This recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s a saucy tomato shrimp and white bean sauce. Of course I always prefer my sauces to sit a little longer, but it’s ready to eat rather quickly. Simply delicious! and simple is the key word here. Perfect Sunday night dinner at home.
I served over mezze rigatoni, but any pasta, spinach, rice, spaghetti squash will do. Or just eat it as is.
Obviously if you don’t like spicy cut back on the crushed red pepper or omit all together.
Enjoy!
*should serve 4 with pasta ( use 1 1/2 lbs of shrimp for 4 people)
Ingredients:
1 – 1/2 lbs 16-20 shrimp peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper , obviously to your own taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt — and taste once sauce is cooked I didn’t add any more
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 15 oz can cannellini beans , washed and drained
13.8 oz. or 14 oz. crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
2 Tablespoons butter — it def adds a layer of richness, I used it but if you don’t want to you don’t have to
Pasta, spinach, rice whatever you’d like
Directions:
In a bowl toss the shrimp with garlic, oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and olive oil
I actually let this sit for about 30 minutes before cooking , you don’t have to
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, when the pan is hot, add the shrimp mixture in one layer if you can, cook for about 1 minute then turn shrimp over and cook for another minute, stir in the drained beans
Add the crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup water , bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, shrimp should be curled and opaque and the sauce thickens slightly
Add the butter and stir until it melts into the sauce, taste for seasoning and add salt if needed
So delicious and so perfect. I used thin chicken breasts to start , if you’re using thicker ones you’ll have to monitor the timing of them a bit more and you can just use a meat thermometer to do so. This really couldn’t be easier and it was super tasty and is a cheese lovers delight. It’s lightened up from traditional breaded and fried chicken parm. *if you’re chicken breasts are too thick you can pound them with a meat mallet to the desired thickness — this is a very useful tool. Just place chicken cutlet between 2 pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound to desired thickness.
If you’re using over 2 lbs I double dry ingredients and egg
Prep and ingredients are super easy .
This recipe is for 4.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 – 2 pounds of thin chicken breasts — you can use thicker ones –read directions above for pounding chicken breasts
1 egg
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tbsp. onion powder
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasonings — It comes in one jar and is available in most spice sections in supermarkets —
pinch kosher salt
1/4 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
and because we like a little extra kick I add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 -1 cup Jarred Marinara or if you have home made that’s good too . I prefer Raos Arabiata or Marinara for jarred sauce.
Shredded Mozzarella — probably 1/2 cup to 1 cup depending on how much cheese you like — I like a good sprinkle of cheese — see pics.
A little olive oil for drizzle in pan before cooking
Directions:
Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
I used a large baking dish and sprayed with cooking spray and drizzled a bit of olive oil to bottom of pan — just a little
Beat egg in a wide enough bowl for dipping chicken
In a second wide bowl combine the parm cheese and spices and mix
Dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then the cheese, coating both sides. Place in prepared baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes — since cutlets are thin this should be fine because you’ll be cooking more with sauce and cheese. If thicker cutlets you may need a bit more time.
Top each piece with sauce and shredded mozzarella. ( you can spread a little sauce in between chicken as well . I served over spaghetti and needed a little more sauce so this was enough. If you want you can heat up extra sauce in a small saucepan for spaghetti. Bake for another 10-20 minutes till chicken is 160 degrees when checked with meat thermometer and cheese is melted and bubbly. I like my cheese just slightly browned so you can turn to broil for a minute or so depending on your broiler but be careful you don’t want to burn the whole thing.
Simple to prepare and quick to cook and so delicious to eat . I made it in the air fryer but can be made in a conventional oven . I served alongside burnt Brussels ( family fav) and rice pilaf . Sort of perfect weeknight meal.
You may want to buy the seasoning Chili Lime — available in the spice section of most supermarkets and Trader Joes makes a good one, and can be ordered on Amazon as well.
It was perfection on a plate.
Happy September and Back to School and all of that.
Ingredients:
2-3 Salmon Filets — adjust seasoning for more
app. 1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
Olive Oil or Olive Oil Spray
Salt and Pepper
Chili Lime seasoning Blend
Hot Honey — I have a mild one in the house and it’s sort of perfect
Fresh Lime wedges for serving
Directions:
Pat and dry salmon filets first
top each piece with dijon mustard — I just spread a thin amount on top of each– add a little olive oil spray or a drizzle of olive oil, season with Salt and Pepper, and the chili lime seasoning and drizzle the hot honey over each filet.
Give it a fresh squeeze of lime at the end!
*air fryer instructions
spray inside basket with cooking spray
Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees for about 8-10 mins.
Then air fry for 6-8 mins. depending on the thickness your salmon or until it reaches your own desired doneness. 6-8 minutes is perfect for me . You’ll have to figure out what’s the best timing for you.
I like my salmon just cooked but everyone has different taste.
You can also bake in regular oven at 400 degrees . Use a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Chicken Scarpariello could easily be one of my most favorite dishes to order in an Italian Restaurant. The translation is Shoemaker’s chicken and it is a classic Italian-American dish of chicken, sausage, onions and peppers . The flavors are layered and spicy and sweet and this recipe often has potatoes in it but this time I left them out and we didn’t miss them. I made this for 2 people so used only 1 lb. of chicken. Recipe is for 2 – 3 pounds of bone-in skin-on chicken , you can use whatever pieces you like but if you’re using breasts have them cut in 1/2. I also made whole recipe in my Le Creuset Stockpot because I cut recipe for just the two of us. If you make whole recipe you’ll want to transfer to a large roasting pan before putting in the oven. I didn’t because I only used 3 pieces of chicken and 2 sausage links so I kept it all in the Le Creuset dutch oven .
Enjoy this hearty recipe and if I were making potatoes I might just roast some on the side and add in when I serve. Potatoes are totally optional.
Serve with some good bread to soak up this delicious sauce.
Ingredients:
3 lbs. bone-in , skin-on Chicken I used thighs only this time,, use what you like but keep breasts small and cut in 1/2 and this recipe can be easily cut in 1/2
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ( or coarse black pepper)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( if you’re cooking up chicken and oil disappears add a little at a time)
4 links Italian Sausage — you can use 1/2 mild and 1/2 spicy whatever you’d like
2 large Bell Peppers and if you’re making for more people and transferring to large roasting pan you can use 3 Bell peppers — seeded and cut into thin strips
1 large sweet onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic — probably 2 small cloves
4-8 hot vinegar cherry peppers or pepperoncini, left whole If you don’t like hot you can substitute with sweet cherry peppers in vinegar or peppadew peppers in vinegar( I know Trader Joes has these) Use what you like and what you can find.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. season chicken pieces with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven style pot or use a large pot/pan for sautéing . In batches, ( don’t over crowd pot) brown the chicken , skin side down to start, you’ll probably want to sauté for at least 5 minutes or more per side and using tongs check for skin color to be golden brown, this may take longer or shorter and be careful not to burn the oil. I used a medium flame but if it starts to burn lower immediately . Remove the chicken to a plate when finished. Add the sausage to same pot and sauté until brown, about 3 -4 minutes per side. ( they will not be cooked through at this point– just browned. Remove with tongs , cut into 1″ slices and set aside along with chicken.
Now into the same pot sauté the bell peppers, onion and garlic until soft and beginning to brown , probably another 5 minutes or so. I sprinkled a little salt and pepper here while it was sautéing
Return the sausage to pot, add the cherry peppers or pepperoncini, chicken broth , wine, vinegar, oregano . Gently mix together, then transfer everything in the pot ( all liquid as well) to a large roasting pan. ( I always spray first for easy clean-up and easy removal of cooked food) use an olive oil spray if you have it and spray lightly) Nestle the chicken in the vegetables (skin side up) with sausage and roast in the oven until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced slightly, probably 30 minutes . If you are halving this recipe for 2 people you can put Le Creuset in the oven which is what I did but for larger amounts use roasting pan.
I served on plate and spooned a little of the sauce on top of chicken and vegetables.
Hope you enjoy as much as we did.
You can test done-ness of chicken with a meat thermometer.
*I prefer using dark meat here but that’s totally up to you
this is an old recipe of mine that I’ve played around with and it makes a perfect side dish anytime of the year. not too difficult to make , takes a little playing around but pretty easy . I used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape this time. you can use pearl barley which is available in almost every supermarket out there. i have to say this product worked very well. Not exactly Mushroom and Barley?? but barley shape egg noodles
Great for Rosh Hashana and actually any other time for dinner as well. It’s delicious!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 3/4 cup Pearl Barley or any kind you can find ( I used Manischewitz egg noodles in a toasted barley shape) it doesn’t have to be toasted it can just be regular barley shape noodles. I love to use this product , it’s usually found in kosher section.
1 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
1/2 spanish onion chopped
2 – 3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
I use a very little bit of vegetable oil ( maybe 1 tablespoon) and saute onions, then mushrooms till cooked down. I salt and pepper generously here. I remove the mushroom/onion mixture from saute pan, wipe the pan clean with a paper towel . melt butter or margarine in pan, brown the barley/noodles for about 4 – 5 minutes, move it around as you brown it. in the meantime transfer mushroom/ onion mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish (spray with pam) when barley/noodles is browned place in dish with mushrooms and onions and mix well. add 2 cups of chicken broth. cover with aluminum foil, and bake in oven covered at 350 degrees for app. 45 minutes. remove from oven, and add a little broth, depending on how dry it is, i would say i added about 1/2 cup , you may need to add more, add the 1/2 cup and mix well and see if you need more, not too watery, keep it dryer. cover, and i put it back in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. taste for salt and pepper. and there it is. very delicious.
I made this chicken last night as I wanted to try it out , it’s a conglomeration of a few recipes I’ve been playing around with.
I used chicken thighs because we prefer them, but feel free to use breasts and have butcher cut them in 1/2.
If I were making a lot I might split into 2 sheet pans.
This is both sweet and savory and make sure you use balsamic Glaze not balsamic vinegar.
Carrots and Potatoes — roasted in the same pan is a win win for me!
Enjoy! and Happy Healthy Peaceful New Year!
Ingredients:
6-8 bone -in , skin- on chicken thighs
1 1/2 lb gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks — I quarter them
3-4 carrots, cut into chunks similar to potatoes
3-4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. balsamic glaze
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1-2 teaspoons paprika
Kosher Salt and black pepper
Directions:
Prepare a very large sheet pan I used the biggest one I have — I spray with Pam Olive Oil Spray or use parchment paper or aluminum foil
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees
Toss potatoes and carrots in a large enough bowl with about 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil , thyme, salt and pepper , garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Mix well, I usually allow them to sit in a bowl for a bit while prepping other ingredients. Spread them on a large prepared sheet pan.
Roast for 15 minutes in hot oven, give the potatoes and carrots a bit of a head start
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels
Rub a little olive oil ,salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika all over both sides of the chicken
Take baking sheet out of oven and spread out the carrots and potatoes making room for chicken with the veggies.
Roast for another 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and crispy,
In a small bowl mix balsamic glaze and honey with a small whisk or fork.
Remove tray from oven for the last 5 minutes or so depending on your oven, brush the chicken with the mixture, drizzling any extra over the vegetables as well.
For extra , switch to broil for last few minutes at the end — it really did make a difference but you gotta watch it carefully! Crispy delicious skin on chicken ( see pics)
*dry spices aren’t exact amounts like for Salt and Pepper just be a bit generous on chicken and veggies with the salt or else it will be very bland
Melted Chocolate and Toasty Marshmallows!!! This is a hit for your next party or just for your family. Who says it’s only for camping out? This was made in the oven very quickly and came out perfectly delicious and perfect all year round. A few minutes in the oven and a few minutes to prep and you have a delicious most fun dessert to serve. Serve it with graham crackers or graham cracker sticks and watch it disappear. You can also mix it with peanut butter chips for a little bit different spin on S’mores. All I can say is yum!
Happy Labor Day!
Ingredients:
app. 1 regular size bag of chocolate chips, you can use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, peanut butter chips or any combo.
Marshmallows- start out with a whole bag — you’ll probably use 3/4 of the bag –you can use minis or the large ones but I just used regular sized this time which are readily available
Graham Cracker Squares–for dipping
I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet– it makes for a great presentation and it cooks perfectly– just be very very careful with serving it because skillet will be very hot — careful supervision with this one
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray the cast iron pan with cooking spray ( this will help with clean up) Pour the chips you’re using in an even layer on the bottom of the skillet. Bake for3-4 minutes or until chocolate chips are melted . Watch closely because you don’t want to burn. Using an oven mitt –remove the skillet from the oven and stir the chocolate around then cover the top with the marshmallows completely. Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until marshmallows are browned on top. ( see photo) Serve immediately with graham cracker squares —only tip is to be very careful , because the dip and the pan will be very hot!!!! you’ll have to supervise with little ones and even some of the over anxious adults. You can let it rest for about 4-5 minutes before serving. But it should be served hot.
*if you don’t have a skillet you may use another oven-safe baking dish like a 9×13 pyrex would work . Chocolate does melt more evenly in cast-iron skillet and it retains heat better.
*you can adjust the amounts of chocolate and marshmallows to your liking, and the size of the skillet. Some of these photos show the jumbo sized marshmallows which will work just as well or you can cut them in 1/2.
*use whatever kind of chips you like, and any kind of marshmallows you like — mini marshmallows work well here too.
I saw this recipe in the NYT Cooking Section by Ali Slagle and decided to make it as a side dish/main dish for my daughter who is a vegetarian. I ate it as a side dish and can attest to its tastiness . The feta is soft and creamy and plays nicely with the sweet juicy tomatoes and chickpeas are slightly sticky from the honey and if you’d like add some spice with crushed red pepper flakes. Eat with pita, salad hummus or even yogurt. This is what I did last night . It’s a simple meal which is delicious.
Next time out I will make with an angel hair pasta or orzo.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 cans (15 oz.) chickpeas ( garbanzo beans) drained, rinsed and as dry as you can get them
2 pints cherry or sungold tomatoes I used Sugarbombs which Whole Foods sells
1 shallot thinly sliced
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons honey if you’re adventurous you can use Hot Honey for more kick but leave off the red pepper
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher Salt
I used 1 block of feta sliced into 1″ blocks ( see photo)
Directions:
Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet pan, stir together the chickpeas, tomatoes, shallot, olive oil honey and crushed red pepper. Season with salt, then spread in an even layer. arrange the feta blocks among the chickpeas.
Roast until the feta and tomatoes are soft and the chickpeas turn a golden brown, 30-35 minutes. This is meant to be eaten right away and hot. The feta will harden as it cools so reheat the leftovers. You can add rice or a thin pasta would be perfect as well or orzo.
*you can use sliced red onion if no shallot
*fresh basil would be a nice addition
**if you’re not on board with the vegetarian version you can add some sausage along with chickpeas or chicken
Tons of blueberries around in the summer and it’s such an easy and delicious dessert. I make a day ahead and bake for a bit then take it out of fridge bring to room temp then heat it up for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes while we’re eating dinner so it’s ready when were ready for dessert. I serve with vanilla ice cream — perfection in a bowl.
This is really easy to make , you can easily double recipe up to you, but you make have to bake for an hour if you do.
This is what I did.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
I used 2 large containers of blueberries – you’ll need about 5 cups but you can double
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 lemon– you’ll need 1 lemon grated and juiced
Topping:
1/4 cup butter – softened to room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar light or dark I prefer light
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup oats – regular or quick whatever you have
*optional 1/2 cups sliced almonds –or chopped pecans/walnuts I opted out of the nuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degress
Grate the rind of the lemon and squeeze the juice of half of the lemon
Toss washed blueberries with sugar, lemon rind, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons flour
Place in a 2 quart baking dish — 9×9, 9×11 or if doubling 9×13 — you can eyeball it for a pretty baking dish that can sit on the table as well
Set aside blueberries, and with a fork , combine the butter, brown sugar oats, flour , cinnamon and nuts if you’re using
I find clean hands get it squishy and the right consistency but a fork will do.
Sprinkle topping over the blueberries
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly.
Cool slightly and serve warm — I like it with some delicious vanilla ice cream but greek yogurt or whip cream works well too.
Thanks again to one of my most favorite cooks to follow Pamela Salzman. I love this recipe for the summer when the zucchini is fresh and delicious as well as the tomatoes and the corn. Can be served at room temperature which is always perfect. Pretty easy prep and comes together beautifully in a short amount of time. Grab the zucchini , tomatoes, and corn and get cooking on this one. I also added a jalapeño ( seeded) and some Basil for extra flavor. Perfect accompaniment to any BBQ or meal.
Ingredients:
2 medium size zucchini- diced
2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped – if you don’t remove the seeds this will have a lot of kick, I removed almost all of the seeds
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 -3 ears of corn –removed corn from cobs
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes — halved
2 oz. of feta cheese , crumbled — I just sort of eyeballed it — didn’t use a lot as I didn’t want it to overpower the flavor of veggies
some fresh basil leaves torn by hand, just eyeball it
Directions:
In a large skillet (12″ or more) melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the zucchini and jalapeño and sauté until just tender about 5 minutes or so.
Add the corn, tomatoes, a big pinch of salt and black pepper to taste and sauté until the tomatoes soften, probably another 5 minutes or so. Taste for seasoning.
Transfer to a serving bowl, and top with crumbled feta and basil.
Enjoy!
and thanks again to Pamela Salzman for a delicious recipe.
