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15 Minute Marinara Sauce and Shrimp Marinara

Posted on June 29, 2026 | Leave a comment

Sometimes you just can’t wait for the two to three hours slow simmering sauce as delicious as it is and wonderful tasting it’s just sometimes not possible. The other night I wanted to make Shrimp Marinara but I didn’t want to use a jarred sauce and believe me I love Raos and Carbone sauces and this shrimp would have been just fine using one of them which I know and encourage you to use if you don’t want to make your own.

This is my recipe for a quick sauce for spaghetti and meatballs, anything marinara when I don’t want to make my slow sauce.

Enjoy! and this is what I did.

15 minute Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes we like it spicy so I use 1 1/2 if you hate spicy omit it all together

1/2 -1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 medium cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped

1 28oz can crushed red tomatoes, not pureed, not whole not diced

Directions:

Combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the pan to medium high heat. Saute till fragrant , try and avoid burning the garlic don’t let it get brown . Stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer, this will take a few minutes.

I added a little additional salt, and a little additional water. Also I use the pasta water from spaghetti so it got to the right consistency , just add a little water at a time. My sauce was sitting in pan while I prepped shrimp and pasta so it got thicker than I wanted. Easy to thin out , use the pasta water it will help sauce to stick to spaghetti.

Shrimp:

Prepare the pasta– follow directions on packaging for al dente.

Clean Shrimp, pat dry with paper towels and lay out and sprinkle with salt and pepper

I bring sauce to a boil and add the shrimp , the shrimp will start to curl as they cook , stir the shrimp through the sauce a few time and depending on the size of your shrimp they should cook in about 10 -12 minutes , smaller shrimp will cook faster.

Don’t over cook shrimp no body likes rubber shrimp.

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Once shrimp is cooked turn off the heat, finish the pasta , take some pasta water and incorporate into sauce. ( about 1/2 cup) but if you need more use more.

Plate it up and it’s done. Delicious homemade sauce with shrimp or meatballs.

Enjoy!

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Summer Salad

Posted on June 26, 2026 | Leave a comment

I made this salad the other night and it came together so beautifully and it was very very tasty if I do say so myself. I made it with grilled chicken and bacon but if you want to keep it vegetarian you can . You can also serve chicken and bacon on the side if you’d like. It’s a yummy chopped up salad with lots of tasty items that I love together. The lemon vinaigrette dressing has a bit of kick but you can easily leave out the crushed red pepper. I used fresh butter lettuce but any lettuce will do .

Enjoy!

*this served 4

Salad Ingredients:

8 slices bacon — I used microwave bacon and cooked for 3 minutes and cooled it off and crumbled it. Of course you can use any type of bacon or omit — up to you

app. 1 /2 -1 pint blueberries

1/2 cup crumbled Feta or Goat Cheese — I hate blue cheese but if you love it use that

1 handful small cut up basil leaves

app. 4 cups farmers market lettuce or any lettuce you like — I used a soft butter lettuce this time–I tore it into small pieces

3 corn on the cobs kernels removed — leave it raw — it’s sweet and delicious

1-2 avocados — depending on the size of your avocados — I used 2 small ones

Grilled Chicken:

I used about 4 chicken breasts — small ones and brushed some olive oil and salt and pepper and a little dried oregano and grilled them on the grill for a few minutes on each side till done and set aside with aluminum till ready to serve salad and then cut up chicken into small pieces.

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:

I made salad dressing in my mini chopper — Perfect and easy if no mini chopper just mince garlic by hand and whisk all ingredients together adding olive oil in last slowly.

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Champagne Vinegar

3 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt — more to taste — didn’t need it

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

I used my mini chopper and started with the garlic and put all other ingredients and added the olive at the end slowly.

Taste for salt and pepper but it was fine by me.

  • 1/2 teaspoon or more or less crushed red pepper flakes –we like kick and so did our guests so you may or may not want to use this which is fine

In a large salad bowl add in lettuce, chicken , blueberries, cheese, basil leaves, crumbled bacon, avocado and corn. Drizzle with the vinaigrette or serve salad and let your guests dress their own — up to you. Once salad is dressed serve immediately. I

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Simple Cole Slaw

Posted on June 17, 2026 | Leave a comment

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!

Enjoy!

 

 

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Sheet Pan Chicken –Honey Balsamic with Veggies

Posted on June 15, 2026 | Leave a comment

This is a very easy and delicious meal. The most work came from cutting up the vegetables and you can really use any veggies you’d like . This time I used a mix of red pepper, mushrooms, carrots and string beans. I would recommend adding a red onion but I didn’t have one in the house so didn’t use it. The onion would add a nice layer of flavor.

Also I used Chicken Thighs and again the timing on this recipe was for thighs –Chicken Breasts would be different as they cook much faster than thighs so not 100% about how that would work out but by all means give it a try and just keep an eye on them because they tend to dry out.

I like thighs because they can take the heat and my opinion is they are tastier.

Please follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi thanks and Enjoy!

Ingredients:

This is for the Honey Balsamic Chicken:

6 Bone in , skin on Chicken Thighs —

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 cup Honey

1 Tablespoon minced Fresh Garlic

1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoon Chili Powder

1/4 cup Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard

Kosher Salt to taste–1 Teaspoon to start

Sheet Pan Vegetables:

I used about 1/2 lb. String Beans

2 Carrots peeled and sliced into strips (see photo)

Mushrooms–8 oz. Box –sliced

Bell Peppers–I used a Red Pepper cut into 6 long slices

You can use Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, Red Onion, and really any veggies you like

2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Mix together in a bowl all the ingredients under Honey Balsamic Chicken — put in a ziplock bag along with the chicken thighs. Set aside for about 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

*Marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes or up to an hour but no more than this. Do not let chicken marinate for more than an hour because the vinegar acids start to break down the tissue in the meat and can make the chicken tougher .

Then I cut up all the veggies and put on a sheet pan that has been sprayed with Cooking Spray. ( I use a very large Sheet pan) and toss the veggies with the Olive Oil , Garlic Powder and some Salt and Pepper and spread them out on the Baking Sheet.

After the initial 15 minutes of marinating you then place the chicken thighs on top of the veggies and bake for 30-35 minutes — you can check the internal temperature of chicken with a meat thermometer and it should read 165 degrees if they are done.

I then remove the chicken to a plate and continue cooking vegetables for another 5 minutes, then I added back the chicken and turned oven to broil and probably 3-5 minutes is all you need to get everything nice and crispy! You’ll have to watch your oven but start with 3 minutes and check on it.

I added Brown Rice and had a most tasty delicious meal!

 

This is how it looked before cooking–take note of the size of the vegetables

 

 

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Chili Crunch Salmon

Posted on June 4, 2026 | Leave a comment

I made this for dinner the other night and gotta say it was pretty delicious , served alongside some rice and asparagus which are so delicious this time of year. A quick and easy meal made with salmon fillets and some Momofuko chili crisp ( available on Amazon) but make sure you get the mild one , the hot one is pretty hot even for me who likes hot , it’s also delicious on soba noodles or linguine, check it out -see photo of it below.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless salmon fillets

3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise — full fat kind please

2 Tbsp. chili crisp–you will use oil and crunchy bits and as I said I love Momofuko brand and available on Amazon -there are a few different ones and they’re all delicious

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp. Honey — if using mild chili crisp you can try Hot Honey

1 tsp. Rice vinegar

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic -minced

1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger — there is no substitute for fresh

and if you’d like you can finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, sliced scallions, lime wedges, or some extra chili crisp which I always do

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

I used a pyrex glass baking dish which I sprayed with Pam cooking spray –I also drizzled just a little olive oil on the bottom of the pan

Whisk together all the other ingredients until smooth, it should be spreadable , not runny.

Mayo, chili crisp, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil , garlic and ginger

Pat the salmon dry and place skin side down in the prepared baking dish

spoon or brush some of the chili crisp mayo combo over the salmon, don’t use it all save a little for the table for serving

Bake for app. 8-10 minutes and then broil for a few minutes , salmon thickness varies so be careful, I also like my salmon a little undercooked so don’t cook for as long , up to you. Use your best judgment knowing that it will finish cooking while it sits out of the oven .

Once finished you can spread more of the glaze on top and finish with any toppings you like.

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Lime-Garlic and Ginger Chicken —

Posted on June 1, 2026 | Leave a comment

Vm I 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.

Enjoy!!! Simple and Delicious!

 

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Chicken Piccata

Posted on May 22, 2026 | Leave a comment

Pan fried chicken in a sauce which is a combination of butter, fresh lemon juice, oil and capers and a little chicken broth and the perfect amount of lemon and lemon zest! This chicken dish is super easy and super fast to make for dinner I don’t add cream because I find it rich enough with the little butter and oil in it. If no broth use a dry white wine like pinot grigio. Always use fresh lemon though and the zest for that extra brightness and zing. Capers add the briny salty deliciousness which balances it all out. If you’re in with all these ingredients then here you go.

One more thing– of course you can buy chicken breasts in supermarket and slice in 1/2 and pound, I feel it’s worth the extra $$ to go to butcher and have them slice and pound . A lot of supermarkets have butchers which will be happy to do this so you can ask. I know Whole Foods will.

I served alongside brown basmati rice but any rice or pasta will do or mashed potatoes or a simple parmesan arugula salad, you get it. I had fresh asparagus on hand so used that but any green will do.

Enjoy! and your welcome

Ingredients:

1 – 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets –this was actually 4 cutlets perfect for the two of us with a little left over.

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Garlic powder

Flour–enough to dredge 4 pieces of chicken –I use a flat plate to dredge

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter -divided

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/4 -1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine

1 Lemon juiced and zest of 1 lemon –I used an average size lemon a little bigger won’t hurt but not smaller

1 Tablespoon brined capers – drained

Directions:

I take chicken and pat dry and generously sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder

Heat 2 Tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large enough skillet over medium high heat — I only did 4 cutlets otherwise you’ll have to do in batches — and add more butter /olive oil/broth/lemon juice etc. basically just do the sauce again for more cutlets

Once the pan is hot, cook the chicken pieces for about 4-5 minutes per side until golden and set aside on a separate plate

Take the pan off the heat and add the chicken broth or wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining butter and capers to the skillet , you’ll de glaze the pan and scrape up any browned bits

I then return pan to medium high heat and add a very little bit of flour to thicken and once it’s bubbling again add chicken back into the pan –you may want to add a little broth as well depends on how reduced sauce is — I added a little bit more — if sauce thickens too much add wine or broth

Add the chicken to sauce and cook for another 4-5 minutes and that’s it

*this was good for the two of us with one cutlet left over

serve hot with whatever sides you like and Enjoy!

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Balsamic Chicken

Posted on May 19, 2026 | Leave a comment

This delicious balsamic chicken loaded up with flavor is easy to make and a wonderful weeknight meal .

I made it with bone in skinless thighs, you can make with regular chicken thighs, bone in skin on, or boneless skinless chicken thighs and if you must chicken breasts just be careful with the cooking because they do tend to dry out. A little marination is good if even for an hour – I did two hours yesterday but overnight is sort of ideal but I know that’s tough to do. I also used my cast iron skillet to cook them in but a simple pyrex baking dish will do , just spray with cooking spray because the marinade can get sticky.

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Here’s what I did last night and enjoy!

Marinade:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Glaze not Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

1 tsp. Honey

1 lemon juiced

4-5 garlic cloves minced ( large) but if no garlic cloves you can use garlic powder — 4 teaspoons for 4 cloves and 5 teaspoons for 5 cloves

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme–1 teaspoon of dried thyme if no fresh

1 teaspoon dried oregano–

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

8 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken thighs about 1 1/2 pounds

Kosher Salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper

Directions:

Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, olive oil, balsamic glaze, tomato paste, honey and lemon juice, add the garlic, thyme, oregano, and sweet paprika. Whisk to combine.

Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat, I gave it a few hours do what you can. Like I said overnight is ideal.

Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees and adjust rack to middle

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish or heat safe skillet

Cook for apple. 25 minutes and then I put under the broiler for about 5 more minutes –keep an eye on it you don’t want to burn it.

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Roasted Salmon with Corn and Tomatoes

Posted on May 13, 2026 | Leave a comment

Sometimes you just need to lighten up the meal and I find Salmon always does the trick . It is filling enough without that full feeling when you’re done eating . This Salmon dish is light but satisfying in every way. This is what I did and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. This will become your new favorite way to eat salmon. 

I happen to love Salmon, I find it’s nutritious , tasty and so very versatile. Yesterday I posted one of my favorite air fryer recipes for salmon . There are countless ways to cook and serve salmon, and they’re all delicious but I really love one pan meals so you can cook in one pan along with vegetables. The combination of flavors in this recipe is amazing. The sweetness of the corn and yummy mouth bursting cherry tomatoes is perfection! 

*this recipe should serve 4 nicely–easy to cut in 1/2 for 2

Ingredients:

I asked for 6 oz. fillets– just make sure they are the same size and I like from the middle of the salmon not the end–you will need 4 for 4 people. One fillet for each person

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1 small container of cherry or grapes in any coloration you’d like-halved

2 cups frozen or fresh whole kernel corn

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. lime zest

1 Tbsp. Lime juice

1 tsp. honey

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion — I used a shallot this time because I didn’t have a red onion in the house or you can skip all together if you don’t like red onion — last night I added it and adds a nice little crunch and another layer of flavor

*if you love it snip some fresh cilantro in there at the end –while I love cilantro I don’t always have it to add and have to say equally as delicious

*also makes for delicious leftovers

Directions:

Pick up Salmon from your local fish store or Whole foods type of market

I rinse the salmon off and pat dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 15×10 baking dish with aluminum foil or spray with your favorite cooking spray and I prefer to just spray and it’s fine but if no cooking spray then use aluminum foil.  Place fish in prepared pan. Sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp. kosher salt over salmon and about 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper–you will have to eyeball it but the salmon needs salt and pepper it’s a question of how much. Lightly sprinkle.

In a medium sized bowl combine tomatoes, onion/shallot,  corn, oil , chili powder, cumin and a little more salt and pepper ( app. 1/4 -1/2 tsp. more salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper) Toss to coat. Spread tomato mixture around the fish in the baking pan. Roast uncovered, app. 15-18 minutes or until fish flakes easily and is cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fish so you should check on it after 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small bowl , stir together lime zest, lime juice, and honey

When fish is done to your liking remove fish to a platter. Brush fish with honey mixture. Add  cilantro to tomatoes in pan, stirring gently to combine all ingredients. Top fish with tomato mixture and if you’d like a little more cilantro this would be a good time to add it.

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Chicken Shawarma

Posted on May 11, 2026 | Leave a comment

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! Peppers, mushrooms and onions can also be cooked in a large frying pan on stovetop , I do mushrooms first ,then peppers and onions . First heat a little olive oil up, sprinkle salt and pepper on mushrooms and cook till they fry up nicely, put mushrooms on a plate wipe off pan from residue with a paper towel , if you need more olive oil add it salt and pepper the onions and peppers, you can do separately like mushrooms or together up to you.

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.

Thanks to www.pamelasalzman.com

Marinade:

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil

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.

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