Eye for a Recipe

Pork tenderloin always makes a tasty weeknight meal, and this recipe from the December 1997 issue of Bon Appetit makes it a quick one as well. The pork tenderloin is sliced and then pounded into thin medallions.

Slice the pork thinly and then pound it into medallions

The medallions cook very quickly in the pan; make sure your pan is hot and don’t overcrowd it. Otherwise, the medallions will steam instead of browning.

The medallions cook quickly and stay tender

Once the pork is cooked, remove it to a plate. Then use the delicious fond on the bottom of the pan to make a quick mustard caper-sauce. Return the pork to the sauce to heat through and you have supper on the table in about 15 minutes.

The medallions are served with a tasty mustard-caper sauce

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use butter that does not contain colour, all-natural chicken stock and capers and mustard that are additive-free.

Ingredients:

1 8- to 10-ounce pork tenderloin, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sliced shallots
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon coarse-grained Dijon mustard

Preparation:

Using meat mallet or rolling pin, flatten pork rounds slightly to scant 1/2-inch thickness. This is easier to do if you cover the pork with plastic wrap first. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to skillet and saute until brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer pork to plate. Add shallots to skillet and stir 1 minute. Add chicken broth and cream. Boil until sauce is thick enough to coat spoon, stirring up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Mix in capers and mustard. Return pork to sauce. Simmer mixture until pork is heated through, about 1 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

From the December 1997 issue of Bon Appetit

My assignment is finished, so I am back to cooking (and posting). When I arrived home, after several weeks of take-out and restaurant meals, all I wanted to eat was a nice steak from our local butcher, Don, and a green salad. This recipe from Ad Hoc at Home feeds a crowd and the crowning touch is the herb and shallot butter brushed over the steak during the final stages of grilling.

Porterhouse steak on the grill

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use butter with no colour added and fresh lemon juice.

Herb and shallot butter is brushed on the steak

Porterhouse Steak

Ingredients:

Three 1½ -inch-thick porterhouse steaks (about 1.5 lbs each)

Canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grey salt or coarse sea salt

Preparation:

Trim the excess fat from the steak. Let steaks stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Just before grilling, coat the steaks with canola oil and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

Prepare charcoal or gas grill for two-temperature cooking with one area for medium-high heat and the other for medium heat. Grill the steaks over medium-high heat, without moving for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are well marked. For a nice crust and to prevent sticking, do not move steaks too early. Rotate the steaks 90 degrees to make crosshatch pattern, and grill for 2-3 minutes. Flip the steaks over, move to medium heat, and grill, without moving them, for 3 minutes. . Rotate the steaks 90 degrees and cook for another 8-12 minutes (timing can vary greatly, depending on heat level), brushing steak 2 or 3 times with the herb butter, until the center of the meat registers 125-128 degrees. Transfer the steaks to a carving board, brush with herb butter, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes for medium-rare. Slice the meat away from the bones and cut against the grain into ½-inch slices. Arrange the meat around the bones on a serving platter and sprinkle with gray salt. Serves 6.

Herb and Shallot Butter

Ingredients:

2/3 cup minced shallots

6 oz. plus 1 tsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

¾ tsp kosher salt

¾ tsp paprika

Preparation:

Combine shallots and 1 tsp butter in small saucepan and cook over very low heat until the shallots are tender but have not browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Put the remaining butter in a small bowl, add the parsley, lemon juice, salt and paprika and stir to incorporate. Stir in the shallots. Shape into a log, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, put in a resealable bag, and refrigerate until ready to use, or freeze for up to 1 week. Makes a generous cup.

From Ad Hoc at Home

We love roasted root vegetables and this new find from the October 2010 issue of Everyday Food is especially good because the vegetables are roasted with walnuts and honey.

Cut the vegetables into pieces of equal size

This recipes uses sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips, but you could add red potatoes, onions, turnip and rutabaga. Just make sure the vegetables are cut into pieces that are all the same size. To ensure the carrots and rutabaga are cooked through at the same time as the other veggies, you can boil them for 5-10 minutes or microwave them on high for 3-5 minutes.

Honey-roasted vegetables

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, 1 lb total, peeled, halved and cut into ½-inch pieces

4 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup walnut halves

¼ cup honey

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3-5 sprigs thyme

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 3-quart baking dish, toss together sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, walnuts, honey and oil; season with salt and pepper. Top with thyme sprigs and roast until vegetables are browned at edges and tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Serves 4.

From the October 2010 issue of Everyday Food

Everybody loves sweet potato fries, but did you know that sweet potatoes also make delicious chips? This recipe from Ad Hoc at Home can also be made with fingerling potatoes. The trick with this recipe is to make sure the potatoes are thinly sliced. Use a mandoline, v-slicer or the slicing disc of your food processor.

Slice the sweet potatoes as thinly as possible

Fry the potatoes in batches; too many at once will cool the oil and the chips won’t be crisp. Be sure to return the oil to the proper temperature for each batch. Turn the potatoes once while frying; this prevents air pockets from forming and helps ensure crispiness. The recipe below provides directions for stove-top frying; I used a deep fryer, which worked very well.

Sweet potato chips

I’m off on assignment until late November so my posts will not be as frequent. But I’ll be back!

Ingredients:

1 lb. sweet potato, peeled or large fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

Peanut or canola oil for deep frying

Kosher salt

Preparation:

Slice potatoes as thinly as possible, but not so thin that the edges become uneven.

Pour three inches of oil into Dutch oven or deep pot and heat over medium-high heat to 325 degrees for sweet potatoes or 350 degrees for fingerlings. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Set a cooling rack on a baking sheet and line the rack with paper towels. Add about one-quarter of the potatoes to the hot oil and cook, turning once with a wire skimmer, until golden brown, about 2½ minutes. Transfer to the paper towels to drain and immediately season with salt.

From Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

This is a great new find from the October 2010 issue of Food and Wine. Yellow-fleshed Yukon Gold potatoes are boiled and then roasted with rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper until they are browned and very crisp outside and fluffy inside. This will become a favourite in our house.

Yukon Gold potatoes are boiled before being roasted

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt

Ten 1-inch rosemary sprigs

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain.

Return the potatoes to the saucepan and shake over moderately high heat until the potatoes are dry, 10 seconds. Spread the potatoes and rosemary sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring a few times, until the potatoes are sizzling and starting to brown. Tilt the baking sheet and pour off any excess oil. Roast the potatoes for 15 minutes longer, until browned and crisp. The roasted potatoes can be kept at room temperature for up to 1 hour. Reheat in a 400° oven before serving. Serves four.

From the October 2010 issue of Food and Wine

A pumpkin dessert is a must for Thanksgiving, and this year, for our family feast, I made this Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake from the October 2010 issue of Canadian Living. It was a big hit, particularly with my brother Brian.

Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake

The recipe suggests making your own pumpkin purée, but I used two cups of canned pumpkin purée and it worked fine. Just be use to get 100-per-cent pure pumpkin, with no spices added. I made the cake the day before and the syrup just before serving. Whipped cream is a perfect accompaniment.

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, be sure to use pure pumpkin and butter that does not contain colour.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are grateful to have been able to share the holiday with Eliz, Allan, Diane, Brian, Lois, Anne-Lynn, Andrew, Thompson and Sarah.

Ingredients:

Cake

¾ cup chopped pecans
1-2/3 cups packed brown sugar
¼ cup softened butter or vegetabIe oil
3 eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 cups roasted pumpkin purée or roasted squash purée, (see Perfect Puree, below)
2-½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1-¾ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice

Syrup

¼ cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup dark rum

Perfect Purée

When choosing a cooking pumpkin, look for sugar pumpkins. These little gourds are firmer and sweeter than those grown for jack-o’-lanterns. The roasting time will vary depending on the size and age of the pumpkin or squash.

Halve and seed pumpkin or squash. Prick skin all over with fork. Roast, cut side down, on rack on foil-lined baking sheet in 350°F (180°C) oven until flesh is browned and tender, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool. Scoop out flesh and purée in food processor. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 48 hours or freeze for up to 3 weeks.

2 lb (1 kg) sugar pumpkin yields about 1-¾ cups purée. 2 lb (1 kg) butternut squash yields about 2-½ cups purée.

Preparation:

On baking sheet, toast pecans in 350°F (180°C) oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes; let cool.

In small bowl, stir pecans with 2 tbsp of the brown sugar; sprinkle over greased and flour-dusted 10-inch (3 L) Bundt pan.

In large bowl, beat remaining sugar with butter; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in oil until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin until smooth.

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, salt, nutmeg and allspice; stir into egg mixture. Scrape into pan; tap pan on counter and smooth top.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; transfer to rack.

Syrup: In small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar and 3 tbsp (45 mL) water; boil until dissolved and thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in rum; boil for 1 minute. Brush over cake. Serve with whipped cream. Serves 12.

From the October 2010 issue of Canadian Living

The October issue of Food and Wine features an article on how to eat and drink like a Roman. It includes several recipes that I plan to try, and I started with this braised chicken and roasted peppers. This is a simple dish, but it was stunningly good.

Roman-style braised chicken

I didn’t have fresh tomatoes, so I used about 2 lbs. of canned San Marzano plum tomatoes. I served the chicken with steamed rice to soak up the delicious sauce.  Instead of charring the whole peppers over a gas flame, I cut off the tops and bottoms, and removed the seeds. I then cut down one side of each pepper, flattened them out, and broiled them until the skins turned black. Once the peppers cooled, they were very easy to peel.

Roasted peppers

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use white wine with a low sulfite count, preferably one with fewer than 10 parts per million.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

One 4-pound chicken—cut into 8 pieces, breasts halved

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 cup dry white wine

2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper.

1 yellow bell pepper

Crusty bread, for serving

Preparation:

Heat a large, enameled cast-iron casserole. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add half of the chicken pieces to the casserole and season them with salt and black pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are evenly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large platter. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Add the garlic and crushed red pepper to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the wine and boil over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes along with the chicken and its accumulated juices. Cover the casserole and braise the chicken over low heat, turning once, until the breast pieces are cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer the breast pieces to a serving bowl. Continue braising until the leg, thigh and wing pieces are done, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer them to the bowl.

Meanwhile, roast the bell peppers directly over a gas flame, turning often, until they are charred all over. Transfer the peppers to a rimmed baking sheet. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers and discard the stems, cores and seeds. Cut the peppers into 1-inch strips.

Boil the sauce in the casserole over high heat until reduced by one-third, 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the casserole. Add the roasted peppers and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Season with salt and black pepper and serve with crusty bread. The braised chicken can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently before serving. Serves 4.

From the October 2010 issue of Food and Wine

We grew lots of kale this year and needed to use it up. I had heard that kale chips were good, so I tried this recipe from the February 2009 issue of Bon Appetit.

Tuscan kale chips

It couldn’t be simpler; just remove the centre rib from the leaves, toss the leaves in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake on a cookie sheet.

Kale leaves prior to baking

The chips are very thin and crisp and they taste great. The next time I make them, I will add hot pepper flakes or smoked paprika to boost the flavour even more. These are a great, low-cal snack and would also make an impressive appetizer.

Ingredients:

12 large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed

1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250°F. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves. Transfer leaves to rack to cool. Makes 24 chips.

From the February 2009 issue of Bon Appetit

Mussels are inexpensive, quick to make and delicious. While many recipes steam mussels in wine or a tomato sauce, I prefer to spice them up with preserved Chinese black beans. I usually make a recipe from Bonnie Stern’s Simply Heartsmart Cooking, but recently saw something similar in the October 2010 issue of Canadian Living. Jarred black bean sauces usually contain additives and preservatives that are off-limits for us, so I substitute preserved black beans. The container shown below cost $1.19 and the beans keep for years. To use, simply rehydrate in a little hot water. I buy mine in Chinatown.

These preserved black beans keep indefinitely

The dried beans; just add a little water to rehydrate

Instead of using water to steam the mussels, try wine or broth. I also added chopped red pepper for colour. Serve with crusty bread spread with hot-sauce spiked yogurt.

Rehydrated beans with ginger, garlic, peppers and parsley

Serve the steamed mussels with crusty bread

Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh mussels

¼ cup water

1 tbsp Chinese black bean sauce or rehydrated fermented black beans

1 2-inch piece of gingerroot,

½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced (leave seed in or use whole pepper to increase heat)

¼ cup red pepper, chopped (optional)

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or coriander

Preparation:

Scrub mussels and remove any beards. Discard any that do not close when tapped. In Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine mussels, water, black bean sauce, ginger, jalapeno pepper, red pepper, garlic and onions; stir to coat. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until mussels open, about 10 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Remove from heat. Toss with coriander. Serves 2.

Adapted from the October 2010 issue of Canadian Living

Fall has definitely arrived. I’m missing the charcoal grill, but enjoying the return to the soups, stews and braises I cook  in the cooler weather. This new find from the October 2010 issue of Canadian Living is a one-pan meal that is ready in less than an hour. Chicken pieces are roasted with prunes, olives, garlic, oil, vinegar and lemon. I added hot pepper flakes to spice it up a little.

The chicken is tossed with olives, prunes and lemon wedges

The recipe suggests squeezing lemon juice into the pan drippings and using the result to sauce the chicken. I didn’t do this, in order to reduce the amount of fat per serving. The result was very tasty. I served the chicken with herb and vegetable couscous.

Everything is roasted in one pan and is ready in less than an hour

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, make sure the olives and prunes are all-natural. Many dried fruits contain sulfites, so read the label carefully.

Roast chicken with olives, prunes and vegetable couscous

Ingredients:

1 chicken (about 3 lb., cut into 10 pieces)

¾ cup pitted prunes

½ cup pitted green olives

3 tbsp sherry or cider vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, smashed

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 lemon, quartered

Preparation:

In roasted pan, toss chicken pieces with prunes, olivs, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon.

Roast, skin side up, in 450-degree F oven, basting occasionally with pan drippings, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Remove lemon and squeeze juice into drippings. Return lemon rinds to pan and whisk to combine. Pour over chicken. Serves 4.

Each serving, without the skin, has about 437 calories, 33 grams of protein, 24 grams total fat (5 grams saturated fat), 23 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fibre, 125 mg cholesterol, 694 mg sodium, 615 mg potassium. Regarding recommended daily intake, each serving provides 4% calcium, 16% iron, 6% Vitamin A, 13% Vitamin C and 4% folate.

From the October 2010 issue of Canadian Living