Summer Peach Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Posted on September 1, 2017 | 1 comment

It’s Labor Day Weekend and this signals the end of the summer. Let’s enjoy this delicious salad as we enjoy the last weekend of the summer! Be safe and be happy ! And Keep on Cooking with Candi!

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It’s the end of the Summer and the Palisade Peaches are here in Colorado along with the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes. It’s a no-brainer salad going on here made with the freshest of ingredients. Fresh Mozzarella is readily available almost everywhere now and grab some fresh basil while you’re at it. This salad worked out well with a few easy ingredients and it packed some super delicious flavor. Hurry to your farmers market or produce store to grab some of these beauties before they’re gone .

*this recipe is for 2-4 but can easily be doubled for more

Ingredients:

1 pint of cherry tomatoes ( I grabbed some heirloom cherry tomatoes)

1 large peach or 2 small (Palisade Peaches here in Colorado have been amazing)

4 ounces fresh mozzarella

1 shallot

some fresh basil–throw in about 8 pieces and add more or less depending on your own particular taste

1 1/2…

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Tequila Chicken

Posted on August 30, 2017 | 1 comment

Tequila Lime Orangey Chicken! yum. I love this marinade , it’s full of citrus , spicy and savory. Almost everyone has a bottle of Tequila in the pantry right? I do and I can’t remember the last time I drank it, but I do cook with it. I used gold tequila , but didn’t use a very expensive brand. Be careful with the jalapeno, use gloves. I sometimes leave a few seeds because we like it hot, but remove all seeds if you don’t like it very spicy. This marinade packs a lot of flavor. I always let it marinade overnight. It’s an easy recipe and I make it on the grill mostly in the summer, delicious cold as well used in salad the next day if you have any left over. Original recipe calls for 2 lbs. of chicken, I use the thinner chicken cutlets because I prefer them. Use whatever you like. This marinade is also delicious on chicken on the bone, just use a chicken cut up in 8’s.  I use a plastic bag to marinate the chicken in fridge. Right before grilling, I put chicken on a plate and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt and a little freshly ground black pepper, this is important because the chicken needs the salt and pepper.  The original recipe comes from The Barefoot Contessa but I’ve taken liberties with it, thanks again to Ina. I also think that this would be awesome cut in strips and served with salsa , guacamole and some soft tortillas.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup tequila ( I use gold , but use what you have in the house)

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice ( about 5 -6 limes)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice ( 1 – 2 depending on the size of orange, get 2 in the event you need more)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno ( seeded)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic ( app. 3 cloves)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 lbs . chicken cutlets ( I used boneless, skinless) thin cutlets. You can use whatever you like

Directions:

Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. I used my mini chopper for jalapeno and garlic. Pour over chicken breasts and refrigerate overnight. As I said I put all ingredients in a large hefty ziploc bag.

Heat grill, and spray or brush rack with oil to prevent sticking ( which I always do) Grill the chicken for about 4 minutes on each side ( depending on what kind of chicken you are using) they should have nice marks and be browned. Turn the chicken and cook other side for the same. Remove from grill to a plate. Cover tightly with foil, and allow to rest for a couple of minutes.

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Orzo with Lemon Shrimp and Spinach

Posted on August 27, 2017 | 1 comment

photoDSCN0367DSCN0363DSCN0372DSCN0384DSCN0390By now you all know how very much we love shrimp. It comes in handy to have an ex-shrimp monger on hand to clean and devein my shrimp. I love cooking it but not so much cleaning and deveining it. Joel not only obtains the best shrimp around but he really does do a great job of cleaning and deveining. ( I think it’s in his DNA) In any event we make a pretty good team when it comes to shrimp dishes.
So now on to this delicious dish. I didn’t feel like grilling and this dish was calling out to me. I saw Giada de Laurentiis make a shrimp scampi on her show and she made it with arugula , it looked so awesome and light I figured I’d do it my way and make it with spinach even though I knew Joel wouldn’t eat the spinach. Our friend Drew was over and he loves spinach so we ate Joel’s spinach, once again it’s his loss. This dish was pretty easy to pull together once shrimp was prepped. Not a whole lot of ingredients, and whole thing took about 1/2 hour.  This dish was very light in flavor and a perfect summer night meal, doesn’t have to be served super hot , can be room temperature. Thanks again to Giada for the wonderfully inspiring recipe.

*once the shrimp is prepared this dish is a snap. Have your fish store clean and de-vein your shrimp for you.

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup olive oil

zest of 2 large lemons ( try to use organic if you’re zesting and eating the peel) and scrub those lemons well

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice ( from the 2 large lemons you just zested)

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth and set aside.

Ingredients:

1 lb. orzo

1 lb. shrimp , I used large under 10’s, peeled and deveined  ( you can have fish monger do this )

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot , chopped

app. 1 more teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup dry white wine ,  ( I used what I had on hand)

6 ounces of spinach , I used baby spinach, use whatever greens you like. Giada used arugula .

Directions:

Cook orzo according to directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper . Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped shallots and cook until soft for a few minutes. Add the shrimp, cook shrimp until they turn pink and are just cooked through depending on the size of your shrimp. When shrimp is cooked through remove the shrimp from the skillet. Increase the heat to high and add the 1/2 cup of wine, allow to boil up and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, cook for another minute or so until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Then add orzo to the pan along with the vinaigrette and the spinach and let it wilt down.  I added most of the reserved pasta water , you’ll use as much or as little as you need, I used whole cup of reserved pasta water. Add the shrimp back in and toss well until all the ingredients are well coated. Serve up and enjoy.

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S’Mores Baked in the Oven

Posted on August 25, 2017 | 1 comment

IMG_8638IMG_8636IMG_8639 IMG_8641 IMG_8642IMG_8634 IMG_8633 IMG_8632Oh Wow!!! what could be better??? truly easy and very little fuss , perfect with the kids and perfect for the adults. Very rich and gooey. Whole thing takes about 40 minutes from start to finish and you can re-heat the sliced bars in the microwave for about 30 seconds if you have some left-over. It’s great for a large group and I would say about 12-15 servings here. Let’s hold on to the last few weeks of summer with this delicious dessert.

For a very traditional s’mores taste eat immediately, I think they tasted a little better after they cooled down for a bit. Whichever way you prefer them –this is a great recipe for a crowd. You can prepare first and then pop in the oven while you are having dinner. Enjoy!

*also I was able to obtain these amazing square marshmallows in the supermarket, if you see them –grab them otherwise just regular old marshmallows will do the trick.

Ingredients:

Crust:

18 graham crackers

1/4 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter-melted

*parchment paper — I think you’ll want to work with it for this recipe–it can get difficult once they harden to get them out of pan. Clean up was a snap with it.

Topping:

3 extra-large Hershey Bars (or 7 regular-size ones)

24 jumbo marshmallows–look for the large square ones

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 Pyrex type baking pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper , allow an extra couple of inches of paper to hang over the edge.

In the food processor bowl, pulse the graham crackers until they are finely ground. Transfer the crumbs to a medium-sized bowl.

Add the sugar and salt to the graham crackers and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are moistened. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer.

Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden. Let the crust cool off completely before adding chocolate. I probably let it sit off heat for about 1/2 hour.

Arrange the chocolate bars (see picture) evenly on the top of cooled crust, I had to remove 1 row of chocolate to fit it in pan and left a little uncovered crumbs around edges. Arrange the marshmallows on top of the chocolate, leaving a little space between each one (see photos) Marshmallows will expand slightly.

Bake until the chocolate is soft and beginning to melt, and the marshmallows are evenly toasted on top. Probably about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven.

I couldn’t wait to eat them but I would suggest letting them cool off for  a little bit, cutting was easier when it cooled down ( after 15-20 minutes) I was able to cleanly cut slices. It’s more like campfire s’mores when you eat them hot out of the oven and certainly messier.

You can re-heat the sliced bars in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. If you are keeping them , cut them and store individual slices.

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Cauliflower, Orzo and Feta Salad

Posted on August 22, 2017 | Leave a comment

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IMG_0858 Completed Salad

IMG_0854 Before I added the spinach

I just purchased Chrissy Teigen’s new cookbook “Cravings” and I was super impressed by the book and her recipes. I have to admit I follow her adventures in cooking and life on her Instagram account so when I saw the book was coming out I wanted to buy it. It has some amazingly delicious recipes in it and this one jumped out at me and begged to be made. It was totally delicious and I have made it numerous times now.  So thanks to Chrissy Teigen for this recipe and check out her cookbook,  it’s very worthwhile.

I made cauliflower and orzo in the morning and put together ingredients as they cooled down. The cooling off of orzo and cauliflower was the only time-consuming event in making this recipe. You can refrigerate salad once cooled down, but I would bring it to room temperature prior to serving.

This…

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7-UP Bundt Cake

Posted on August 21, 2017 | 1 comment

Amazingly Delicious Bundt Cake made with 7UP Soda!!!

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IMG_7176IMG_7179IMG_7183IMG_7238IMG_7237IMG_7234IMG_7222Now you have to wonder how a cake like this ever get discovered in the first place? Baking with actual drinking soda sounds both disgusting and intriguing but I was up for the task. I promise you it was delicious. IMG_0563IMG_0561  I gave up drinking soda a few years ago and now I’m going to put it in a cake? But that’s exactly what I did. I had to wonder how a cake like this came to be,  was someone drinking 7-UP and spilled 3/4 of a cup in by accident? OMG it’s a lot to think about it but all I can say is WOW! I did a little research on the recipes and there are quite a few out there, most of these “soda” cakes seem to hail from the South.  Baking is a little tricky up here at high altitude but it went well. Bundt cakes make you look like…

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Champagne Vinaigrete and Kale/Brussels Salad

Posted on August 19, 2017 | 1 comment
photo 5 (6)

Colorado Kitchen

photo 1 (3)

Dressed Salad

photo 1 (6)

Ingredients

photo 3 (4)

View from Deck

photo 2 (4)

Joel’s Salad with lots of Parmesan Cheese–hey he ate it!

photo 1 (4)

This Champagne Vinaigrette appeared on my blog back in 2012. It’s really perfect on any kind of greens and this is the salad that I made along with it. I love Kale but I don’t like feeling like I’m eating the front lawn. I like my kale very finely chopped and massaged with dressing. I use my food processor to chop the kale and I dress the salad ahead of eating it and let it sit for a while so that the kale can absorb as much of the dressing as possible. This salad was really delicious and I know this is almost impossible to believe but I got Joel to eat some of it! The way I did that was to add a lot of parmesan cheese to his plate and he ate it. I also threw in a picture of my kitchen and a picture of the view from one of our decks . Enjoy this dressing it is perfection in a bottle and good on almost anything you put it on. I will be making this salad again and again.

Champagne Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (Maille makes a wonderful mustard)

1/3 cup Champagne Vinegar

1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Honey

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt to taste app. 1/4 teaspoon to start

freshly ground black pepper , a few grinds of the mill to taste

Ingredients for the Salad:

1 bunch of Kale or a bag of washed and chopped kale , baby kale is great as well — if you can buy washed and chopped it saves lots of time

1/2 lb. of Brussels Sprouts, washed and cut thinly–now you can buy brussels already sliced which makes prep super fast and easy!!!

*this is optional but it adds pretty color and some more crunch. 1/2 small head radicchio, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup of Grated Parmesan or Shaved Parmesan

1/2 cup of dried fruit, I used dried craisins, but raisins, cherries, any of them will do

1/2 cup pignoli nuts, I roast them in the oven for about 4 minutes till they get toasty. ( in oven at 350 degrees for about 4 mins.)

*add any seasonal fruits or vegetables or protein you may like,  this is just a basic salad idea.

Directions:

Using my blender I threw all vinaigrette ingredients  except for the olive oil which I slowly streamed in through the top of blender until dressing emulsified. Taste for Salt and Pepper and you’re good to go.

Wash and Dry the Kale, remove the stems and ribs and just use the leaves. Even better you can buy triple washed kale already chopped. I still put that through my processor because it’s not chopped enough for me.

In the food processor I chopped up kale slowly, you don’t want to over chop the kale either. As soon as it starts to break down I stopped and removed it and added more.  I do it in sections till it’s all chopped.

Slice Brussels very thinly into slices , they will fall apart as you slice and mix them into salad.  Add Brussels to Kale with all other salad ingredients except for Parmesan Cheese. I added cheese when I was ready to serve to individual plates.

photo 5 (4)

Raw Chopped Salad pre dressing

photo 5 (3)

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Basic Corn Salad

Posted on August 16, 2017 | 1 comment

This is the time of the year when corn is at its sweetest and readily available all over. There are times I buy fresh corn but don’t feel like serving it on the cob, even though it is perfectly delicious this way. This corn salad is a suggestion for you as a side dish with very little ingredients and pretty much all corn. I like to serve as a side dish in the summer because it can be made ahead and served at room temperature.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and keep on Cooking with Candi.

Ingredients:

5-6 ears of corn , schucked

1/2 cup small diced red onion

3 Tablespoons cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons good olive oil

1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt – you can always add more salt after you finish and taste for salt

1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper the same applies for the pepper as for the salt

app. 1/2 cup cut up fresh basil leaves–use as much or as little as you like –it adds wonderful flavor

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the corn for app. 3 minutes (just to let go of the starchiness) Drain and immerse in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. When the corn cools down , cut the kernels off the cob , cutting close to the cob to get the whole kernel. I use a bundt pan to catch all the kernels.

Toss the corn kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

How simple and easy is this?IMG_5739

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Marinated Flank Steak

Posted on August 15, 2017 | Leave a comment

I was having some people over for dinner and I like Flank Steak because you cut it up into thin slices and everyone gets a little bit without feeling like they ate a ton of meat. It cooks up on the grill super fast– about 5 minutes on each side. And it is awesome when used in fajitas!!!

This is what I did. Here are some pics from that night.

Ingredients:

3 lb. Flank Steak

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice –app. 1 large lemon

1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 cloves garlic–minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

in a medium sized bowl, mix all the above ingredients. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours but I did it overnight till dinner the next day.

Pre heat your grill and turn to medium high heat.

I like to oil the grates and spray with Pam spray. Place steaks on the grill and discard the marinade .

Grill depending on the thickness of your flank steak app. 5 minutes each side.

Enjoy!

 

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Corn and Tomato Soup – no cream

Posted on August 9, 2017 | Leave a comment

DSCN0358DSCN0382DSCN0381The corn is so delicious right now that I had to make this soup. I was going to save this recipe for the Fall but I used the fresh Olathe corn at the market now and couldn’t wait to share. When the corn is not as fresh and sweet you can definitely use frozen . I used fresh tomatoes from the farmers market and fresh Olathe corn ( local in Colorado) but I happen to know Long Island has particularly good sweet local corn. So while the getting is good and you can get fresh vegetables please do so. Farm to Table here we go again.

I made this soup for dinner as an appetizer. I think it would be good cold but I prefer it warm.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 shallots , coarsely chopped or 1 large one

1 teaspoon kosher salt ( more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ( more to taste)

3 1/4 cups corn, or 1 lb. bag of frozen corn thawed it’s approximately 5 – 6 ears of fresh corn

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian

2 beautiful medium size tomatoes, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces*

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn

Directions:

In a large dutch oven ( Le Creuset) type of pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, salt and pepper, cook stirring occasionally until shallots are soft, app. 5 minutes. While this is going on cook up the corn as follows.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and just cook corn till it turns yellow for 1-2 minutes, then I throw into an ice bath to stop the cooking. When corn is cooled down cut kernels off cobs.

Place the cooked shallots, corn and chicken stock into the blender.

Pour the corn mixture back into the pot. Bring the mixture to a low simmer , cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, just to heat through.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tomatoes and basil, let it cook for another 10 minutes or so.  Taste for Salt and Pepper.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve!

*to seed the tomatoes, cut them in 1/2 horizontally and using a small dessert spoon, scoop out the seed and discard. The seeds make the soup too watery.

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Posted in Healthy Cooking with Candi, soup, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

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