Sun 9 Mar 2014

Striped Bass en Papillote with Lebanese Salad

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Cooking fish wrapped in parchment paper—en papillote—yields great results. The fish is moist and tender and is cooked with a minimum of fat. This recipe from the March 2014 issue of Food and Wine calls for striped bass, but any kind of thick fillet would work. The fish is topped lemon slices, salt and bay leaves (I used thyme instead), wrapped in parchment, and baked for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, you sauté onions and garlic and then add tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, hot peppers and ground coriander to make a delicious, fresh-tasting salad.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Ground spices may contain colour and anti-caking ingredients, so check the label.

Place lemon slices on fish and drizzle with olive oil

Wrap the fish in parchment paper and bake

Serve the baked fish with Lebanese salad

Ingredients:

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 medium tomatoes, cut into ¼ -inch dice

2 cups lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped

1 cup lightly packed parsley leaves, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish

2 jalapeños, minced

1 fresh hot red chile, seeded and minced, plus sliced chile for garnish

1 tablespoon ground coriander

Kosher salt

Four 6- to 7-ounce skinless striped bass fillets, about ¾ inch thick

8 thin slices of lemon

4 fresh bay leaves

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 7 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, jalapeños, minced red chile and coriander. Season with salt; let cool.

Arrange 4 large sheets of parchment paper on a work surface. Season the fillets with salt and set one in the center of each sheet. Top each fillet with 2 lemon slices and 1 bay leaf; drizzle with 1 tablespoon each of the remaining olive oil. Bring up 2 opposite sides of the parchment over the fish and fold to seal. Fold up the edges to create a packet.

Transfer the papillotes to a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly puffed.

Mound the tomato salad on plates. Carefully open the packets and set the fish on the salad. Garnish with the parsley sprigs and sliced chile; serve. Serves 4.

From the March 2014 issue of Food and Wine

 

Sun 2 Mar 2014

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

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Everyone should have a good spaghetti and meatballs recipe in their arsenal, and this one from the Barefoot Contessa is a classic. The meatballs, which contain three kinds of meat, are simmered in a savoury tomato sauce. Serve on top of cooked spaghetti and sprinkle with lots of Parmesan cheese. This recipe takes a little time to prepare, but your family and friends will love it!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

White bread, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, red wine and canned tomatoes may contain preservatives, colour or sulfites. The bread and bread crumbs should contain only natural ingredients. I used a wedge of President’s Choice Parmesan cheese and red wine from Frogpond Farm that had no sulfites added. Buy whole nutmeg and grate it on a microplane grater – it will taste much fresher than pre-ground nutmeg, which can include anti-caking chemicals. I use Unico canned tomatoes, which contain only tomatoes and salt.

The meatballs are made with veal, pork and beef

Make about 15 meatballs, two inches in diameter

Brown the meatballs well

Saute the onion and garlic in the same pan

Deglaze the pan to incorporate the delicious brown bits, aka fond

Simmer the meatballs in the tomato sauce

Serve atop cooked spaghetti and sprinkle with Parmesan

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
¼ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

1 ½ pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don’t crowd the meatballs.

Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don’t clean the pan. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 6.

From Family Style by the Barefoot Contessa

 

Sun 23 Feb 2014

Crispy Mustard-Roasted Chicken

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This dish from the Barefoot Contessa is just as tasty as fried chicken, but is much healthier because it is baked. Chicken pieces are dipped in wine and mustard and then coated with panko, which are Japanese breadcrumbs. The recipe calls for a whole chicken, cut up, but I used chicken drumsticks and thighs instead. I found a half cup (125 ml) of mustard and a half cup (125 ml) of white wine to be much more liquid than I needed, so consider cutting the quantities in half. I cooked the chicken for 15 minutes longer than the recipe called for, as it was not done in 50 minutes.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Panko usually does not contain preservatives, but check the label to be sure. Make sure your butter does not contain colour and look for a mustard without sodium benzoate or sulfites; I use President’s Choice Old Fashioned Dijon. I used a white wine from Frogpond Farm that has no sulfites added.

Dip the chicken in a mixture of wine and mustard, and then in the panko

Press remaining panko onto the chicken

Crispy mustard-roasted chicken

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups (500 ml) panko (Japanese bread flakes)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) good olive oil

2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup (125 ml) Dijon mustard, such as Grey Poupon

½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine

1 3½- to 4-pound (1.75 to 2 kg) chicken, cut in eighths

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)

Place the garlic, thyme, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the garlic is finely minced. Add the panko, lemon zest, olive oil, and butter and pulse a few times to moisten the bread flakes. Pour the mixture onto a large plate. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard and wine.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper.

Dip each piece in the mustard mixture to coat on all sides, and then place skin-side down only into the crumb mixture, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken on a sheet pan crumb-side up. Press the remaining crumbs on the chicken pieces.

Bake the chicken for 40 minutes. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and bake for another 10 minutes, until the crumbs are browned and the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Serves 3-4.

From Foolproof, by the Barefoot Contessa

 

Sun 16 Feb 2014

Sweet and Sour Beef Stew with Prunes and Apricots

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This delicious beef stew from the February 2014 issue of Canadian Living has a Moroccan twist, thanks to the fragrant spices and addition of prunes and apricots. It would be great for a pot luck dinner or a casual supper, and it tastes even better the next day! Serve with couscous or crusty bread.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check you spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I have not been able to find an all-natural beef stock, so I used Imagine brand organic chicken stock and it worked fine. I used wine from Frogpond Farm that had no sulfites added. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce is all-natural. Dried fruits often contain sulfites to preserve colour, so check the label carefully.

Onion and celery flavour the stew

Toss beef with salt and pepper before browning

Brown the beef well

Simmer the stew for 1.5 hours

Sweet and sour beef stew with prunes and apricots

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1.35 kg stewing beef cubes

½ tsp (2 ml) each salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp (10 ml) ground ginger

½ tsp (2 ml) each cinnamon, and ground allspice

2 bay leaves

3 cups (750 ml) sodium-reduced beef broth

1 cup (250 ml) dry red wine

1/3 cup (75 ml) cider vinegar

2 tbsp (30 ml) packed brown sugar

2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce

4 carrots, chopped

2 white turnips, peeled and cubed

½ cup (125 ml) pitted prunes, chopped

½ cup (125 ml) dried apricots, chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) all-purpose flour

2 tbsp (30 ml) cold water

Preparation:

In large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 tsp (5 ml) of the oil over medium heat; cook onions and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Scrape into bowl.
Toss together beef, salt and pepper. Add remaining oil to pan; heat over medium high heat. Cook beef, in batches and stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes.

Stir in garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion mixture, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and bay leaves; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-½ hours.

Stir in carrots, turnips, prunes and apricots; cook, stirring occasionally, until turnips are tender, about 45 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Whisk flour with cold water; whisk into stew. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Serves 10. To make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

From the February 2014 issue of Canadian Living

 

Sun 9 Feb 2014

Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage

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This delicious combination of pork tenderloin with braised red cabbage and apple is from Lucy Waverman. The pork is sprinkled with spices and seared. The cabbage and apple are sautéed and then bathed in wine, vinegar, sugar and stock. Place the pork on top and simmer until the pork is done. While the pork rests, add more wine, vinegar and stock to the pan, reduce the sauce, and whisk in a little butter at the end.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check your spices for colour or anti-caking agents. I used a red wine from with a sulfite level of lower than 10 parts per million, Imagine organic chicken stock, butter containing only cream and a balsamic vinegar with only naturally occurring sulfites.

Rub spices into pork tenderloin

Place seared pork on sauteed red cabbage and apple

Reduce sauce while pork rests

Pork tenderloin with red cabbage

4 cups (1 L) red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 tsp (5 ml) ground fennel seeds

1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander

Pinch cinnamon

1 lb. (500 g) pork tenderloin

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

1 apple, peeled and diced

½ cup (125 ml) red wine, divided in half

3 tbsp (45 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup plus ¼ cup (310 ml) chicken stock

1 tbsp (15 ml) butter

2 tsp (10 ml) fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add cabbage and bring back to a boil. Boil 1 minute, drain and refresh the cabbage with cold water. Drain well and set aside.

Combine fennel, coriander and cinnamon. Sprinkle over pork tenderloin, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a skillet large enough to hold pork, or cut the meat into large sections to fit into the pan. Add pork and sear on all sides until browned, about 2 minutes a side. Remove pork and add apple and cabbage.

Sauté until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of wine, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil. Add pepper flakes and ¼ cup (60 ml) of stock and return pork to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover skillet and cook tenderloin for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a touch of pink is left in the centre.

Remove pork and cabbage from the pan. Let pork rest 5 minutes.

To make the sauce, add remaining vinegar, wine and stock to the pan. Reduce on high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until thickened. Whisk in butter to finish.

Slice pork and serve with the red cabbage and apple mixture. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

From Lucy Waverman

 

Sun 2 Feb 2014

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Citrus, and Chiles

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This recipe from the January 2014 issue of Bon Appetit tastes as good as it looks. Salmon is tossed with fennel, orange and lemon slices, chili and dill and roasted at a low temperature for about 40 minutes. Cooked this way, the salmon is moist and tender, and the roasted citrus, fennel and chili are delicious on top. This recipe would also be good with cod or halibut.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

All of the ingredients in this recipe are fresh, so no need to worry about additives.

Place salmon in dish with citrus, fennel and dill

Slow roasting makes the salmon very moist

Slow-roasted salmon with fennel, citrus and chiles

Ingredients:

1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 blood or navel orange, very thinly sliced, seeds removed

1 Meyer or regular lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed

1 red Fresno chile or jalapeño, with seeds, thinly sliced

4 sprigs dill, plus more for serving

Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1 2-lb. (907 g) skinless salmon fillet, preferably center-cut

¾ cup (375 ml) olive oil

Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 275° F (135° C). Toss fennel, orange slices, lemon slices, chile, and 4 dill sprigs in a shallow 3-qt. (2.8 L) baking dish; season with kosher salt and pepper. Season salmon with kosher salt and place on top of fennel mixture. Pour oil over.

Roast until salmon is just cooked through (the tip of a knife will slide through easily and flesh will be slightly opaque), 30–40 minutes for medium-rare.

Transfer salmon to a platter, breaking it into large pieces as you go. Spoon fennel mixture and oil from baking dish over; discard dill sprigs. Season with sea salt and pepper and top with fresh dill sprigs. Serves 6.

From the January 2014 issue of Bon Appetit

 

Sun 26 Jan 2014

Spicy Pork and Kale Soup

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We have been eating soup more often this winter, and this recipe from the cover of the January 2014 issue of Bon Appetit is a keeper. Ground pork is mixed with garlic, ginger and spices and then browned. Add broth, simmer a few minutes, and then add greens, scallions, soy sauce and fish sauce. The recipe calls for mustard greens; I used kale. Be sure to taste the soup before adding salt, as the soy sauce and fish sauce are quite salty.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check your spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I use Imagine brand all-natural stock, tamari and a fish sauce with no MSG such as Cock brand.

Ground pork is mixed with spices

Cook the rice noodles until they are tender, but not too soft

Add kale

Simmer until the kale is tender

Spicy pork and kale soup

Ingredients:

½ pound (250 g) ground pork

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 teaspoons (10 ml) finely grated peeled ginger

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Sichuan peppercorns, crushed

¾ teaspoon (3 ml) crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon (2 ml) cumin seeds, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken broth

1 bunch mustard greens, torn, about 4 cups (1 L)

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons (30 ml) reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon (5 ml) fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)

8 oz. (250 g) wide rice noodles

Preparation:

Mix pork, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and cumin in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add pork mixture; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes.

Add broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors meld, 8–10 minutes. Add mustard greens, scallions, soy sauce, and fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, 5–8 minutes; season with salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

Divide noodles among bowls and ladle soup over. Serves 4.

From the January 2014 issue of Bon Appetit

 

Mon 20 Jan 2014

Quinoa Pilaf with Herbs and Lemon

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Quinoa is gluten-free grain that is very nutritious. However, it can be soggy and bland. This recipe from the January/February 2014 issue of Cook’s Illustrated solves both problems by toasting the uncooked quinoa to develop a nutty flavour, reducing the amount of liquid used to cook it, and flavouring the cooked grain with onion, fresh herbs and lemon juice. This is a great side dish with fish or chicken. You could also add some feta cheese to make it a vegetarian entree.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure your butter does not contain colour and that you use freshly squeezed lemon juice.

If your quinoa is not prewashed, rinse it and let it dry for 15 minutes

Toasting the quinoa brings out its nutty flavour

Flavour the quinoa with your favourite fresh herbs

Quinoa pilaf with herbs and lemon

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups (375 ml) prewashed quinoa (see note below if quinoa is not prewashed)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces

1 small onion, chopped fine

¾ teaspoon (3 ml) salt

1 ¾ cups (425 ml) water

3 tablespoons (45 ml) chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, chives, mint, and tarragon

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Preparation:

Note: If you buy unwashed quinoa, rinse the grains in a fine-mesh strainer, drain them, and then spread them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a dish towel and let them dry for 15 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.

Toast quinoa in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until quinoa is very fragrant and makes continuous popping sound, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer quinoa to bowl and set aside.

Return now-empty pan to medium-low heat and melt butter. Add onion and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and light golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high, stir in water and quinoa, and bring to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until grains are just tender and liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Remove pan from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with fork, stir in herbs and lemon juice, and serve. Serves 4-6.

From the January/February 2014 issue of Cook’s Illustrated

 

Sun 12 Jan 2014

Pasta alla Norcina

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Norcia, which is in the mountains of southeastern Umbria, is famous for its delicious sausages. Pasta alla Norcina features savoury pork sausage and mushrooms in a light cream sauce. This version from Cook’s Illustrated calls for homemade sausage, which is surprisingly easy to make. I ground the pork myself, in a food processor, but you can buy pre-ground meat. This dish is absolutely delicious and is wonderful comfort food on a cold winter night.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Grind your own nutmeg or make sure the pre-ground version does not contain colour or anti-caking agents. I used a white wine with a sulfite level below 10 parts per million (from Frogpond Farm), fresh lemon juice and a Pecorino Romano cheese that contains only pasteurized sheep’s milk, bacterial culture, salt and rennet.

Form sausage meat into a patty

Brown the sausage on each side

Chop sausage and soak in cream

Brown the mushrooms

Add the sausage and cream to the mushrooms

Pasta alla Norcina

Ingredients:

Kosher salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon (1 ml) baking soda

8 ounces (250 g) ground pork

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ¼ teaspoons (6 ml) minced fresh rosemary

⅛ teaspoon (0.5 ml) ground nutmeg

8 ounces (250 g) cremini mushrooms, trimmed

7 teaspoons (35 ml) vegetable oil

¾ cup (175 ml) heavy cream

1 pound (500 g) orecchiette

½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine

1 ½ ounces (43 g) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (¾ cup/175 ml)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Preparation:

Grease large dinner plate with vegetable oil spray. Dissolve 1⅛ teaspoons (5.5 ml) salt and baking soda in 4 teaspoons (20 ml) water in medium bowl. Add pork and fold gently to combine; let stand for 10 minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic, ¾ teaspoon (3 ml) rosemary, nutmeg, and ¾ teaspoon (3 ml) pepper to pork and smear with rubber spatula until well combined and tacky, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer pork mixture to greased plate and form into rough 6-inch (15.2 cm) patty. Pulse mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses.

Heat 2 teaspoons (10 ml) oil in 12-inch (30.5 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add patty and cook without moving it until bottom is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip patty and continue to cook until second side is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer (very center of patty will be raw). Remove pan from heat, transfer sausage to cutting board, and chop into ⅛- to ¼ -inch (0.32 cm to 0.64 cm) pieces. Transfer sausage to bowl and add cream; set aside.

Bring 4 quarts (3.8 L) water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 ½ cups (375 ml) cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.

While pasta cooks, return now-empty skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil, mushrooms, and ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 ml) salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons (10 ml) oil, remaining garlic, remaining ½ teaspoon (2 ml) rosemary, and ½ teaspoon (2 ml) pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until completely evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in sausage-cream mixture and ¾ cup (175 ml) reserved cooking water and simmer until meat is no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in Pecorino until smooth.

Add sauce, parsley, and lemon juice to pasta and toss well to coat. Before serving, adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

From Cook’s Illustrated

 

Sun 5 Jan 2014

Warm Lentil Salad with Spicy Rainbow Trout

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Well, the holidays are over and it’s time to keep those New Year’s resolutions about eating a healthy diet. This lentil salad with rainbow trout from the January 2014 issue of Canadian Living is colourful, tasty and very nutritious. Cooked green lentils are combined with roasted red pepper and sautéed leek and zucchini. Rainbow trout fillets are dusted with smoky chipotle chili powder and then pan-seared. Toss the lentils and veggies with a cilantro-lime-soy dressing, shred and fold in the fish, and dinner is ready.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the chili powder does not contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use tamari instead of soy sauce and fresh lime juice.

Roast the pepper under the broiler until skin is charred

Peel and slice pepper and add to the cooked lentils

Saute leek and zucchini

Dust trout with chipotle chili powder

Meanwhile, stir up the cilantro-lime-soy vinaigrette

Pan sear the trout, remove skin and shred with a fork

Warm lentil salad with spicy rainbow trout

Ingredients:

1 pkg (450 g) dried green lentils, (about 2-1/4 cups)

1 sweet orange or red pepper, halved and seeded

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, (white and light green parts only), halved and sliced

2 yellow zucchinis, halved lengthwise and sliced

½ tsp (2 ml) chipotle chili powder

450 g skin-on rainbow trout fillets, cut in half crosswise

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp (10 ml) grated lime zest

¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice

2 tbsp (30 ml) sodium-reduced soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

Preparation:

In large saucepan, combine lentils with enough water to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm); bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; transfer to bowl.

Meanwhile, broil orange peppers, cut side down, on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet until softened and charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool enough to handle; peel and cut lengthwise into strips. Add to lentils.

In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil over medium-high heat; cook leek, stirring often, until softened and light golden, about 4 minutes. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Add to lentil mixture.

Add 1 tsp of the remaining oil to pan; sprinkle chili powder over fleshy side of fish. Cook, skin side up, until deep golden and crispy, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until fish flakes easily when tested and skin is starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan; let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining oil, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce and garlic. Pour over lentil mixture; toss to coat. Remove and discard fish skin; flake flesh with fork. Add to lentil mixture; gently toss to combine. Serves 6.

From the January 2014 issue of Canadian Living

 

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