Old Fashioned Lemon Icebox Cake–No Baking at all

Posted on August 20, 2025 | 1 comment

IMG_1266

Nothing not to love here, Lemons, cream cheese, heavy cream, lemon curd and did I mention no baking??? So great and fairly easy with simple ingredients. You’ll need either an electric mixer or a hand mixer to whip cream. Nothing beats an electric mixer though with the whisking attachment.

I made it in a 9×13 pan but I think next time I will try to do it in a bowl. It would also be beautiful garnished with fresh lemon slices or berries. We were in a hurry to dig into it so never did get to garnish it.  If you’d like it to look neater when you scoop it out you will have to be more precise with the layering. My cake was very uneven and all the layers and flavors blended together, who cares? it was delicious. If you’d like you can also layer in a trifle type bowl and make a very pretty presentation! Up to you but it was all delish.

This is simple and delicious food if not very rich, but hey it’s dessert! Perfect for a Labor Day BBQ or anytime!

Enjoy Labor Day Weekend !

Visit me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened (just leave it out at room temperature for a while till it’s room temperature and feels squishy and soft)

3 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

3 teaspoons lemon zest, plus a little more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

11 ounces vanilla wafer cookies ( app. 1 1/2 boxes)

10 ounces lemon curd–usually available with the jams and jellies  or baking aisle of most supermarkets. (see photo)

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft. Add the heavy cream, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla and beat until it just holds stiff peaks. It takes app. 3-6 minutes for peaks to form, be patient.

Spread the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with 1/2 cup of the whipped cream. Arrange 1/2 of the cookies on top of the cream, fitting in as many as you can without overlapping.(see photos) Spoon 1/2 of the remaining cream mixture on top and smooth evenly with an offset spatula or if no offset spatula use a butter knife. In spoonfuls , app. every 2 inches, spoon half of the lemon curd onto the cream and then use a butter knife to swirl the curd into the cream. Top with another layer of cookies, followed by the remaining cream. Spoon  the remaining lemon curd and swirl into the cream again with the butter knife. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cookies have softened, it should be fine after at least 3 hours and you can make a day ahead and just leave in the fridge!

It would be pretty garnished with some lemon zest , some lemon slices or fresh berries, we were in a rush to eat it so no garnish in my photos. Next time!

*if you use a bowl you’ll just have to figure out the cream to cookie ratio but make sure you follow my steps so it ends up the same.

*another good thing–I actually froze leftovers and when I wanted to eat it , I removed from freezer for about an hour and it was perfect.

1 Comment

Posted in Cake, dessert, no bake dessers

Tagged , , , , , ,

S’Mores Baked in the Oven

Posted on August 16, 2025 | 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 they 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.

1 Comment

Posted in Baked Goods, dessert

Tagged , , , , , ,

Chicken Fajitas on the Grill

Posted on August 13, 2025 | Leave a comment

IMG_5599.JPG

IMG_5593.JPG Wow–Fajitas on the Grill and the best part is there were no pots and pans to clean up! Cooked in Aluminum Foil Packs right on the grill! They’re called Hobo Packs. This is so easy to make and so delicious to eat. Definitely one of our favorite go to meals in the summer. If you don’t have a grill you can make in the oven on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Very quick prep and delicious ingredients. Feel free to substitute whatever peppers you would prefer. This is what I did.

You’ll need heavy-duty aluminum foil for the grill.

  • If you double up the recipe you’ll need more hobo packs and feel free to experiment with the ingredients. 

Follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenders–I cut them in 1/2 so they’re still thick enough that they don’t over-cook in the 15 minutes it takes to cook. If the pieces are too too thin they’ll over-cook. 

1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick (approximately)

1 poblano chile or serrano chile whatever you can get. Stemmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips. I used both .

1 Red Bell Pepper–cut into strips lengthwise

1 Yellow Bell Pepper –cut into strips lengthwise

*you can really use any peppers that you’d like–these are the ones I used Shishito Peppers would be wonderful as well.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper- you’ll need to be fairly generous with the salt –I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill.

4 -6 fresh oregano sprigs–at least 1 in each packet–I used 2 in each packet. This is an optional option if no oregano– I like the flavor. 

1 lime, thinly sliced crosswise

Warm flour or corn tortillas, sour cream , guacamole and salsa and some hot sauce for serving. I used small tortillas but any kind will work out nicely. This is a very easy Summer Meal. I also like to serve with rice and beans.

Directions:

Cut up all the veggies, onions and chicken and light the grill, I had the grill turned up high , it should be medium to high. I put it to high to pre-heat and then lowered to a more medium – high, if you are unable to do this step just check on them after 12 minutes to make sure the bottom isn’t burning.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken, onion and all the peppers with the olive oil and cumin seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss again. I like it to sit for about 15 minutes while grill is heating up. 

Arrange 4 14 inch sheets of heavy duty foil on a work surface ( see pics) app. 14 inches don’t get the ruler out you can   eyeball it, it needs to fit a pile of veggies and chicken. Last night I increased the chicken so we had about 6 packs.

Pile the chicken and veggies evenly on one 1/2 of each foil sheet and top with the oregano and lime slices. Fold the foil over the ingredients and pinch the edges to seal.

Place the foil packets on the grill, close the lid and cook over moderately high heat until the chicken is cooked through, anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes.

Open the packets and serve with warm flour fajitas, sour cream , guacamole, salsa and hot sauce.

*Packets can be made a night ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.

I usually place all ingredients after cooking in a large serving dish/bowl and let everyone take for themselves.

Enjoy!

Leave a comment

Posted in chicken, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Potatoes , Peppers and Onions

Posted on August 11, 2025 | 1 comment

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 –chunks should be as uniform as possible

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.

1 Comment

Posted in Potatoes, potatoes, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged

Summer Peach Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Posted on August 10, 2025 | 1 comment

It’s the end of the Summer and the Palisade Peaches are still 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 .

*can substitute burrata 

*this recipe should serve  4 but can easily be doubled for more

Ingredients:

1 pint of cherry tomatoes ( I grabbed some heirloom cherry tomatoes)or any tomatoes you’d like the local tomatoes are beautiful this time of year

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

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cut up in cubes or however you’d like to cut it up

1 shallot

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

1 1/2 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or any flaky salt you like –this is approximate and use as little or as much salt as you like, tomatoes can endure a lot of salt

app. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Rinse off tomatoes and cut in 1/2. Clean and cut the peach in half, remove the pit and cut into bite size pieces. Add tomatoes and peaches to a platter or a bowl. Cut up the mozzarella and add to bowl.

Peel and slice the shallots into thin slivers or rings whichever you prefer. Scatter over tomatoes, add the basil, drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper and stir gently.

IMG_8679 IMG_0586 (2)IMG_8681 IMG_8685 Presentation is beautiful on a platter as well. Whatever way you do it the taste is phenomenal.

1 Comment

Posted in Salad, salad, side dish, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged , ,

Summer Salad–Farm Fresh Farro

Posted on August 8, 2025 | 1 comment

photo 5 (4)photo 4 (65)photo 2 (69)photo 3 (4)

I am always on the search for some new vegetarian recipes to try out.  The inspiration for this salad came from some beautiful radishes from the farmers market and some fresh sugar snap peas. During the summer months with all the beautiful fresh vegetables available it’s super easy to throw together these salads. The fresh parmesan pieces give it the extra kick and salt it needs, use as much or as little as you like. I prefer pearled farro for this recipe. Feel free to experiment and use whatever ingredients suit your taste.

*original recipe from Jessica Seinfeld website Do it Delicious

Ingredients:

1 cup pearled farro

1 cup sugar snap peas

4 large radishes

*2 scallions -optional

*fresh mint app. 1/4 cup loosely packed –also optional

1/4 cup parmesan pieces- leave in chunks or shave whichever you prefer

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Follow directions on the box of farro or fill a saucepan to about an inch from the top. Bring to a boil, and add the farro and cook until tender but still chewy, about 10 minutes. Drain in a strainer and run under cold water to cool down. Drain out excess water and let sit while you prep the rest of the salad.

Wash the snap peas and radishes. Remove the stems from the snap peas, cut them crosswise into 1/2″ pieces and add to a medium bowl. Trim the stems off the radishes and remove the root ends. Slice the radishes in half , then slice crosswise into thin half moons. Add the radishes to the bowl. Trim the ends of the scallions, wash and then slice the white and light green parts of the scallions into small rounds. Add to the bowl. Tear the mint leaves and add to the bowl. Take the parmesan and crumble into the bowl, you can use your hands or a knife to crumble parmesan. Add the cooled farro to the bowl.

Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl. Taste for seasonings. Mix and allow to sit for a bit before serving. I made ahead and stored in fridge. I removed before serving for a while to bring to room temperature.

 

1 Comment

Posted in Raw, Salad, salad dressing, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Zucchini tomatoes corn and Feta — side dish or main –

Posted on August 6, 2025 | 1 comment

Thanks again to one of my most favorite cooks to follow Pamela Salzman. I love this recipe for the summer when the zucchini is fresh and delicious as well as the tomatoes and the corn. Can be served at room temperature which is always perfect. Pretty easy prep and comes together beautifully in a short amount of time. Grab the zucchini , tomatoes, and corn and get cooking on this one. I also added a jalapeño ( seeded) and some Basil for extra flavor. Perfect accompaniment to any BBQ or meal.

Ingredients:

2 medium size zucchini- diced

2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)

1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped – if you don’t remove the seeds this will have a lot of kick, I removed almost all of the seeds

Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 -3 ears of corn –removed corn from cobs

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes — halved

2 oz. of feta cheese , crumbled — I just sort of eyeballed it — didn’t use a lot as I didn’t want it to overpower the flavor of veggies

some fresh basil leaves torn by hand, just eyeball it

Directions:

In a large skillet (12″ or more) melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the zucchini and jalapeño and sauté until just tender about 5 minutes or so.

Add the corn, tomatoes, a big pinch of salt and black pepper to taste and sauté until the tomatoes soften, probably another 5 minutes or so. Taste for seasoning.

Transfer to a serving bowl, and top with crumbled feta and basil.

Enjoy!

and thanks again to Pamela Salzman for a delicious recipe.

img_8007

1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Sheet-Pan Feta with chickpeas and tomatoes–

Posted on August 4, 2025 | Leave a comment

I saw this recipe in the NYT Cooking Section by Ali Slagle and decided to make it as a side dish/main dish for my daughter who is a vegetarian. I ate it as a side dish and can attest to its tastiness . The feta is soft and creamy and plays nicely with the sweet juicy tomatoes and chickpeas are slightly sticky from the honey and if you’d like add some spice with crushed red pepper flakes. Eat with pita, salad hummus or even yogurt. This is what I did last night . It’s a simple meal which is delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 oz.) chickpeas ( garbanzo beans) drained, rinsed and as dry as you can get them

2 pints cherry or sungold tomatoes I used Sugarbombs which Whole Foods sells

1 shallot thinly sliced

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons honey if you’re adventurous you can use Hot Honey for more kick but leave off the red pepper

1/4 -1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher Salt

I used 1 block of feta sliced into 1″ blocks ( see photo)

Directions:

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet pan, stir together the chickpeas, tomatoes, shallot, olive oil honey and crushed red pepper. Season with salt, then spread in an even layer. arrange the feta blocks among the chickpeas.

Roast until the feta and tomatoes are soft and the chickpeas turn a golden brown, 30-35 minutes. This is meant to be eaten right away and hot. The feta will harden as it cools so reheat the leftovers. You can add rice or a thin pasta would be perfect as well or orzo.

*you can use sliced red onion if no shallot

*fresh basil would be a nice addition

**if you’re not on board with the vegetarian version you can add some sausage along with chickpeas or chicken

*you can half recipe easily enough

*can sub halloumi for feta

Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Crunchy Noodle Salad–with Ramen Noodles

Posted on August 2, 2025 | Leave a comment

This is an oldie but goodie and always welcome on the table. It is perfect with a bbq and always seems to be a hit.  It’s the time of year when cold salads are abundant but this beauty is really wonderful all year round.

Napa Noodle Salad

4 cups sliced Napa Cabbage ( I cheat and buy the cabbage in a bag. It’s not always Napa but sometimes I don’t feel like chopping.  if you buy the bag, it’s fine, just use 1 whole bag. It’s more than 4 cups but it’s fine, and if all you can find is the cole slaw kind it’s Ok too, it will just have some carrots and some purple cabbage.

5 green onions (scallions) sliced very thin (green parts only)

Mix cabbage and green onions and refrigerate for a few hours (at least 2). This gives it a chance to meld and wilt a bit.

2 packages of Ramen noodles– buy the ones with the flavor packets   (It doesn’t matter which flavor you buy b/c you will be throwing away those flavor packs  –you won’t be needing them for this salad–just the noodles 

handful of sliced almonds

1/2 cup sesame seeds (available in the spice aisle)

1/4 cup butter

Take the noodles (hard crunchy ones) and put in a large plastic bag. Bang noodles with a mallet or your fist (fist is fine) and just crack them up. They’ll be easier to work with. Add the almonds and sesame seeds and brown all together in the butter.

Dressing

1/2 cup sugar ( I know, but I never said I cook DIET)

1/2 cup salad oil (plain old vegetable oil will do just fine)

1/4 cup vinegar (I use white rice vinegar, which is available in Asian section of supermarket or just wherever the vinegars are.)

1 Tbsp. soy sauce (low sodium always)

Toss all together and Serve

*cabbage and onions need to meld and wilt a bit, so make sure to give them at least 2 hours in the fridge. The hard noodles should stay a little crunchy. Don’t burn–just brown–the ingredients until the butter gets a bit bubbly; not burnt. Be careful. While you’re browning the noodles with the almonds and sesame seeds, move them around with a wooden spoon so it all gets buttery.

I know this is fattening, but isn’t everything fattening so yummy??? And you’re not eating the whole thing, so enjoy!!!

Of course you can double up this recipe, it’s just a whole lotta cabbage to toss! As a side dish, this is a nice amount as is.

Serves 4 – 6 as a side dish

Leave a comment

Posted in Salad, sides

Tagged , , ,

Summer Salad — Arugula, Farro and Peaches

Posted on July 31, 2025 | 1 comment

This is a delicious salad filled with farro, manchego cheese ( or feta, parmesan, goat or any cheese you like) I just happen to love Manchego and marcona almonds, peaches and chives or scallions whichever you have or prefer or none at all. I will give you some substitutions in the ingredients section. The local peaches in Colorado are ripe and beautiful now so perfect for this lovely salad. And you can add any protein you like and it makes a perfect lunch or dinner salad.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 -1 cup farro — should be about 2 -2 1/2 cups cooked

5-6 ounces arugula ( I prefer baby arugula)

2 peaches , chopped

1/4 cup chives, chopped or chopped up scallions or none

I used a handful of marcona almonds and chopped them, you can use almonds or walnuts I love Marcona

I used Manchego Cheese, and just used a bit of it — don’t want to overwhelm the salad with cheese , I cut up Manchego into small pieces but feel free to sprinkle crumbled feta, shaved Parm, gorgonzola etc.

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons Champagne Vinegar or White Vinegar

2 Teaspoons Honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

a few grinds of fresh black pepper

5 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Directions:

Cook Farro according to directions on package. I just place in small saucepan with water to cover by about 3 inches, add a little kosher salt, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well and allow to cool. I try and make the farro ahead of time and put in container so it’s ready to use.

In a small bowl or glass jar place all ingredients for dressing, shake or whisk .

When ready to eat place all ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing ( you’ll probably use all of it) Toss and Serve.

Delicious fresh tasting Summer Salad.

1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,