This salad came together so beautifully and it was simple, delicious and versatile. You can change up ingredients and make it your way. The dressing would be delicious on fish or chicken and will keep for a couple of weeks in your fridge. This makes a delicious salad with chicken, salmon, or any protein you’d like to add. I served for lunch for some friends with grilled chicken on the side. This is what I did.
Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
Salad
10 oz. spring mix — red butter leaf/ arugula, type of mix or any soft lettuce combo you like — If you’re having 4 or more use 10 oz. I used 5 oz. ( 1 bag of lettuce mix) for just 4
8 oz. small mozzarella balls–cilliegine cheese — if you see mini mozzarella balls those work well too I used the small ones
2 large avocado cut into small chunks
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut up– I just used those mini tomatoes from Trader Joes — any kind of tomatoes will work– whatever you like
1 bell pepper seeded and diced small– red , orange or yellow
1/2 cup pignolli nuts or sunflower seeds I prefer the pignolli so I used them
Salt and Pepper to taste
Salad Dressing
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 Tbsp. finely minced shallots
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
1-2 Tbsp. Honey — I use 2
2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard I use 2 heaping
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Add lettuce to a large salad bowl– I place washed lettuce in a large salad bowl and toss with a little salt and pepper
Place all ingredients on top and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them add avocado right before serving
Make the dressing: add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl after measuring them out. Whisk until combined ( a baby size whisk works wonders) or a fork — taste and add a little more vinegar for tang, a touch more honey for sweetness and adjust with salt and pepper
If you’d like dress and toss– I allowed my guests to just dress their own salad — depending on how many people you’re serving.
*dressing will stay fresh in fridge for up to 2 weeks
VmI made this recipe for dinner last night and it was just delicious. It elevated the weeknight bbq chicken for sure . The only thing is this recipe is best left to marinade for at least 6 hours. After breakfast I made the marinade and let it sit all day. This chicken can sit in the marinade for up to 8 hours–just let it come to room temperature before cooking. Not so tough to do and worth the results. If you don’t have an outdoor grill use a grill pan on medium-high . I plan on making this chicken all year round. Not a lot of ingredients at all and very easy to put together.
This can easily be doubled.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs which is what I used but feel free to use chicken breasts
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Mayonnaise — now I don’t use diet mayonnaise and the mayo burns off so you won’t be tasting it -the mayo makes it moist and yummy
1 Tablespoon Lime Zest — app. 2 limes and save the lime to squeeze over the chicken
1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger — if no fresh ginger use about 1/8 of a teaspoon of powdered ginger –1/8 to 1/4 of powder is equivalent to 1 Tablespoon Fresh
2 garlic cloves finely minced — I always put my garlic in my mini processor for a fine mince . If you don’t have a mini processor you can just mince by hand but it’s a great little machine to own.
Directions:
Pat the chicken dry with some paper towels.
In a large enough bowl to add the chicken stir together the mayonnaise, lime zest, garlic, ginger and 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and about 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken to the mayo mixture and stir to coat. I put my chicken in the fridge for the whole day and removed it about an hour before cooking to bring to room temperature.
To grill: Heat your grill to medium high and grill the chicken till cooked through I cooked for about 5 minutes per side and they were perfect. Breasts will cook up faster so just watch them . They’re finished when juices run clear. Turn as necessary to avoid burning them.
If cooking inside the house with a skillet/grill pan cook over medium-high heat also about 5 minutes per side.
I squeezed the fresh lime over before serving and they were just delicious.
Light and easy — Cucumbers and Avocado Salad with a light lime dressing. This side salad will disappear very quickly and you’ll be wanting more.
I made it without the green onion so feel free to add it or not it was just as yummy without. Just happen to have avocado and cucumber in the house but next time I will make sure to add a little green onion!
Ingredients:
2 English Cucumbers –Slice Cuke in 1/2 — scoop out seeds and slice or use any cucumbers you like I just like to remove seeds and cut smaller cukes into smaller pieces — it really doesn’t matter how you slice them up– if I use kirby type cucumbers (as pictured) I cut into smaller pieces — totally up to you– it’s all good — small Persians work well here and you’ll probably need 3 or 4 — I don’t scoop out seeds from the Persian cucumbers
1 large avocado pitted, peeled and cut into chunks or slices whichever you prefer
*1/3 cup green onion , chopped
2 Tbsp. Lime Juice from 1 medium lime
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
In a medium sized salad type bowl, combine sliced cucumbers , avocado and if you’re adding green onions.
Drizzle with lime juice, olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. I sliced cucumbers and dressing earlier than right before I served it added the avocado so it wouldn’t brown. The lime juice should prevent it from turning brown though.
That’s it — so simple and delicious! A perfect side salad.
This recipe is wonderful on so many different levels I don’t know where to begin. Firstly it comes together in under an hour , then there’s the one pot situation which is amazing, and the flavors are wonderful and the meal is delicious so what more could you want?
Good for families and good for the two of us since I froze 1/2 of it for another meal and have a little left over for lunch the next day. So it’s all good and easy and perfect .
We love pasta and this is just one more wonderful pasta dish.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound Italian Sausage , casings removed I used 1/2 Sweet and 1/2 Spicy –use whatever you like even chicken or turkey sausage would work well here. I can usually find it at the butcher in bulk so don’t have to remove from casing. It’s not a big deal to remove from casing.
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds — don’t omit
Pinch red pepper flakes — as big or small a pinch depending on how much you like the heat. You can put on the table so everyone can add more to their own
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher Salt app. 1/2 teaspoon and taste for salt towards the end
Freshly Ground Black Pepper — app. 1/4 teaspoon
4 cups Chicken Broth — 1 box
28 oz. Can Tomato Puree
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 box ( 16 oz.) Fusilli Pasta or any other pasta shape you like
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
Grated Parmesan for serving
Directions:
In a large deep pot — I use my trusty Le Creuset– it’s perfect– spray first with cooking spray — add the Tbsp.. of Olive Oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the bulk sausage and cook until it starts to brown up, app. 5 minutes. I then added the diced onions right in and cook until softened and translucent and the sausage is well browned, probably another 5 minutes.
Add the oregano , fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic and the Salt and Pepper and stir to combine .
Add the broth, tomato puree and tomato paste and stir well and bring to a low boil. Add the uncooked pasta into the sauce , reduce to a simmer and cook , stirring occasionally until the pasta is al dente, app. 15 minutes. Mine was perfect after 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the mozzarella and taste for Salt and Pepper but I didn’t need anymore it was perfect. If you think it needs more seasoning add now.
Bone in Chicken Thighs work beautifully here as they cook up rather quickly and are very tasty . I browned them first and gave them a nice crust and then they get braised in a beautiful tomato sauce with coconut milk and amazing spices. It’s stew like in consistency and I served over rice. Any rice will do . I added some red peppers and it was enough of a meal on it’s own with the rice. Bread would be lovely if you’d like to soak up the remaining sauce . A nice green salad would work well here as well.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 – 2 lbs. bone-in , skin-on chicken thighs, at room temperature
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons grapeseed or Canola Oil — I used Grapeseed
1 medium red onion thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 2 “piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Curry Powder — I use Spicy Curry Powder use whatever you like
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes– I left them whole
1 Red Bell Pepper– cut into thin strips
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with their juices
1/2 (13 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk — save the rest of can if you feel the sauce needs more– I didn’t use it
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
*handful of roughly chopped fresh cilantro — totally optional
Directions:
Pat chicken thighs dry and I placed on a baking sheet and sprinkled kosher salt and coarse black pepper all over
In a deep 12 inch pot or pan — I used my cast iron Le Creuset –perfect. add the 2 Tablespoons Grapeseed Oil till oil gets hot enough to add chicken ( medium-high heat) I use tongs and place the chicken skin side down, let them brown up nicely without disturbing them for about 5 minutes using the tongs you can look at them and make sure they’re lightly golden not burning. Flip and brown the other side for about 5 more minutes . If too hot you can lower the heat. When finished transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Turn heat to medium-low add the onion and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, cumin, cinnamon and red pepper flakes, cook for a minute or so then add in the red pepper strips and cook down for a few minutes till peppers are softened.
Add the can of tomatoes with their juices , the tomato paste, fresh tomatoes ( I left them whole), and the coconut milk , stir until combined and scrape up all the brown bits that may have formed on bottom of the pan. Nestle the chicken back into the skillet ( do not submerge the chicken) Simmer uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has had a chance to thicken slightly ( if too thick add a little more coconut milk) Taste the sauce for Salt and Pepper. Cook anywhere from 30 – 40 minutes more. If you have a meat thermometer you can test for chicken doneness (165 degrees) I probably cooked for 40 minutes. Then if not crispy enough put whole pot under broiler in the oven for a few minutes but be careful not to burn the chicken.
I divided rice into bowls and plated chicken and sauce on top , Sprinkled a little cilantro and we thoroughly enjoyed this very flavorful dish.
I saw this delicious recipe in the NYTimes Cooking Section by Melissa Clark and since I almost always consider her recipes to be winners I tried it. This is what I did and please feel free to check out the original recipe .
It’s slightly spicy and the corn gets a little roasted in the sheet pan alongside the chicken thighs and it’s simple and very tasty.
Very delicious and I served hot out of the oven but it was pretty delicious as a cold leftover the next day served on a bed of lettuce with some avocado .
1/4 cup finely chopped basil plus more for garnish if you like
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped pickled jalapeños, plus brine from the jar
4 cups fresh or frozen corn (app. 4 ears of corn if you’re buying fresh corn) I used frozen
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, plus a little more for drizzling
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime halved
Directions:
Pat dry the chicken thighs, season the chicken thighs all over with salt. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, basil, garlic and 2 Tablespoons of jalapeño brine. Add the chicken to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 8 hours overnight.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss together corn, pickled jalapeños, olive oil, remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt and half of the scallions. (save remaining scallions for serving)
Arrange the chicken on a sprayed baking sheet, spacing it out, roast for 12 minutes. Spoon the corn mixture onto the empty parts of the baking sheet. Drizzle chicken with a little oil. Continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through, 10-15 minutes longer, and give the corn a little stir once while roasting somewhere in the middle.
Turn the broiler on high and broil the chicken and corn until golden brown in spots, about 2-4 minutes and watch carefully so it doesn’t burn, though a little blistering is nice on both corn and chicken.
garnish chicken with basil, remaining scallions and you can squeeze some fresh lime juice over this. Serve hot or at room temperature.
This would be a perfect summer dish served at room temperature outside for lunch or dinner.
I love Cole Slaw and it is such a simple thing to make to add to any bbq or meal. It is especially good in the summer when we all love cold salads. I like it all year round. It’s a great side dish to almost any meat and I really like it with roast chicken.
It’s super easy if you buy the bags of pre -shredded cole slaw. If you want to do it yourself you can just cut a whole cabbage in half and remove the core, wash , drain, dry and shred in the food processor or by hand. I just picked up 2 bags of Cole Slaw available everywhere in the produce section. You’ll need about 8 cups. I used 2 bags about 16 ounces.
This is what I did.
Ingredients:
For app. 8 cups of cabbage/cole slaw mix use 16 oz. app 2 bags of pre shredded Coleslaw mix or cut in 1/2 and use 1 bag
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tablespoons Apple CiderVinegar
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard– I love Dijon so I do 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt and more to taste
1/4 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper and more to taste
Mix dressing in a bowl with a whisk is best.
Start slowly adding dressing to coleslaw mix in a large enough bowl to continue tossing. I added a little bit at a time and kept mixing till it was completely saturated with the dressing.
It’s always best if it gets to sit for awhile so if you have the time make ahead. I make ahead so if I need a little more dijon, or salt and pepper it’s easy. You’ll probably be good on mayo and dijon but everyone has different tastes . Enjoy!
Then I refrigerated it till we were ready to eat and gave it a good toss and tasted for Salt and Pepper before serving!
This is my go to rice recipe — sweet and salty delicious recipe. Perfect served alongside a savory BBQ or any meal for that matter. Always a hit at our house. I like Chrissy Teigen’s recipe of all the coconut rice recipes. And don’t skimp on the toasted coconut. This is not diet food — but it’s delicious and worth the few extra calories. Absolutely yummy!
Don’t forget to rinse the rice and let it dry — it takes another 1/2 hour or so and is absolutely worth it. I just rinse it through a mesh colander– run cold water over rice and move rice around a little with your hands and let it dry . Rinsing or washing rice removes that excess starch, resulting in grains that are more separate when cooked.
Enjoy and thanks again to Chrissy Teigen for this wonderful recipe.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups Jasmine Rice ( rinsed and drained)
1 14 oz. can coconut milk– full fat not light
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Directions:
In a dry pan, toast coconut over medium-low heat, stirring until lightly brown and fragrant. About 4-5 minutes. Watch carefully . Transfer to a plate to cool.
In a medium saucepan, combine all other ingredients including rice, coconut milk, water, sugar and salt.
Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Once it boils reduce heat to a barely simmer until rice is fully cooked and liquid absorbed keep covered. About 20 minutes. I time it for 20 and check on it at 15 minutes. Remove from heat when all liquid is absorbed and fluff with a fork. Then re-cover the saucepan and let it stand for at least 5 minutes before serving. Last night I made an hour ahead and let it sit and it was perfect.
Transfer to a sering bowl and top with toasted coconut.
Making pizza at home with store bought dough is one of my favorite things to do. It’s easy once you get the hang of the dough and I found a few tricks along the way which help make it easier. The real trick to the dough is letting it rise and come to room temperature. If you try to work with cold dough out of the fridge it won’t work . You will need a rimmed sheet pan as well. I keep some dough in the freezer and take it out the night before and let it defrost in the fridge and the next day about 4 hours before I am using I place it on the counter ( in the sun even better) and let it rise and come to room temperature. There are many places to buy dough and you’ll have to find the best one by your home. I buy in Whole Foods when I am in Colorado and in NY Trader Joes , Whole Foods and your local pizza place or bakery will probably be happy to sell you a ball of dough. .Dough will need at least 3 – 4 hours to rise outside of the fridge. Nothing will happen to it so just set it out on the counter — I open the bag and let it rise away. My ingredients are simple and if you follow instructions you should be fine. Don’t be discouraged if the first few times it doesn’t come out perfectly — it took me a few times with the dough to really get the hang of it. Give it a try!
This is what I do and these are my instructions:
Ingredients:
1 bag Pizza Dough — for 4 people I make for 2 and we always have extra slices
16 oz. Pizza Sauce — if I have homemade I use that if not I always have a jar of Raos Arrabiata or Marinara on hand
Italian Seasonings — dry app. 2 tsp. you’ll have to eyeball it
flour for stretching dough — this is a must
Olive Oil Spray for spraying baking sheet — I like this better than using olive oil — either one will work on baking sheet
Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella — app. 8 oz. more or less
Directions:
Let dough rise. Read notes above. Keeping the store bought dough on a counter for at least 3 hours or more. It will keep rising in the bag so I usually open the bag to give it room to rise. If you’re defrosting it do so overnight in fridge and then take it out the next day. You’ll notice it rising in fridge ( at least it should)
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees — very important to get oven hot so make sure you’re oven is pre-heated
Spray baking sheet with Olive Oil Cooking Spray or using a brush lightly coat bottom of baking sheet with Olive Oil . I use a 12x 17 rimmed baking sheet . You don’t need a pizza stone.
Stretch the dough. On a clean surface ( counter top ) I put down a light amount of flour (enough for both sides) and you can always add more , the flour will help to expand the dough. Place raw dough on top of flour, coating each side. Begin stretching the dough by pinching the outside in a circular motion to spread it out. I put my fists under the dough to stretch ( you don’t need a rolling pin) You can alternate between pinching the dough with your finger, pressing it out on your work surface, and using your knuckles to pull the dough from underneath in circular motions. Usually a few motions will get the dough stretching. When it’s large enough gently transfer to the prepared sheet pan. I spread it out thin in center and more dough around perimeter ( crust) if there are holes in your dough pinch together dough or fold over the dough in that spot and get rid of them . I spread it out all the way to cover entire baking sheet . Don’t worry about your dough being a perfect shape. All pizza is delicious and beautiful.
Bake the naked pizza dough in the oven at 450 degrees for 7 minutes. During this time prep your toppings. I am sort of a purist so it’s sauce, cheese , and seasoning. Never add the toppings to raw pizza dough.
After par-baking the pizza dough, remove from oven and raise temperature of oven to 500 degrees. ( make sure it gets to 500) I add my sauce — spreading it out on dough, I leave a little room around perimeter ( see photo) , dried Italian seasoning ( if you’re using) parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese . Obviously if you have other toppings you want to use this is the time to add.
Bake the pizza at 500 for another 10 minutes — all ovens vary so check on it after 7 minutes.
I like my cheese fully melted and a little brown in spots. Let it cool off for a few minutes before slicing .
I use a pizza cutter and get 8 slices .
Let me know how this comes out — tag me on Instagram story — I would love that.
these are some photos from current pizzas and past pizzas–sometimes they come out better looking than other times but they always taste incredible! No such thing as an ugly pizza in my book.
I got this recipe from Pamela Salzman’s cookbook Kitchen Matters. I absolutely loved it. I made the chicken and then proceeded to turn it into a rice bowl. The rice bowl accompaniments can be whatever you like. I use Tzatziki Sauce instead of Tahini white sauce. You can also serve over salad which is quite delicious as well. Greek Salad in particular would be great! Add some delicious pita or Naan bread and it’s perfection! I made a side order of roasted peppers and onions and you can add mushrooms as well. I did this in the oven about an hour before dinner. (cut up peppers and onions add a little olive oil to coat and salt and pepper and 400 degrees for about 45 minutes )Big thumbs up on the peppers and onions in the rice bowl. Feta cheese is a must here! (buy a good one) and pepperoncini in mine!
I cooked on my outside grill but this can be cooked indoors on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. Or use a grill pan which would probably cook faster — either way it is delicious.
I also highly recommend marinating for as long as possible. I prepared the chicken in the morning and probably marinated for about 7 hours. Minimum of 1 hour and you can do overnight as well. This marinade was very flavorful.
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice– I used 2 average sized lemons
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon — I used a heaping 1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper– I used a heaping 1/8 here too
Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper –probably 1/4 teaspoon as well
4 minced garlic cloves
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs– we obviously prefer thighs but if you must use white meat go ahead but be careful it doesn’t dry out this is why we prefer the thighs to the breast especially in this recipe.
Directions:
prepare the marinade– Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large glass bowl. Add the raw chicken and toss to coat. Marinade in the fridge for as many hours as you can — this was key. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 1/2 hour before cooking.
I cooked on my outside grill for about 7 minutes on each side. I like the outside edges a little crispy since I don’t have a revolving spit to cook my chicken on this is as close as I could get. When I can’t grill ( like in the city) I cook in 400 degree pre-heated oven for about 30 mins. then broil for just a few minutes to get it all crispy. Keep an eye on it in the oven though.
*Another perfect thing to do is to double it up on the day of prep. Take out what I will need for that night and freeze the remainder of the marinated chicken. The next time we’re in the mood for this yummy dinner I just have to take it out of freezer in the morning and defrost and cook! Saves me the time of making the marinade again.
Enjoy! I know you will.
I sliced up chicken served it in a rice bowl and we each used different accompaniments. The peppers and onions were perfect with it. Highly recommend it and you can buy store bought tzatziki which would be just fine. Would be good with some delicious toasted pita or naan bread.
Cooking with Candi 