Eye for a Recipe

This recipe from the February 2012 issue of Chatelaine is spicy, quick and easy. I had never toasted couscous before cooking it, and it adds a great depth of flavour. The couscous takes 10 minutes to toast and cook, and the shrimp takes about five minutes to cook, so you can have dinner on the table in a flash.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives include the shrimp, roasted red peppers and hot sauce. Look for frozen shrimp with just salt added. Unico brand roasted red peppers contain no artificial ingredients and Tabasco brand chipotle hot sauce is all-natural. If you can’t find it, use regular hot sauce with some chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika added.

Toast couscous until browned

Toasting adds flavour to the couscous

Saute shrimp for 2-3 minutes

Add roasted peppers

Chipotle shrimp with couscous

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dry couscous

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp olive oil

340 g pkg frozen shrimp, thawed and peeled

1 cup chopped roasted red peppers

1 tbsp chipotle hot sauce, such as Tabasco brand

½ cup chopped basil

Preparation:

Boil 1 ½ cups water in a kettle. Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add couscous and toast, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 min. Transfer to a medium bowl. Pour boiling water over couscous. Add salt and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 5 min.

Return pan to medium-high. Add oil, then shrimp. Cook until shrimp turns pink, 3 to 4 min. Add red peppers and hot sauce. Stir until peppers are heated through, about 2 min.

Fluff couscous with a fork. Scoop into bowls. Top couscous with shrimp and sprinkle with basil. Serves 4.

From the February 2012 issue of Chatelaine

If you love spaghetti and meat sauce, but are trying to cut down on red meat, try this delicious turkey Bolognese sauce adapted from the January/February 2012 issue of Everyday Food. The original recipe calls for the sauce to be served over cooked spaghetti squash, but I used whole wheat pasta instead. If you can’t find ground turkey, buy a turkey breast and whirl it in your food processor.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use nitrite-free bacon and crushed tomatoes without artificial ingredients, such as Unico brand.

Buy ground turkey or grind a turkey breast in your food processor

Saute bacon until crisp

The sauce is ready in about 35 minutes

Turkey Bolognese over spaghetti

Ingredients:

3 bacon slices, cut into ½ -inch pieces

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

1 large carrot, diced small

2 small celery stalks, diced small

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground turkey breast or chicken breast

2 cups crushed tomatoes (from a 28-ounce can)

Red-pepper flakes (optional)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Cooked spaghetti

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Preparation:

In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium until crisp, 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables are tender, 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil and turkey to skillet and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, 5 minutes. Add bacon, vegetables, tomatoes, and pinch of red-pepper flakes, if using, to skillet and bring to a simmer; cook until turkey is cooked through and sauce is thickened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over spaghetti squash and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serves 4.

Adapted from the January/February 2012 issue of Everyday Food

This baked halibut recipe from the October 2005 issue of Bon Appetit is very, very good. It’s healthy, because the fish is baked. It’s fast, as it can be made in about 30 minutes. It’s tasty, because the fish is dressed with oil and lemon juice (okay, I added some hot pepper flakes). And it looks great, because it is served with orzo mixed with spinach and cherry tomatoes. I added some feta cheese to the orzo, which kicks the flavour up a notch.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

This recipe uses fresh ingredients, so avoiding preservatives is not a problem. Just be sure to use fresh lemon juice, not concentrated lemon juice, which contains sodium benzoate and is bitter-tasting.

Marinate halibut in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes (optional)

Add baby spinach to hot orzo and cherry tomatoes - it will wilt

Baked halibut with orzo, spinach and cherry tomatoes; I also served broccolini on the side

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 6- to 7-ounce halibut fillets

1 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 garlic clove, minced

4 cups (packed) baby spinach

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk 2 tablespoons oil and lemon juice in bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper. Place halibut on rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with some of dressing. Bake until just opaque in center, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite; drain. Add 2 tablespoons oil and garlic to same saucepan; sauté over medium heat 1 minute. Add drained pasta, spinach, and tomatoes; stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 1 minute (spinach will wilt). Divide pasta between 2 plates. Top with halibut and remaining dressing. Serves 2.

From the October 2005 issue of Bon Appetit