Roasted Thighs Chicken and Vegetable

Ingredients
4 to 6 chicken thighs chicken
Kosher salt calculate your salt intake
Freshly ground black pepper calculate
1 bunch fresh thyme, or 20 sprigs
1 medium lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Direction
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken thighs. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat dry. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken. Brush both side of the chicken with the butter.

Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a large roasting pan. add thyme and halves of lemon and all the garlic. Toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken skin on top.
Roast the chicken thighs for 1 hour, or UNTIL the juices run clear. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes to rest.

Serve it with the vegetables. I Love this menu especially on Sunday.

Spaghetti with Zucchini, Squash, and Arugula

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti ( I use the medium)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
2 medium shallots, sliced
1 zucchini medium cut into long, thin strands
1 yellow medium squash, cut into long, thin strands
2 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup grated ricotta salata

Direction

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season well with salt.  Add the pasta and stir to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, pepper flakes, garlic, shallots and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss well to coat in the flavors and cook another 3 minutes.

Using a pair of tongs, check the pasta.  If it is just under al dente, it is ready to transfer. Using the tongs or a pasta fork, transfer the pasta from the water directly to the skillet with the squash and toss well to coat. Add the lemon zest and juice and 1/2 cup of the pasta water and toss well. Sprinkle with the arugula and toss to wilt slightly.  Finish with the ricotta salata and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Italian Sausage Slider

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ lb(s) sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1 large shallot, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
8 oz (store-bought or homemade) tomato sauce
8 slider buns or brioche bun lightly toasted if desired
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Form the sausage into eight 1/2-inch-thick patties.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, shallots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage patties and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
4. Place the patties onto the bottom buns and top with some of the pepper mixture and a sprinkling of parsley. Top with the top buns and serve immediately.

Chicken Wings with Honey Sesame!!

Ingredients:

2lbs chicken wing nibbles – Drumettes and Wingettes each wing separated at the joint into 2 pieces
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki base & glaze
2 tablespoons manuka honey or organic
1/2 tablespoon premium sesame oil I use hot
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
1-2 tablespoons (extra) honey for drizzle
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, use for garnish
Lime wedges to serve or green onion, scallions optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to grill/broil settings on high heat 400 degrees.

Wash and rinse chicken wings and pat dry. Cut the skin off of the wing drumettes, and leave it on for the wingettes.

In a large shallow dish, whisk together the soy sauce, teriyaki baste & glaze, honey, sesame oil, and garlic. Add the chicken and mix into the sauce to coat. Refrigerate to marinade for 2 hours (or overnight for best flavor).

Remove wings from marinade sauce and reserve sauce.  Arrange chicken wings onto an oven tray lined with aluminum foil, and drizzle with a little extra honey. Grill/broil for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Turn the wings and grill/broil for a further 6-8 minutes more, or until they are golden, sticky and cooked through.

While the wings are in the oven pour the reserved marinade sauce into a small saucepan and bring to the boil for 6 minutes.

To serve, pour honey sauce over the wings and garnish with green onion, scallion, toasted sesame seeds.

Balsamic Roasted Beets Salad with Pine Nuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

5-7 medium-size beets top removed and scrubbed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, such as Grey Poupon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces baby arugula
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife inserted in the middle indicates that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10-12 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and set aside. While the beets are still warm, cut each one in half and then each half into 4 to 6 wedges and place them in a large mixing bowl. As you’re cutting the beets, toss them with half of the vinaigrette (warm beets absorb more vinaigrette), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings.

Place the arugula in a separate bowl and toss it with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, pine nuts, and feta cheese on top. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette, if desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Short coffee break!!

Homemade Spaghetti !!🌸

Spaghetti is always a family favorite and such an economical meal to put on the table so it’s nice to do variations of it so you can serve it frequently without anyone getting tired of it.
The beauty of this spaghetti recipe is that it is very easy to make and you don’t have to add any seasoning to achieve wonderful flavor #goodoliveoil#garlic#italiansweetsausage#italianhotspicysausage#canofwholepeeltomato#spagittipasta#salt. If you want this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag me I love to see your creations ❤️

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces Italian sweet sausage
4 ounces Italian hot and spicy sausage
1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 lb spaghetti pasta I use thin spaghetti
2 Tbsp Salt

Instruction
Sauté onions and garlic: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium or medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more. Put pasta water on to boil.  While the onions are cooking put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta

Brown the sausage: Remove the cooked onion and garlic from the pan and set aside. Remove the sausage meat from the casings (if your sausage is in links) and add to the pan, breaking up the meat with your fingers as you add it to the pan. Cook on medium to medium high heat until lightly browned.

 Add tomatoes, onions, garlic,  Lightly purée the whole peeled canned tomatoes (and juices) in a blender, and add to the skillet with the sausage meat. Add the cooked onions and garlic. Heat to a bare simmer.

Boil the spaghetti pasta: Once the pasta water has come to a rolling boil, add the spaghetti pasta. Allow the water to return to a rolling boil. Cook, uncovered, with a vigorous boil, for as long as the directions on the pasta package say, usually about 10-12 minutes. When pasta is al dente (cooked but still a little firm), remove the pot from the heat. Drain the pasta and place it in a serving bowl.

Serve immediately. Toss with the sauce and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

~ ❤ ~

 

I’m taking a short coffee break !!🌸

Working today at e-test kitchen, cooking with Eunice!!!! but I much needed to take a short coffee break!!!  ~ ❤ ~

Fresh Corn Salad and Steamed Salmon!!! 🌸

Summer Lunch!
Ingredients
5 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup small-diced red onion(1 small onion)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
Toss the 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. ~ ❤ ~ Happy Cooking!!

A Slice of Sourdough Goes A Long Way!!!

Just add the Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 Yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 medium jalapenos
1/2 lime
Salt
1 slice sourdough bread for toasting
2 beaten eggs
Butter for toast bread

Dice up equal quantities of tomatoes and onion roughly chop the cilantro

Slice one medium jalapenos in half.  With a spoon scrape out the seeds, if you like thing spicy leave in some of the white membranes.  Dice the jalapenos very finely.  Slice the lime into half and squeeze the juice from half of the lime into the bowl.  Sprinkle with salt stir together until combined. Make sure to taste the pico de gallo and adjust the seasonings you can always add salt and more diced jalapenos if needed.

In a cast iron skillet add a small amount of butter, add the beaten eggs, I usually don’t add *salt nor *pepper but you can always do (*optional)

Cut a slice of sourdough bread to toast on the medium heat cast iron rub with a small amount of butter before toasting the bread.  Brown toast on both sides. Transfer the toast to breakfast plate add the scrambled egg,  add the pico de gallo on the other half of the toast.  Serve at once enjoy your breakfast with your black coffee!!!

Thank you all for your support> Keep trying my easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me with your favorites.  Don’t forget to have some fun cooking along the way and thank you for liking… Love you all!!!~ ❤ ~ Happy Cooking!!