Eye for a Recipe

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

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

If you are looking for a light, tasty, fast weeknight dinner, try this seared tuna with warm tomato, bean and olive salad from the Holiday 2013 issue of the LCBO’s Food & Drink. Inspired by one of our summer favourites, salade Nicoise, seared tuna is paired with a salad of cherry tomatoes, olives, capers and blanched green beans tossed in a tangy vinaigrette.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olives and capers can contain artificial ingredients. I use Eden Organic brand vinegar, which has no sulfites added, and PC Old-Fashioned Dijon, which is all-natural. Check the label on the olives; I used Pilaros brand from Costco. Unico capers are preservative-free.

Make the tarragon-flavoured vinaigrette

Blanch the green beans

Combine beans, tomatoes, olives and capers

Use tuna steaks that are 1 to 1.5 inches thick

Sear the tuna for 1 to 2 minutes per side

Seared tuna with warm tomato, bean & olive salad

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tsp (10 ml) red wine vinegar

1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard

1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil

2 tsp (10 ml) chopped fresh tarragon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups (750 ml) fresh green beans, trimmed, about 10 oz (300 g)

Tuna

3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil

2 cups (500 ml) cherry tomatoes, about 9 oz (280 g)

½ cup (125 ml) pitted, dry-cured Moroccan-style black olives

1 tbsp (15 ml) capers

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tuna steaks, each 10 oz (300 g), approximately 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) thick

Preparation:

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

Combine garlic vinegar and Dijon in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil until combined. Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Cook beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add tomatoes and cook, shaking the pan often, until tomatoes are wilted and skins have golden edges, about 4 minutes. Add olives and capers and cook until flavours have combined, 1 to 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl with beans.

Wipe same pan clean and return to high heat. Add remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil. Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Sear tuna for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden and crisp on the outside and rare in the centre. Remove to a cutting board. Slice tuna into ½ -inch (1 cm) slices, cutting across the grain.

Pour vinaigrette over warm vegetables and toss to combine. Divide vegetable salad onto 4 plates. Top with seared tuna. Serves 4.

From the Holiday 2013 Food & Drink magazine

Tasty, healthy and fast—this stir-fry from the December 2013 issue of Canadian Living is a perfect weeknight supper during the busy holiday season. Cook chicken strips with ginger and garlic, stir in a yellow pepper and the Swiss chard, wait until the chard wilts, and then stir in cooked soba noodles, snow peas and a soy/lime/sesame sauce. You could also serve this with rice or regular spaghetti noodles.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use tamari instead of soy sauce, because it does not contain preservatives. Always use freshly squeezed lime juice; the concentrates are bitter and contain sodium benzoate.

Cut the chicken into strips

Slice yellow pepper and Swiss chard

Stir fry chicken with garlic and ginger

Add chard and pepper

The chard will wilt in a minute or two

Serve the stir fry over soba noodles

Ingredients:

4 tsp (18 ml) sodium-reduced soy sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice

2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil

2 tsp (10 ml) vegetable oil

225 g boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 tbsp (15 ml) grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups (2 L) chopped stemmed Swiss chard, (about 1 bunch)

1 sweet yellow pepper, sliced

170 g soba noodles

4 cups (1 L) snow peas

2 tsp (10 ml) sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation:

In small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice and sesame oil; set aside. In large nonstick skillet or wok, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat; cook chicken, ginger and garlic, stirring often, until chicken is light golden, about 3 minutes.

Stir in Swiss chard and yellow pepper; stir-fry until chard starts to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling water, cook soba noodles according to package directions; drain. Add noodles to skillet along with snow peas and soy sauce mixture; stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

From the December 2013 issue of Canadian Living

This recipe is from The Flavour Principle, a new cookbook from Lucy Waverman and Beppi Crosariol (who does the wine matches for the recipes). It comes together quickly and has great flavor. The recipe calls for sweet potato noodles; I used spaghetti and you could also use soba noodles. Add some hot pepper flakes if you like a spicy stir-fry. Crosariol recommends a red zinfandel as an accompaniment.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use tamari instead of soy sauce and a sesame oil that is all-natural.

Slice the steak and marinate the slices

Assemble all your ingredients in advance, because this stir-fry cooks quickly

Stir fry beef and vegetables

Add the spinach, sauce and, finally, the noodles

Ingredients:

8 oz (225 g) New York sirloin steak

Marinade

2 tbsp (30 ml) dark soy sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil

1 tsp (5 ml) chopped garlic

1 tsp (5 ml) granulated sugar

½ tsp (2.5 ml) freshly ground pepper

Noodles

4 oz (115 g) sweet potato noodles

1 tbsp (15 ml) dark soy sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil

Vegetables

3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil

1 cup (250 ml) sliced onions

1 cup (250 ml) slivered carrots

3 oz (85 g) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

6 cups (1.5 L) baby spinach

4 green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths

1 tsp (5 ml) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 ml) dark soy sauce

1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil

Garnish

½ cup (125 ml) slivered Chinese chives (also known as garlic chives)

Preparation:

Cut steak into thin slices.

Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar and pepper in medium bowl. Stir steak slices into marinade and let sit for 15 minutes.

Bring a wok or saucepan of water to a boil. Add noodles and boil 8 to 10 minutes or until softened. Drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with soy sauce and sesame oil. Wipe out wok or use a large non-stick skillet.

Drain beef. Heat wok over high heat, then add vegetable oil. Add onions, carrots and beef and stir-fry for 1 minute. Toss mushrooms into wok and stir-fry for another minute. Add spinach and green onions. Toss until spinach wilts. Stir in sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add noodles and toss everything together with tongs. Serve at once, garnished with chives. Serves 4.

From The Flavour Principle

This sophisticated take on sweet and sour chicken from the October issue of Bon Appetit will make you forget all about takeout. First, you brown chicken legs and thighs. Then you make a luscious sauce from garlic, brown sugar, vinegar, chicken stock and soy sauce. Pop the browned chicken into the sauce and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken, and, while it rests, reduce the sauce for about 10 minutes. Serve with steamed rice to soak up the sauce.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I use Marukan rice vinegar, which contains only natural ingredients, and Imagine brand organic chicken stock. Use tamari instead of soy sauce, because it uses alcohol as a preservative, not sodium benzoate or MSG.

The sauce is made with garlic, ginger, vinegar, brown sugar, stock and soy sauce

Brown the chicken well

Brown the garlic

Caramelize the sauce

Nestle the chicken into the sauce and bake

While the chicken rests, reduce the sauce to thicken it

Top the chicken with the sauce and serve with steamed rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2½ pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken legs and thighs

Kosher salt

8 garlic cloves, peeled

⅓ cup (packed) light brown sugar

¼ cup (or more) unseasoned rice vinegar

2 slices ¼”-thick slices peeled ginger

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Cooked white rice (for serving)

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and, working in 2 batches, cook until golden brown and crisp, 6–8 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Add garlic to pot and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 2 minutes; transfer to plate with chicken. Pour off fat from pot.

Return pot to medium-high heat and add ½ cup water, scraping up browned bits. Add brown sugar; stir to dissolve, then cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and turns a deep amber color, about 4 minutes. Carefully add vinegar (it may bubble up; sugar will crystallize); stir to dissolve sugar.

Add ginger, broth, and soy sauce, then add chicken, skin side up, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through, 20–25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Bring cooking liquid to a boil and cook until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. Return chicken to pot; turn to coat. Top with scallions and serve with rice. Serves 4.

From the October 2013 issue of Bon Appetit

Black cod, also known as sable fish, is a sustainable, cold-water fish caught near British Columbia and Alaska. It is mild and delicious. If you can’t find it, try halibut. This Mediterranean-inspired recipe from the Autumn 2013 issue of the LCBO’s Food and Drink magazine tops the roasted fish with a vinaigrette made from cherry tomatoes, black olives, balsamic vinegar and basil. This company-worthy fish dish is great with rapini and roasted potatoes.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Smoked paprika may contain colour or anti-caking agents. Read the label on the olives to make sure they don’t contain preservatives. Use a balsamic vinegar with only naturally occurring sulfites.

Season fish and roast on parchment paper

Saute the cherry tomatoes

Cook the rapini until it is tender

Add olives, vinegar and basil to the tomatoes

Roasted black cod with warm tomato vinaigrette on seared rapini

Ingredients:

1 fillet (1½ lb/750 g) black cod or 4 individual pieces, about 6 oz (175 g) each

Salt, pepper and sweet smoked paprika

1 tsp (5 ml) fresh thyme leaves

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

¼ tsp (1 ml) chili flakes

1 cup (250 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp (30 ml) slivered pitted niçoise or Kalamata olives

2 tsp (10 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp (30 ml) slivered basil

1 large bunch rapini

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

⅓ cup (80 ml) water

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place fish on parchment and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Drizzle with 1 tsp (5 ml) oil. Roast in preheated oven, until a knife inserted in centre of fish is hot, 18 to 20 minutes (cooking time will be reduced if using individual pieces).

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chili flakes and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, just until tomatoes begin to shrivel. Add olives and balsamic vinegar. Stir until olives are hot. Turn off heat if fish is not yet cooked. Just before serving, reheat tomato mixture and stir in basil.

While fish is cooking, trim tough ends from rapini and set aside. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add rapini and ⅓ cup (80 ml) water. Simmer, covered, stirring halfway through, until rapini is more tender, about 5 minutes. Increase heat and sauté, uncovered, a few minutes until any water remaining evaporates. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide rapini between 4 dinner plates. Divide fish into 4 portions, leaving skin on tray. Place fish on rapini, then spoon tomato mixture overtop fish. Serves 4.

From the Autumn 2013 issue of Food and Drink