Curry Chicken Salad

Posted on August 9, 2012 | 1 comment

I really love curry. I love the spicy warm flavor it has, and I love how it transforms this chicken salad from just any old chicken salad to chicken salad with kick. I went on a hike the other morning with 3 friends up to Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs, we left early and were returning in the early afternoon and having lunch at my house. It’s lunch for girls who’ve just hiked for a few

hours, so you don’t need to be super diet conscious. It’s perfect for after hiking, and I have to say I can’t think of a time that it wouldn’t work just perfectly. I made it the night before and I will add the cashews right before serving. This recipe should serve 6 as it is, I cut chicken in 1/2 because we were only 4 and I had a quinoa salad and greens as well. I have been making this for many years and I don’t always put the celery in because I am not a big fan. The original recipe is from Barefoot Contessa, and once again thanks Ina.

Ingredients:

3 whole ( 6 split) chicken breasts, bone – in , skin on

Olive oil

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (Hellman’s or Best’s) are very good choices

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup chutney ( Major Grey’s) in a jar (pretty available)

3 tablespoons curry powder

*1 cup medium diced celery ( I don’t always use it b/c I don’t love) but go right ahead if you like raw celery in chicken salad

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup raisins ( I like the dark raisins contrast to salad, but golden ones work as well)

1 cup whole roasted salted cashews ( also optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes depending on the size of the breast. Set aside the chicken once it’s cooked, and wait till it’s cool enough to handle. Once the chicken is cool , remove the skin and remove the meat from the bones, cut the chicken into large bite size pieces.

For the dressing, I used food processor. Combine the mayonnaise, wine , chutney, curry powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt in the bowl of processor. Process until smooth.

Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well.  Add the scallions, *celery and raisins , and mix well. Refrigerate till ready to use but refrigerate for at least a few hours for flavors to blend. Add the cashews right before serving and best served at room temperature.

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Halibut with Chimichurri ( marinade/green sauce)

Posted on August 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

Joel always asks me to cook halibut, now you have to understand that he doesn’t really like fish, so this request is a bit odd right from the start. He says he likes halibut and I usually make salmon. He loves shrimp but that doesn’t count, I know he’s an ex-seafood guy but shrimp was really his thing not fish. So today I decided to honor his request and make halibut. It has never really appealed to me , it seems like such a bland white fish. I really spiced it up with this chimichurri , it was delicious. Chimichurri sounds so intimidating but it is just a green marinade. It is  usually made up of chopped fresh parsley, garlic, pepper and herbs bound with oil. I however decided to make it with cilantro not parsley. Obviously if you like cilantro do it this way, if not just use parsley. It was pretty easy and very tasty. I served it over rice pilaf and we had a side of tomatoes with balsamic syrup. You can also moderate the use of the crushed red pepper, since we like it spicy I used 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper, but use less or omit it all together. This was really pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice ( 1 large lemon or 2 small)

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon minced garlic ( not sure how many cloves, I lost track as I put them in mini processor)

1 tablespoon minced shallot ( about 1/2 of a large shallot) also used the mini processor for this as well

3/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes / crushed red pepper * obviously you can moderate this flavor by using less or omitting

3/4 cup chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley ( we love cilantro so I use that for a very different spin on this chimichurri

4  6 – 8 oz. fillets of halibut ( about 3/4 to 1 inch thick is the usual)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a medium size bowl, put lemon juice, water, garlic, shallot, red-pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil slowly, then add the cilantro/parsley . Let chimichurri stand for a minimum of 20 minutes, I usually make at least an hour ahead. You can make the chimichurri a day ahead and leave in the fridge till you need. Just take it out and get it to room temperature before using.

I used my outdoor grill for this but you can use an indoor grill pan or your oven. ( in oven I would probably cook at 400 degrees for about 15 – 20 minutes)

Pat fish dry with some paper towels, brush the vegetable oil on the fish ( skin side down) and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

I placed fish on aluminum foil and put on grill ( high ) for 10 minutes.

I then poured some chimichurri on each piece and served it with rice pilaf. See pictures of finished product.

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Blueberry-Banana Muffins

Posted on August 4, 2012 | 1 comment

Love blueberries and love bananas. Blueberries are abundant now and super delicious and inexpensive. Bananas are always around and I always buy too many and need to figure out what to do with the rotten bananas. I realize there are a lot of ingredients in these muffins and just measuring it all out was a task, but I enjoyed it and it was well worth it. I will freeze a few for when I am in the mood for them but not in the mood to bake them. The recipe yielded exactly 12 decent sized muffins, in one pan.  This muffin mix is perfect, not too sweet which makes for a perfect breakfast muffin or snack muffin. I used buttermilk ( low fat) couldn’t find non fat , but if you can feel free to use it here. There are 2 eggs but no butter and only 1/4 cup of canola oil . The buttermilk allows you to cut way back on the butter and the oils. These muffins worked out perfectly. Just ate one for dessert!

Ingredients:

3/4 cups nonfat or low-fat buttermilk ( I used low -fat b/c I couldn’t fine nonfat)

3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1/4 cups canola oil

2 large eggs (room temperature, and I used my little trick because I decided to bake at the last minute) just let the eggs sit in warm water for 1/2 hour.

1 cup mashed ripe bananas ( I used 2 medium sized bananas)

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt ( regular table salt)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/4 cup blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I sprayed a 12 cup muffin pan with baking spray ( and they came out perfectly) you can also line with paper liners if you like.

Whisk together the buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the mashed bananas.

In another bowl, whisk whole-wheat flour all -purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined . Fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter into the 12 cup muffin pan till full.

Bake until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

I baked for 25 minutes.

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Herb Roasted Tomatoes and Chicken

Posted on July 31, 2012 | 2 comments

    I love to use fresh tomatoes and herbs in my cooking, they are sweet and the roasting just intensifies their sweet flavor. I try to use fresh ingredients whenever possible, and during the summer there is so much to choose from. This is a light dish cooked in the oven, I used dry Herbes de Provence which is something everyone should have in their spice drawer. I used fresh tarragon which gave this dish amazing flavor, if you’re not into the tarragon flavor or just can’t get it I am sure fresh basil will work here just fine. I served with rice on the side . This is a keeper for sure. I got it from Bon Appetit magazine which has a treasure trove of delicious recipes.

    Ingredients:

    1 1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes or any small tomatoes

    6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

    2 Tbsp. herbes de Provence

    1 tsp. kosher salt ( plus more for tasting)

    freshly ground black pepper

    1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

    1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

    1 small shallot, minced

    2 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar

    3 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley leaves

    3 Tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. oil and herbes de Provence in a large bowl. Season with some salt and pepper, toss to coat the tomatoes. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large heavy ovenproof skillet , carefully add tomatoes to pan, oil may splatter. Transfer skillet to oven and roast tomatoes, give tomatoes a turn in about 10 minutes, you want tomatoes to burst and release some of their juices, total time should be 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a bowl and drizzle with Worcestershire sauce.

    Meanwhile, season chicken with 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer pan to oven and roast chicken until cooked through, another 10 minutes or so. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest .

    Add remaining 1 tbsp. oil to same skillet, heat over medium heart. Add shallot and cook, stirring often , until softened , about 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with vinegar ( just put in vinegar) scraping up whatever browned bits are in the bottom of the pan, then add tomatoes and their juices and bring to a simmer , sauce will begin to thicken up, about 2 minutes or so. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper to your liking.

    Slice chicken, divide among plates. Spoon tomatoes and sauce over, garnish with fresh herbs ( tarragon and parsley) .

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    Balsamic Syrup – Tomato Time

    Posted on July 31, 2012 | 1 comment

    The tomatoes are here,  I was at the farmer’s market in Basalt today and the heirlooms and beefsteaks are just starting to show up. I love love these tomatoes.  I bought these beauties today and am going to make a balsamic syrup (reduction) from just ordinary balsamic and drizzle it on my tomatoes .  This is the recipe ( super easy ) for balsamic syrup, I am well aware that you can buy this syrup, however there is no need to if you have a spare 1/2 hour and a bottle of balsamic vinegar. No excuse not to do it, I’m sure you all have some balsamic vinegar in the house, in the time it takes to slice a few tomatoes and cut up some basil you can have homemade balsamic syrup.  Hit the farmer’s market and grab some of these tomatoes . I am going to garnish with some of my home grown basil, and if you like feta or fresh mozzarella it would be amazing on this as well. I actually did sprinkle just a touch of crumbled feta cheese tonite. The balsamic was sweet and delicious, and gave a very sweet flavor to tomatoes and feta cheese and basil. Here’s the bonus, this delicious balsamic syrup will last indefinitely in an airtight container ( I use a mason jar), keep it in fridge and take out when you want to use it.

    Balsamic Syrup:

    1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

    Bring the vinegar to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until vinegar reduces by nearly 3/4 of its original volume and starts to thicken like a syrup, this should take anywhere between 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using.  This delicious syrup is great on crusty bread as well. Makes for an amazing dipping sauce.

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    Posted on July 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

    Came home from our hike up East Snowmass Trail ( which was so beautiful). We were up there for 5 hours , came down and was too tired to even think about shopping for ingredients or getting dressed to go out. Looked in fridge and had cheese and butter. Looked in pantry and had pasta and pepper. There you have it , perfection in a bowl once again. Try it if you haven’t, it’s very rich and very good.

    cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

    This is restaurant worthy pasta, made in a saute pan, 12″ size would be perfect . This pasta has very few ingredients and you probably have all of them in the house . When I am not sure what to make and I really don’t feel like going out, this is up there with my “go to ” meals. It’s comforting and has a kick of heat from the black pepper. Original recipe is just black pepper and the fresher the better, start out with whole black peppercorns, I grind them right before I am using them. It’s an elegant adult version of mac and cheese and a simple standard all at the same time. I try and use 2 cheeses when I can, but if you only have 1 type of grated cheese, it’s fine. Hold on to about a cup of the pasta water, you may need it…

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    Posted on July 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

    reblogging this recipe because I will be making it tonite! going to bbq some ribs and wanted to make this salad along with it!

    cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

    I originally posted this way back and figured what a perfect day to re-post. This has become my go to Greek Salad and Salad Dressing when I want to make it at home. I of course love anchovies and feel free to put in there. I didn’t have any whole garlic cloves so I used garlic powder and you know what? it worked out just right. If you’d prefer to use chopped fresh garlic go right ahead. I am going to give you ingredients from tonite’s dressing because it tasted just right. This is salad , so please feel free to substitute and leave out whatever you don’t like and add in whatever you like. Joel only eats the lettuce and cheese, I ate all of the other ingredients.  I like to chop up a grilled piece of chicken and add in or a piece of salmon if you’re looking…

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    Flank Steak with Cola (Soda)

    Posted on July 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

    Seems a little crazy to dump a cup of Cola on your steak but here you go. I have had this recipe for a while and I guess all the stuff in that Coke works magic on your steak. I use regular Cola Soda ( not diet) and this marinade will tenderize your flank steak or london broil. Marinate overnight, it’s best.  This recipe was in Living magazine and it looked good and it was!

    Ingredients:

    1 cup cola ( any kind will do, just not diet)

    1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

    1/2 white/yellow onion , grated

    1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, chopped ( app. 3 garlic cloves)

    Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

    1/4 cup safflower oil

    1 Flank Steak or London Broil

    Directions:

    Combine cola, vinegar, onion , garlic, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the oil in a bowl. Place steak in a large plastic bag. ( Hefty Ziploc are the best) Pour the marinade over the steak.  Seal bag, press extra air out of bag. Refrigerate overnight. You might want to reserve a little bit of the marinade in a seperate container. When you take steak out the next day , you can brush it with remaining marinade after you grill for extra flavor.

    Let steak stand at room temperature for at least an hour or so before you’re going to cook. Remove steak from bag, and discard the bag and marinade. Brush off any and all remaining onion and garlic from steak, or else it will just burn on grill. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper right before grilling, I am pretty liberal with the s and p.

    Preheat grill to medium high, and I spray grill with Pam grill spray. If no spray , oil the grates . Grill Steak for probably 10 minutes per side for medium. All grills are different and you’ll have to see for yourself how long. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let it rest for a bit. I put foil over it, this steak is good even when it sits for a while and pretty good cold the next day on a salad.

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    Bucatini al’Amatriciana

    Posted on July 23, 2012 | 4 comments

    Amatrice is a small town in Italy outside of Rome and this dish is named for it. This dish is intended to be made with guanciale , which is a pig jowl and it tastes like a porkier version of bacon or pancetta. I use pancetta, which now comes pre-diced in packages making for a very easy time. I also keep packages of the diced pancetta in my freezer, they defrost very quickly which makes them a perfect dinner ingredient.  I also use bucatini pasta which is thick and ropey with a hole like a straw. I wouldn’t wear white while eating this it’s a messy one. Super easy and delicious. I made it tonite with my marinated flank steak. I also used 2 containers of grape tomatoes, but you can easily substitute with 1 large  can of San Marzano tomatoes ( crushed )The cherry/grape tomatoes give it a lighter sauce, and I prefer it especially in the summer months.

    Ingredients:

    4 tablespoons olive oil

    4 – 6 oz. diced pancetta ( or 1/4 lb. glacial)

    1/2 yellow onion chopped finely

    2 garlic cloves , minced

    2 containers of tomatoes halved ( I used grape tomatoes , I love them )

    *1 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( we like spicy) use your own discretion , can always add at the table

    1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

    Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese, or any kind of Parmesan Cheese

    1 lb. bucatini ( you can obviously use 1/2 pound and save any leftover sauce to freeze for another time) any thick spaghetti will do but I love this one in this recipe. Perciatelli is another good choice.

    Directions:

    In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly. I like my pancetta crispy, but just get it golden brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove pancetta into a separate bowl. Add onions to olive oil till translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes , I do this off the heat. I then add all the tomatoes, some kosher salt ( to taste) and some black pepper and add back in the pancetta. I also add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the tomatoes till they start to break down and form a sauce. Taste for salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for at least 45 minutes , up to an hour for perfect sauce.

    Cook Pasta according to package directions, tender but still firm to the bite. Before draining pasta take out about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl, I add a little of the pasta water and then I add the sauce. Toss gently and serve. I served with Parmesan Cheese .

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    Palm Beach Lemon Cookies

    Posted on July 19, 2012 | 1 comment

    This recipe is from my Cookies Unlimited Class.  This recipe should yield about 100 small thin cookies (but it depends on how thin you make them). I would use 2 large lemons for zesting so you get a real zing from the lemon. It is very important that you make sure to refrigerate the dough long enough. This is a nice, plain cookie; very light and perfect for dessert alongside something chocolate. I am also a sucker for anything lemony. They are also a light, perfect summer cookie and they can be frozen , then take out when you need a light perfect cookie.

    Ingredients:

    3 cups all-purpose flour

    1/2 teaspoon baking powder

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    1/4 teaspoon table salt

    10 tablespoons (or 1 1/4 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

    1 cup sugar (plus a little extra for sprinkling on top of cookies)

    Finely grated zest of 2 large lemons (make sure you use all the zest!)

    4 tablespoons strained lemon juice (use zested lemons)

    3 egg yolks (save the whites for brushing the cookies)

    *you will need 3 or 4 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans lined with parchment, or you will have to wait ’til cookies cool off and reuse them

    Directions:

    In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well.

    In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until well mixed (about a minute), then beat in the lemon zest.

    Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Lower mixer speed and beat in half the flour mixture, then all the lemon juice. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture, beat till well mixed. (Don’t overbeat; just till mixed well.)

    Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape and squeeze it into 2 long rolls about 8 inches long and 2 inches in diameter (they may be a bit longer).

    Cover rolls of dough and refrigerate. Chill the dough until very firm. You can freeze dough for up to a few weeks if you prefer for up to several weeks. Or just use 1 roll and save the other, but remember dough must be very firm.

    When you are ready to bake the cookies, sets racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

    In a small bowl, beat the reserved egg whites with a fork. Cut each log into approximately 48 cookies (approx. 6 slices per inch) and make sure to rotate the roll of dough often so it doesn’t flatten from the weight of the knife.

    Arrange the cookies on the prepared pans about an inch apart in all directions. Brush the surface of each cookie with the egg white, then sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of sugar. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, but check them after 10 minutes.  They may need more time but check at 10 and gauge from there. It was hard for me to tell the timing because in class everyone kept opening the oven doors! The cookies will spread slightly and have a very pale golden color when finished.

    Slide the papers from the pans and cool on racks.

    After the cookies have cooled, store them in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.

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