I have made this many different ways and the other night experimented with this recipe by adding fire-roasted diced tomatoes and it was ever so delicious. Feel free to use regular diced tomatoes but the fire roasted ones gave it an extra layer of flavor that was truly delicious. I made this on the stove top and even though it’s ready in an hour I let it sit for a while on a very low flame ( more like 2 hours or more) the flavors meld best this way. This can be frozen but I freeze without the pasta , I like to add my pasta separately to the soup. It’s vegan if you don’t top with parmesan cheese and this recipe should yield at least 6 bowls of soup if not a little more. It’s a delicious vegetarian hearty warm soup that happens to be very healthy and delicious. One of my favorites.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion , chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 medium ribs celery, chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables, Potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, green beans or peas will all work here

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes with their liquid, or 2 small cans –I used fire roasted diced tomatoes and they were ever so delicious

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 teaspoon or more to taste of kosher salt

2 bay leaves

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup small pasta — like ditalini or elbows or small shells

1 can ( 15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or any beans 1 1/2 cups

2 cups chopped kale or baby spinach —

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, for garnishing

Warm 3 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste, minced garlic, and a little bit of kosher salt. Cook , stirring often until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Don’t burn.

Add the seasonal vegetables you’re using and oregano and thyme, cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.

Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add some salt now , bay leaves and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like. And add black pepper.

Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then partially cover the pot leaving a small gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer — I honestly let it simmer for up to 2 hours.

I cook my pasta in a separate small pan and set aside.

I add the beans and you can add the greens now if you like and continue simmering uncovered now, probably another 20 minutes or so till greens are tender. If you want a more classic soup omit the kale /spinach but I love it so I add it to mine —

Remove the bay leaves from the pot, taste for salt and pepper. Put some pasta into bottom of each bowl ( doesn’t matter if it’s cold because soup will heat it right up) Garnish bowls with cheese if you like or put on table for everyone to add their own.

Perfection in a bowl and may be frozen for up to 3 months — it’s better to freeze without the pasta and you’ll probably add some vegetable broth or water to it when it defrosts.

This is the most delicious and easiest way to cook a chicken — very little in the way of ingredients , counting the chicken there are 4 ingredients. You will need a cast iron skillet and this is such a worthwhile investment. It’s relatively inexpensive and Lodge makes a great one . I use a 10″ skillet. You can actually buy it on Amazon and can get the 6.5″ as well for $30 for the two. It’s an investment you’ll use forever. I have actually seen Lodge Products in the supermarket — check it out.

In under an hour you’ll have a delicious roast chicken and the beauty of the chicken at least for the two of us is that I can make chicken salad for the next day lunch. Which these days is a win-win.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, app. 4 lbs.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper — Kosher Salt and Course Ground Black Pepper

*if you’d like a little Paprika you can sprinkle as well but for this recipe I just do S and P

Directions:

Put a cast-iron skillet on a low rack in the oven and heat oven to 500 degrees.

I brush my chicken all over with olive oil and sprinkle generously with Salt and Pepper

Once oven and skillet are hot — I leave it in for about 15 minutes, carefully put the chicken in the hot skillet, breast side up. Roast for 15 minutes at 500 degrees, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees. Continue roasting until chicken is golden brown and an instant read thermometer insterted into the meaty part of the thigh reads 165. I cooked for another 40 minutes or so after the initial 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and tip the bird gently to let the inside juice flow into the pan.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes.

Carve and Serve.

A-mazing!

This is one of my go to recipes whenever I have some chicken thighs ( which we prefer) and sweet potatoes and peppers in the house. Pretty simple and while not the most elegant meal it’s yummy and perfection on a plate.

If you really like chicken breasts cut in 1/2 so they cook evenly and if no sweet potatoes substitute with Yukon gold or any potato you prefer. But the red onion is a must and so is the pepper ( any color) as is all the spices.

*this recipe is for 4 people I cut it in 1/2 for the two of us and we ate the whole thing! This recipe is rather loose so read through the ingredients and the directions carefully and make your own adjustments to your own taste .

Stay warm Stay safe and keep on cooking with Candi.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken thighs–skin-on, bone-in

1/2 medium size red onion , thinly sliced — for four people you can actually use a whole red onion especially if you really love red onion ( which we do)

1 -2 teaspoons kosher salt more or less as necessary

1 teaspoon coriander

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3-5 tablespoons olive oil — also see directions for the oil distribution

1 -2 sweet potatoes depending on the size –I used 1 large one for the two of us ( or switch it up to any potatoes you like) just remember to cut into small cubes ( see photo) so they all cook uniformly

2 large Red, yellow or orange bell pepper , thinly sliced — I used 1 pepper for the two of us

3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground all-spice — this is a must for the win

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together 2 tsp. kosher salt , minced garlic, coriander and black pepper. Add in the chicken pieces to the bowl and rub the dry mixture all over the chicken. Let it sit at room temp. for about 30 minutes at least

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees, In another large bowl toss together 3 – 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, sweet potatoes, pepper, red onion, and 1 more Tablespoon of kosher salt, paprika, cayenne and all spice. I let this sit for a 1/2 hour or so as well at room temp. The veggies should have a light glaze of oil so I sometimes add a little more it can’t hurt just don’t go crazy . Mix well. Add a little olive oil to the chicken before you’re going to cook also that should be enough unless it seems very dry then add a little more.

When you’re ready spread vegetables on a sprayed , rimmed baking sheet. Place chicken pieces ( see photo) skin side up among the vegetables, not on top of the vegetables. Chicken should rest on the baking sheet directly.

Roast at 425 for 15 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and raise heat to 450 degrees. Using a spoon I gently flip over the vegetables but don’t flip over the chicken. Return to the oven which is now 450 degrees and roast chicken till cooked through. App. 15-20 minutes. Check on veggies and you can use a meat thermometer for chicken. I actually cooked for 25 minutes more because I like a crispy skin and the chicken thighs can take the heat.

Plate it up and Enjoy!

Originally posted a year ago and it’s a good time to make this because all the hoopla has died down and feta much easier to come by. It’s a perfectly easy recipe to follow and you and your family will enjoy.

This recipe has hit the internet and gone viral to the point that you can’t find a block of feta in the market. The reaction has been crazy. There are many versions of this recipe and I chose to go with Melissa Clark’s version because I think she’s just one of the best chefs out there and hers was the one pot version which is always a win win in my book. It couldn’t possibly be easier to make and ingredients are usually readily available, I had to hit 3 stores to find the feta ! Assuming you can get the feta this is a wonderful recipe and Joel gave it a 10. Perfectly vegetarian and perfectly yummy.

It is probably one of the richest pastas ever but the flavors were amazing. You will be using the pasta dry so no need to cook that separately .

Enjoy and Thanks to Melissa Clark @nytimescooking

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. block of feta cheese

2 pints cherry tomatoes (leave whole)

5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole — use 5 nice size cloves or a few more if small

Fresh Rosemary and Thyme– I used a few sprigs of thyme and a few sprigs of Rosemary — the Rosemary I removed from the stem the thyme I used sprigs. These are pretty strong herbs so you don’t want to use too much. Just enough to give it that wonderful flavor ( see photos) 12 ounces dried pasta–I used Orecchiette but any type of pasta will do — Farfalle pasta would also be perfect

Olive Oil– see Directions

3 cups boiling water

Kosher Salt — app. 1 teaspoon

*Crushed Red Pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees

I sprayed a large baking dish with cooking spray first, then place feta, tomatoes, garlic and herbs in baking dish and I drizzled olive oil over cheese and tomatoes — just enough to lightly glaze the tomatoes and a little on the feta itself ( see photo)

Bake for 40 minutes till tomatoes and feta break down.

After 40 minutes, I removed from the oven and very carefully added the box of pasta , boiling water, teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of crushed red pepper* which of course is optional. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and return to oven for 18 minutes.

Remove from oven after 18 minutes, stir, then cover again and let sit for at least 10 minutes. I probably let it sit for 20 minutes because some of my pasta was still very hard. By the end of the 20 minutes it was perfect al dente and I mean perfect. It could be that I am at altitude so after 10 minutes check for the doneness of the pasta it should be al dente ( have some bite ) Also be careful of eating the whole garlic cloves unless you want to .

Served with a green salad and it got a 10 from Joel.

Just a little explanation of curry before we go any further. As I learned on a trip to India curry in it’s simplest form is an Indian gravy or sauce that is used with meat , tofu, or vegetables. It is usually served with rice and most popularly Basmati Rice and it contains many different kinds of spices. You can have a mild curry or a spicy curry. This recipe is a combination of different spices and actually doesn’t even use actual curry powder. So when people say they don’t like “curry” what exactly are they referring to? We loved this dish and since I am not in NY at the moment and can’t get good Indian cuisine I decided to make this recipe. Pretty easy if you have all ingredients in the house — mostly spices . Of course you control the “heat” of the curry — this was obtained with the cayenne pepper so use at your discretion. Very simple dish and I served with Basmati Rice .

This recipe as is will serve 4-6 — for the two of us I halved it — not an exact science so don’t worry about it. For instance I used 1 1/4 lb. chicken thighs. Yes I think chicken thighs yield the best flavor but if you absolutely don’t want to use them you can use breasts just cut them into smaller pieces.

Be a little adventurous and you might surprise yourself. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Ingredients

2 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs , mine were rather small so I left whole but if they’re large cut into 2-3 inch pieces —

1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt — you can use Greek and you can use 2% as well

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated and divided

2″ piece of ginger, minced or grated and divided as well. If no fresh ginger which I recommend you can use powdered . Use app. 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, divided.

2 Teaspoons kosher salt, divided plus more for taste

3 Tablespoons neutral oil such as Canola or Vegetable

2 large onions, minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 15 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne powder– this will give flavor and a bit of a kick so go with less if you like a mild curry

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Combine chicken thighs with yogurt, half of the garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl and set aside for however long you can ( up to 1 day) I did for about 5 hours and it was just fine. I refrigerated and took out while I was prepping ingredients.

In a large 4 qt. or larger heavy stock pot with a lid, heat oil. Once hot add onions and cumin seeds and cook for app. 5 minutes or more till onions break down and are translucent. Add remaining salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cayenne and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they break down and add the tomato paste, cook for another few mins. Now add the chicken in yogurt marinade, plus water , stir to combine , and bring to a simmer , stirring. If you need more water add a little at a time. Simmer for 25-30 minutes stirring every once in a while and checking for consistency of gravy.

Chicken should be done when it is cooked for about 1/2 hour, you can check by cutting a larger piece to see if it is cooked through. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Salads are always one of my favorite recipes — this one is absolutely delicious and very easy and very simple to follow. Salads are my favorites because they are so loose, you can swap out ingredients for something you like more and add in some stuff you like. I have made this with a variety of bases , cabbage, or one of those cabbage mixes that they sell in the supermarkets. The last time I made this I used a cabbage mix with Kale and Carrots that they sell in Whole Foods which tasted wonderful. I wouldn’t use a lettuce mix because it won’t hold up to the dressing so stick with a cabbage type of base.

You can even dress ahead if you prefer your cabbage a little less crunchy. Kale also tastes best when it gets to sit in dressing for a bit.

* should serve 4-6 nicely as a side salad

Ingredients:

1 head of purple cabbage or a package and 1/2 of cabbage mix — app. 1-1 1/4 pounds –as you can see in photos one time I used a package of a kale and cabbage mix and one time I just chopped up a head of red cabbage. Do whatever combo you like

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice — I prefer the taste of lime but if no lime use a lemon

Salt and Pepper– you can use black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes — to taste — I sprinkled a little crushed red pepper not too much just a pinch or so.

1/2 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped or sliced

4 ounces of feta but if you really like feta you can use a little more — crumbled or chunked your call

2 teaspoons well-toasted sesame seeds– put into oven on a small baking sheet and cook for a few minutes to brown up slightly — be careful not to burn

Directions:

Toss cabbage with Olive Oil and one Tablespoon of fresh lime juice, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, coating everything evenly. Taste and add more lime juice, if needed more salt and pepper. Go easy on salt because feta is salty but you will need a little salt. You’ll want the base well seasoned because this is where salt and pepper are best absorbed. I let it sit for a bit so that the cabbage softens up. You can actually let the whole salad sit for at least an hour, if not longer in the fridge. The salad leftovers tasted pretty good the next day as well.

Fold in the dates and the feta and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

That’s it folks — easy and delicious fresh tasting salty and sweet salad.

It has certainly been one crazy un-precedented year. Here’s a list of recipes from CWC that you my readers have gone to the most. It’s hard to sometimes figure how some recipes get so much attention but that’s part of the fun of writing this blog. You might want to check out some of these very popular recipes for yourself.

Happy Healthy New Year to all of you from my kitchen to yours.

Keep on Cooking with Candi.

1. Vinaigrette with Maple Syrup
2. Clams and Spaghetti–White Sauce
3. Chicken Cacciatore
4. Baked Salami
5. Mushroom Barley — Side Dish
6. Peach Farfel for Passover
7. Bowtie Pasta with Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms
8. Grandma Sally’s Mandel Bread
9. Classic Soffritto with Spicy Sausage
10. Tik Tok Pasta

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.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my kitchen to yours.

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

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

I know that most of the time I post a soup recipe with chicken it’s using a rotisserie chicken which is a convenient hack but this time out I used ground chicken. Saw this recipe on my favorite cooking site @nytimes.com/recipes and knew I had to make this . Of course I made a few changes to our tastes but feel free to check out original recipe. Very very easy and very delicious. You can definitely add egg noodles or any small pasta or cavatelli. I used ditalini which I almost always use for a small pasta. You may need to adjust amount of stock so have extra on hand.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 Tablespoons olive oil–

1 pound ground chicken ( if you can get dark meat I would but unless you’re going to a butcher you probably won’t find it) white meat is fine

Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes or slice and cut in 1/2 moons —

2 celery stalks, halved lengthwise, then sliced 1/2″ thick

1 large shallot , finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme– if you want to use fresh thyme about 1 Tablespoon of thyme leaves

7-8 cups chicken stock, more as needed

1 cup dried small shaped pasta

Directions:

In a large stock pot , heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with some salt and pepper and cook, using a wooden spoon to crumble chicken, app. 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and coriander and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through, app. 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove chicken to a small bowl and cover with aluminum foil to retain moisture, cover and set aside.

Add the carrot, celery, shallot, thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot, season with some salt and pepper and cook stirring until everything is slicked with olive oil, app. 3 minutes. Add the stock — I started with the full 8 cups and brought to a boil over high heat.

I cooked my noodles in a separate pot . When the soup cooked down for a while and vegetables were very soft ( probably a 1/2 hour or more) I added the ground chicken and any and all juices that were in the bowl and heated until warmed through, taste for salt and pepper.

I placed some pasta in the individual bowls and poured the hot soup over the pasta and if you’d like a squirt of fresh lemon is always delicious here.

Enjoy!