Tag Archives: recipes

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 , , , ,

Couscous and Butternut Squash Salad with Kale or Arugula —

Posted on December 29, 2023 | Leave a comment

This salad is most definitely one of my top ten salads and if you added a protein it would make a delicious dinner salad.  It is just perfection on a plate. Beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. Fairly Healthy and you can keep it vegan without any dairy or add cheese for a delicious vegetarian salad .  It takes a bit of prep work but you can prep a few hours ahead and be done with it prior to the meal which is always a good thing in my book.

I prepped butternut squash and couscous and used baby arugula this time. I dressed the salad and let it sit , Kale is better when it’s soft and broken down so if you’re using Kale I suggest chopping it.  I love Kale but don’t want to feel like I’m eating my front lawn. It is delicious with kale or arugula or really any greens you prefer.

If you like a heavier dressed salad I would definitely double up the salad dressing. Or just pour a little over it and leave extra for individual dressing.

This is what I did. Enjoy and Happy Fall.

Ingredients:

1 lb . butternut squash – 1 package of pre-cut squash and then I cut into small 1/2 inch cubes

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper – to taste

1 cup dry Pearl Couscous , cook in water according to package directions

app. 2 cups chopped Kale Leaves or Arugula is also a great choice if you’re not a kale fan or really 2 cups of any kind of greens you like.

1/3-1/2  cup dried cherries–you can use craisins, raisins, cranberries whatever dried fruit you like -if you like less use 1/3 cup I tend to use more

1/3-1/2  cup chopped walnuts–same as above and you can obviously omit if you don’t like or use chopped pecans or other nuts

*app. 2 oz. crumbled goat or feta cheese if you’d like– I like the creaminess that goat cheese delivers so I use it over feta in this but use whichever you prefer

Orange Vinaigrette Dressing:

2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. Freshly-Squeezed Orange Juice –this is a must

pinch of salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

To make the salad:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and cut butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes.

Spread the butternut squash out in an even layer on a baking sheet that’s been sprayed with cooking spray add 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil to squash to coat, sprinkle a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to the squash .  Bake for 15 minutes then flip squash over (as best you can) Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the squash is tender and slightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and transfer back to the large mixing bowl. Depending on your oven the squash could take a little longer to cook, you just want it soft enough that it’s cooked through and a little browned up

Couscous: buy pearled Israeli Couscous –available everywhere Bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil add 1 cup Couscous a sprinkle of salt and return to a boil . Reduce heat and simmer covered till tender about 15 minutes.

To make the vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients, (orange juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and pinch of salt and pepper to taste. I used all of the vinaigrette and it was very lightly dressed and rather tasty. If you prefer more dressing on the side , double the recipe.

Add cooked couscous, kale, cherries, walnuts, goat cheese* and vinaigrette,  toss to combine. Taste for Salt and Pepper after all combined.img_2936img_2933img_2929img_2928

Serve Warm, or refrigerate and this will keep for app. 3 days in fridge.

It’s a very light salad dressing so the kale absorbs it and it will keep nicely in fridge.

Leave a comment

Posted in Salad, salad dressing

Tagged , , , , , , ,

No Breading Chicken Parmesan

Posted on December 22, 2023 | 1 comment

So delicious and so perfect. I used thin chicken breasts to start , if you’re using thicker ones you’ll have to monitor the timing of them a bit more and you can just use a meat thermometer to do so. This really couldn’t be easier and it was super tasty and is a cheese lovers delight. It’s lightened up from traditional breaded and fried chicken parm. *if you’re chicken breasts are too thick you can pound them with a meat mallet to the desired thickness — this is a very useful tool. Just place chicken cutlet between 2 pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound to desired thickness.

Prep and ingredients are super easy .

This recipe is for 4.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 – 2 pounds of thin chicken breasts — you can use thicker ones –read directions above for pounding chicken breasts

1 egg

3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

1/2 tbsp. onion powder

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasonings — It comes in one jar and is available in most spice sections in supermarkets —

pinch kosher salt

1/4 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

and because we like a little extra kick I add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 -1 cup Jarred Marinara or if you have home made that’s good too . I prefer Raos Arabiata or Marinara for jarred sauce.

Shredded Mozzarella — probably 1/2 cup to 1 cup depending on how much cheese you like — I like a good sprinkle of cheese — see pics.

A little olive oil for drizzle in pan before cooking

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees

I used a large baking dish and sprayed with cooking spray and drizzled a bit of olive oil to bottom of pan — just a little

Beat egg in a wide enough bowl for dipping chicken

In a second wide bowl combine the parm cheese and spices and mix

Dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then the cheese, coating both sides. Place in prepared baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes — since cutlets are thin this should be fine because you’ll be cooking more with sauce and cheese. If thicker cutlets you may need a bit more time.

Top each piece with sauce and shredded mozzarella. ( you can spread a little sauce in between chicken as well . I served over spaghetti and needed a little more sauce so this was enough. If you want you can heat up extra sauce in a small saucepan for spaghetti. Bake for another 10-20 minutes till chicken is 160 degrees when checked with meat thermometer and cheese is melted and bubbly. I like my cheese just slightly browned so you can turn to broil for a minute or so depending on your broiler but be careful you don’t want to burn the whole thing.

I served over pasta and had enough sauce for us.

That’s it folks — enjoy!

1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Baked Greek Shrimp

Posted on December 1, 2023 | 2 comments

I cannot believe it’s December 1 already! the months just seem to fly by. This recipe could make a perfect Holiday meal. A pretty easy recipe and very delicious meal for guests, for the holidays, or just for you!

I saw this recipe for Baked Greek Shrimp on the NY Times Cooking site by David Tanis and he was my inspo for this recipe. I made a few changes to the original to make it my own and I think it was wonderful . So thanks to David Tanis and the NY Times Cooking site which I absolutely love.

This is Greek Shrimp and not Italian mostly by the fact that obviously the Greeks don’t mind adding cheese to their seafood and I have to say it all tastes rather delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 large shallots, minced ( use a mini processor if you have one)

4 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes– drained

a nice size pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 lb. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined and tails off

app. 4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese or block that you crumble

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

I use my mini food processor and I mince the shallots and the garlic together. If you don’t have this little machine I suggest purchasing it it’s a life saver in terms of chopping and mincing garlic and onions. Put 4 Tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat . Add shallots and garlic, season with a little salt and pepper and cook till softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir around to keep mixture from browning. Add drained can of diced tomatoes to the pan, season with salt and pepper to taste and add a large pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook stirring, until mixture is juicy and tomatoes have softened, about 10 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Put shrimp in a mixing bowl and add 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, season shrimp with salt and pepper and stir to coat. I used about 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and a little black pepper.

Transfer tomato mixture to a shallow baking dish ( not metal) glass , ceramic or earthenware. Add shrimp in one layer over tomato mixture in one layer. Crumble cheese over surface and sprinkle with oregano.

I baked for about 15 minutes , you’ll want tomatoes to be bubbling and shrimp to turn pink and curl a bit and cheese has browned slightly. Put under broiler for the last 3-4 minutes till cheese browns up a bit. Remove from oven and let sit for a minute or so.

I cooked up some orzo and served shrimp over the orzo and it was perfect. Served with a nice light green salad as well.

Baked Greek Shrimp

2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , ,