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Category Archives: vegetarian
Farmers Market to Table Gazpacho
Delicious fresh vegetables from the local farmers market went into this gazpacho. This time of year you must take advantage of the awesome selection of fruit and vegetables at your local farmers market. In Colorado there is so much local produce it would be a pity not to . I bought the tomatoes , cucumbers, peppers, garlic and red onion all from our local farmers market. Whole Foods also sells many local products which is so amazing. It’s just quite wonderful to put food on your table from your own garden or at least from one within 100 miles of where you live. Farm to Table . Simply put it’s the best .
Ingredients:
1 cucumber or 2 – 3 Kirby size cukes, halved and seeded , but don’t peel . If not Kirby cukes you can use a hothouse cucumber. Go organic, because you are eating the peel.
2 yellow bell peppers, cored and seeded. Of course you can use red bell peppers, but not green.
4 tomatoes — Whole Foods and most grocery stores have beautiful produce this time of year so use the heirlooms if you can get them or any of the fresh tomatoes will do.
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced or throw them into the food processor along with vegetables
3 cups Spicy V8 or use regular tomato juice
1/4 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
*1/2 to 1 whole jalapeno depending on how spicy you like it, remove seeds from jalapeno
* cilantro, chopped is a nice touch for garnish
*avocado cut up is also nice garnish
*shrimp is also a nice garnish
Directions:
I cut up cukes, tomatoes, bell peppers and red onions into app. 1 inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor with steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not make baby food, don’t over process.
After each vegetable is chopped up combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic ( if you haven’t already) , juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. It’s a good idea to chill for a while, the longer it sits the more the taste develops.
The second night I added shrimp and avocado.
Posted in Raw, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Tagged farm to table gazpacho, farmers market gazpacho, gazpacho
Tomato Time Pasta– perfect Summer Pasta made with fresh tomatoes
Nothing but beautiful tomatoes out there begging to be eaten in a million different ways. Perfect for a “Meatless Monday” dish or any night of the week . There are tons of local tomatoes out there now. At any local farmers market you can pick up pints of these beautiful babies. This is a lovely light pasta.
I had bought 2 pints of those beautiful little cherry tomatoes and right now there are those gorgeous yellow sunburst tomatoes also available. I wasn’t sure what I would do with them. They varied in size so I knew if I made a sauce some were getting cut and some would stay whole. Nothing ever sounds better than a plate of pasta to me, nothing. These beautiful tomatoes are only out for such a limited time you have to get them while the getting is good. Some of the tomatoes were super small and I left them whole while I halved the larger ones. There are so many variations of this sauce and feel free to improvise. We love it this way. So simple and so delicious.
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Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti , any kind of long spaghetti is good for this — sometimes I use bucatini type and sometimes I use thin type long spaghetti– use whatever you’d like
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced.
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper* we like it spicy so if you don’t want it that spicy cut to 1/4, I actually used 1 whole teaspoon and it packed a lot of kick.
2 pints of cherry tomatoes or little plum tomatoes or you can use about 3 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes of any type. I cut the larger tomatoes in 1/2 and I left the little ones whole.
app. 20 leaves of fresh basil, I just cut them up into small slivers–this is totally optional if your kids don’t like green stuff– but it looks pretty
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste –I used app. 1 teaspoon on tomatoes and added towards the end as needed
freshly grated parmesan at your discretion
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions on box for al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water in the event you may need a little more liquid in your sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to cooking water for pasta. The Italians like to say that their pasta water should be like sea water good and salty. After finished cooking pasta — reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set aside before you drain pasta.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic, cook until garlic is golden about 2 minutes. Be careful you don’t want to burn this garlic. Add the crushed red pepper now and the tomatoes, and cook over medium heat. I also added some kosher salt (about 1/2 teaspoon to start, you can always add more) and a little freshly ground black pepper. Stir for a while to make sure garlic doesn’t burn and tomatoes start to burst and deflate about 5 minutes and if you think you need a little more olive oil add it now . I let the tomatoes simmer in the pan for about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour for the best consistency. I smashed down stubborn little tomatoes at the end with the back of a wooden spoon. A very low simmer at the end. Taste for Salt and Pepper. The longer the tomatoes sit in the oil and cook down on a low simmer the better the sauce will be so if you have a little time let it sit.
Once the spaghetti is cooked and you’ve drained it ( remember to reserve a cup of pasta water). Add it to the pan with tomatoes and over medium-high heat toss the pasta with the tomatoes well. Add the basil . I let everyone add their own cheese at the table.
Remove the pan from the heat and plate it up.
Yum! and even more delicious the next day.
Posted in pasta, Sauce, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian
Tagged fresh tomato sauce, light pasta, Pasta, spaghetti, tomato sauce, Tomatoes, vegetables, Vegetarian Pasta
Tomato Time Pasta– perfect Summer Pasta made with fresh tomatoes
Nothing but beautiful tomatoes out there begging to be eaten in a million different ways. Perfect for a “Meatless Monday” dish or any night of the week . There are tons of local tomatoes out there now. At any local farmers market you can pick up pints of these beautiful babies. This is a lovely light pasta.
I had bought 2 pints of those beautiful little cherry tomatoes and right now there are those gorgeous yellow sunburst tomatoes also available. I wasn’t sure what I would do with them. They varied in size so I knew if I made a sauce some were getting cut and some would stay whole. Nothing ever sounds better than a plate of pasta to me, nothing. These beautiful tomatoes are only out for such a limited time you have to get them while the getting is good. Some of the tomatoes were super small and I left them whole while I halved the larger ones. There are so many variations of this sauce and feel free to improvise. We love it this way. So simple and so delicious.
Follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi
Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti , I like long thin spaghetti for this but whatever kind you like is good– I used a whole box but you can use however much you’d like
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced.
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper* we like it spicy so if you don’t want it that spicy cut to 1/4, I actually used 1 whole teaspoon and it packed a lot of kick.
2 pints of cherry tomatoes or little plum tomatoes or you can use about 3 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes of any type. I cut the larger tomatoes in 1/2 and I left the little ones whole.
app. 20 leaves of fresh basil, I just cut them up into small slivers
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste –I used app. 1 teaspoon on tomatoes and added towards the end as needed
freshly grated parmesan at your discretion
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions on box for al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water in the event you may need a little more liquid in your sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to cooking water for pasta. The Italians like to say that their pasta water should be like sea water good and salty. After finished cooking pasta — reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set aside before you drain pasta.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic, cook until garlic is golden about 2 minutes. Be careful you don’t want to burn this garlic. Add the crushed red pepper now and the tomatoes, and cook over medium heat. I also added some kosher salt (about 1/2 teaspoon to start, you can always add more) and a little freshly ground black pepper. Stir for a while to make sure garlic doesn’t burn and tomatoes start to burst and deflate about 5 minutes and if you think you need a little more olive oil add it now . I let the tomatoes simmer in the pan for about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour for the best consistency. I smashed down stubborn little tomatoes at the end with the back of a wooden spoon. A very low simmer at the end. Taste for Salt and Pepper. The longer the tomatoes sit in the oil and cook down on a low simmer the better the sauce will be so if you have a little time let it sit.
Once the spaghetti is cooked and you’ve drained it ( remember to reserve a cup of pasta water). Add it to the pan with tomatoes and over medium-high heat toss the pasta with the tomatoes well. Add the basil . I let everyone add their own cheese at the table.
Remove the pan from the heat and plate it up.
Yum! and even more delicious the next day.
Posted in pasta, Sauce, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian
Tagged fresh tomato sauce, light pasta, Pasta, spaghetti, tomato sauce, Tomatoes, vegetables, Vegetarian Pasta
Watermelon Cucumber Salad–Perfect Summer Salad
This is a most delicious salad and a departure from the usual fare of lettuces etc. Sweet and Savory and very refreshing . Simple to pull together and easy to make. Of course you can substitute or add other items if you’d like such as olives, arugula , basil etc. This is how I did it and we all totally enjoyed it!!! The salad is a rather loose recipe and can be adapted very easily to other ingredients and your own particular tastes.
It really is the perfect Summer Salad. The saltiness of the feta and the sweetness of the watermelon make for a perfect summer salad.
Ingredients:
1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1″cubes or melon balls.
1 shallot finely chopped
1 chunk of Feta Cheese– I like to cut my feta cubed but crumbled could work as well. Feta is usually a greek style cheese made with sheep’s milk and goat’s milk. I prefer a block even though I know crumbled is more convenient. The block is usually sold in a brine and that will keep the feta moist and crumbles tend to be dryer. They all taste good though so buy what you prefer. I often buy Bulgarian Feta which is rather firm and cuts and crumbles easily. Look for it. Also French Feta sometimes–check out the assortment in the cheese section of your market. And of course Greek Feta is probably the most preferred. Salty and tangy the way feta should be. Cut or Crumble your choice.
4 Tbsp. Torn Fresh Mint — more for garnish –I love Mint but some people really don’t you can substitute Basil or nothing if you’d lke
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 persian cucumbers — I buy the small ones and cut into small cubes
1/4 red onion sliced thinly
1/3 cup Pistachio Nuts — I chop them gently — obviously no shells –you can omit this all together if you don’t like them for a nut free salad
Vinaigrette:
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
3 small cloves Garlic–finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
In a small bowl whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Directions:
Combine the watermelon,1 finely chopped shallot, and mint in a large bowl with the 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil . Season with Salt and Pepper to taste and toss to combine. Transfer to fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
Remove from fridge and add the cubed feta, cucumbers, red onion slices and pistachios. Toss to combine. I transferred to a serving platter , drizzled with the vinaigrette and served with extra pistachios and extra mint.
You’ll want to use a slotted spoon for serving.
Potatoes , Peppers and Onions
What a perfect side dish — goes with any meats and or fish. I served it alongside humble turkey burgers and hamburgers and it was really delicious! I used whatever color peppers I had in the house and I used Yukon gold potatoes because that’s what I had on hand. Perfect with some sausage as well. Did I mention super easy???? and all on one pan in the oven.
Ingredients:
app. 2 lbs Potatoes — I happen to have on hand Yukon Gold Potatoes but Russet Potatoes work well as well– any potatoes will work out — cut potatoes into app. 1″ chunks
1 medium yellow onion– cut into 1″ chunks
2 peppers — any color you like — I had orange and yellow on hand– cut into 1 ” chunks
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher Salt — app. 2 teaspoons
Freshly Ground Black Pepper– app. 1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder — 1 teaspoon — if you prefer fresh garlic — use 2 garlic cloves minced
Directions:
*important to cut chunks of vegetables fairly uniformly so they cook the same
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
In a large bowl toss potatoes, onion and peppers with oil, salt , pepper and garlic
Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet — I spray my baking sheet with cooking spray for an easy cleanup –spread out so peppers onions and potatoes have room to cook — don’t overcrowd as they will just steam and not slow roast
Roast for about 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, I stirred halfway through cooking.
That’s it — super easy and super delicious.
Posted in Potatoes, potatoes, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Traditional Ashkenazi Charoset–Apple/Walnut
This is my easiest Charoset and maybe this year we just have a little bit of this on the table for tradition sake. It’s traditional in the sense that it’s an Ashkenazi (Eastern European) recipe. I add a little brown sugar instead of white sugar and it gives it just a bit more character. Remember, while a reminder of the mortar used in making bricks for Pharaoh, charoset is really just a sweet condiment of apples and wine!
Have a Sweet Passover !
Ingredients:
3 medium Fuji apples (or any other kind you like), peeled, cored and finely diced (use processor to make your life simpler) I usually use whatever is in the house, but on Passover I go through so many apples, so buy what you like (I always like Granny Smith because they are nice and tart)
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped (buy them pre-chopped)
1/2 cup sweet red wine such as Manischewitz Extra Heavy Malaga or just Concord Grape is fine
*20 pitted dates, chopped; or 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
*for a bit of extra added flavor you can add 1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger (optional)
Directions:
After chopping apples, stir all ingredients in a large bowl. Keep in refrigerator ’til ready to serve. Serve at room temperature. You can also pulse everything together in processor, just be very careful not to over-process. I often do this to save time. You don’t want it too fine, so just go gently with the processor if you go that route. I do it in the processor, and I know exactly how I like it to come out, so go easy with the chopping. If it’s a little dry or too thick, you can always add more wine. I find this always tastes better after it sits and allows the wine to really soak and ripen for 24 hours. Before serving, check for consistency and add a little more wine, if necessary.
Candied Yam Souffle (Easy Peasy)
sweet potatoes pre marshmallows
I have always felt obliged to have this recipe on my Thanksgiving table because everyone wants it. Even if this year is a “micro” Thanksgiving I will have it on the table. A its the easiest thing to make and B everyone loves it. Believe it or not children and adults alike will always look for this tasty concoction of sweet potatoes and marshmallows. It just wouldn’t be the same without some version of this. It is easy and I just felt I owed it to all of you to pass it along. It is especially good for those of you who need to bring something to someone’s house, and don’t have time for fuss and muss. So here you go. And those darn mini marshmallows which you just gotta have. I have to admit that I love this recipe!
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
3lbs. Sweet Potatoes or Yams or you can even make this easier and use 2 cans of Bruces Sweet Potatoes drained
1 small can (I like 8 oz.) crushed pineapple (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*1/2 cup chopped pecans obviously optional
mini-marshmallows (1 bag will more than cover it) or one jar of marshmallow topping
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and melted butter and pecans if you’re using them. Simmer for a few minutes. In the meantime, place drained yams in a large bowl and mash them (you can leave a few chunked pieces.) If you’re cooking your sweet potatoes , peel and cut into quarters (cubes) fill a large pot of water to cover potatoes , add a little salt to water and bring water to boil. Boil for about 12 minutes till you can pierce potato with a fork easily. Remove and drain potatoes. I always place my potatoes back in pot to steam off excess water.
Pour sugar/pecan and pineapple mixture over the yams. Stir until combined thoroughly. Add in cinnamon and nutmeg. Transfer to a pie pan, actually any baking dish will do. Oven to Table is perfect here. Bake for about 15 minutes. Then remove, put mini marshmallows on top to cover, and raise the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes to brown the marshmallows. Don’t let it burn.
Karyn’s Cranberry Crisp- Thanksgiving
Fully Cooked Cranberry Crisp
This recipe has been around pretty much my whole married life. If there is a turkey on the table, there is cranberry crisp next to it. It originated from my friend Karyn, and we even make it for Passover with matzoh farfel. It’s so sweet and delicious that it could really be a dessert. We love it with our meal; love the sweet and savory thing. You can’t eat too much of it, it is so rich. It is also very dangerous to have in the fridge the next day, so try to give it to everyone who wants to take home leftovers. This tastes good either hot out of the oven or at room temperature. Some people may even want to make it as dessert and serve with vanilla ice cream, but the Kolens don’t. We always serve it as a side dish and it is awesome however you serve it. Thanks again, Karyn.
I suggest reading through the entire recipe before making it.
Ingredients:
4 medium apples ( I use all different kinds)
1 can (1 lb.) whole cranberry sauce
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup uncooked quick rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter–melted
*for a larger crowd you can easily double this recipe — as is should serve 8 -10
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam.
Peel apples, slice them, then arrange in baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Spoon cranberry sauce over the apples.
Separately, stir rolled oats, flour, and brown sugar together. Melt Butter and let it just cool for a few minutes then mix in with oats and brown sugar till nice and crumbly. Sprinkle this over cranberry layer. Bake at 350 degrees until apples are cooked and top is lightly browned. The entire mixture will be bubbling and your house will smell divine. You will bake about 40 minutes to an hour. You can make ahead of time, and then on the day you need it, just heat it up until it bubbles. I usually make this a few days ahead, because it’s that much less that I’ll have to do the day of. This can definitely be made ahead of time so you can make it way ahead and freeze it. If you freeze it, take it out of freezer a day before you need it, and then heat it up the day of. (Make sure it’s completely defrosted before heating up)
When you re-heat , pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and cover with foil for first 1/2 hour and then remove foil for last 1/2 hour till it starts to bubble.
Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Corn Bread Pudding
This has to be one of my all time favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving. It really would be great any time of year but for some reason it only gets made for Thanksgiving. It’s super easy and super delicious. My friend Audrey gave this recipe to me many years ago, and it has become a staple on our thanksgiving table ever since. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it. It is a favorite in our family. Can be doubled easily, just make sure your baking dish is large enough.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (unsalted) 1 stick
1 8 oz. sour cream (lite is OK but not fat-free)
1 8 oz. can sweet corn (drained)
1 8 oz. can creamed corn
1 8 oz. pkg. corn muffin mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter, mix in beaten eggs, then add the rest of the ingredients.
Pour into glass baking dish (Pyrex is good and I spray it first with a good cooking spray like Pam or Bakers Aid ) 9 x 12 works fine, it’s not a very deep pudding.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Cooking with Candi 