Sun 4 Sep 2022

Panzanella

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This classic bread and tomato salad from Ina Garten serves a crowd and is a great way to use up late-summer produce. Sauté bread cubes in olive oil until browned. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, red and yellow peppers, red onion, basil and capers in a bowl. Add the toasted bread cubes and toss with vinaigrette. Let stand for a half hour before serving to allow the flavours to blend.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon, Eden Organic red wine vinegar and Unico capers—all are additive-free. I used Ace Bakery bread, which typically does not contain artificial ingredients.

Sauté the bread cubes

Panzanella

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon (5 ml) finely minced garlic

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons (45 ml) Champagne or red wine vinegar

½ cup (125 ml) good olive oil

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) kosher salt

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) freshly ground black pepper

Salad

3 tablespoons (45 ml) good olive oil

1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) cubes (6 cups/1.5 L)

1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt

2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) cubes

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced ½-inch (1.25-cm) thick

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) cubes

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) cubes

½ red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons (45 ml) capers, drained

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavours to blend. Serves 12.

From Ina Garten

 

Sun 28 Aug 2022

Shrimp with Chile-Lime Dressing

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This simple dish from Grilling magazine makes a great appetizer or main course. Make the citrus-chile dressing and use half to marinate uncooked, shell-on shrimp while you preheat the grill. Grill the shrimp until cooked, 5-6 minutes. Add chopped cilantro to the remaining dressing and serve with the shrimp.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for frozen shrimp with only salt added. Use freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice; concentrates contain sodium benzoate.

Make the chile-lime dressing

Marinate shrimp in half the dressing

Shrimp with chile-lime dressing

Ingredients:

3 lbs (1.4 kg) uncooked, deveined large shrimp

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh cilantro

Oil for grill

Dressing

1/3 cup (82.5 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 cup (82.5 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup (125 ml) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp (10 ml) sugar

2 tsp (10 ml) coarse salt

3 fresh long red or yellow hot chiles, sliced thinly

Preparation:

To make dressing, combine all the ingredients. Place shrimp in bowl with half the dressing.

Prepare grill for medium heat. Brush grate with oil.

Grill shrimp in a grill pan or place shrimp on skewers. If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for an hour before grilling so they don’t burn up on.

Grill shrimp until cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.

Stir cilantro into remaining dressing and serve with the shrimp. Serves 4.

From Grilling magazine

 

Sun 21 Aug 2022

Cool and Creamy Macaroni Salad

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This recipe from Food.com is a great accompaniment to grilled meats and can also be a vegetarian main course. Combine cooked and cooled pasta with red onion, celery and fresh herbs and toss with a vinegar-mustard-mayo dressing. Cook’s note: I used green pepper instead of celery. Add the dressing while the pasta is still moist.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice or pure white vinegar. I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon and Hellman’s original mayo. Check the dried spices for colour and anti-caking agents.

Cool and creamy macaroni salad

Ingredients:

1 pound (454 g) elbow macaroni

½ small red onion, minced

2-3 celery ribs, chopped

¼ cup (60 ml) minced fresh parsley leaves or cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons (30 ml) juice from 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon (0.6 ml) garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon (0.6 ml) cayenne pepper

1 ½ cups (375 ml) mayonnaise

Pepper and salt to taste

Preparation:

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) salt and the pasta into the boiling water and cook, stirring often, until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water until cool, then drain briefly so that the macaroni remains moist. Transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and let sit for 5-10 minutes. If made ahead of time, refrigerate and stir again before serving. Serves 4-6.

From Food.com

 

Sun 14 Aug 2022

Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes and Corn

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This recipe from NYT Cooking takes advantage of the season’s ripe corn and juicy tomatoes. Layer corn, tomatoes, onion and fresh herbs on a platter and drizzle with salt and olive oil. Top with grilled chicken thighs coated with a dry rub of salt and chili powder. Cook’s note: I cooked the corn first and cut the kernels from the cob; I used kernels from two cobs instead of one. I omitted the oregano and added a chopped habanero pepper.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the chili powder to make sure it does not contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Layer the corn, tomatoes and onion

Grill the chili-rubbed chicken thighs

Serve the chicken over the corn, tomatoes and onion

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry

3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the grill grates

1 tablespoon (15 ml) chili powder

Kosher salt

1 ½ pounds (680 g) large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 ear of corn, kernels cut from the cob (about 1 cup/250 ml kernels)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, coat the chicken with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, the chili powder and ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt; set aside. (You can do this step up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate and bring to room temperature before cooking.)

On a large platter, layer the tomatoes, corn kernels, red onion and fresh oregano (if using). Season with ¾ teaspoon (3.75 ml) salt and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil.

When ready to grill, clean the grates with a grill brush or crumbled foil ball, then lightly grease the grates. Grill the chicken until browned and cooked through, and it releases easily from the grates, 5 to 7 minutes per side. (If flare-ups occur, move the chicken to an area of the grill with smaller flames underneath. For a gas grill, close the lid between flips, listening and peeking occasionally for flare-ups.)

Transfer the chicken to the platter. Let rest for 5 to 20 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

 

Sun 7 Aug 2022

Sour Cream and Dill Cucumber Salad

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This summer favourite from Kitchn has the unbeatable combination of cucumbers, sour cream, red onion and dill, with a bit of vinegar, oil and mustard added. Cook’s note: to reduce the salt in this recipe, rinse the cucumbers after they stand and pat dry.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

No-Name sour cream, Allen’s apple cider vinegar and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon mustard are all additive-free.

Sour cream and dill cucumber salad

Ingredients:

2 pounds (907 g) cucumbers (about 4 medium), peeled and thinly sliced crosswise

¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream

1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Dijon mustard

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh dill

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Place the cucumbers in a large colander and toss with a couple of large pinches of salt. Set the colander in a large bowl or in the sink and let the cucumbers stand 30 minutes at room temperature to release some of their water. Meanwhile, whisk the sour cream, vinegar, oil, mustard, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper together in a large bowl; set aside.

Gently pat the cucumbers dry with a paper towel. Add the cucumbers, red onion, and dill to the dressing and toss gently to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serves 6.

From Kitchn

 

Sun 31 Jul 2022

Thai-Style Shrimp with Fresh Basil

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This recipe from Farm Girl Organic is quick and tasty. Combine fish sauce, water, soy sauce and sugar and set aside. Cook the shrimp, onion and garlic, add the sauce and cook until the sauce bubbles. Add chopped green onions, cilantro, jalapeno and basil, cook until just heated through and serve.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for a brand of fish sauce with no added preservatives, such as Blue Dragon. Use tamari instead of soy sauce, as it uses alcohol as a preservative instead of sodium benzoate.

Cook shrimp, garlic and onion

Add sauce, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro and basil

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

1 teaspoon (5 ml) soy sauce

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) sugar

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

1 pound (454 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup (250 ml) thinly sliced onion

1 tablespoon (15 ml) garlic, chopped

¼ cup (60 ml) green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons (30 ml) cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon (15 ml) jalapeno, seeded and chopped

¼ cup (60 ml) fresh basil, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

Stir together the fish sauce, water, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Prep the remaining ingredients, so you can add them quickly when they are needed.

Place a 10-12-inch (25-30-cm) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it becomes very hot, about 30 seconds.

Add the oil and turn to coat the pan evenly. Add the shrimp in a single layer and leave them to cook on one side, undisturbed, until their edges turn bright pink. Toss well and turn all the shrimp cooked side up so the other side can cook, undisturbed, for 15 seconds.

Add the onion and garlic and toss well. Cook 1 minute, tossing occasionally, until the onion softens and becomes fragrant and shiny; continue tossing so it wilts and softens but doesn’t burn.

Stir the fish sauce mixture to make sure the sugar is dissolved and pour it around the edges of the pan. Toss well to season the shrimp with the sauce, then let cook, undisturbed, just until the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling.

Add the green onions, cilantro and jalapeno and toss well. Add the basil to the pan and toss well. Cook 10 seconds and pour onto a serving platter deep enough to hold a little sauce. Serves 4.

From Farm Girl Organic

 

Sun 24 Jul 2022

Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad

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This delicious summer salad from Half Baked Harvest combines grilled chicken with pasta, mozzarella, tomatoes, herbs and avocado—all dressed in a balsamic dressing. Make the salad dressing and use about a third to marinate the chicken. Grill the chicken and cook the pasta. Combine all the ingredients and serve warm or cold. I used chicken breasts instead of tenders.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Acetaia La Bonissma balsamic vinegar, which has no added sulfites and pure honey. Tre Stella mozzarella balls are additive-free.

Grill the marinated chicken

Caprese chicken pasta salad

Ingredients:

Balsamic dressing

2/3 cup (165 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup (82 ml) balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey

1 shallot, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh basil

Kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes

Salad

1 pound (454 g) boneless skinless chicken tenders

1 pound (454 g) short cut pasta

2 cups (500 ml) mozzarella balls (use marinated, if you can find)

2 cups (250 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup (250 ml) fresh basil leaves, torn

1 avocado, diced

Preparation:

To make the dressing combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1/3 of the dressing. Let sit 10 minutes or marinate up to overnight. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until lightly charred and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking, about 8-10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain. Add the pasta, chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and avocado to a large salad bowl. Pour over the remaining dressing and toss well to combine. Serve warm or cold. The salad will develop more flavour as it sits. Serves 8.

From Half Baked Harvest

 

Sun 17 Jul 2022

Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Souvlaki and Potatoes

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This tasty recipe from Half Baked Harvest is also an easy sheet pan dinner. Briefly marinate the chicken while roasting the potatoes and lemon halves. Add the chicken, peppers and onions to the pan after the potatoes have been in for 20 minutes. Roast for another 25 minutes while you prepare the toppings. I omitted the sun-dried tomatoes and yogurt.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the spices and pine nuts for additives, colour and anti-caking agents. I used Acetaia La Bonissma balsamic vinegar which has no added sulfites. Krinos feta, Savor sun-dried tomatoes and Astro Original Balkan-Style yogurt are additive-free.

Place ingredients on sheet pan

Add the chicken after the potatoes have been in for 20 minutes, then roast for another 25 minutes

Greek sheet pan chicken souvlaki with potatoes

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ (680 g) pounds boneless chicken breasts or small thighs

2 lemons, 1 zested and juiced, 1 halved

2 tablespoons (30 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) smoked paprika

1 shallot, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

1 large pinch each kosher salt and black pepper

1 large pinch red pepper flakes

1 pound (454 g) russet or baby potatoes, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) chunks

2 red bell peppers, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

½ cup (125 ml) oil packed sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup (85 ml) kalamata olives, pitted

3 tablespoons (45 ml) toasted pine nuts (optional)

8 ounces (227 g) cubed feta cheese

½ cup (125 ml) plain Greek yogurt

Mixed fresh herbs, for serving

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425° F (218° C). In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, the chicken, lemon zest, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, oregano, paprika, shallot, 4 cloves garlic, and a large pinch of each salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss well to combine. Let sit 15-20 minutes.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the lemon halves. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and nestle the chicken around the potatoes. Arrange the bell peppers and onions around the chicken, arranging everything in an even layer. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes more, until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, the olives, pine nuts, and feta in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, 1 clove garlic, and a pinch of salt.

To serve, divide the chicken, potatoes, peppers, and onions between plates. Spoon the feta mix and yogurt over the chicken. Top with a handful of fresh herbs. Serves 6.

From Half Baked Harvest

 

Sun 10 Jul 2022

Garlic-Lemon Beef & Veggie Kabobs

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It’s grilling season and this recipe from Canadian Living delivers succulent beef and veggies flavoured with lemon, garlic, herbs and spices. Make the marinate and use half to marinate the beef. Assemble the skewers and grill until beef is still a little pink inside and the veggies are tender. Cook’s notes: If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they don’t burn up on the grill. While the recipe suggests putting the beef and veggies on the same skewer, try doing all-beef skewers and all-veggies skewers. That way, you can do each to your liking, instead of having overdone or underdone meat. I did the kabobs in an air fryer (I omitted the potatoes). To cook the skewers this way, place the vegetable skewers in the air fryer and cook at 400 F (204 C) for 8 minutes, flipping and rotating half-way through. Add the beef skewers on top of the vegetable skewers and cook for another 10 minutes, flipping and rotating halfway through.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and check dried herbs and spices for colour or anti-caking agents.

Assemble the vegetable skewers - soak the skewers if they are made of wood

If using an air fryer, partially cook the veggie skewers first, then place the beef ones on top

Garlic-lemon beef and veggie kabobs

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp (10 ml) finely grated lemon zest

2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp/5 ml dried thyme)

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp/5 ml dried rosemary)

½ tsp (2.5 ml) celery seeds

¼ (1.25 ml) hot pepper flakes (optional)

1 lb (454 g) top sirloin, flank or tenderloin steak, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) cubes

Salt and pepper

12 baby potatoes, scrubbed

6 cremini mushrooms, halved

1 sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) squares

4 green onions, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) pieces

Lime wedges

Preparation:

In small bowl, combine oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, thyme, rosemary, celery seeds and hot pepper flakes, if using. In shallow dish, combine beef and half of the marinade; season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Prick potatoes with fork and place in microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool.

Preheat barbecue to medium high heat; grease grill. On metal or soaked wooden skewers, thread marinated beef, alternating with potatoes, mushrooms, pepper and green onions. Brush skewers with reserved marinade; season with salt and pepper.

Place skewers on grill, close lid and cook, turning skewers to mark all sides, until beef is grill-marked but still slightly pink inside, about 10 minutes. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4.

From Canadian Living

 

Sun 3 Jul 2022

Orzo Salad with Peppers and Feta

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This pasta salad from NYT Cooking is another great side dish for grilled meat, fish or poultry and is also an excellent main dish for non-meat eaters. Cook the orzo and let it cool. Meanwhile, sauté onions, peppers, thyme, garlic and tomato. Place in a bowl and add the cooled orzo, lemon juice, basil and feta. Cook’s note: I cut this recipe in half and it was enough to serve 4-6 people.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Tre Stelle feta is additive-free.

Cook the orzo and cool

Sauté the vegetables

Add the tomato

Orzo salad with peppers and feta

Ingredients:

1 pound (454 g) orzo

Kosher salt and pepper

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 ½  cups/375 ml))

3 large or 4 medium red, yellow or orange bell peppers (about 1 ¼ pounds/567 g), cored, seeded and chopped into ½-inch (1.25-cm) pieces (about 4 cups/1 L)

1 fresh thyme sprig

1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced garlic

1 medium tomato, diced into ½ -inch (1.25-cm)pieces

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

4 ounces (113 g) feta cheese, thinly sliced or crumbled

Preparation:

Cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, pressing out excess liquid. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, bell peppers and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until broken down and juices release, about 8 minutes.

Add the reserved pasta water and stir to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly to lukewarm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling process. Discard thyme sprig.

Add cooled orzo, lemon juice, basil and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Garnish with more basil. Serves 4-6.

From NYT Cooking

 

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