Holidays | Simple By Cindy

Chicken Scarpariello

Sep. 13
2018

Whoa! Summer has come and gone so fast! Just as you get used to having the warmth of the sun on your skin, it’s gone and it is September already. September and October are now usually rather warm months. Although many future brides still prefer May and June, I think September and October are perfect wedding months. When my boys were growing up, May and June were beautiful. Spring these past few years have been colder. You wait in excitement for the beginning of spring to bring warmth, but it seldom has.

These past couple of years the return to school months have beautiful days and nights. Of course, we don’t get to enjoy them as much. I used to tell everyone that September through June is a roller coaster ride. Then you get off the roller coaster and absorb the beautiful days of summer, never wanting it to end. I remember my mother and aunts telling me time goes by so much faster as you age. How right they were.

Fall and winter brings back school and holidays. Getting the kids up, shopping, entertaining, and cleaning up is a lot of work. I have some advice for the young mothers out there. Try to be in the moment. See the laughter and joy in every minute with your children. Before you know it, they are off to college. You will look back to their younger days and wish you could have it all back. Then, you make peace with it. But time races on, faster than it did before.

Speaking of the holiday season, I thought this recipe would be perfect for a main course. If you do your mise-en-place (prep) it doesn’t take that long to do. The chicken and sausages are browned and caramelized which lends a blissful sweetness to it. The cherry peppers pack the perfect amount of heat to contrast it without overpowering the other flavors. I love this recipe and will be making it for the holidays this year.

This recipe is loosely adapted from another recipe. I researched to find the author, but I couldn’t. If anyone recognizes this, please let me know. I would love to give them the credit they deserve. This lovely main dish will serve 10-12 people who will relish in its unique combination of flavors.

Ingredients for Chicken Scarpariello:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup good extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 ounces (about 3) portabella mushrooms, roughly chopped
4 beef sausages, casing removed and sliced into 1-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
3 hot cherry peppers from a jar, drained and chopped
8 fresh basil leaves, julienned or chopped, plus. 4 for garnish
3/4 cup good white wine
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes
1 pound orzo, or couscous, cooked according to package directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, mix flour with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken slices into the flour and toss to coat.

In a large skillet, heat half of the olive oil.

Place chicken slices in and cook over medium-high heat until just browned on both sides.

Take off heat and place in cast iron pot or extra-large baking dish.

Add remaining olive oil to the skillet and heat.

Add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their liquid and all the liquid has cooked out, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic.

Cook for 1 minute.

Place the sausage slices into the skillet and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until you see them just turning brown.

Season with remaining salt and pepper.

Toss in the red and yellow pepper, onion, cherry peppers.

Saute for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to wilt.

Stir in chopped basil.

Pour in the wine and let it cook down, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the canned tomato.

Take off heat and add mixture to the chicken.

Place in oven and let it bake, uncovered for 25 minutes.

Serve over couscous.

Garnish with basil leaves.

It’s that simple!

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

May. 31
2018

I know it is summer and you might not think you want another sweet potato dish. As I was cleaning out my pantry I noticed that I had some sweet potatoes that were in urgent need of cooking, or they would go bad. The result was so incredible, I knew I needed to share it with you.

If you ever find yourself in that position, you’re going to want to have this recipe on hand. One upside of the weather not fully agreeing with the season yet, turning on the oven to roast these wasn’t so bad!

As it turns out, this is one of the best sweet potato recipes I have ever made. This dish will definitely be on my Thanksgiving menu, it was just that fabulous. Usually, I can never get my sons to eat sweet potatoes. They gave it a try, and they loved them so much they even asked that I make it again. (WHAT?!)

I have come to the conclusion that sweet potatoes should always be eaten in tandem with brown sugar and maple syrup. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. For this recipe, I used bourbon and it gave the sauce an additional depth of flavor that is as dramatic as it is amazing. Of course, the vanilla extract topped it off to make it just perfect.

This is an absolutely superb side dish. It is courtesy of Kosher By Design and will serve 8-10 people who will be delighted by this sweet potato dish even if it is summer!

Ingredients for Glazed Sweet Potatoes

4-5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) margarine or butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup whiskey or bourbon

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch slices.

Steam the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes or until soft but not mushy.

Remove potatoes from steamer and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

Stir in the whiskey or bourbon and cook for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the sweet potatoes in the pan.

Drizzle the sauce over the top.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour.

Baste with the sauce every 10 minutes to keep the potatoes from drying out.

It’s that simple!

Potato Basil Frittata

May. 10
2018

If you don’t know, a frittata is a delicious egg-based dish with an Italian origin. It is similar to an omelet or a crustless quiche. Whether you make it with vegetables, cheeses or meats, a frittata is superbly delicious! It usually resembles a thick pancake and it can be eaten for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. They are commonly served hot, but I think they are good no matter the temperature.

When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it because it was by Ina Garten and her frittata recipes are the best, hands down. The ingredients in the dish are surprising, as frittatas are not always made with potatoes.

To prepare this egg-based meal, you need either a round cast iron skillet or a Dutch pan that can be transferred from the stove to the oven. Though the recipe does not call for it, I transferred the potatoes into a clean skillet after frying because I wasn’t sure if the potatoes sticking to the bottom of the pan would burn in the oven.

Once this dish is done, you’ll marvel at the combination of the potatoes and cheese. The aromatic taste of basil really made this recipe unique and wonderful. Ina did not disappoint me, this dish is truly outstanding.

I made this as a side dish, however, it could easily be served as a main dish. I think it is perfect for any brunch or holiday meal. I will definitely put it on my menu for Mother’s day and so should you!

This recipe will serve 8 people who will love the fluffy egg and cheese filled goodness!

Ingredients for Potato Basil Frittata

8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
2 cups peeled and 1/2-inch-diced potatoes (4 potatoes)
8 extra-large eggs
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 pound Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch ovenproof omelet pan over medium-low heat.

Add potatoes and fry them until cooked through, turning often, 10 to 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a small dish in the microwave.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the ricotta, Gruyere, melted butter, salt, pepper, and basil.

Sprinkle on the flour and baking powder and stir into egg mixture.

Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and place the pan in the center of the oven.

Bake the frittata until it is browned and puffed, 50 minutes to an hour.

It will be rounded and firm in the middle, a knife inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Serve hot.

It’s that simple!

Cauliflower and Carrots with Smoked Paprika and Parsley

Mar. 8
2018

Maybe when you were a child, you did not want to eat your cauliflower. Well, now that you are grown-up, this is a delicious, delectable way of enjoying it!

Cauliflower on its own can be very boring. When I was growing up, vegetables were steamed or cooked until they died, leaving them soggy and unappealing. No wonder we hated them! The good news is, these beautiful white florets are such a versatile veggie, that you can use it with just about any spice. I usually pick cumin, coriander, paprika, or cayenne pepper to flavor it up. For this dish, I wanted something savory, with a little sweet and some tang to it. This dish came out exactly as I thought it would. The smoked paprika gave it that savory flavor, the honey gave it a nice sweet touch and of course, the lemon added that zip to it. This one is a “keeper”.

Of course, the best way to make cauliflower is to roast it. Mix all the ingredients together and place them on a baking sheet, with the crowns of the florets facing up. It takes a little longer to do this, but in the end, you will have perfectly browned, caramelized florets that look and taste wonderful.

This dish will serve 4 people who may end up loving cauliflower if they didn’t before!

Ingredients for Cauliflower and Carrots

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. honey
1/2 lemon, zested
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish, chopped

Preheat oven to 450F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add the cauliflower florets, carrots, olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, honey, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper.

Using your hands, mix well to combine.

Transfer to baking sheet, making sure the ingredients are in a single layer.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until you see the crowns of the cauliflower starting to brown.

Transfer to serving dish.

Sprinkle on fresh parsley.

Ready to serve!

It’s that simple!

Roasted Potatoes with Oregano and Parmesan

Feb. 15
2018

It took a long time for me to learn to cook. My mother always wanted to teach me, but I was always either busy or uninterested. Does that sound like a lot of you? Don’t you wish your mom or grandmother had written down the recipe for the dish you remember and love so much? Oh, if I had that time back!

Luckily, I did get some time to learn with my mother. I think she was surprised and happy when I finally showed an interest in cooking. I like to think of this blog as an homage to my mom, she would have enjoyed it very much. I know there was so much more that she could have taught me; I think I could have taught her a few things I have learned as well. Like roasting potatoes and vegetables. Her meals always took a long time to cook, so she would have enjoyed learning a few wonderful quick tricks.

Roasting anything is my favorite fast and easy way to get dinner on the table. It also brings out the full flavor, with a depth of caramelization which will delight your taste buds.

The potatoes in this recipe are coated with fresh oregano, infused with lemon zest and juice, and topped off with Parmesan cheese. Have I got your attention yet? I hope so, because they are just that wonderful. They are roasted to perfection and come out of the oven with a beautiful golden crispy outside and a tender, delicate inside.

This is definitely one of those recipes you will preparing again and again. It is full of fresh flavor and you may even find you will be eating more potatoes than you planned to! Put this on your “short on time” repertoire and thank me later.

This recipe will feed about 4-6 people who will be thrilled with it’s caramelized, cheesy goodness! Definitely A “must-try”.

Ingredients for Roasted Potatoes with Oregano and Parmesan

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or large cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tbsp. pepper
1 tbsp. oregano, or 4 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese