don’t waste your money on those other corn removal gadgets, they don’t work as well as this.

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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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Posted in corn, salmon, Sauce, seafood, sides, vegetables

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Asparagus with Arugula and Parmesan – Done Simply Raw

Posted on June 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

As you know, I am slightly in love with asparagus. Before the asparagus season ends, I highly recommend this salad. Once the early season goes, you can grill it, you can roast it,  you can douse it in dressings. But in this salad it’s used raw which is really ideal when the asparagus is sweet and fresh. Check out your local green market, and ask where the asparagus is from. I was able to obtain this asparagus at a local market which carried Long Island asparagus, and it was delicious.  Through most of the winter, asparagus comes from Peru; and there’s a lot of early spring asparagus from Mexico and Southern California. The green markets will have regional produce and it’s worth the trip. Just saying… If you don’t buy it at the market, that’s alright too–all asparagus is pretty decent now.  Enjoy this recipe. It couldn’t be simpler.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. medium or large asparagus

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

nice sized bunch of arugula ( 6 – 8 oz) use as much or as little as you like

Chunk of parmesan cheese for shaving (with a vegetable peeler)

Directions:

Snap off and discard the tough ends of the asparagus. If you have a mandolin, a sharp vegetable peeler or thin bladed knife, use one of those tools to slice the asparagus as thinly as possible, like paper-thin ribbons. If you prefer, you can slice diagonally; just try to get the pieces as thin as possible, because you are not cooking them. So it’s all about thin slices. I used a vegetable peeler.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil to make a dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the asparagus ribbons in a shallow salad bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper and coat with some of the dressing. Add the arugula, tossing gently to distribute the asparagus. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

With a vegetable peeler, shave thin curls of Parmesan over the salad.

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Posted in Raw, Salad, salad dressing, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

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Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes – Bruschetta (With or Without Chicken)

Posted on April 30, 2012 | 2 comments

I love this Bruschetta. It’s delicious as an appetizer over toast, but I also love it with chicken. I usually make it ahead of time, put it in the fridge and let the flavors marinate. Then, I either use it on toasted baguette slices or on top of a simple, grilled piece of chicken or fish. It’s similar to my Salmon Done Simply in Foil recipe. This has  a delicious, fresh taste and will last at least a few days (probably three) in the fridge. Now that the weather is getting warmer, this is such a wonderful, light dish using tomatoes, which I love.This evening I used a grill pan on the stove with a little olive oil in pan, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on paper thin chicken breasts and just grilled a few minutes on each side and they were perfect with tomatoes on top.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 pints grape tomatoes (I like to mix yellow and red ) and of course you can use heirloom when they’re in season or any fresh tomatoes. I cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, or just into small pieces )I actually was able to obtain cherry heirloom tomatoes, and I cut them into small pieces.

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

fresh basil (about 16 leaves), cut up in chiffonade style (just roll basil and take a kitchen scissor and cut it up; you can also just chop it up) * I actually forgot to buy the basil this time but usually I do put it in, it adds a great deal of flavor.

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

*chopped red onion ( app. 1/2 cup) I didn’t use this time out but it adds a little crunch and another flavor

Directions:

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and lightly stir it around for a minute or so. Don’t brown the garlic–just warm it up to a golden color, what I actually do is heat the olive oil and when it’s hot remove from stove then put the chopped garlic in and let it turn a golden color off the heat. Pour into a bowl and allow it to cool down. Add the tomatoes, balsamic, salt and pepper (to taste). Be careful not to over-salt–just put a little in and stir it; you’ll be able to check salt and pepper again later. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Obviously the longer it sits, the better it will taste.

When you take the mixture out of the fridge, stir the tomatoes and now taste again for salt and pepper. Spoon bruschetta over the sliced bread, and serve on a large platter. This is a perfect substitution for a salad. If you’re serving over chicken or fish it’s just simply divine. I simply put a little olive oil on chicken cutlets sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and use a grill pan on stove or throw on the grill outside.

If I am serving over bread, I slice the baguette on the diagonal. Take a little softened butter ( melted butter) and brush on top of bread, then put in oven on a baking sheet to toast until golden and then repeat on the other side. You can also brush with a little olive oil (you just don’t want the toast too dry). If you’d like, you can also put toast on outdoor grill to get grill marks.

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Posted in appetizers, Salad, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

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Grandma Regina’s Farfel for Passover

Posted on April 1, 2012 | 2 comments

DSCN2696DSCN2700I must preface this with the fact that anyone who’s ever had this farfel dish loves it. It is steeped in tradition, it was made absolutely the best by my Grandma Regina, and only seconded by my mother (G’ma Millie). It is a very tricky dish to make, and after many failed attempts, I figured out that doubling it doesn’t work, and you must let it dry out!!! It should probably sit out to dry for at least 2 hours. I know this sounds crazy, but it’s true. Of course, G’ma Regina never wrote a single thing down, so you’ll be winging the spices and the oil, because I always do. It’s not the healthiest thing in the world, but it’s so delish and we only  make it but once a year. When I was little I couldn’t wait to have it at my grandparents’ house. We looked forward to it every year at Seder. It’s no surprise that it’s Joel’s favorite. He remembers my grandmother’s and that’s a tough act to follow even after all these years.  It’s tradition in our house to always have it on Passover, and what better way to remember Grandma Regina. There is no better legacy to a great cook than a well cooked farfel.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 canisters matzoh farfel

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (regular white mushrooms)

2 spanish onions, peeled and sliced thinly

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt (app. 1 tablespoon)

Freshly ground black pepper (app. 1/2 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon garlic powder (every year I guess this amount. If you’d like, you can also use fresh garlic, and then it would probably be approx. 2 minced cloves.)

Paprika (get some good paprika here and use a good dash for color)

6 eggs

Directions:

Beat eggs with spices (the paprika will add a red color). Coat the farfel with the egg mixture. Add oil to a large heavy skillet, about 1/4 inch deep, and heat over medium-high flame. Toss farfel in the hot oil, and coat well; farfel should brown a little bit. (Don’t burn.) Then add water to just cover the farfel, bring to a boil, then simmer until water dissolves. After the water is all gone I turn the flame off and just let it sit there and dry out. I cannot emphasize enough how important this step is. Go out and do something else, and come back to it.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, saute the mushrooms and onions with salt and pepper and a dash of paprika here as well.  The farfel is very bland and you’ll need the salt and pepper. Put this in a container ’til you’re ready to use it. You will eventually add it to dried out farfel. When farfel is completely dried out (at least 2 hours), add the mushroom and onion mixture to it. Taste for salt and pepper. Mix well and bake in a Pyrex dish at 375 degrees for about  1 – 1/2 hours. You want it to get crispy. If it’s too dry, add a little more oil to baking dish. Stir it often–you’ll have to open oven a few times and stir. Your house will smell great while making this. My family likes this on the crispy side, so I let it cook for a long time, but you’ll be able to tell when it’s done–it will be bubbly and crispy! Enjoy and good luck!

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Posted in meatless, Passover Recipes, sides

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Traditional Ashkenazi Charoset–Apple/Walnut

Posted on March 22, 2012 | 1 comment

DSCN2703This is my easiest Charoset. It’s traditional in the sense that it’s an Ashkenazi (Eastern European) recipe. I add a little brown sugar instead of white sugar and it gives it just a bit more character. This makes about 4 cups, but you can easily double it. My family loves it, so I always make a double batch. Remember, while a reminder of the mortar used in making bricks for Pharaoh, charoset is really just a sweet condiment of apples and wine!

Ingredients:

3 medium Fuji apples (or any other kind you like), peeled, cored and finely diced (use processor to make your life simpler) I usually use whatever is in the house, but on Passover I go through so many apples, so buy what you like (I always like Granny Smith because they are nice and tart)

1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped (buy them pre-chopped)

1/2 cup sweet red wine such as Manischewitz Extra Heavy Malaga or just Concord Grape is fine

*20 pitted dates, chopped; or 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

*for a bit of extra added flavor you can add 1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger (optional)

Directions:

After chopping apples, stir all ingredients in a large bowl. Keep in refrigerator ’til ready to serve. Serve at room temperature. You can also pulse everything together in processor, just be very careful not to over-process. I often do this to save time. You don’t want it too fine, so just go gently with the processor if you go that route. I do it in the processor, and I know exactly how I like it to come out, so go easy with the chopping.  If it’s a little dry or too thick, you can always add more wine. I find this always tastes better after it sits and allows the wine  to really soak and ripen for 24 hours. Before serving, check for consistency and add a little more wine, if necessary.

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Posted in condiment, Holiday Recipes, Passover Recipes, Raw, sides, vegetarian

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Mashed Potato Casserole with Sour Cream and Chives

Posted on November 19, 2011 | 3 comments

Mashed Potatoes with skin on this time pre topping

cookingwithcandi 095

I saw this recipe in today’s New York Times Dining Section and I think I may make it instead of just plain old mashed potatoes. For those of you who don’t get the Times , I am giving you the recipe. Sounds super easy, and I like that you can do some of it 3 days ahead. Very appealing to me.

Ingredients:

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, and more for the pan– this gets divided into 10 for inside the casserole and 4 for the topping

6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, and cut into chunks , as you can see in this photo I have been known to leave the skin on , it’s entirely up to you how you like it better. Skin is very thin on Yukon Gold potatoes, so if you enjoy the skins in your mashed potatoes leave it on or remove if you don’t like them.

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup bread crumbs ( use seasoned ones) or Seasoned Panko would be nice

2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees for baking mashed potatoes with topping

Lightly grease ( I will use Pam Spray)  9 x 13 baking pan

Prepare mashed potatoes. In a big enough saucepan I place cold water just to cover the potatoes and add a at least a teaspoon of salt, boil till fork-tender for anywhere from 20 minutes to 30 minutes Check after first 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a large colander, when the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove.  Using a potato masher start mashing the potatoes over low heat, allowing the steam to escape before adding in the other ingredients. Mash, Mash, Mash adding the sour cream and butter , salt and pepper. Stir well and place in a medium sized baking dish ( I use a nice baking dish that I will serve in)

Topping:

In a small bowl , combine 4  tablespoons butter, bread crumbs, and cheese. Mix together until it forms coarse crumbs. Crumbs can be made ahead and refrigerated for 2 days. ( we like that)

Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the potatoes and bake until golden and crisp at 350 degrees for about 30 – 40 minutes.

*to make ahead, make potatoes a day or two ahead, make topping as well . Keep in separate containers in the fridge. Take out of fridge on turkey day 3 hours before baking to bring to room temperature. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes till baked through and hot throughout. I would say to raise the temperature of the oven to 400 but we don’t want to burn crumb top. Just make sure it’s heated throughout and that it is room temperature when it goes in to the oven.

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Posted in Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

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The Stuffing that Will Be on Our Table

Posted on November 18, 2011 | 1 comment

I made this recipe for the first time Thanksgiving 2011 and it is now the only Stuffing I make.  I found it in a Barefoot Contessa cookbook, loved all of the ingredients and thought it was delicious. I know there a lot of stuffings out there and unfortunately they are not vegetarian (I am still on the lookout for a very tasty vegetarian one, so please feel free to send it to me if you have a great veggie one.) I don’t cook my stuffing in the turkey. I make it ahead of time and cook it in a buttered gratin dish the day of. This is the stuffing that won out this year.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup diced dried figs, stems removed

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup Calvados or brandy (I used Calvados, bought the bottle last year)

2  yellow onions, diced (approx. 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 cup (3 stalks) celery, diced about 1/2 inch

1 lb. pork sausage (I do 1/2 sweet and 1/2 hot. Feel free to substitute any kind of sausage you would like. Try to get the butcher to take it out of casing for you. It’s one less thing to do.)

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (please don’t leave this out)

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (put in oven at 400 for about 5 minutes and watch them!)

3 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix (I use Pepperidge Farm)

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 extra large egg, beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour in the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and celery and saute until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent (don’t burn them.) Add the sausage, crumbling it as you go. Continue to saute, stirring frequently and breaking up sausage. Keep cooking for about 10 minutes, until cooked and browned up. Add the figs and cranberries with their liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook until all ingredients come together, for a couple of minutes. Scrape up and remove all the brown bits with a wooden spoon.

Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken stock, beaten egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and mix well. (This can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight, which is what I do. It’s just too much to do the day of.)

I put the stuffing in a well-sprayed, slightly buttered (optional), baking (gratin) dish. If you put this in the preheated over, you will likely cook it for at least 45 minutes and probably more like an hour to two hours if it’s doubled.  I also stir frequently while it is cooking, and then let it go for the last 15 minutes and it browns up. Taste for Salt and Pepper.

obviously if you are doubling this recipe you will need to use a large (very) frying pan. Or you can just do it in batches. You will need a very large pan to cook it up in though. You need to spread it out while it cooks so it cooks through. Once it is cooked you can always put it in a pretty baking dish and as it heats up just mix it through every once in a while so top doesn’t burn and bottom won’t be soggy.

I know everyone thinks that their stuffing is the best, but if made properly this one is absolutely amazing!

*This will probably serve at least 8 as one of many sides, but feel free to double.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Posted in Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, sides

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Candied Yam Souffle (Easy Peasy)

Posted on November 17, 2011 | 1 comment

sweet potatoes pre marshmallows

I just found this recipe. I’ve made this souffle in the past. It is easy and I just felt I owed it to all of you to pass it along. It is especially good for those of you who need to bring something to someone’s house, and don’t have time for fuss and muss.  I am still not 100% sure which yam dish I am going to make, but will make a decision soon. So here you go. And those darn mini marshmallows which you just gotta have.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 large cans of yams or app. 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, drained

1 small can (I like 8 oz.) crushed pineapple (optional)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

mini-marshmallows (1 bag will more than cover it) or one jar of marshmallow topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and pecans. Simmer for a  few minutes. In the meantime, place drained yams in a large bowl and mash them (you can leave a few chunked pieces.) If you’re cooking your sweet potatoes , peel and cut into quarters (cubes) fill a large pot of water to cover potatoes , add a little salt to water and bring water to boil. Boil for about 12 minutes till you can pierce potato with a fork easily. Remove and drain potatoes. I always place my potatoes back in pot to steam off excess water.

Pour sugar/pecan and pineapple mixture over the yams. Stir until combined thoroughly. Add in cinnamon and nutmeg. Transfer to a pie pan, actually any baking dish will do. Oven to Table is perfect here. Bake for about 15 minutes. Then remove, put mini marshmallows on top to cover, and raise the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes to brown the marshmallows. Don’t let it burn.

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Karyn’s Cranberry Crisp- Thanksgiving

Posted on November 12, 2011 | 6 comments

Fully Cooked Cranberry Crisp

This recipe has been around pretty much my whole married life. If there is a turkey on the table, there is cranberry crisp next to it.  It originated from my friend Karyn, and we even make it for Passover with matzoh farfel.  It’s so sweet and delicious that it could really be a dessert. We love it with our meal; love the sweet and savory thing. You can’t eat too much of it, it is so rich. It is also very dangerous to have in the fridge the next day, so try to give it to everyone who wants to take home leftovers. This tastes good either hot out of the oven or at room temperature. Some people may even want to make it as dessert and serve with vanilla ice cream, but the Kolens don’t. We always serve it as a side dish, but it is awesome however you serve it. Thanks again, Karyn.

Ingredients:

*you def want to double this recipe

4 medium apples ( I use all different kinds)

1 can (1 lb.) whole cranberry sauce

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup uncooked quick rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam.

Peel apples, slice them, then arrange in baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Spoon cranberry sauce over the apples.

Separately, stir rolled oats, flour, and brown sugar together. Cut in butter until it’s mixed in and crumbly. Sprinkle this over cranberry layer. Bake at 350 degrees until apples are cooked and top is lightly browned. The entire mixture will be bubbling and your house will smell divine. You will bake about 40 minutes to an hour. You can make ahead of time, and then on the day you need it, just heat it up until it bubbles. I usually make this a few days ahead, because it’s that much less that I’ll have to do the day of. You can freeze this also, so make it way ahead and freeze it. If you freeze it, take it out a day before you need it, and then heat it up the day of.

*just a little hint, if you are having trouble cutting in the butter, melt it first . This is a good hint . Then use your clean hands to squish it together. It is easier to work with this way. If you did it the other way , it’s OK, it will all come out the same,  just easier to melt first, sorry I didn’t suggest that from the get go.  Karyn pointed this out to me on Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!

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Posted in sides, vegetarian

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