Tag Archives: recipes

Bolognese Sauce — Turkey or Beef

Posted on February 16, 2024 | Leave a comment

I must say Pasta is probably my most favorite food to eat. Bolognese sauce is one of my most favorites and this is my easy version.  There are different variations of this recipe that I use. One is with beef and pork sausage, another is dark meat turkey with turkey or chicken sausage. I do use dark meat turkey because I think it is much more flavorful, it is ideal but if you really don’t want to use the dark meat use 1/2 white and 1/2 dark or all white meat it’s up to you . The only negative to this sauce is that it really needs 3- 4 hours for the sauce to cook down and if you want to shorten the simmer use crushed tomatoes and probably 2 hours would be fine. The longer the sauce cooks the more flavorful it will be.  This sauce would probably serve 4 nicely with 1 lb. of pasta. You can easily double it and freeze the leftover sauce. So nice to have it in the freezer and just have to make the pasta and you have a wonderful homemade meal. I have now started serving the sauce over shredded zucchini as well.  It is so delicious and you may feel a little bit better eating it over zucchini or spaghetti squash than noodles.  Pasta or Vegetable it’s pretty awesome. Look on my blog for Zucchini  Bolognese.  And  it  freezes  beautifully.

Should serve 6-8 and it freezes beautifully so put sauce in the freezer for the next time.

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil, plus more if necessary

1- 1 1/2 lbs. Italian style Turkey or Chicken Sausage, removed from casings. You can also mix in hot or sweet Italian pork sausage or hot Italian sausage — if you don’t mind using the pork. I think the pork has the best flavor — just saying

1 1/2 pounds ground Turkey ( I used dark meat ) or 1 lb. ground beef — I don’t love to cook with the lean version because it’s very dry so if using any ground meat use 85/15 at least.

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely diced ( app. 2 cups)

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juice or you can used diced tomatoes which break down much quicker but you’ll definitely be adding liquid to that. Just keep an eye on it. If you’re in a real hurry and don’t have time for a 4 hour simmer use 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and cut cooking time in 1/2.

1/3 cup tomato paste

*app. 1/2 teaspoon dry Italia Seasonings or oregano is nice here but optional as well

*splash of red wine towards the end of cooking – after the 2 hours I sometimes add a big glug of red wine– app. 3 Tablespoons and let it simmer down and be absorbed into the sauce for the last 2 hours of cooking.

1 box. Rigatoni ( or any other macaroni you like ) or spaghetti or if you like use *shredded zucchini or *spaghetti squash

Grated Parmesan Cheese for serving

Directions:

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy pan over medium high heat. ( I use my Le Creuset ) Add the sausage meat and break it up as it cooks, turning now and then, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside, add the ground turkey to the pan along with a good pinch of salt and a few fresh grind of pepper. Cook the meat stirring here and there, for 10 minutes as well, till meat is nicely browned. I remove and put in bowl with the sausage which was set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and add the onions and garlic however if you’re cooking with pork and beef there will be a lot of fat rendered in the pot, so if this is the case add 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil unless it looks very dry then add a little more. Cook until onion breaks down and gets soft, another good 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice along with 1/2 cup of water. ( You may need more water as you go) Add the sausage and ground turkey, stir the sauce well. Bring the sauce to a boil, season to taste with salt and pepper and turn the heat to low. Cover almost completely with a lid (allowing a little steam to escape) and gently simmer for 4 hours. You may want to add splashes of water if sauce is drying out. After 2 hours I added the 1/3 cup of Tomato Paste, and replace lid and continue simmering for 2 more hours. I added water as it cooked, you’ll have to judge for yourself how much water you add. I added 1/4 cup at a time. The longer this sauce cooks for the better it is.  You will have to continually stir and check for water which I do at least once an hour if not more often. Also a splash of red wine works well here too if you have an open bottle of a medium dry red wine — chianti or malbec or pinot — you know what I mean.

*If using crushed tomatoes you’ll cook for about 2 hours — and add tomato paste when you add crushed tomatoes. It’s a different process but this works very well and cuts the cooking time down. I still like the slow simmer so the longer it cooks the better it tastes.

When the sauce is ready for serving, bring a large pot of water and prepare pasta according to package directions. You may want to reserve a little pasta water if you still need to thin it out.

serve with sauce over the rigatoni ( or any pasta you like) with a nice grating of Parmesan.

Yum!

*so many stores now sell zucchini already shredded and it’s dry and ready to go.

Leave a comment

Posted in meat, pasta, Sauce

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Skillet Chicken with Lemons and Onions a la Ina Garten

Posted on February 13, 2024 | Leave a comment

I absolutely love this recipe and I must admit to making a few small changes but if you want to see her original recipe you can google it. You’ll have to buy a chicken some place that will be able to spatchcock it (butterfly it)– Whole Foods butcher will do this as well as your local butcher. Then when you get home and are ready to cook with it just press down on the chicken and sort of flatten it out. You’ll also need a cast iron pan large enough to hold it. I used a 12″ size pan and it was perfect. Believe me this is one of the most satisfying meals I can think of. Serve with whatever sides you like — we had homemade cranberry sauce , rice pilaf and roasted string beans. Perfection on a plate. Ina Garten has created some of the best recipes for home cooks today. The ingredients are all accessible and the presentation is beautiful and the food is delicious. This particular way of roasting a chicken is particularly delicious. This is what I did the other night and it was nothing short of fabulous.

Enjoy and thanks again to Ina Garten.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground coarse black pepper

1 Lemon — sliced 1/4″ thick slices

2 large garlic cloves, minced she says thinly sliced but I prefer to mince

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4 ” thick

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 app. 4 lb. chicken, backbone removed and butterflied ( spatchcocked)

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees

Place the thyme, fennel seeds, 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt and 1 Teaspoon pepper in a mini food processor and process until ground.

Pour the olive oil into a small glass measuring cup and add the herb mixture and set aside

Distribute the lemon slices on bottom of 12″ cast iron skillet and distribute the onion and minced garlic on top of the lemon slices.

Place the chicken on a separate baking sheet and pat it dry then turn the chicken skin side down and using a brush add about 1/2 the olive mixture to chicken. Turn the chicken skin side up, make sure it’s dry using paper towels ( very important for crispy skin) and brush remaining mixture all over the top of the chicken. Place chicken on top of the onions and lemons skin side up.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and pour the wine into the pan but not on the chicken just into the area that’s open around the chicken. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155-160 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the oven and sprinkle with the lemon juice, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters or however you like and serve hot with pan juices, cooked lemon and onions. I spoon some of the juice onto the top of chicken before serving.

Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Chicken Curry

Posted on February 6, 2024 | 3 comments

Just a little explanation of curry before we go any further. As I learned on a trip to India curry in it’s simplest form is an Indian gravy or sauce that is used with meat , tofu, or vegetables. It is usually served with rice and most popularly Basmati Rice and it contains many different kinds of spices. You can have a mild curry or a spicy curry. This recipe is a combination of different spices and actually doesn’t even use actual curry powder. So when people say they don’t like “curry” what exactly are they referring to? We loved this dish and since I am not in NY at the moment and can’t get good Indian cuisine I decided to make this recipe. Pretty easy if you have all ingredients in the house — mostly spices . Of course you control the “heat” of the curry — this was obtained with the cayenne pepper so use at your discretion. Very simple dish and I served with Basmati Rice .

This recipe as is will serve 4-6 — for the two of us I halved it — not an exact science so don’t worry about it. For instance I used 1 1/4 lb. chicken thighs. Yes I think chicken thighs yield the best flavor but if you absolutely don’t want to use them you can use breasts just cut them into smaller pieces.

Be a little adventurous and you might surprise yourself. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Ingredients

2 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs , mine were rather small so I left whole but if they’re large cut into 2-3 inch pieces —

1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt — you can use Greek and you can use 2% as well

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated and divided

2″ piece of ginger, minced or grated and divided as well. If no fresh ginger which I recommend you can use powdered . Use app. 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger, divided.

2 Teaspoons kosher salt, divided plus more for taste

3 Tablespoons neutral oil such as Canola or Vegetable

2 large onions, minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 15 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne powder– this will give flavor and a bit of a kick so go with less if you like a mild curry

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Combine chicken thighs with yogurt, half of the garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl and set aside for however long you can ( up to 1 day) I did for about 5 hours and it was just fine. I refrigerated and took out while I was prepping ingredients.

In a large 4 qt. or larger heavy stock pot with a lid, heat oil. Once hot add onions and cumin seeds and cook for app. 5 minutes or more till onions break down and are translucent. Add remaining salt, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cayenne and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until they break down and add the tomato paste, cook for another few mins. Now add the chicken in yogurt marinade, plus water , stir to combine , and bring to a simmer , stirring. If you need more water add a little at a time. Simmer for 25-30 minutes stirring every once in a while and checking for consistency of gravy.

Chicken should be done when it is cooked for about 1/2 hour, you can check by cutting a larger piece to see if it is cooked through. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve over rice.

Enjoy!

3 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Soy Orange Rosemary Chicken

Posted on February 1, 2024 | Leave a comment

I put this together last night and it was most delicious if I do say so myself and obviously Joel was very happy with this one as well. Served alongside rice and a beautiful Brussels salad which I will post soon as well. In the meantime this is a great weeknight meal or lovely meal if you’re having friends over. I would say 2 lbs. would feed 4-6 depending on your eaters.

This is super-yummy and don’t forget to spoon the sauce over the chicken when you serve it!

Ingredients:

2- 21/2 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken– I used thighs –much tastier but if you insist on breasts cut in 1/2–this time out I made for the 2 of us but used the same amount of sauce for full recipe — the sauce cooks down and you’ll want some for top of chicken

8 ounces orange marmalade , or this time I used Orange Ginger Fruit Spread by Dalfour which had amazing flavor but even apricot preserves will work well here. The Orange flavor just adds a layer of flavor that you can’t get from the apricot and the ginger in the orange really kicked it up a notch.

1 1/2 Tablespoons Whole Grain or Stone Ground Mustard ( my favorite is from Maille)

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce — I used low sodium

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 – 1/12 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary — if you like a lot of Rosemary add a little more if not a huge fan you probably won’t be making this recipe but use 1 Tablespoon

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper (app. 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions:

You can marinade over-night but I did it first thing in the morning– you’ll want this to marinade at least 6 hours — this is important

I take chicken out rinse off and pat dry. I then sprinkle some kosher salt over chicken — not a lot just enough to “sprinkle” top and bottom of chicken

In a glass bowl or any non-reactive bowl combine marmalade, soy sauce, melted butter, rosemary and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix marinade till completely combined then add chicken pieces and coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or longer whatever is convenient for you. I also put chicken in a gallon sized baggie and squish it around. Completely up to you.

Remove chicken from the fridge and bring to room temperature about 1/2 hour before cooking. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking spray– or you’ll have a tough time cleaning this one up.

Transfer the chicken to sprayed baking dish and get any and all marinade in the dish as well. I think I used a 13×9 dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through and browned up on top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. My oven cooked 4 pieces in 40 minutes so check chicken after 1/2 hour for progress — all ovens vary.

Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Chicken Scarpariello

Posted on January 28, 2024 | 2 comments

Chicken Scarpariello could easily be one of my most favorite dishes to order in an Italian Restaurant. The translation is Shoemaker’s chicken and it is a classic Italian-American dish of chicken, sausage, onions and peppers . The flavors are layered and spicy and sweet and this recipe often has potatoes in it but this time I left them out and we didn’t miss them. I made this for 2 people so used only 1 lb. of chicken. Recipe is for 2 – 3 pounds of bone-in skin-on chicken , you can use whatever pieces you like but if you’re using breasts have them cut in 1/2. I also made whole recipe in my Le Creuset Stockpot because I cut recipe for just the two of us. If you make whole recipe you’ll want to transfer to a large roasting pan before putting in the oven. I didn’t because I only used 3 pieces of chicken and 2 sausage links so I kept it all in the Le Creuset dutch oven .

Enjoy this hearty recipe and if I were making potatoes I might just roast some on the side and add in when I serve. Potatoes are totally optional.

Serve with some good bread to soak up this delicious sauce.

This would be a delicious Holiday Meal.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. bone-in , skin-on Chicken I used thighs only this time,, use what you like but keep breasts small and cut in 1/2 and this recipe can be easily cut in 1/2

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ( or coarse black pepper)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil ( if you’re cooking up chicken and oil disappears add a little at a time)

4 links Italian Sausage — you can use 1/2 mild and 1/2 spicy whatever you’d like

2 large Bell Peppers and if you’re making for more people and transferring to large roasting pan you can use 3 Bell peppers — seeded and cut into thin strips

1 large sweet onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic — probably 2 small cloves

4-8 hot vinegar cherry peppers or pepperoncini, left whole If you don’t like hot you can substitute with sweet cherry peppers in vinegar or peppadew peppers in vinegar( I know Trader Joes has these) Use what you like and what you can find.

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. season chicken pieces with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven style pot or use a large pot/pan for sautéing . In batches, ( don’t over crowd pot) brown the chicken , skin side down to start, you’ll probably want to sauté for at least 5 minutes or more per side and using tongs check for skin color to be golden brown, this may take longer or shorter and be careful not to burn the oil. I used a medium flame but if it starts to burn lower immediately . Remove the chicken to a plate when finished. Add the sausage to same pot and sauté until brown, about 3 -4 minutes per side. ( they will not be cooked through at this point– just browned. Remove with tongs , cut into 1″ slices and set aside along with chicken.

Now into the same pot sauté the bell peppers, onion and garlic until soft and beginning to brown , probably another 5 minutes or so. I sprinkled a little salt and pepper here while it was sautéing

Return the sausage to pot, add the cherry peppers or pepperoncini, chicken broth , wine, vinegar, oregano . Gently mix together, then transfer everything in the pot ( all liquid as well) to a large roasting pan. ( I always spray first for easy clean-up and easy removal of cooked food) use an olive oil spray if you have it and spray lightly) Nestle the chicken in the vegetables (skin side up) with sausage and roast in the oven until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced slightly, probably 30 minutes . If you are halving this recipe for 2 people you can put Le Creuset in the oven which is what I did but for larger amounts use roasting pan.

I served on plate and spooned a little of the sauce on top of chicken and vegetables.

Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

You can test done-ness of chicken with a meat thermometer.

*I prefer using dark meat here but that’s totally up to you

2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

My version of the Jennifer Aniston Salad

Posted on January 23, 2024 | Leave a comment

This salad has been all over the internet and I have to say it looked absolutely delicious and right up my alley. Upon closer inspection of it I realized that I would make it but with a few changes to better suit my taste. I definitely think it needs dressing but that’s just me, some of you may like this a lot without any dressing and apparently that’s the way Jennifer Aniston ate hers. Also the original version used Bulgur and I used Farro it’s just a little different flavor and taste , you can also use quinoa but I prefer Farro. I would also only use 2 cups cooked Farro , the original calls for 4 cups which I guess would be better for more people. You can substitute any of the ingredients or omit. I made for my daughter and myself and she didn’t want Parsley so I left it on the side so I can taste it with the parsley. I love the mint and thought it was an important flavor but you can play around with it and make it your way. I love chickpeas in my salad so this was a must but if you hate them just omit them. Obviously not an exact science so add more or less of any of the ingredients– this is just a guideline.

We ate a lot of the salad for dinner and still had leftovers.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked Farro — obviously you can use Bulgur or quinoa or any grain you prefer — follow instructions on the package of Farro — it will probably be 1 cup uncooked farro to two cups water but check your packaging

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped mint

1/2 cup or more or less shelled pistachios –leave them whole they’re better this way

2 mini cucumbers — chopped into small pieces ( see photo) 1/2 cup approximately

chickpeas – I used 1 can organic chickpeas — rinsed and drained and I let them dry for a while

1/2 cup or more crumbled Feta — use as much or as little as you like

Dressing Ingredients:

1 whole lemon – juiced — I use a juicer to get every last drop

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Sprinkle of Kosher Salt — to taste

Directions:

Prepare farro according to package directions. I made about an hour or so prior to dinner so it would be cooled down.

Finely dice up all of your herbs and ingredients that require chopping

Put dressing in a measuring cup and with a small whisk whisk it good and add a sprinkle of kosher salt once it emsulifies it is ready – a few quick whisks should do it

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and right before eating dress it and mix well — very delicious and will be in my rotation often.

Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Sausage, Orzo and Cabbage Soup

Posted on January 17, 2024 | 2 comments

This is one of those delicious easy to make super comforting soups. Of course I may have lost some of you with the Cabbage and if you hate it you hate it but if you’re willing to give it a shot this is a super cozy kind of soup which we can all use a little bit of . Made this for Joel and I and had 2 quarts left over for 2 more meals. Perfect dinner served with a nice green salad . I used pork sausage because that’s what I had in the house feel free to use chicken or turkey sausage whatever works best for you. I used a spicy italian pork sausage . I also used a frilly-edged Napa Cabbage . This cabbage is nice and soft and breaks down quickly . If using regular green cabbage you’ll have to cook a bit longer — probably another 15 minutes or so. Of course you can be flexible with your pasta , I used orzo but you can use any small pasta such as ditalini, mini elbows or mini farfalla .

Enjoy this most satisfying soup which is just perfect on a cold wintery day or night.

Stay safe folks.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 pound Italian sausage, mild or spicy remove casings

2 cloves garlic minced

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, start with a pinch , plus add more to taste

1/4 cup Tomato Paste

1 large Napa or Savoy Cabbage, trimmed , quartered and thinly sliced

4 cups Chicken Stock

4 cups Water

1 cup Orzo

1 -2 Parmesan Rinds

*grated Parmesan for serving

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven type of pot.( Le Creuset works well here) over medium heat.

Add sausage in a single layer and break up into smaller pieces, stirring occasionally until sausage is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Add the chopped onion and several big pinches of kosher salt and black pepper. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes then add the garlic and continue cooking for a few mins. Lower the heat and add the tomato paste and continue to cook stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot. Onions will start to caramalize in about 3 more minutes.

Add the cabbage, chicken stock, water, orzo , Parmesan Rinds, and add another big pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes. Continue stirring so pasta doesn’t stick to bottom of pan. Add sausage and continue to simmer for about 15 more minutes or until pasta and cabbage are tender.

Remove an discard rinds. I couldn’t find one of my rinds and it is no big deal. If you use larger ones they’re easier to find. You may find when you spoon out the soup!

Taste for Salt and Pepper

I then turned off heat and let soup sit on the stove till we were ready to eat dinner. I brought to a low simmer and served in bowls with grated Parmesan.

2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Baked Chicken Caprese

Posted on January 13, 2024 | 2 comments

 I sort of threw this together and I have to say this meal came out delicious. I served over zucchini noodles (zoodles) and some sliced roasted fingerling potatoes. Feel free to use pasta and since the sauce is so delicate and light I would use an angel hair type of pasta.

This was a lightened up version of a Chicken Parmigiana and it satisfied my yen for Chicken Parmigiana but much lighter than the usual fare.

Enjoy!

Please follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi

Ingredients:

3-4 Chicken Breasts — I used 4 Thinly sliced Chicken Breasts

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3/4 Teaspoon dried Basil

3/4 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 -2 Cups Fresh Tomatoes– I used Campari Tomatoes and sliced in 1/2 I preferred a larger tomato here since they really break down and make a sauce from the heat . If you can’t find Campari Tomatoes use 2 pints of grape tomatoes and slice in half.

1/3 cup Red Onion — diced

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 – 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella– if you’d like you can also use Fresh Mozzarella –sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place Chicken Breasts in a large baking dish or cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with Olive Oil, basil, oregano, garlic powder , salt and pepper

Place halved tomatoes and diced red onion all around the chicken

Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and brown sugar

Bake for 18-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts. I did app. 18 minutes because these were thin sliced breasts — thicker ones will take a few minutes more

After chicken is cooked through (peek at it with a little slice )sprinkle with the cheese

Set oven to broil and place baking pan on the top rack. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted .

I served with Zucchini noodles and roasted fingerling potatoes.

Delicious!!!

 

2 Comments

Posted in chicken, chicken and tomatoes

Tagged , , , , , ,

Butternut Squash and Farro Salad

Posted on January 5, 2024 | Leave a comment

This salad came together in a wonderful way. I have made Butternut Squash Salads before but not this way. I am not gonna lie it has a bit of prep work, some of which can be done ahead of time. You can make it all ahead of time and just put together right before you’re going to eat it. I was serving for lunch so just woke up early and did it all except for the Farro which I made the night before. I know this salad seems complicated but it’s really not. I promise.

This salad is delicious as is for the vegetarians or add some grilled chicken, steak or fish for a complete meal. I added grilled chicken for this lunch.

As long as you don’t dress the salad you’ll have yummy leftovers. Arugula may get wilted so I don’t add till right before serving.

Delicious meatless meal as is.

This is how I did it — Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb. butternut squash — cubed into small 1/2″ cubes ( see photo)

1 cup Farro cooked — I probably used about 1 1/2 cups for salad

4 Tablespoons sherry vinegar– divided

Cayenne Pepper

1/2 cup dried cherries or raisins / craisins , cranberries or whatever dried fruit you prefer– I used cherries because I like them bestie a salad but golden raisins or any dried fruit would be fine

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

2 large shallots, sliced thinly

5 Tablespoons olive oil plus — 3 for dressing and 2 for butternut squash / shallots

Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 oz. smoked gouda — small diced pieces — you can use whatever cheese you like and as much or as little as you like I happen to buy smoked gouda and it worked out perfectly

Arugula — I prefer baby arugula if you can find it — I used app. 3 cups but feel free to add as much or as little as you like here

Salad Dressing:

4 Tablespoons Sherry vinegar – divided — 2 for soaking dried fruit and then 2 more for dressing

  • see directions below

2 teaspoons grainy mustard

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Kosher Salt and Pepper

combine all ingredients whisk together and emulsify and add a pinch of cayenne pepper and a little salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss squash and sliced shallots in a bowl with about 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil add salt and pepper and spread evenly onto a sprayed baking sheet. Bake until tender and browned , about 30 – 40 minutes . Set aside to cool when done.

Put the cherries or whatever dried fruit you’re using in a small shallow bowl with 2 Tablespoons of the Sherry Vinegar and let sit for at least 15 minutes– let them soak just toss them every once in a while. Remove the cherries after 15 minutes and drain them with a bowl underneath to reserve the liquid — you should have 2 Tablespoons and add 2 more Tablespoons of sherry vinegar and follow above directions for the dressing.

Cook the Farro — I made 11/2 cups and that’s all you really need is 1 to 1 1/2 cup cooked farro

Let the farro and the squash cool down completely. Mix in a big bowl with cheese, walnuts, dried fruit, and right before serving add the arugula so it doesn’t wilt . Add as much or as little of the arugula as you want.

I let everyone add their own dressing or you can dress salad and serve. I also added grilled chicken which of course is your call.

I would say this salad serves 4-6 .

Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Maple – Dijon Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash.

Posted on January 2, 2024 | 2 comments

Here’s a recipe that I absolutely loved making and loved eating! Tasty and Easy and anyone can do it. All it took was a few pantry ingredients that almost everyone has in their home.

I just love one sheet meals — another reason to go out and buy a large sheet pan if you haven’t done so already. 18 x 13 is the size you’ll need because if you crowd the ingredients they end up steaming and not really roasting. Roasting is what you’re after here.

I chose Chicken Thighs because they can stand up to the cooking time along with the veggies. I didn’t use Drumsticks but you certainly can use both. If you insist on white meat you’ll have to remove chicken earlier than veggies or you’ll have dried out chicken for sure.

Enjoy this lovely sheet pan meal and add Brown Rice or White Rice or Rice Pilaf or any rice is kind of perfect here. Basmati and Jasmine are also perfect.

Please follow my blog on Instagram @cookingwithcandi— thanks

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

4 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard, plus 1 Tablespoon

3 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup, plus 1 Tablespoon

6 large bone in chicken thighs skin on ,or use 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks or whatever pieces you’d like

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

app. 12 ounces butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

app. 12 ounce Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved

6 sprigs of fresh thyme or dry thyme if you don’t have fresh

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

and you’ll need some cooking spray — you can use Olive Oil spray or just regular spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 18 x 13 inch large rimmed sheet pan

In a bowl that is large enough to put the chicken thigh in combine the soy sauce, 4 Tbsp. of the Dijon Mustard and 3 Tbsp. of the pure Maple Syrup and 2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce

Season the chicken all over with Salt and Pepper and then I like to dip my chicken into the mustard mixture and place on prepared baking sheet

In a large bowl combine the Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, thyme, and olive oil, season with a sprinkling  of salt and pepper here too. (lightly)

Arrange the vegetables on the baking sheet around the chicken. Pour any left over Dijon-Maple -Soy sauce over the chicken and pour any remaining sauce over the veggies.

Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender, app. 35-40 minutes. Look at the chicken after 30 mins. I cooked for 35 minutes and it was browned up rather nicely.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1 Tbsp. Dijon and 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup and remove chicken from oven.

Brush the remaining mixture over the chicken. Bake a few more minutes till browned and perfect looking if not browned nicely you can place under broiler for a minute or so. I have never had to do this but some ovens are different than others.

*next time out I am going to try this sauce on boneless , skinless chicken thighs — it’s gotta be good!

Serve alongside some brown rice or any rice you’d like.

Amazingly Delicious.

Maple Dijon Chicken with Brussels and Butternut Squash

2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,