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Green Goddess Salad

Posted on April 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

I first came upon this recipe from Melissa Benishay on Instagram . It is simple , delicious and nutritious. I make it my way which means I pretty much follow her recipe but add chicken, chopped bacon (sometimes), feta, scallions and cucumbers. I also will add chopped up jalapeños for a spicy kick and avocado would be perfect as well. You can make this completely vegan of course but I just like to zuzh it up a bit. Add whatever you like and make it your way. Enjoy!

The ingredients are interesting and you may need to buy a few of these items. For the dressing

Lemons — which give it the fresh taste and the acid it requires

Olive Oil– for the good Fat

Rice Vinegar– a bit of sweet flavor and tang

Shallot– for the sweeter onion flavor

Garlic– because it’s garlic– need I say more

Basil–for that pesto like consistency and flavor

Spinach– for extra nutrients and a lot of green color and don’t tell my hub

Nutritional Yeast– I know I know why???? Because it adds cheesy like consistency and B12 vitamins –it’s kind of like powdered cheese and full of flavor but vegan and has now become a shelf staple in my house for vegan cheese sauces, vegan dips, soups, scrambles, stews and you get the drill.It’s super nutritious and full of protein, B Vitamins, and anti-oxidents.

Walnuts– a nutty base

Salt– to pull it all together and highlight all the layers of flavors and way to bland with no salt

*you’ll need a blender for this one

You can make the dressing ahead like I do in the morning or the day before and it will keep in the fridge for 2-3 maybe 4 days.

Salad Dressing Ingredients:

juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar

2 largish cloves of garlic

1 smallish shallot

1/3 cup chives

1/4 cup walnuts, cashews, or nut of your choice — I always have chopped walnuts so that’s my nut of choice

1 cup fresh torn Basil Leaves

1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast– I got mine at Trader Joes but you can get this in almost any supermarket

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

For the Salad:

I like 1 head ofIceberg Lettuce chopped up and finely diced or you can use a head of green cabbage

3-4 mini cucumbers finely diced–optional see above paragraph on ingredients

1/4 cup chives, finely diced — also optional I used green onions/scallions tonight — use what you have even red onion diced is fine

1 bundle green onions / scallions

Directions:

Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl once they’re chopped up

Add all liquid dressing ingredients to a blender give it a whirl, and then add dry dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.

Yummmmmmmm and Thank You to Melissa Benishay or Baked by Melissa as most of you know

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Homemade Chicken Soup with Not-So-Homemade Matzo Balls

Posted on April 11, 2024 | Leave a comment

IMG_4514I always make my own chicken soup. It is delicious broth. I usually make a few batches and freeze them because it’s a great thing to have frozen in quart containers as stock and will last for up to six months frozen. When the holidays come—whether Rosh Hashanah or Passover—I always make my chicken soup with matzo balls. I make the soup a day ahead and skim whatever fat is on there before adding my matzo balls. Keep reading for my “secret matzo ball recipe”.

INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN STOCK:

1 5lb. organic roasting chicken (I throw away the insides)

1 package of chicken wings (this was suggested to me a long time ago by my BFF Karyn and she was oh so right. It adds some fat, which translates into a lot of flavor and you will skim off the fat the next day. Thanks, Karyn…yes, I remembered!)

1 large, yellow Spanish onion; unpeeled and quartered

A big bunch of dill

4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds

4 carrots, unpeeled and halved

Bunch of flat-leaf parsley (Use this only if you want. This time, I didn’t have it so I used only the dill.)

A bunch of thyme (if you wish)

1 head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise (skin and all)

2 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

DIRECTIONS FOR SOUP:

I place the chicken, chicken wings, onion, carrots, celery, whatever herbs I’m using, garlic, salt and pepper in as large a  pot as I can find (usually about a 16-20 qt. stockpot.) Add cold water to cover chicken by at least 2 inches above the chicken but not to the top of the pot because it will boil over (very messy). Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours. I skim the soup skum (sounds lovely) off for the first half hour or so—after that, you shouldn’t have much more. I remove the chicken from the broth after an hour or so, because it is cooked and it will taste like a rubber chicken if you plan on eating it. Sometimes, I like to shred it and return it to the soup. If you are not using the chicken (what a waste of good chicken), just leave it in. It will fall apart in there. I leave the wings and discard them at the end of the 3 hours. Next, I strain all of the soup, discard all remnants, fill my containers and put in the fridge. The next day (or the day of the holiday), I usually skim off the fat that has risen to the top and make my matzo balls (recipe below).

MATZO BALLS:

This has always been my secret, but now it’s out. Okay, I own it. After years of making matzo balls from scratch, my mother (yes, my mother, the cook) turned me on to Manischewitz boxed matzo ball mix! It just wasn’t worth it. My balls weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, whereas these are always perfection! Light and fluffy and everyone always loves them. No sinkers here!

I follow the directions on the box carefully. They sell just the mix box. You will need vegetable oil and 2 eggs per box. I do add a little piece of dill inside each ball, but that’s it! Now my secret is out. Sometimes this is really the only way to go. It saves time and ingredients and is really good. No MSG or trans-fats either! So make the soup, cheat with the balls, and enjoy. There is no substitute for homemade chicken soup, though.

*You can also add thin soup noodles to this recipe, if you like. (obviously not on Passover)

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Passover 2024

Posted on April 9, 2024 | Leave a comment

Passover is right around the corner. This year Passover will start on the evening of Monday April 22 and end on Tuesday April 30. It’s a great time to sit down with family and friends and celebrate. First Seder is April 22 and the second Seder is April 23. This also happens to be a Jewish leap year which must be the reason for the latesness of Passover this year. Because the lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so an extra month is added to certain years to make up the difference. Seven leap years will happen in a 19 year cycle, and it can cause passover to start after the second full moon, the last time this happened was in 2016 , and since the dates are determined by the Hebrew calendar which is based on lunar cycles it is pretty late this year. It’s a holiday commemorating the emancipation of Jewish people from slavery in ancient Egypt.

There are many traditional foods during Passover and I will share my recipes with you. Everyone has special foods and traditions that they like to follow. Certain foods are always expected on the table along with a new one here and there. Traditionally Charoset, Gefilte Fish, and Matzo Ball Soup are on the table . Brisket or Chicken with a multitude of side dishes.

If you do observe Passover, I hope you have a wonderful Holiday and I hope you enjoy these recipes.

I will be posting my favorite tried and true recipes for the rest of the week — any questions you can email me or DM me on Instagram or FB. I will be as helpful as I can be.

Enjoy and Happy Pesach!

This is a list of some of the recipes I will be posting. If you’re interested in any of them you can go to cookingwithcandi.com and put the name of the recipe in the search box. You can also just google the recipe along with Cooking with Candi that always works. As I said starting tomorrow I will be posting some of these wonderful recipes.

These are some of my go-to’s and all recipes are on my website @cookingwithcandi

Homemade Chicken Soup with not Homemade Matzoh Balls

Traditional Ashkenazi Charoset

Passover Popovers

Slow Cooked Brisket

Happy New Year Brisket

Un-Stuffed Cabbage — one of my personal favorites in place of Sweet and Sour Meatballs and it cooks on the stovetop so it frees up the oven !

Grandma Regina’s Farfel–My Grandma Regina lives on through this recipe and it is always on our Seder Table — it’s a little tricky to make but totally worth the effort

Honey Roasted Chicken

Chicken Marbella-– we love this Silver Palate staple and it is almost always on our seder table

Old School Meatballs–Sweet and Sour and delicious also made on the stovetop so frees up the oven

Apricot Honey Mustard Chicken

Peach Farfel-– a must — just ask anyone who’s ever made it

Bree’s slow cooked skirt steaks— I sometimes make this in place of Brisket– using the slow cooker for the steak or the brisket frees up your oven for other items

Karyn’s Cranberry Apple Crisp for Passover — a must have for every table — made especially for Passover and you can make it for dessert if you prefer!

Judy’s Apple Matzoh Kugel for Passover

Sweet Matzoh Pudding

Spinach Soufflé for Passover–so very easy and it’s vegetarian but it contains dairy so if you’re kosher this won’t work for you

Passover Cobbler

My Favorite Macaroons — Traditional Style for Passover and always on my table

Julie’s Brownies for Passover

Chocolate Bark Surprise

Marcy’s Matzoh Crunch Candy— super delicious and easy to make and very addictive — a most amazing Passover Dessert

Meringue Cookies

Ellen’s Passover Apple Cake

Matzoh Brei

Enjoy! and watch for my recipes but feel free to peek ahead and look at them.

Passover spinach souffle
Cathy’s Popovers for Passover
macaroons for passover

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Skillet Chicken with Lemons and Onions a la Ina Garten

Posted on April 5, 2024 | Leave a comment

I absolutely love this recipe and I must admit to making a few small changes but if you want to see her original recipe you can google it. You’ll have to buy a chicken some place that will be able to spatchcock it (butterfly it)– Whole Foods butcher will do this as well as your local butcher. Then when you get home and are ready to cook with it just press down on the chicken and sort of flatten it out. You’ll also need a cast iron pan large enough to hold it. I used a 12″ size pan and it was perfect. Believe me this is one of the most satisfying meals I can think of. Serve with whatever sides you like — we had homemade cranberry sauce , rice pilaf and roasted string beans. Perfection on a plate. Ina Garten has created some of the best recipes for home cooks today. The ingredients are all accessible and the presentation is beautiful and the food is delicious. This particular way of roasting a chicken is particularly delicious. This is what I did the other night and it was nothing short of fabulous.

Enjoy and thanks again to Ina Garten.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground coarse black pepper

1 Lemon — sliced 1/4″ thick slices

2 large garlic cloves, minced she says thinly sliced but I prefer to mince

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4 ” thick

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 app. 4 lb. chicken, backbone removed and butterflied ( spatchcocked)

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees

Place the thyme, fennel seeds, 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt and 1 Teaspoon pepper in a mini food processor and process until ground.

Pour the olive oil into a small glass measuring cup and add the herb mixture and set aside

Distribute the lemon slices on bottom of 12″ cast iron skillet and distribute the onion and minced garlic on top of the lemon slices.

Place the chicken on a separate baking sheet and pat it dry then turn the chicken skin side down and using a brush add about 1/2 the olive mixture to chicken. Turn the chicken skin side up, make sure it’s dry using paper towels ( very important for crispy skin) and brush remaining mixture all over the top of the chicken. Place chicken on top of the onions and lemons skin side up.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and pour the wine into the pan but not on the chicken just into the area that’s open around the chicken. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155-160 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the oven and sprinkle with the lemon juice, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters or however you like and serve hot with pan juices, cooked lemon and onions. I spoon some of the juice onto the top of chicken before serving.

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Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs with Spicy Corn

Posted on March 26, 2024 | Leave a comment

I saw this delicious recipe in the NYTimes Cooking Section by Melissa Clark and since I almost always consider her recipes to be winners I tried it. This is what I did and please feel free to check out the original recipe .

It’s slightly spicy and the corn gets a little roasted in the sheet pan alongside the chicken thighs and it’s simple and very tasty.

Very delicious and I served hot out of the oven but it was pretty delicious as a cold leftover the next day served on a bed of lettuce with some avocado .

This is what I did. Enjoy! http://www.nytimescooking.com

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken thighs

1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

1/4 cup finely chopped basil plus more for garnish if you like

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup chopped pickled jalapeños, plus brine from the jar

4 cups fresh or frozen corn (app. 4 ears of corn if you’re buying fresh corn) I used frozen

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, plus a little more for drizzling

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 lime halved

Directions:

Pat dry the chicken thighs, season the chicken thighs all over with salt. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, basil, garlic and 2 Tablespoons of jalapeño brine. Add the chicken to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 8 hours overnight.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss together corn, pickled jalapeños, olive oil, remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt and half of the scallions. (save remaining scallions for serving)

Arrange the chicken on a sprayed baking sheet, spacing it out, roast for 12 minutes. Spoon the corn mixture onto the empty parts of the baking sheet. Drizzle chicken with a little oil. Continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through, 10-15 minutes longer, and give the corn a little stir once while roasting somewhere in the middle.

Turn the broiler on high and broil the chicken and corn until golden brown in spots, about 2-4 minutes and watch carefully so it doesn’t burn, though a little blistering is nice on both corn and chicken.

garnish chicken with basil, remaining scallions and you can squeeze some fresh lime juice over this. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This would be a perfect summer dish served at room temperature outside for lunch or dinner.

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Sheet Pan Asian Style Chicken Meatballs and Burnt Broccoli —

Posted on March 24, 2024 | Leave a comment

This was a delicious twist on chicken meatballs. The meatballs were so amazingly moist and tasty and I served over Jasmine Rice and it was just perfect. The original recipe is from Bon Appetit and I took a few liberties with it. We like spicy food so I used some Sriracha along with the ketchup — you can make this as spicy as you like or not spicy at all depending on how much or how little Sriracha you use or use none at all. If you’re in the mood for something a little different this one’s for you. We just love meatballs and we’ll eat them any which way. Have fun with this one. And you all know that my husband absolutely still refuses to eat broccoli so it was his loss because it was delicious.

*a little note I use my mini chopper to chop ginger and garlic and I use it for onions as well . It gets it finely minced. If you don’t have one of these mini choppers I highly recommend it’s use to get garlic, ginger and onions and other vegetables finely grated when recipe calls for that.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: Sauce

2/3 cup Ketchup — I decreased the ketchup and added about 1/3 Sriracha – and it was very spicy but we like very spicy . So please either keep it 2/3 of ketchup for totally not spicy or decrease a little ketchup and add a little Sriracha.

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tbsp. Water

2 Tbsp. Honey

4 tsp. Soy Sauce

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 garlic clove — finely grated — see note above about finely grating

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients: Meatballs and Broccoli

app. 1 lb. of Broccoli — you just want florets so if you’re starting with a head of broccoli you’ll have to trim and cut etc. I just bought a 1 lb. package of broccoli florets available in most grocery stores these days. ( not frozen)

2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil divided — 1 for broccoli and 1 for Meatballs

2 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt divided — 1 1/2 for Broccoli and 1 for Meatballs

* a pinch of Crushed red Pepper which is also optional

1 lb. ground chicken– I try to use 85/15 chicken the 90/10 tends to be very dry and really the best is ground dark meat if you can find it

1 large egg beaten to blend

4 scallions , thinly sliced

2 garlic cloved, finely grated

1 ” small piece of ginger , finely grated

1/3 cup Panko ( Japanese Breadcrumbs)

1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil — I use regular Sesame Oil but you can use Toasted as well

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Rice for Serving any kind you like , I used Jasmine this time but any kind will do

Directions:

Mix ketchup, Sriracha ( if you’re using) , Worcestershire Sauce, water, honey, soy sauce, grated ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan. I measured out about 1/4 cup mixture into a small bowl for glazing meatballs, later. Bring remaining mixture to a simmer over medium high heat stirring occasionally and reducing heat if necessary, let sauce thicken , about 5 minutes. Transfer sauce to a small bowl or leave in pan and remove from heat.

Meatball and Broccoli Assembly:

Place a rack in upper third of the oven; pre-heat to 450 degrees. I sprayed a sheet pan with cooking spray and lined it with aluminum foil. In a separate bowl I tossed florets with 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil, 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt, and a few pinches of crushed red pepper ( optional) I brushed the sheet pan with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of Vegetable Oil and then placed broccoli florets on the edges of the baking sheet to create space for my meatballs.

Mix chicken, egg, scallions, garlic, ginger, panko, sesame oil, pepper , 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt, and 4 Tbsp. Water in a medium bowl and mixed all ingredients together till just combined — don’t overmix

Using wet hands form into 12 meatballs — Probably 2 inches apiece though I didn’t measure but I got 12 beautiful sized meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet; brush with some of the reserved glaze ( 1/4 cup) ( see photo) Bake until meatballs are cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven; heat broiler. Brush meatballs again with glazing mixture; broil until broccoli is charred and meatballs are browned in spots, app. 5 minutes but keep an eye on them. At the end of 5 minutes if you’re meatballs look ready but your broccoli isn’t charred enough, remove meatballs and continue to broil broccoli till it’s charred enough.

Spoon meatballs and broccoli over rice in a bowl. Drizzle with sauce and there you go!

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Quickie version of my Greek Lemon Chicken with potatoes

Posted on March 22, 2024 | 2 comments

One of my most favorite go -to meals is my Greek Chicken- Sheetpan style with Potatoes and Lemons but the trick to that recipe is marinating at least 6-8 hours and it needs some planning which is just fine if I make the plan. Yesterday I decided to make this while I was in the supermarket and came home – no marinating and voila — not exactly the same but satisfied the craving for those flavors and didn’t have too marinate.

Easy peasy ingredients and you can adjust the seasonings to your own liking. Again , I prefer thighs to breasts but if you insist just watch your cooking time as the breasts tend to dry out. And this is skin-on bone in thighs.

The potatoes crisped up beautifully and if you’d like you can have some tzatziki sauce on the side for them. I used small Yukon Gold potatoes leaving the skin on– the skin is paper thin and eliminates the need for peeling.

This was just delicious — serve alongside a green salad or any veggie you’d like and you’ll have a most perfect meal.

Ingredients:

For Chicken:

1 package of chicken thighs, skin on bone in — app. 2 lbs

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper and a drizzle of EVOO ( extra virgin olive oil) — for chicken

For Potatoes:

1 1/2 -2 lbs. potatoes I used Yukon Gold small potatoes, wash and cut into 1″ pieces

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 lemons– I used 2 small lemons for marinade and I sliced 1 for sheet pan

2 tbsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp. heaping dijon mustard

1/4 cup EVOO ( extra virgin olive oil)

*pinch of crushed red pepper — totally optional but we like the kick

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Dry off chicken thighs and drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, set aside

In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, salt, pepper, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, garlic, water, dijon mustard, and EVOO , Mix well

Pour potatoes onto a well sprayed ( cooking spray like Pam) sheet pan. Arrange lemon between the potatoes, place chicken thighs on sheet pan — I like to make sure that the chicken is directly on the sheet pan

Bake at 400 degrees for an hour and check on it. I baked for about 1 hour and 15 minutes for perfect crispy skin and perfectly crispy potatoes

Now go and Enjoy this delicious meal!

j

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Chicken Shawarma

Posted on March 18, 2024 | 2 comments

I got this recipe from Pamela Salzman’s cookbook Kitchen Matters. I absolutely loved it. I made the chicken and then proceeded to turn it into a rice bowl. The rice bowl accompaniments can be whatever you like. I use Tzatziki Sauce instead of Tahini white sauce. You can also serve over salad which is quite delicious as well. Greek Salad in particular would be great! Add some delicious pita or Naan bread and it’s perfection! I made a side order of roasted peppers and onions and you can add mushrooms as well. I did this in the oven about an hour before dinner. (cut up peppers and onions add a little olive oil to coat and salt and pepper and 400 degrees for about 45 minutes )Big thumbs up on the peppers and onions in the rice bowl. Feta cheese is a must here! (buy a good one) and pepperoncini in mine!

I cooked on my outside grill but this can be cooked indoors on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. Or use a grill pan which would probably cook faster — either way it is delicious.

I also highly recommend marinating for as long as possible. I prepared the chicken in the morning and probably marinated for about 7 hours. Minimum of 1 hour and you can do overnight as well. This marinade was very flavorful.

Thanks to www.pamelasalzman.com

Marinade:

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice– I used 2 average sized lemons

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon — I used a heaping 1/8 teaspoon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper– I used a heaping 1/8 here too

Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper –probably 1/4 teaspoon as well

4 minced garlic cloves

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs– we obviously prefer thighs but if you must use white meat go ahead but be careful it doesn’t dry out this is why we prefer the thighs to the breast especially in this recipe.

Directions:

prepare the marinade– Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large glass bowl. Add the raw chicken and toss to coat. Marinade in the fridge for as many hours as you can — this was key. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 1/2 hour before cooking.

I cooked on my outside grill for about 7 minutes on each side. I like the outside edges a little crispy since I don’t have a revolving spit to cook my chicken on this is as close as I could get. When I can’t grill ( like in the city) I cook in 400 degree pre-heated oven for about 30 mins. then broil for just a few minutes to get it all crispy. Keep an eye on it in the oven though.

*Another perfect thing to do is to double it up on the day of prep. Take out what I will need for that night and freeze the remainder of the marinated chicken. The next time we’re in the mood for this yummy dinner I just have to take it out of freezer in the morning and defrost and cook! Saves me the time of making the marinade again.

Enjoy! I know you will.

I sliced up chicken served it in a rice bowl and we each used different accompaniments. The peppers and onions were perfect with it. Highly recommend it and you can buy store bought tzatziki which would be just fine. Would be good with some delicious toasted pita or naan bread.

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Coconut Rice — Chrissy Teigen Recipe

Posted on March 15, 2024 | 2 comments

This is my go to rice recipe — sweet and salty delicious recipe. Perfect served alongside a savory BBQ or any meal for that matter. Always a hit at our house. I like Chrissy Teigen’s recipe of all the coconut rice recipes. And don’t skimp on the toasted coconut. This is not diet food — but it’s delicious and worth the few extra calories. Absolutely yummy!

Don’t forget to rinse the rice and let it dry — it takes another 1/2 hour or so and is absolutely worth it. I just rinse it through a mesh colander– run cold water over rice and move rice around a little with your hands and let it dry . Rinsing or washing rice removes that excess starch, resulting in grains that are more separate when cooked.

Enjoy and thanks again to Chrissy Teigen for this wonderful recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups Jasmine Rice ( rinsed and drained)

1 14 oz. can coconut milk– full fat not light

1 3/4 cups water

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions:

In a dry pan, toast coconut over medium-low heat, stirring until lightly brown and fragrant. About 4-5 minutes. Watch carefully . Transfer to a plate to cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine all other ingredients including rice, coconut milk, water, sugar and salt.

Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Once it boils reduce heat to a barely simmer until rice is fully cooked and liquid absorbed keep covered. About 20 minutes. I time it for 20 and check on it at 15 minutes. Remove from heat when all liquid is absorbed and fluff with a fork. Then re-cover the saucepan and let it stand for at least 5 minutes before serving. Last night I made an hour ahead and let it sit and it was perfect.

Transfer to a sering bowl and top with toasted coconut.

Enjoy!

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Sheet Pan Shrimp with Asparagus and Potatoes

Posted on March 6, 2024 | 2 comments

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This dinner was just delicious.  I used under 8 size shrimp. What this means is that there were about 8 to a pound , so rather large and the cooking times were perfect for them. You will probably have to adjust your cooking time depending on the size of your shrimp. Obviously the larger shrimp took a little longer to cook. Timing will vary depending on your oven and the size of the shrimp you use.  The potatoes and asparagus times will remain pretty much the same. I just love cooking on one sheet in the oven! This recipe is a keeper and one I will re-visit often and maybe use different veggies, since I am the only one who ate the asparagus anyway.

Ingredients:

1 pound large shrimp ( anywhere from 8 – 16 count) is perfect – thawed, peeled and de-veined and leave the tails on

Extra – Virgin Olive Oil

3 cloves of garlic-minced

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes if you hate the spice you can omit it

2 Lemons, 1 for zest and juice of, the other 1 thinly sliced

1 lb. Asparagus-trimmed

1 lb. Fingerling Potatoes–halved lengthwise

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper–read directions for amounts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a large rimmed baking sheet for easy clean up

Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil . Add in minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to coat and set aside.

In another mixing bowl , toss the sliced potatoes with 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil. Season generously with Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper. Transfer Potatoes to the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast potatoes for anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes, or until they are almost tender.

While potatoes are roasting, toss asparagus with 1/2 Tbsp.of Olive Oil and season with Salt and Pepper,  Set aside

Now add 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice to bowl of shrimp and toss to coat. Season Shrimp pretty generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

After 20 minutes or so remove potatoes from the oven and add asparagus and lemon slices to baking sheet. Continue to roast potatoes and asparagus for another 10 minutes,  potatoes should be tender by now , pierce a potatoe with a fork to check for tenderness. If potatoes still need time you can leave them in for a few more minutes. Using a slotted spoon add shrimp to baking sheet and put back in the oven. Roast for another 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink-opaque and firm to touch. My shrimp took about 12 more minutes, this time will depend on your shrimp. I checked after 5 minutes and using tongs turned them over and continued cooking for another 7 more minutes.

When I removed from oven I sprinkled with lemon zest. Perfection on a plate!

*one added tip– after my shrimp is peeled and de-veined and before I am about to cook I always wrap my shrimp in some paper towels to dry them off. It helps with the oil and spices sticking to shrimp.

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