Broccoli Salad–no cooking involved here

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Brocccoli Slaw with same dressing

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Original Broccoli Recipe made with whole florets

I had this broccoli salad recently at a friend’s house and completely fell in love with it. It was so delicious.  Mind you I don’t even love raw broccoli , I usually prefer it cooked. This was really good and I even broke my own rule and made a new recipe for company. It is so simple to make and ingredients are easily obtainable.  So give this a try and Thanks to Huddy for this wonderful recipe which I will use again and again . No fuss and no muss here.

I put it together in the morning but you can definitely put together the night before. I would suggest making it at least 8 hours ahead of time so broccoli softens and soaks up some of the delicious marinade. Mix bowl throughout the day .  I left it out for 2 hours before serving to bring it to room temperature. It’s a great summer salad that you can make ahead of time and doesn’t require any cooking!

I also made it with broccoli slaw ( you can shred yourself or buy bags already made) Pre-made broccoli slaw is available almost everywhere now. If using the slaw I would use 3- 12 oz. bags . Just keep mixing it and make ahead so it can absorb, it was equally as yummy. I put photos of both salads on here.

Great recipe for those of you who don’t want to turn on the oven!!!!

Ingredients:

1 Large Bunch of Broccoli, broken up into florets

1/2 cup Red Grapes, I sliced them in half

1 cup chopped celery

1 bunch of scallions greens and whites only , sliced thinly

1/2 cup pignolli nuts or sunflower seeds

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise ( you can use light but not fat-free please)

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice , I used the juice of one small lemon.

Directions:

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients for the salad.

In a small bowl whisk together the mayo, sugar and lemon juice.

When dressing comes together and has a nice consistency pour over the broccoli give it a good mix and refrigerate. Give it a few mixes during the day and that’s it!

 

Lime Shrimp with Corn and Avocado

IMG_8249 (2) IMG_8233 IMG_8228 (2)All I can say is Wow!!!!  I cooked about a lb.of beautiful shrimp and I wanted to use it in a delicious light salad incorporating some fresh corn and avocados. This salad has some of most favorite ingredients in it.  I used fresh corn, fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, and shrimp! Limes are the secret ingredient here because they add all the flavor to this super light dressing.  This has got to be one of the healthiest most delicious salads.  Totally not fattening but filling because of the shrimp , corn and avocados. If you don’t like the ingredients you can Pasadena on this recipe because it’s definitely not for you. For those of you into it this is a must go to for summer entertaining. Light and Fresh , low in calories and so so easy to make.

If you like cilantro I would chop some up and add it, but a lot of people hate it so much I chose to not add. I removed all the seeds from the jalapeno and probably used 3/4 of a large one. One small seeded jalapeno is perfect and not hot at all. Be careful handling the peppers and the seeds,  I’ve taken to wearing surgical gloves to cut up the peppers.

This is a perfect summer salad, just don’t add avocados till you’re ready to serve,  everything else can be assembled ahead of time. I put together in the morning of the day I was serving and then added my avocados right before I served. This is what I did.

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked shrimp (after cooking it should be 1 lb.) I then cut it up into smaller pieces. I probably cut each shrimp into 4 pieces. Remember I used under 10’s. So that’s 10 shrimp to a pound. You want the shrimp pieces to be bite size but not too small.

1/4 cup chopped red onion

3 cobs of fresh cooked corn ( just put cobs in boiling salted water, bring to a second boil and remove and plunge into an ice bath) let corn cool and remove kernels from cobs.

2 limes-juiced , I use my juicer to juice because it’s tough with limes and you need as much lime juice as possible from 2 limes. I squeezed a third lime over at the end, but it’s probably not necessary. The citrus helps keep avocado from turning brown as well.

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

a few grinds on the pepper mill–to taste

I put in about 1/2 pint of small grape tomatoes, but you can eyeball if using larger tomatoes, I didn’t want tomatoes to over power the other outstanding flavors

2 avocados–sliced and cut into cubes

1 small-medium jalapeno–seeded and minced

*a handful of chopped fresh cilantro if you love it

Directions:

Cook shrimp- peel and de-vein or buy it cleaned and de-veined whichever works best for you. I like cooking my own shrimp but you can certainly use a “cooked shrimp” readily available in most markets.

Cook corn and allow to cool down. When corn is cooled completely down I cut kernels off.

In a separate small bowl, place chopped red onion, lime juice, olive oil and salt and a little black pepper. Whisk together .

I placed Shrimp, Corn, Jalapeno and Tomatoes into a large bowl. About an hour prior to serving I poured the lime juice combination over the bowl of Shrimp.

Mix well and allow to sit and marinade. You’ll want to mix a few times before adding avocados to circulate the marinade.

Taste for Salt and Pepper but it should be good.

I added the 2 Avocados right before serving and squeezed a little more lime over it, probably not necessary but I did. If you’re adding the cilantro go ahead and add it now.

That’s it–perfect summer salad.

Happy Fourth of July and the Pursuit of Happiness

It’s the fourth of July again! Happy happy! Celebrating the fourth is always so much fun, bringing back memories of being a kid. Have fun, pursue a little happiness and please do check in on some of the recipes on my site that may help you celebrate the Fourth. Please subscribe for free and you will receive my emails and hopefully be inspired to cook something new. Happy birthday America!

Lentils–a side dish

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Lentils cooking on stovetop

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lentils and mustard glazed salmon

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lentils and mustard glazed salmon

IMG_7565 I was preparing Mustard Glazed Salmon for dinner and wanted something alongside that was a little different.  Original inspiration comes from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris book. I made a few changes to suit my self and it came out totally delicious and a most wonderful accompaniment for Salmon or any fish or any thing for that matter. Joel even liked it!!!! which was the greatest shock of all!!! Not just a fabulous side dish but a nutritious one at that. Win Win on the Lentils! Of course this can be made vegetarian by subbing out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

*Good the next day if not better and can be served at room temperature or even cold right out of the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Lentils–if you can find French green lentils great if not no worries get whatever kind of lentils you can find

1/4 cup olive oil

app. 2 cups chopped yellow onions

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

app. 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (app. 1 Tbsp.)

app. 4 stalks of celery , chopped

app. 3 average carrots, chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock/broth

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons good red wine vinegar

Directions:

Place the lentils in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes, then drain.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, add the onions, thyme, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat without burning till onions become translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.

Add the drained lentils, celery, carrots, stock and tomato paste. Cover pan and simmer over low heat for about 1/2 hour.

Add the vinegar before serving mix and taste for salt and pepper.

Chicken and Potatoes in one Pan

photo 1 (2) photo 1 (3) photo 3 (2) photo 3 photo 4 (2) photo 4This is one of those awesome one pan meals which I absolutely love to make and couldn’t be more perfect for the cold winter nights ahead. Not to mention a snow storm about to hit NY where we are now.  I am still cooking my way through Jessica Seinfeld’s ” Can’t Cookbook” even though I can cook. I happen to be a huge fan of one pot meals and I love how easy it is to clean up afterwards.  The chicken crisped up beautifully and the potatoes were out of this world.  The coriander flavor is very strong and is very distinct. If you know ahead of time that you’re not a fan I guess this one isn’t for you although I would maybe try it with a rub of spices like paprika, garlic powder and salt and pepper.  The cooking method is important here, you’ll need a large oven-proof skillet. Give this one a try you won’t be sorry. It tasted as good as it looks. Enjoy and thanks to Jessica Seinfeld for another great recipe.

www.doitdelicious.com

The Can’t Cook Book by Jessica Seinfeld

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion sliced into thin slices

1/2 cup water

app. 5 medium-sized Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes ( 1 1/4 lbs. app. )

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh Rosemary Leaves ( I used about 3 sprigs)

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 bone-in , skin-on chicken thighs (small ones) app. 1 1/4- 1 1/2 lbs.

4 chicken drumsticks (app. 1 lb.)

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

Directions:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Get out a large oven-proof skillet.

Thinly slice the onion and scatter over the bottom of skillet. I sprayed with cooking spray first as I always do. Add the water over the onions. Wash but don’t peel potatoes and slice them into 1/4″ rounds. Lay the potato slices right over the onions, over-lapping as necessary. Drizzle with the olive oil. Wash and dry the rosemary sprigs and sprinkle over the potatoes , just the leaves which you’ll pull from the rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt and  1/4 tsp. of pepper as well.

I wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. In a small bowl you will combine the coriander and the remaining 1/2 tsp. of Salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Using your hands rub the spices all over the chicken on both sides. Lay the chicken , skin side up, over the potatoes. Remember to always wash your hands after handling raw chicken and before touching any other foods you may come in contact with.

Roast until the chicken is cooked through, you can always cut into a piece to make sure it’s no longer pink. The potatoes should be tender after about an hour. These were some delicious potatoes! Perfection on a plate.



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Summertime Fresh Tomato Sauce–no cook sauce

IMG_7930 (2)FullSizeRender (3)Nothing better than a really fresh tomato sauce , so fresh that you don’t even have to cook it. Just let the tomatoes marinate for a few hours with some olive oil , basil and a few spices and you’re good to go. So very easy and delicious. A must go-to for summertime and why not anytime? The only down side to making this sauce is that I really feel it needs to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and really 4 hours is best. You can taste for salt and pepper during this period.

The other delicious thing to do with this is to add small balls of mozzarella and make a wonderful Caprese salad. I also love this tomato sauce on grilled chicken. And on grilled bread as bruschetta!!!

This recipe is sort of thrown together so there will be a lot of tasting as you go along, depending on the tomatoes you may or may not need extra salt and pepper. I made this for my grandson so I left out the crushed red pepper, if I were making for us I would have thrown in at least 1/2 teaspoon.  Crushed red pepper can always be added at the table.

*This should make about 6 servings, you can adjust to any amount you need, I used 1/2 for the 2 of us .

Ingredients:

app. 3 pints of grape tomatoes ( the little ones), you can use any beautiful fresh tomatoes especially in the summer months.  You’ll just have to eyeball the amounts of tomatoes. I like the pieces cut small but you can just roughly chop up larger tomatoes. If you’re using cherry or plum tomatoes you can cut in half or quarters. It’s not an exact science.

1/2 cup olive oil

app. 4 cloves garlic , minced ( you can adjust this to your liking, a little more or less)

app. 18 basil leaves plus extra for serving. Nothing beats the taste of fresh basil in this so don’t omit. You’ll want extra for serving. I roll up the basil and use a kitchen shear to slice it.

*this is optional –1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper–we love it but adjust to your liking or just serve on the table

Kosher Salt–app. 1 teaspoon and then you’ll taste for more

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper–again you’ll have to taste and adjust to your own liking

1 pound pasta of your liking , I like a thin spaghetti best with this sauce. Angel Hair, Cappelini, any of these.

1 cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for serving.

Directions:

Combine the tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and just let it sit out on the countertop . The longer it sits the better, at least 2 hours to macerate and 4 hours would be ideal.

Just before you are ready to serve, cook pasta. Cook al dente according to the box directions. Angel Hair cooks up in under 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add to the bowl with the tomatoes. Add in 1 cup of parmesan cheese and some more fresh basil if you’d like and toss well. Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on the side . Cheese will melt, so keep giving it some good tosses to integrate tomatoes and sauce.

Yum!

Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce (Jewish Girls can cook Chinese Food too)

FullSizeRenderThis is one of my old tried and true recipes and also one of our family’s all time favorites.   I will be making this delicious side dish for our Father’s Day Barbecue.  Perfect for a large get together and totally tasty. There are a lot of ingredients but it is very easy to put together and it’s always a hit! I made the sauce a day ahead which I highly recommend doing, it gives flavors a chance to really come together.  I had all the ingredients in the house and day of I will cook the noodles and mix together. If making sauce ahead of time , take it out of refrigerator and let the sauce sit at room temperature before mixing with noodles. I used 1 teaspoon of cayenne, but because I wasn’t sure of everyone’s taste buds for hot and spicy I left out the chili oil. If you want it spicier you can always add some hot chili oil, or more cayenne pepper.  You can actually make the sauce a few days ahead of time. Enjoy this oldie but goodie. I have played around with the recipe a lot, and have found these ingredients work the best for me. I also like to put a little fresh cilantro on the side for those who love it ( like me) and don’t leave out the chopped peanuts they give it that extra yummy crunch. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 lb. linguine or spaghetti ( or you can use Chinese egg noodles)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

7 tablespoons Peanut Butter ( creamy ) by the way I always use the low-fat one, it’s perfectly fine

2/3 cup warm water

6 tablespoons soy sauce ( use low sodium)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or more to specific taste

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic

3 to 4 scallions , finely chopped

*1 sliced cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned (optional) but tasty and crunchy

*fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

*sprinkle of chopped peanuts ( optional) but extra added crunch if you have them on hand

*dash of hot chili oil ( to taste) I usually just throw in a dash of this.

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, using a fork or a small wire whisk, beat the peanut butter together with the water until it is smooth. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, cayenne pepper, sugar, and salt. Beat till smooth. If you’re adding hot chili oil this is when you would add that.

Add the chopped garlic, and stir well. Because I was using it the next day, I left out scallions till I cooked pasta .

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water, until noodles are cooled down sufficiently. Place noodles in a large bowl, drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and toss well. Refrigerate noodles until you are ready to serve. About an hour or so before I am ready to serve, I pour sauce over noodles and mix well. Make sure sauce has been left out at room temperature for a while till it’s not too cold.  Add the scallions and cucumbers and mix well. Right before serving you can sprinkle the cilantro and chopped peanuts if you like. I pour about 2/3 of the sauce over noodles and mix well, adding more sauce as I feel necessary. I definitely didn’t use all of the sauce that I made, add slowly and taste as you go along.  Right before serving I usually add some more sauce, but leave it out at room temperature. This is a deadly go to leftover the next day.

Spicy Stir-Fried Asparagus with or without chicken/shrimp

Originally posted back in June 2012. If you missed this wonderful stir-fry check it out. I just love a good stir-fry and so easy to make with any protein you like and really any of your favorite vegetables. Enjoy Summer Cooking!

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

This recipe caught my eye in the NY Times cooking section . The spicy part was what intrigued me the most. I usually make stir fry with a variety of ingredients and use sesame oil. This recipe calls for vegetable oil, and I  just used 2  tablespoons.  You may need to add a little more oil, so add as needed. I made this with just asparagus and brown rice, and chicken. It would be great with shrimp as well. I highly recommend it both ways, and now that the asparagus is so sweet it’s the best time. I have to admit I used a lot of seeds from the jalapeno and it was kick ass, you can remove most of the seeds of the jalapeno and just chop up the pepper, or any other fresh hot chile ( serrano). If you don’t like it spicy , omit the pepper all together and add…

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Pasta with Avocado and Tomatoes–Fresh and Easy

What a wonderful pasta to make using delicious avocadoes! Fresh and easy as can be. Big thumbs up for summer cooking at it’s easiest. I love pasta and I love avocado– what more can you ask for and a no-cook sauce all at the same time! Enjoy for lunch or dinner.

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

IMG_4523 (2)IMG_4528photo 5 (54)photo 3 (73) Thinking about what to make for dinner and I find myself with some tomatoes, some avocados and I always have pasta. Don’t want to go out, don’t want to really cook a lot and I had lemons and garlic. I love avocados, its possibly my most favorite fruit yes, it is technically considered to be a fruit.  I sometimes have them for breakfast , lunch and dinner . I don’t care, I love them. So for all of you avocado people this one is for you for sure.  I think this whole thing took me all of 20 minutes from start to finish. I used 1/2 a box of spaghetti so I would double for 1 lb. Hate to admit it but I ate almost the whole thing by myself. It was that good! The avocado made like a creamy sauce using a little pasta water which is key . Enjoy! this is my new…

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Chicken and Peppers

IMG_7686IMG_7680IMG_7683IMG_7676IMG_7672I love cooked peppers, probably more than raw peppers. This recipe cooks down the peppers till they are delectably soft and they throw off all their delicious flavors into the chicken that’s cooking along with it. I was not prepared for how really tasty this was going to be. Just another chicken dish –it wasn’t. I don’t like raw green pepper but I love cooked green peppers. I used orange, red, green and yellow because I love the way it looked with all the colors. I suppose a little sliced onion would be great in there too because nothing I love better than peppers and onions but this time out I did it with just peppers. Another winning recipe fromDo it Delicious with Jessica Seinfeld. Give this one a try unless you really really don’t like peppers. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs ( you can easily modify amount of chicken) for some reason my chicken thighs from the butcher were enormous so I used less. For 4 people you’ll want at least 8 thighs.

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 3/4 tsp. + 1/2 tsp.

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ( divided 1/4 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. )

1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

4-5 mixed bell pepper (app. 2 lbs) they cook down a lot

3 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs using paper towels. Measure the 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and season chicken with it on both sides.

Place a large skillet on the stove and turn the heat on to medium-high. Add the oil and after about a minute when it starts to shimmer, place the chicken skin-side down in the hot oil. Cook until the skin is golden brown in color and crisp, this can take about 10-12 minutes. Flip using tongs so as not to pierce the skin.

While the chicken is cooking, chop the garlic.

Slice the peppers in half and remove the stem, seeds, and white membranes. Slice into 1/2 inch thick strips. Make sure you wash your peppers and dry them before cutting.

When the chicken has finished cooking, use tongs to transfer to a clean plate. I had enough oil to continue cooking if not you can add a little now, I didn’t have to add any more oil. Add the pepper and cook, stirring and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Peppers should take about 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook a little longer ( 2 minutes or more) You will be cooking over a medium-low heat.

Add the vinegar, then add the oregano, crushed red pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the water and bring to a boil. Place the chicken back into skillet nestling it into the peppers. Let everything just simmer together until the chicken is fully cooked all of the way through. I cooked it on a low simmer for about 20 minutes. If your pan gets dry you can add a little more water (maybe 1/4 cup) You can cut into a piece of chicken to check for doneness –no body likes a rubber piece of chicken.

Perfection on a plate, chicken and peppers .  Would be delicious with rice or potatoes.