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Raw Corn Salad

Posted on July 26, 2024 | Leave a comment

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food sites– Food 52 and I had to make this amazing corn salad which is absolutely no cooking at all. What could be better? The corn in the summer is so amazing and all of the other ingredients are readily available and  super easy to make.

I made a few changes from the original on Food52 but check out their site it’s worthwhile. www.food52

Ingredients:

4-5 ears of fresh corn shucked– I happen to have bought 5 ears of corn so I used all 5 don’t use less than 4

1 pint of small tomatoes–plum, cherry or whatever — halved

4 oz. of good feta cheese crumbled

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1 can of Cannellini beans –or black beans or whatever kind of beans you prefer –rinse and drain before adding

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

4-6 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Lime–halved

Directions:

Cut the corn off the cobs. Try to get as close to the cob as possible. This can be a messy process so I use a bundt pan and place cob in the hole of the bundt pan and cut down so almost all of the kernels fall in the pan.

Then in a nice size bowl I put the corn, sliced tomatoes, crumbled feta, herbs, and I added the beans.

I added 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill– taste and add 4 Tablespoons of the Olive Oil and the juice of half a lime. Mix well and taste if it needs a little more oil you can add and if you think it needs more S and P you can add now as well. I didn’t add more salt and pepper because the feta is salty and 1/2 teaspoon was enough. You can also add a bit more lime juice if you’d like.IMG_1611

Mix well before serving and serve immediately at room temperature.

Delicious!

 

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Lime-Garlic and Ginger Chicken —

Posted on July 10, 2024 | 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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Summer Salad

Posted on July 8, 2024 | 2 comments

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 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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Lemon Orzo with Feta

Posted on July 6, 2024 | Leave a comment

I love this recipe from Ina Garten’s Modern Comfort Food Book.

This is a delicious side dish for Chicken , fish ,and meat. I particularly like it with Roast Chicken. In the photo I posted here I served it with onion crusted chicken, oven roasted string beans, and homemade cranberry sauce. It was sort of perfect.

Get a good block of Feta or buy the crumbled one . I diced up a block of Greek Feta Cheese and it was just perfect but a nice crumbled one would work equally as well.

If you compare my recipe to Ina Garten’s original recipe you’ll notice I have omitted the salt, it was too salty for me. I tasted for Salt and Pepper when finished and added a little bit to the orzo when I cooked it. Everyone has a different palate for Salt so my suggestion is to taste at the end and add then, this recipe is easy to add at the end. Same goes for pepper just add to your own taste. Feta was plenty salty.

Simple to make and Delicious to eat .

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup Orzo

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 Tablespoons Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons good Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill

1 cup small diced Feta ( try a good greek Feta ) or crumbled Feta Cheese

*kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste– see note above

Directions:

In a large saucepan , bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, and cook the orzo according to package directions al dente.

Once orzo is cooked and drained transfer to a bowl and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil , dill, fold in the feta and taste for salt and pepper. I added no salt but about 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. This is up to you . Serve hot or at room temperature .

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Farro Salad

Posted on July 2, 2024 | Leave a comment

This is a delicious farro salad made with arugula — this salad is similar to my take on Jennifer Aniston’s Salad but with arugula and shaved warm instead of feta. This is light and yummy and you can add a protein and make it a dinner salad if you’d like. Original recipe credit goes to the chef Charlie Bird on this one.

You can obviously add what you like and remove what you don’t like . Feel free to swap cheeses, or onions for radishes, etc and chopped up dates would be just fab.

Enjoy!

Follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi

Ingredients:

1 cup Farro– I use pearled farro

1 cup apple cider not apple cider vinegar

2 cups of water

2 teaspoons kosher salt, and more to your own liking

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup extra -virgin olive oil* you can double if you’d like for a bit more dressing

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice-  * you can double if you’d like for a bit more dressing

app. 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan Cheese , I used a vegetable peeler but I do know you can buy Parmesan Cheese shaved this way ( time and mess saver)

app. 1/2 cup shelled Pistachios–I used salted pistachios and chopped them myself. You can use raw pistachios but they’re a tad tasteless or you can leave them whole up to you or substitute with any other nut you prefer or omit totally if you prefer gutless

app. 2 cups Arugula

app. 1 cup torn Basil Leaves or 1 cup chopped basil

app. 1 cup Mint leaves-cut up into smaller pieces– I prefer to chop it

2 large radishes sliced thinly or rough chopped–optional and you can use red onion here as well — sliced thinly or chopped into small pieces — totally optional but I love the crunch and the flavor of a fresh radish

app. 1/2 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes — totally optional

Directions:

Farro:

In a medium saucepan, bring farro,  apple cider , dash of kosher salt , 2 bay leaves and 2 cups of water to a simmer. Simmer until farro is tender and liquid evaporates, about 30 minutes. If farro is cooked but there is still water I put in a colander/strainer and leave it till it cools down. If on the other hand the water evaporates before the farro is done, you’ll have to add a little more water. You can always strain it so no worries–but don’t overcook. Let farro cool down and discard the 2 bay leaves.

Salad:

In a salad bowl (large enough to fold in arugula and mix) whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice, I use a small wire whisk, it’s an amazing kitchen tool.

Salad is always best at room temperature so if you do refrigerate, just bring to room temperature before serving. If you’d like you can put farro and parmesan in the bowl with some dressing and allow it to sit,  this would be the salad base and it can sit for a few hours out without refrigeration. I usually just mix all ingredients starting with the farro then add in everything else gently toss with some dressing and if people want more dressing it’s available. Add nuts at the end so they retain their crunch !

IMG_1779IMG_1780

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Easy Peasy Chicken Caprese

Posted on June 28, 2024 | Leave a comment

This is one of those recipes that I make that is so super easy. Very few ingredients and other than cutting tomatoes and mozzarella balls, there is very little prep. You gotta love meals like this, especially in the summer when these beautiful heirloom tomatoes are abundant. I really only make this in the summer . It is light and delicious and makes for a beautiful salad as well and you can serve it at room temperature. I made this last night with burnt brussel sprouts on the side . You’re not going to believe how easy this is. It’s amazing!

Follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi

Ingredients:

1 container marinated bocconcini ( mozzarella balls) you will need the oil from the container to marinate chicken ( it comes in an olive oil marinade with spices)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves , I buy them pounded thin or use chicken tenderloins –you just don’t want them too too thick

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 pint heirloom ( if you can get them) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

*a little cut up basil is always a good idea!

Directions:

Take bocconcini balls out of the marinade. Cut bocconcini balls in quarters. Transfer about 1/2 of the marinade from bocconcini to a medium size baking dish , add the chicken , salt and pepper the chicken and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before cooking. If you’d like you can refrigerate , and take out and bring to room temperature before grilling.

Put cheese in a bowl, add the remaining oil marinade and add the cut tomatoes to this bowl. Salt and Pepper to taste, give it a good stir and put in refrigerator till you’re ready to cook chicken. I removed from fridge about 1/2 hour before I cooked the chicken. Just bring it to room temperature.

Grill the chicken over medium high heat , till you get nice grill marks, probably about 8 minutes. You can cut the chicken into smaller pieces and mix with tomatoes and cheese. I just plated up the chicken and put tomato/cheese mixture on the plate. Perfect summer meal.

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Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and String Beans Sheet Pan

Posted on June 23, 2024 | Leave a comment

This is an easy dinner with perfectly seasoned roasted chicken with lemon flavor , potatoes and string beans all on one sheet pan. This recipe is good for 3-4 people depending on your eaters. Feel free to double up and make more and you can even use 2 sheet pans — just adjust oven racks accordingly.

If you don’t have a rimmed sheet pan you can use a 13 x 9 baking dish.

We loved the flavors and the chicken cooked up perfectly . I used smallish thighs so it cooked perfectly in the time frame I wrote up. If you have larger thighs you’ll want to cook a little longer till meat thermometer reads 160- 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 small bone-in skin on chicken thighs — app. 2-3 lbs.

1 1/2 lbs. small potatoes ( I used a medley of colored potatoes) cut into bite-sized chunks — see pics. If you have a larger potato just cut into chunks– I used small ones so I cut in 1/2 and placed cut side down

1/4 cup Olive Oil and 1 Tablespoon for string beans

1 average size lemon zested and juiced

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 average sized lemon sliced

6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1 small yellow onion cut into chunks — or 1/2 a large sized onion

3/4 lb. green string beans trimmed

Salt and Pepper for string beans

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Spray a rimmed large baking sheet with cooking spray

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary , oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Pat chicken pieces dry first ( this is important for a crispy skin) Arrange chicken and potatoes on the prepped baking sheet. Pour the olive oil mixture over the chicken and potatoes and gently toss with clean hands. You can also place in a larger bowl and pour mixture over and coat chicken and potatoes.

Place potatoes cut side down, tuck the garlic cloves under the chicken pieces, place lemon slices and onions around the chicken

Roast in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, I prepped the green beans . Toss clean trimmed green beans with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.

After the initial 20 minutes I added the green beans and roasted for an additional 20 minutes or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 160 – 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken. Veggies and potatoes should be tender.

*depending on the size of your chicken thighs it could take longer .

Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Perfection on a plate .

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Cowboy Caviar

Posted on June 20, 2024 | 2 comments

I made this for the first time and really enjoyed it. It’s a great dip as an appetizer with chips but I served it as a side dish alongside my chicken fajitas along with some chips. Ingredients can be swapped out to use what you like or don’t like just try and keep the quantities the same. I couldn’t find black eyed peas so used pinto beans and it was fine. I love a bit of spicy so used a jalapeño and I love cilantro but so many people don’t like it so I left it out this time. It ‘s very delicious and other than a bit of chopping up veggies which can be done ahead it’s super easy! You can add some fresh avocado chunks at the end right before serving and you can make a day ahead and maybe drain some of the liquid before serving, it’s almost better the next day since flavors meld overnight. A squeeze of fresh lime would also be nice. I wouldn’t omit the sugar as the amount is so small in relation to the whole recipe that health concerns are negligible. The sugar adds overall flavor and adds a balance between the acidity and the saltiness flavor. Have fun with this recipe no matter how you do it — no right and no wrong here do it your way. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

for the dressing:

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3-4 garlic cloves -minced

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Kosher Salt and black pepper

For the Salad:

3 plum tomatoes, cored , seeded if desired and diced — you can also use halved cherry tomatoes and use about 1/2 pint

1/2 red onion, finely diced — app. 3/4 up

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15 oz. can black eyed peas , rinsed and drained– I used Pinto because I couldn’t find black eyed peas out here in CO whatever beans you like you can even use 2 cans of black beans

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels ( about 3-4 cobs) or thawed drained frozen sweet corn about 8 oz. or even roasted corn ( Trader Joes) if you like it and can get it– I used 4 cobs of fresh corn which is so abundant right now

1 red, green, or orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced *

*1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves plus more for garnish — totally optional

1 scallion, white and green parts, added at the end before serving for garnish

*tortilla chips, for serving also optional

Directions:

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to combine– set aside

Add the tomatoes, red onion, drained and rinsed beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeño, and if you’re using cilantro, Toss to combine with dressing and season for salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving or even overnight.

To serve, take out of fridge, toss well and taste for seasonings. Sprinkle with scallions and if you’re serving as a dip or even as a side dish it’s great with tortilla chips. ( everything is better with chips)

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Basic Corn Salad

Posted on June 17, 2024 | Leave a comment

It’s Summer (well almost)  and the living is easy –and the corn is delicious.  There are times I buy fresh corn but don’t feel like serving it on the cob even though it is perfectly delicious this way. This corn salad is a suggestion for you as a side dish with very little ingredients and pretty much all corn. I like to serve as a side dish in the summer because it can be made ahead and served at room temperature. It’s a most perfect side dish. It doesn’t get more basic or easier than this recipe.  My absolute go-to summer side dish. Super Easy.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and keep on Cooking with Candi.

Ingredients:

5-6 ears of corn , shucked

1/2 cup small diced red onion

3 Tablespoons cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons good olive oil

1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt – you can always add more salt after you finish and taste for salt

1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper the same applies for the pepper as for the salt

app. 1/2 cup cut up fresh basil leaves–use as much or as little as you like –it adds wonderful flavor

*add a few small cut up grape tomatoes for another variety on this

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the corn for app. 3 minutes (just to let go of the starchiness) Drain and immerse in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. When the corn cools down , cut the kernels off the cob , cutting close to the cob to get the whole kernel. I use a bundt pan to catch all the kernels.

Toss the corn kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

How simple and easy is this?IMG_5739

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Chicken thighs with Hot Honey and Lime

Posted on June 12, 2024 | Leave a comment

I used bone-in skin on but you can easily make this with boneless skinless chicken thighs just watch your timing it may vary. Chicken thighs pack a lot of flavor and this was a perfect weeknight meal using a few pantry staples. This is a spicy chicken recipe and if you don’t like it “hot” and spicy it’s not for you. Original recipe is from. Vallery Lomas on NYT cooking site. I made a few changes to suit myself but basically followed the recipe. I would maybe try olive oil instead of butter next time but this was delicious. I would also double down on the sauce —

You can serve hot out of oven with rice/potatoes a vegetable or Cole Slaw or any salad to compliment this tasty dish.

Ingredients:

3lbs. bone-in skin on chicken thighs

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce — I used Cholula Hot sauce

1 lime for zesting and juicing

2 Tablespoons mild honey

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. I sprayed a baking sheet with Pam cooking spray for easier clean up or you can cover with foil whichever you prefer.

Pat chicken thighs dry and then season all over with spices — Salt , Pepper, Onion Powder and Garlic Powder — fresh garlic will burn here as oven is very hot

Arrange the chicken skin side up then post until browned for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting, combine the melted butter and hot sauce and whisk to combine.

transfer 1/2 of it to a separate bowl and set aside for later. After the chicken has roasted for 20 minutes, brush the chicken all over with the butter mixture. Continue to roast until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, probably 10-15 more minutes — keep an eye on it after 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven when done.

Zest the lime, then cut in 1/2. Add the honey and zest to the remaining butter-hot sauce mixture and whisk to combine, then brush over the hot chicken thighs and squeeze the lime over the chicken.

Serve immediately.

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