Yummy Pesto (super easy)

This awesome recipe for Pesto was posted 2 years ago when I first started my blog.I decided it was time to re-visit the recipe and introduce it to all my new followers. It’s a hands down winner. Also check out the recipe for chicken pesto on the grill while you’re at it . Enjoy!

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I have to give credit to my BFF Suki for this one. It is her recipe that I use. It is awesome and delish. Easy easy go-to for spring/ summer meals, although I’ve been known to make it anytime I see fresh basil.

Yummy PASTA Pesto

2 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup romano cheese (grated)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

1/2 cup pignolli nuts or use walnuts

1 cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good one)

1 – 3 tablespoons butter (hafta admit I use all 3; sometimes 2)

4 cloves garlic

freshly ground pepper

1 lb. Gemelli Pasta Noodles

Put all ingredients (except the pasta, of course!) into Cuisinart food processor ’til smooth.

I use gemelli pasta or any noodle that will let pesto hold on.

Cook pasta according to directions, and add pesto. Add a little at a time ’til you get the pasta looking (and tasting!) the way…

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Springtime in a Bowl – Shrimp, Asparagus and Tomato Pasta

Reblog Monday, with this wonderful springtime in a bowl dish. Shrimp, Asparagus and Tomatoes with Pasta. If you want to leave out the pasta you can do so by substituting shredded zucchini for pasta and asparagus. Enjoy!

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It is really Springtime now and it just makes you want to lighten up the menu a bit, and my mind immediately goes to asparagus!  This recipe is a variation on my Summertime Tomato Pasta. I wanted to use some of those beautiful asparagus out there. Even though I knew Joel would pick them out , I still made this dish. The asparagus are large enough for him to easily pick out and put on my plate. This dish is light and delicious and pretty quick to prepare. It is like springtime in a bowl!  There are so very many things to do with asparagus but this just appealed to me tonite and if you leave the shrimp out you have a lovely vegetarian pasta dish. I used the shrimp.  I also used linguine in this , it just seems to hold on to the flavors nicely. Happy Spring and Enjoy. This recipe was inspired by Giada de Laurentis…

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Monkey Bread with Brody

photo (2)photo (3)photoMy grandson Brody and I were in the house and I wanted to do something in the kitchen which would engage him and give us both something to do together. This is a perfect cooking exercise to do with young kids, they enjoy making it and eating it. He is only 3 but he enjoyed doing the whole thing as much as I did. This is a super-gooey sticky buns type of cake, not sure about where the Monkey title comes from, but it is like a bunch of cinnamon munchkins melded together with delicious caramelized goo. If you’re into this , it’s awesome. Superbly caloric and probably the last thing in life any of us needs to eat, but super delish. Joel loved it as you can well imagine, as did my daughter, her husband and myself. No one is advocating eating this on a daily basis but every blue moon it’s wonderful. Fun for kids and great for a crowd, everyone can pull off a piece. It’s hard to stop pulling at it.  You’ll want to let it cool down for about 30 minutes before you flip it over. I would use as deep a bundt as you have and not use a 2 piece tube because I would worry it would leak. Don’t fill it up to top with raw dough, only about 2/3 full because it does grow in the oven, and that would be a disaster in your oven if this overflowed. I also sprayed ( Pam) bundt pan well, and placed on a sprayed  cookie sheet in oven just in case. I needed to cook it for about 60 minutes, you’ll want the top of it browned. If you eat it when it’s fresh it’s beyond delicious, just try to resist eating it when it’s too hot. The next day just microwave for 15 seconds and you’ll restore the goodness.

Brody was so proud of his accomplishment and it really was a fun way to spend some time together.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you about how highly addictive this cake can be.

Ingredients:

2 – 3 cans of Buttermilk Biscuits ( non flaky kind) I could have gotten away with 2, I didn’t fill up past the 2/3 mark. Be careful! Start out with 3 cans .

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons Cinnamon

2 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 cups Brown Sugar

*1/2 cup chopped walnuts( totally optional) I didn’t use, but would like it just fine

*1/2 cup raisins (totally optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Open up all 3 cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters. Next get out a gallon size baggie ( ziploc preferable here) and combine the white sugar and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Drop the raw biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Mix as you go, till all pieces of raw dough are covered with cinnamon-sugar mixture, shake the bag hard and the pieces won’t stick together, a good vigorous shake. You want all the pieces as unstuck from one another as possible, good shaking will do this and nicely coat each piece with sugar mixture.

Spray bundt pan well with Pam Spray, I used Baking Spray but original kind will work just fine. Spread nuggets out evenly in the bundt pan. In a saucepan on the stove melt butter and combine with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Cook butter/sugar mixture , stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits.

Bake for between 45- 60 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When it’s finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cool for about 15- 30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.

Decadence. Pure and delightful. Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Red Wine Vinegar Dressing ( so good for you)

I posted this on my blog back in 2011, and it remains one of my most favorite salads. I highly recommend adding some of that fresh asparagus out there into this delicious grain. You can also look for my Kale and Quinoa Salad also on Cookingwithcandi.com.

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I always hesitate to use the word ‘healthy’. It seems that while some people are attracted to it, the rest of us tend to move past it to the next thing on the menu. So, I will not use the word ‘healthy’; I will instead just say that this is a most yummy grain, and while using the quinoa, you can also use that corn on the cob from the other night, the leftover roasted peppers and those cherry tomatoes on the verge of going bad. Now, don’t you feel so much better about making this salad already?

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. quinoa (I often buy the organic red quinoa in a bag), follow directions on package for prep.

1 red pepper, preferably roasted already (I use the pepper that I grilled previously from the fridge but you can use roasted red peppers from the jar and just eyeball…

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Roasted Asparagus with Simple Lemon Vinaigrette- Springtime is here

photoI wish it were warmer but I can feel it coming, any day now . If you read my blog you know how very much I love asparagus and I am always looking for new things to do with it. Love the woody fresh flavor they bring with them. Asparagus may be a year round presence these days, but the “real” deal appears each and every spring. It’s only for a few months that we’ll have these beautiful spears. I love them barely cooked with a simple delicious vinaigrette, love them in an omelette, salads, pastas and just plain roasted . Just don’t overcook them, that’s sad , they go limp and stringy and just plain old bad. I love them just cooked and thrown into my Quinoa Salad. Just throw them into a pot of boiling salted water for a minute till they turn bright green, remove and cool down and mix in with the quinoa for a delicious addition.  This recipe below is to roast asparagus in the oven and top it with this simple lemon vinaigrette. It stands on its own as a side dish or you can add it to any salad.

Ingredients:

3/4 – 1 lb. fresh asparagus, remove woody stems and if they’re very thick take a vegetable peeler to them. I usually just break off the bottoms where they will just snap off when you bend them, or use a knife.

olive oil ( a good glug)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette:

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*this can easily be doubled

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Break off the ends of the asparagus and if they’re very thick, peel them a little bit with a vegetable peeler. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with a good glug of good olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with Salt and Pepper. Roast the asparagus until tender but still firm and moist. About 20 – 25 minutes.

Make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the mustard and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in, whisking quickly so olive oil will emulsify into the juice mixture. Season with Salt and Pepper. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold. If you refrigerate, take out for about an hour so it’s not super cold when you serve.

Salmon Done Simply in Foil

This salmon dinner is so easy to prepare and super fresh tasting. Lemon and tomatoes. Serve with asparagus or spinach on the side, or any side you like. Enjoy!

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Again, I need to thank my friend Drew for finding this recipe. It is so good, it’s restaurant worthy. The oregano, lemon and tomatoes give it a mediterranean flavor. It is healthful, simple and very delicious. Joel decided to try to eat more healthfully in 2012 (incorporate more fish, etc.) Usually he doesn’t like to eat fish and if I make it he is disappointed.  But for this, he gave me the green light and the next night I made it. Drew had also tried it, after he came across the recipe from Giada de Laurentis. Really easy and really yummy, this one’s a keeper.  Thanks Drew and thanks Giada!

Ingredients: 

4 (approx. 5 oz. each) salmon fillets (I used 3 6 oz. for the two of us and we finished it all.)

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus another 2 tablespoons

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tomatoes, chopped (I used about 2/3 of the…

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Raspberry Breakfast Muffins

photo (2)photo (2)photoNot sure why I said Breakfast Muffins because they would be great any time of the day, but I think of muffins as breakfast food especially muffins containing fruit. Had 2 containers of raspberries and a delicious muffin recipe from Barefoot Contessa , instead of strawberries which would also be awesome  I baked with raspberries. Can’t wait till the morning to have one with a fresh cup of coffee. I of course tasted one as it came out of the oven and it was pretty divine. Easy as could be, and no special equipment necessary! These will be on my Mother’s Day Brunch Table this May for sure.

*should make 16 – 18 muffins

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 /2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cups milk ( I used whole milk)

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten ( eggs should be room temperature)

1/2 lb. ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

2 containers raspberries (washed and dried)

1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Combine well.

Combine the milk, eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, pour the wet mixture into the well, and stir until just combined. There will be some lumps but don’t overmix the batter. Add the raspberries and the sugar and stir gently to combine. Obviously some of the raspberries are going to break, just try and fold in gently.

Using a 2″ ice cream scoop or a tablespoon , spoon the batter into the muffin cups to fill the liners. Do not overfill, fill almost to the top of liner.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops are nicely browned.

We ate them and I froze the rest for when I return to Colorado .

Fettucine with Sausage and Kale

photophotophoto (4)photo (3)I made this for dinner before we left Colorado and was so crazy busy with Passover and Passover recipes, I had no time to post it. Now that the holidays are over I am back with some wonderful new recipes for Springtime.  High recommendation for this delicious pasta dish, what a perfect springtime anytime dish.  It was so very tasty, and easy to prepare.  If you like sausage and you like kale, and who doesn’t like fettucine? Joel managed to pick out every last piece of kale, but I don’t mind because he put it all on my plate. I used baby kale which is just perfect and if you can get turkey sausage it will be that much healthier. It is light, only 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a little chicken broth and Pecorino Romano and you’re finished. Very quick meal, very few ingredients, and it is restaurant worthy for sure. Simple, hearty and delicious. No extra added salt because you have the sausage which is plenty salty enough. I of course used spicy sausage , use whatever you prefer.

*serves 4 as main course

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. turkey or pork sausage, out of casing, and crumbled. Use hot or sweet sausage, whichever you prefer

1/2 lb. baby kale , if you can’t find baby kale use regular kale and remove tough stems and center ribs and coarsely chop the kale. Because I used baby kale, I just used as is, perfection!

1/2 lb. dried egg fettucine

1/2 cup chicken broth

Freshly grated Pecorino Romano for serving

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a 12″ heavy skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers, then cook sausage , breaking up any lumps. Once it browns up, about 7 minutes, take off heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, blanch kale in a 6 – 8 qt. pot of well-salted boiling water, uncovered, I cooked baby kale for about 3 minutes, it wilts quickly. I used a pasta insert and removed the kale and kept that water for cooking the pasta. If you don’t have a pasta insert you can just remove with a small sieve. You’ll want to cook fettucine in this water. I also highly recommend buying a pasta insert for pasta pots. There is a picture of the pasta insert that I use. I use the all clad one, they usually fit all pasta pots.

While pasta is cooking, dried egg fettucine cooks very quickly, add kale to sausage in the skillet and saute , stirring frequently on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add broth , stir and scrape any brown bits from bottom of skillet.

When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then drain pasta. Add pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to skillet, tossing until well coated and well combined. If you require a little more moistening add a little more pasta water at a time till it reaches consistency that you are looking for. I only added 1/2 cup. If you’re going to let it sit for a while you may want to heat it up and throw in a little more pasta water as it heats up.

Serve immediately , with cheese if desired. I plated each bowl individually.

This is my very last posting for Passover. Hope everyone had a lovely holiday and wishing everyone a very Happy Easter. I will be back next week with some fresh, new recipes . This is my favorite and am still not sure why I only eat it this week because I love it so much. Enjoy .

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It’s all about the Matzo. Matzo and Eggs or so it seems. I always loved Matzo Brei since I’m a little girl, and I always wondered why it is that we only eat this delicious concoction during Passover.  It’s such a delicious treat why don’t we eat it more often? In our house we usually eat it till the matzo runs out. Usually for the week of Passover, then we stop. It’s so good. Everyone has their own little special spin on it.  Before I met Joel I always ate my matzo brei sweet with maple syrup sort of a matzo french toast. Joel loves it crispy and salty with a lot of pepper and since I know him he always asks for it this way. I sort of grew to love it this way as well. What’s not to love?  You definitely don’t have to be Jewish to love…

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Passover ’13 – Quick Look

DSCN2781DSCN2642DSCN2640I have tried to blog and re-blog my Passover menu for the past week. Here is a list of Recipes that I have on my blog, that you can create for your family and friends. If you subscribe to cookingwithcandi.com you can put any of these titles into the search box or you can put in Passover Recipes, Passover, etc. or just the title of any of these recipes. Enjoy your holiday and enjoy your cooking! Any problems or questions , please don’t hesitate to write to me in the comments section of blog, or email me to cmk55@sopris.net. I would love to hear from you! Happy Cooking.

Homemade Chicken Soup with not so homemade matzo balls

Grandma Regina’s Farfel

Honey Roasted Chicken

Karyn’s Cranberry Apple Crisp for Passover

Chicken Marbella

Charoset

Sweet Matzoh Pudding

Spinach Souffle for Passover

Peach Farfel

Old School Meatballs

Happy New Year Brisket

Cathy’s Popovers

Julie’s Brownies for Passover

Meringue Cookies

Macaroons

Matzoh Brei