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!

It’s Fall and this is the most perfect dessert while apples and pears are abundant . Baked with brown sugar and oat topping served warm with vanilla ice cream and it’s perfection on a plate. This is what I did and it really is pretty easy and not very technical for those of you who want to bake a great dessert but don’t want to fuss with cakes and frosting etc. and special equipment. Most perfect!!! Can be made ahead of time and even frozen . Perfect Thanksgiving dessert and if you like just use all apples and omit the pears doubling up on the apples. But Pears are so wonderful — just saying.

Can easily be cut in 1/2 for a much smaller gathering. You can even put into small ramekins and bake like that for individual servings.

Delicious Easy Dessert.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from my kitchen to yours.

Ingredients:

Fruit Mixture:

3 ripe firm pears peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3 apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

3/4 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

*Vanilla ice cream for serving — obviously optional but in our house it’s a must

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I spray a 9 – 10 inch deep dish pyrex type of dish or any baking dish you like — set aside

In a large bowl combine pears, apples, orange juice, sugar , flour , cinnamon and vanilla — All the fruit mixture ingredients

Dump all the ingredients into your prepared baking dish.

Make the topping in a separate bowl . Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add in the melted butter and stir until combined, using your clean fingers crumble the mixture over the fruit. You’ll want to press some of it together to form clumps.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until topping is golden brown, and fruit is tender and it is bubbling all around the edges.

Serve warm with ice cream.

*I put into oven when we sat down to dinner and let it cook so it was ready for dessert. Let it sit for awhile to set.

You can also make ahead and then just re-heat for 45 minutes to an hour . I cover with aluminum when re-heating.

Enjoy!!

Cornbread is a delicious side at almost any meal. The only problem is that I often find the corn bread super dry and not so great. There’s nothing worse than putting all that effort in to baking only to have it come out dry and crumbly. I figured out a way to solve this problem — using Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. I love cornbread alongside chili and soups and salads . You can add sliced up jalapeño if you’d like.

This cornbread came out moist and delicious. No judgements here — I am all about the short cut and making life easy .

I used an 8×8 pyrex and it was pretty thick , I would suggest a 9×9 or a 10″ pyrex it will be easier to cook. Next time out I use a 9×9. It came out perfectly but the center took a little longer to fully cook and the edges start to brown up so if you have a 9×9 or 10 use that.

The prep on this is ridiculously easy and it would be a great bread for Thanksgiving if you’re not making my Cornbread Pudding.

Ingredients:

2– 8.5 oz. boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

2 eggs

2/3 cup Milk

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Add the Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix to a large bowl

Add in the eggs, milk, sour cream, vegetable oil and sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together

Pour into a pre-sprayed ( Pam) casserole dish if no Pam use butter and grease the whole pan

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean — Mine was in an 8×8 so I had to cook a little longer — but I would go with a minimum of 9×9 next time.

This soup recipe was inspired by Melissa Clark’s Lemony White Bean Soup with Turkey and Greens. I changed the recipe around to suit my taste by all means check hers out as well @nytimes.com/recipes .

I like my soups thicker so I pureed 1 can of beans with a little broth and this had the desired effect. Don’t skimp on the squeeze of lemon it brightens up the flavor perfectly.

I really enjoyed this soup and it was excellent as lunch the next day . I just added a little water and heated it up and it was perfection in a bowl.

You can freeze up to 3 months and when you defrost you’ll just add a little water or broth to bring it back to the perfect consistency.

I served with some very delicious corn bread that I made . ( just a suggestion)

This is what I did.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 large onion , diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

app. 1/2 bag baby spinach or regular spinach

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 lb. ground turkey

3 minced garlic cloves

1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 Teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 quart chicken stock– I used a little more to puree beans or just puree beans without broth — it will be fine. I happen to have some extra broth on hand.

2 15 ox. cans white beans, drained and rinsed — Cannellini or small white bean or Navy Beans

1/2 Lemon — squeezed

Directions:

Heat a large soup pot ( Le Creuset) over medium-high heat for a minute or so and add the 3 tablespoons olive oil, heat for another minute or so. Add diced onion and carrot, saute until very soft and onions are translucent , app. 10 minutes. ( don’t burn)

When the onion is golden, add tomato paste, cumin and red-pepper flakes to the pot, saute until paste darkens, a few minutes more.

Add turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, saute and break up the meat, until turkey is well incorporated , app. 7 – 10 minutes.

While this was cooking , I took 1 can of beans , ( rinsed and drained) and pureed along with a little broth in the food processor.

Keep the other can of beans whole after you rinse and drain.

Then add the stock and the whole beans and pureed beans and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until soup starts to thicken, tasting for salt as you go. I do this for at least an hour. I prefer a thicker broth and the pureed beans gave me this. You can always add more stock , a little water or even a splash of white wine to thin out the broth.

I like my soup to sit for a while and I kept it on a low simmer . Right before serving I added app. 1/2 bag of baby spinach. ( any greens will do but I prefer spinach because it’s soft and and takes no time. If you use Kale or a tougher green like collard greens it will take longer to soften up — maybe another 15 minutes or so.

I then squeezed 1/2 lemon into the soup pot, tasted for salt and it was done.

I served with a little grated parmesan cheese and next time I make this I think I will cook up some small pasta ( ditalini type ) and add to the soup bowl for a very filling meal.

This was delicious and I served with freshly made corn bread.

This is an oven baked rice with mushrooms which turned out so perfectly and so delicious I just had to share. The rice was garlicky , with a hint of butter and the mushrooms were golden brown and juicy. Very little prep and very few ingredients and very tasty. Perfect accompaniment to poultry or fish.

Give it a go.

Ingredients:

Mushrooms:

1 lb. Mushrooms, I sliced them but you can quarter them as well , I just used regular white button mushroom. Cremini would be fine here as well

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

3 large garlic cloves

Kosher salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil– I started with 1 Tbsp. and then added a little more because mushrooms seemed a little dry — don’t soak them in oil but if they seem dry add a little

Rice:

1 cup long grain rice — I used Jasmine –Basmati would also work perfectly or long grain white rice

1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian

3/4 cup Water

3/4 tsp. dried thyme

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

Green Onions to top it off after it is completely cooked

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Place Mushrooms in a large bowl, pour hot melted butter over mushrooms , add minced fresh garlic, and about a teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill– you can taste raw mushrooms for salt and pepper add to your own discretion

Place all the rice ingredients in a baking pan ( app. 9×13)

Stir the rice around so its evenly spread out over the bottom of the pan

Spread the mushrooms over the rice–they may be partially submerged but should pretty much cover the whole surface of the rice

I cooked for app. 45 minutes and made sure all water was absorbed and rice was perfectly cooked I then removed from oven and let it rest for a few minutes then topped it off with some chopped up green onions.

This is so my kind of meal once the weather starts to turn a little colder. It’s made with a store bought rotisserie chicken and this chicken chili is all made in one pot on the stove-top. It’s filling and the different peppers add a wonderful mix of flavors to the chili. You’ll need a large dutch oven sort of pot for this and you’ll have some left overs for sure depending on how many people you’re cooking for.

I crumbled some tortilla chips on top of my chili and added a dollop of sour cream which added to the flavor. Cheese is also a wonderful topping here.

Of course if you hate cilantro you can eliminate it and be careful cutting the peppers, the seeds and ribs in the pepper hold all the heat. It’s your call how spicy you’d like it. I like spicy but don’t really use the seeds and I keep it mild and more family-friendly because you never really know how spicy it can get adding the seeds and ribs. I also use rubber or latex gloves while cutting and be careful not to touch your eyes till you’ve completely washed your hands. If I want heat I can add a shot of Chohula to my own.

This chili does thicken considerably as it sits. If you make it ahead of time, you may want to add broth or water depending on how thick you like it.

Leftovers are great and this chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat and you may want to add some broth or water to it as well.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth, divided

2 15 oz. cans white beans (cannellini)–drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper , seeded and minced

2 medium poblano peppers, seeded and diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

Kosher Salt to taste

1 Rotisserie chicken, skin removed and shredded

3/4 cup frozen corn

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime

*1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro –we like it a lot but not everyone does I know so just omit it

Optional Toppings:

Sour Cream

Crushed Tortilla Chips

Shredded Pepper Jack or Cheddar Cheese

Lime Wedges

Directions:

Get all ingredients chopped and ready to cook.

In a food processor , blend 1/2 of the beans (1 can) with 1 cup of the chicken broth and set aside with the remaining drained beans

Add the olive oil to a large pot or Dutch Oven and heat it over medium high heat. Add the onions, jalapeño pepper and poblano peppers and cook, stirring frequently until soft about 4-5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, then add the cumin, coriander and ancho chili powder and continue to cook, stirring frequently for another few minutes. Add the Chicken Broth, pureed beans and app. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

Stir in the shredded chicken, reserved whole can of beans, corn and lime juice; bring back to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt . Stir in the chopped cilantro. It will be somewhat soupy still and that’s OK. The longer it sits the thicker it will get. I let it cook for probably an hour or so and If it’s too thick you can add a little water. It’s really a chili so I like it thick but it’s totally up to you how you like it.