Eye for a Recipe

We have been home canning for years to preserve the bounty of the garden and to avoid the additives and preservatives found in most store-bought relishes and salsas. Here is our favourite (and Bill’s specialty) – Peppy Salsa from the 1994 Canadian Living Barbecue Cookbook. The original recipe is below, but Bill changes the mixture of peppers according to what’s in the garden and to make it much more fiery!

Salsa being cooked prior to canning

Salsa being ladled into sterilized jars

This salsa is the perfect accompaniment to corn chips

Ingredients:

½ lb jalapeno peppers

8 cups coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes

3 cups chopped seeded Cubanelle, Anaheim or Sweet Banana peppers

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups cider vinegar

1 cup each chopped sweet red and yellow peppers

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (5.5 oz.) tomato paste

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

¼ cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

Preparation:

Wearing rubber gloves, cut jalapeno peppers in half; discard ribs and seeds. Chop finely to make 1 cup. In large heavy nonaluminum saucepan, combine jalapenos, tomatoes, Cubanelle peppers, onions, vinegar, sweet peppers, garlic, tomato paste, sugar, salt, paprika and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for one hour or until thickened. To test thickness, place 1 tbsp salsa on a plate and tilt plate; salsa should flow slowly in one stream. Add coriander and cook for five minutes.

Pour salsa into hot sterilized canning jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Seal with prepared lids and screw-on bands. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Remove from water and let stand; you will know the canning process has been successful if you hear the lids “pop” after several minutes. If any of the jars don’t seal properly, refrigerate the salsa and use within a month. Unopened canned salsa keeps indefinitely; refrigerate after opening.

From Canadian Living’s Best Barbecue Cookbook – 1994

A few years ago, the Food Network ran Jamie Oliver’s Jamie At Home series, which included an episode on his home-grown tomatoes. Because the shows are frequently repeated, I ended up seeing the tomato episode at least three times. Every time, I drooled over Jamie’s Tomato Consommé.  I bought the book, and when tomato season rolled around I made the consommé. It takes quite a while (not to mention fridge space) but the results are worth it. I omitted the slice of beet and the colour was fine. I also used a jelly straining bag instead of cheesecloth. So if you are looking for an elegant dish—and a way to use up your tomatoes—give this recipe a try.

Tomatoes draining

Tomato liquid

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use freshly grated horseradish, as purchased horseradish frequently contains sulfites or sodium benzoate.

Finished Tomato Consomme

Ingredients:

4 1/2 lbs tomatoes

½ cup vodka

2 tablespoons grated horseradish

Salt

Black pepper

1 tablespoon vinegar

½ cup fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 slice beet, thick slice

Preparation:

Put everything except the beet into a food processor and run until slushy. You will probably want to split the tomatoes into 2 batches to avoid spillage. Place 4 layers of clean muslin cheesecloth in a deep bowl. Pour the tomato mixture into the cloth. Tie up the corners of the fabric. Add the slice of beet to the bowl to color the liquid. Hang the bag from a shelf in the refrigerator with the bowl underneath for 6-8 hours (or longer). Discard the beet. Serve in a pretty clear bowl with an ice cube to keep it very cold, a nice basil leaf, and a few drops of very good extra-virgin olive oil. Serves 8.

From Jamie at Home

I love shrimp cocktail, so when Canadian Living’s The Barbecue Collection described this recipe as “shrimp cocktail on the grill” I had to try it. The shrimp skewers were delicious, very quick to make, and you probably have all the ingredients in your freezer, fridge and pantry.

If you use bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them for at least 30 minutes before grilling. To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use an all-natural chili sauce and hot pepper sauce, such as Heinz and Tabasco brands.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. raw shrimp (21-30 per pound, or 16-20 per pound)

1/2 cup tomato-based chili sauce

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

2 tsp cider vinegar

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

3/4 tsp paprika

1 clove garlic, minced

Lemon wedges

Preparation:

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Thread lengthwise onto skewers. Mix together chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, hot pepper sauce, paprika and garlic; brush half over shrimp. Grill shrimp over medium-high heat, turning once, for four minutes. Brush with remaining sauce and continue grilling, turning once, until shrimp are opaque and glazed. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 8.

From Canadian Living’s The Barbecue Collection

I wouldn’t have thought of doing a potato-cauliflower curry on the grill, but when I saw this recipe from Lucy Waverman in the May 14, 2010 Globe and Mail I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did, because it is the perfect accompaniment to the chicken.

I marinated the chicken overnight. When I was ready to cook, I made the marinade for the vegetables and pre-cooked the potates and cauliflower. The recipe suggested boiling the potatoes for 5 minutes and the cauliflower for 3, but I increased those times because I wanted the vegetables to be tender. The vegetables marinate for an hour, so place them in the marinade while you preheat the grill and cook the chicken. The recipe calls for small red potatoes but I used a mixture of red, white and purple.

Potatoes and cauliflower in marinade

Thread the vegetables onto skewers and quickly grill them while the chicken is resting.

Grilled potato cauliflower curry

Grilled Bombay chicken

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use an all-natural curry paste, such as Thai Kitchen brand, and fresh lemon and lime juice.

Grilled Bombay Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons medium to hot curry paste

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons lime juice

½ cup yogurt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 chicken breasts, skin on, bone in

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Combine ginger, garlic, curry paste, honey, lime juice, yogurt and vegetable oil in a bowl and whisk until uniform. Spoon marinade over the chicken and marinate for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat grill to medium-low.

Season chicken with salt and place chicken, skin side up, on grill. Grill for 20 minutes, turn chicken over and grill, skin side down, for 10 minutes. Turn over again and grill for another 5 minutes or until juices run clear. (Grilling time will depend on the thickness of the breasts.)

Remove chicken and let rest for 5 minutes. Place on a platter and garnish with lime wedges and cherry tomatoes. Serves 4.

Grilled Potato and Cauliflower Curry

Ingredients:

1 pound (500 grams) small red potatoes

1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets

Marinade:

½ cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

½ cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

Place potatoes in a pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are crisp tender. Drain and return potatoes to pot to dry off over turned-off heat. Set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add cauliflower florets and boil for 3-5 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain and refresh with cold water until florets are cold.

Combine onions, garlic, ginger, mint, cayenne, coriander, cumin, lemon juice and vegetable oil by hand or in a food processor. Toss with potatoes and cauliflower and let marinate for 1 hour.

Preheat grill to medium-low.

Thread potatoes and cauliflower onto skewers. Season with salt and grill for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, or until golden. Remove from skewers and toss together in a bowl. Garnish with mint. Serves 4 to 6.

Based on a recipe by Lucy Waverman in the May 14, 2010 issue of the Globe and Mail

This beef kebab recipe from the September-October issue of Cook’s Illustrated uses an acid-free marinade designed to keep the meat juicy while permitting it to develop a nice char on the outside. Another good tip in this recipe is keeping the meat and vegetable kebabs separate. The meat cooks over the hottest part of the grill, while the vegetables cook more slowly on the perimeter. While the meat is resting, the vegetables continue to cook until browned and tender.

Kebabs on grill

Zucchini, onion and red pepper kebabs

I served the kebabs with baby potatoes steamed with olive oil and herbs in a foil packet on the grill.

Steamed baby potatoes

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use organic broth.

Beef and vegetable kebabs with potatoes

Ingredients:

Marinade

1 medium onion, roughly chopped (1 3/4 cups)

6 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/3 cup beef broth

1/3 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking grate

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons table salt

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Beef and Vegetables

2 pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 large zucchini or summer squash (about 1/2 pound), ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

1 large red or green bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 large red or sweet onion , ends trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, core discarded, each half cut into 4 wedges and each wedge cut crosswise into thirds

Preparation:

Marinade

Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer ¾ cup marinade to large bowl and set aside.

Beef and vegetables

Toss remaining marinade and beef in second large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 hours, tossing beef after 30-minutes. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and toss with reserved marinade. Cover and let vegetables marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes.

Remove beef from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Tightly thread beef onto two 12-inch metal skewers, rolling or folding meat as necessary to maintain 2-inch cubes. Thread vegetables onto two 12-inch metal skewers, in alternating pattern of zucchini, pepper, and onion.

About 30 minutes before grilling, light large chimney starter mounded over rim with charcoal (7 quarts, about 120 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with ash, about 25 minutes. Build single-level fire by arranging all coals in center of grill in even layer, leaving 2-inch gap between grill wall and charcoal.

Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 2 seconds).

Place meat skewers in center of grill directly over coals and vegetable skewers near edge of coals but still over fire. Grill beef skewers until well browned, slightly charred, and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 12 to 16 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer beef skewers to serving platter, loosely tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Continue to grill vegetable skewers until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, about 5 minutes longer (17 to 21 minutes total), turning every 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to platter with beef. Remove beef and vegetables from skewers and serve. Serves 4-6.

From the September-October 2010 issue of Cook’s Illustrated

Several weeks ago my friend Ivonne, who has a wonderful blog (www.creampuffsinvenice.ca) and who co-founded The Daring Kitchen blog asked me if I’d like to review some cookbooks for The Daring Kitchen website. Would I! I love cooking, I love cookbooks and I write for a living, so I replied with a resounding yes.

The first book I received was ’wichcraft, by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio. This cookbook includes recipes and techniques from his chain of ’wichcraft sandwich shops in the U.S. These are gourmet sandwiches, which feature delicious ingredient combinations. But they take time to make. I made four sandwiches from ’wichcraft, and you can read all about it in my review posted at www.thedaringkitchen.com.

One of the sandwiches I made combined red wine-braised flank steak with roasted peppers, onions and Gruyère. It was absolutely delicious. But, be forewarned, it took four hours to prepare.

The braised flank steak shredded beautifully

Sandwiches about to go into the oven

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use red wine with no sulfites added or with a sulfite content of 10 parts per million or less. You should also check the label on the cheese to make sure it does not contain colour.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 pound flank steak

1 medium carrot, cut in large dice

½ white onion, cut in large dice

2 garlic cloves, quartered

2-3 cups red wine

2 large sprigs fresh thyme

2 tsp kosher salt

1 large red onion, sliced crosswise into ¾-in wheels

8 Tbsp roasted red peppers

2 tsp olive oil

½ tsp sherry vinegar

4 ciabatta rolls

8 slice Gruyère cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Choose a heavy-bottom ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven that’s large enough for the flank steak to lie flat but is as snug as possible. Add 2 Tbsp of oil to the skillet over high heat. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the meat and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, until deep brown in color. Remove meat from the skillet and set the meat aside.

Add the carrot and onion to the skillet, followed by the garlic. Saute the vegetables over medium-high heat until they start to brown but are still firm. Add the red wine–enough to come ¾ of the way up the side of the meat. Add the thyme and 1 tsp of the salt, cover the skillet, and transfer to the oven. Braise the meat for about 2½ hours, until it can be pulled apart with a fork. Transfer to a plate to rest and cool.

Reserve and strain the pan juices and pour into a saucepan. Over medium-low heat, reduce the juices until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). With two forks, separate the meat into chunky strings and roughly cut them crosswise into 2-3-inch pieces. Place the meat in the pot with the reduced juices and coat well.

Brush the red onion with the remaining 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. In grill pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat, grill the red onion (without separating into individual rings) until charred on the outside and slightly cooked on the inside. Place in a bowl and separate into rings. Add the peppers, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and remaining 1 tsp of salt and mix well.

Slice the ciabatta rolls in half. Place 1 slice of cheese on the bottom and top halves. Arrange the meat on the bottom halves of the rolls and the onions and peppers on the top halves and place all the roll pieces in the 350-degree over. Remove once the cheese is melted. Close the sandwiches, cut into halves, and serve. Makes 4 sandwiches.

From ’wichcraft, by Tom Colicchio and Sisha Ortúzar

This is an excellent recipe for Swiss chard, although it takes some time and advance planning. Toast the pine nuts and steep the raisins the day before if you can; you can even make the entire dish in advance and quickly sauté it to reheat it before serving. The recipe calls for rainbow chard, but it worked well with Swiss chard.

Swiss chard in the garden

I used two pounds of chard for two people – it looks like a huge amount, but it cooks down. The recipe also says the chard stems need to be cooked in a large pot of boiling water, but a medium saucepan would be fine and take less time to come to a boil.

2 lbs. Swiss chard before cooking

Cooked-down chard

Swiss chard with raisins, pine nuts and prosciutto

I used prosciutto instead of Serrano ham and regular raisins. To avoid preservatives, try to use a white wine with no sulfites added or a sulfite content of lower than 10 parts per million.

Rainbow Chard

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons pine nuts
Kosher salt
4 to 5 pounds rainbow chard (Note: If the chard you find has very large stems, buy 5 pounds to get enough greens.)
About ¼ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 ounce thinly sliced Serrano ham, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons Wine-Steeped Golden Raisins (see below)
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread the nuts on one of the lined pans and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Remove from the oven, transfer to a plate, sprinkle with salt, and let cool.

Cut out the thick stems from the leaves of chard and set aside. Stack the greens in batches and cut crosswise into thirds; set aside. Trim the stems and cut them on the diagonal into 1-inch slices. You need 2 cups stems for this recipe (reserve any remaining chard for another use).

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chard stems and blanch until tender but still slightly resistant to the tooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and spread on the second parchment-lined baking sheet.

Pour 1½ tablespoons canola oil into each of two large sauté pans and heat over medium heat (if you have only one large pan, cook the greens in 2 batches). Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic to each pan, reduce the heat, and cook over medium-low heat until softened but not colored, about 1 minute. Add one-quarter of the chard greens to each pan, season with salt (salt lightly if your ham is very salty), and cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium to medium-low heat, until the chard wilts to about half its original volume. Add the remaining chard and cook until wilted and tender, 15 to 20 minutes total. Spread the greens, with their liquid, on the third lined sheet.

To serve, heat some oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the ham and saute for about 45 seconds to crisp. Add the pine nuts and raisins and toss. Add the chard stems and greens, toss to combine, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serves 6.

Wine-Steeped Golden Raisins

Ingredients:

¾ cup golden raisins
¼ star anise
1 whole clove
½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

Preparation:

Combine the raisins, star anise, and clove in a jar. Bring the wine to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over the raisins and let cool to room temperature. Let stand for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Remove the star anise and clove before serving. Makes about ¾ cup.

From Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

This new find from the June 2010 issue of Food and Wine is a great grilled chicken recipe for a weeknight supper. You cut slashes into both sides of each chicken leg and fill them with a mixture of garlic, fennel seeds, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and oil. I let them marinate overnight and grilled them over indirect heat so they browned well but did not burn.

The chicken was juicy and the garlic-fennel flavour had permeated the meat. I’ll definitely be making this again.

Ingredients:

1½ tablespoons chopped garlic

1½ teaspoons ground fennel seeds

¾ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Kosher salt

1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

4 whole chicken legs (12 to 14 ounces each)

Preparation:

In a mortar, pound the garlic, fennel seeds, oregano and crushed red pepper with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt until a coarse paste forms. Add the 1 ½ tablespoons of oil.

Make four 2-inch slashes on the skin of each chicken leg, cutting to the bone; make 2 slashes on the underside of each leg. Rub the paste into the slashes, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Light a grill. Brush the chicken with oil and season with salt. Grill over moderate heat, turning, until lightly charred and cooked through, 25 minutes. Serves 4.

From the June 2010 issue of Food and Wine

This open-faced sandwich is full of flavour and makes a lovely summer lunch. If you want to make the shrimp salad without the bread, reduce the amount of lemon juice you use. To grill the bread, cook it lightly on the barbecue or in a cast-iron pan.

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, make sure the shrimp has no sulfites or other preservatives added. Use fresh lemon juice and a white wine with a sulfite content of less than 10 parts per million. Also check to make sure your olives are preservative-free (I use Pilaros brand).

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic plus 1 (peeled) clove

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup white wine

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

¼ cup pitted Niçoise olives, roughly chopped

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

¼ cup chopped green onions (white parts only)

Zest and juice from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tablespoon dried Sicilian oregano

8 slices multigrain bread

Preparation:

Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and the sliced garlic to a large skillet placed over medium-high heat. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Add the red pepper flakes and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Pour the white wine into the skillet and stir to dissolve bits stuck to pan. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and set aside to cool.

Combine the shrimp with the tomatoes, olives, parsley, dill, green onions, lemon zest and juice, the remaining ½ cup oil, and the oregano. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Grill the bread on both sides and lightly rub with the garlic clove. Place the shrimp salad on top and serve open-faced.

From ’wichcraft, by Tom Colicchio and Sishar Ortúzar

A couple of weekends ago we celebrated my dear friend Eileen’s birthday with a special dinner featuring some old favourites and new requests. One of the things on the menu was this lemon sorbet. It was incredibly refreshing and had just the right balance of icy cold and tart lemon, followed by a hint of sweetness. It’s made of water, sugar and lemon juice, with grated lemon zest added to intensify the flavour.

Be sure to use only freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe; concentrates would be too bitter and also contain additives and preservatives. The easiest way to make this is to prepare the water and sugar mixture one day and refrigerate it overnight. Then add the lemon juice and zest and freeze it with an ice cream maker.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (from 5-6 lemons)

1 tbsp grated lemon zest

Preparation:

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sugar dissolves, about 3-4 minutes. Cool completely (either cover and refrigerate overnight or chill over an ice bath for 30 minutes f you want to make the sorbet right away). When cool, add lemon juice and zest; stir to combine. Pour into freezer bowl of ice cream maker, turn machine on and mix until mixture thickens, 25-30 minutes (or follow the instructions for your ice cream maker). Tranfer sorbet to airtight container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

From the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker recipe booklet