Eye for a Recipe

This recipe from the December 2012 issue of Canadian Living pairs pan-fried chicken cutlets with glazed carrots. While the chicken is fairly plain, the carrots are flavoured with garlic, cinnamon, sugar, butter, parsley, lemon juice and tarragon. The tarragon really elevates the flavour of the dish, as do the toasted sliced almonds sprinked on top. If you are looking for a way to dress up carrots, try this recipe. I added a parsnip, which worked fine.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Cinnamon, broth, butter and almonds may contain artificial ingredients. Look for cinnamon without colour or anti-caking agents, an all-natural broth such as Imagine Organic brand, unsalted butter than contains only cream and almonds with no sulfites or other chemicals added.

Cut the chicken breasts in half horizonatally to create the cutlets

The dish is topped with toasted sliced almonds

I used a mixture of carrots and parsnips

Simmer vegetables until tender and liquid has evaporated

Brown the cutlets in a non-stick pan

Pan-Fried Chicken with Glazed Herbed Carrots

Ingredients:

2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pinch cinnamon

3 large carrots, (about 250 g total), cut in 1/8-inch (3 mm) slices

¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

¼ tsp (1 mL) pepper

2/3 cup (150 mL) sodium-reduced chicken broth

¼ cup (60 mL) chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh tarragon

1 tbsp (15 mL) packed brown sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 lb/450 g total)

¼ cup (60 mL) slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation:

In skillet, heat 1 tsp of the oil over medium heat; cook shallot, garlic and cinnamon until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Add carrots and pinch each of the salt and pepper; cook until carrots start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add broth; cook until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Add parsley, tarragon, sugar and butter; cook, stirring, until carrots are coated, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Transfer to platter and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to form thin cutlets. Sprinkle both sides with remaining salt and pepper. In large nonstick skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat; cook chicken, turning once, until no longer pink inside, about 8 minutes.

Sprinkle almonds over carrots. Serve with chicken. Serves 4.

From the December 2012 issue of Canadian Living.

We had this Roasted Sausage, Peppers and Double Fennel over penne last night and wow, was it good. The sausage and vegetables caramelize into a tender, savoury mixture, redolent with the licorice flavour of the fennel bulb and seeds. The recipe, from Fast Flavours by Chef Michael Smith, says the dish is done in 30 minutes, but recommends leaving it for 45 to 60 minutes, which results in deeper caramelization. I agree. I used hot Italian sausages, but any kind would do. I also parboiled the whole sausages in simmering water for five minutes to render out some of the fat.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives are the sausages and balsamic vinegar. Look for sausages with all-natural ingredients, including the casings and any filler. I use balsamic vinegar with no sulfites added.

Toss sausage coins with peppers, garlic, fennel and fennel seeds

Spread in large roasting pan and roast for at least 45 minutes

Serve over cooked pasta and drizzle with balsamic vinegar

Ingredients:

6 Italian sausages, sliced into ½-inch (1 cm) coins

Cloves from two heads of garlic, peeled

1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped

4 or 5 bell peppers, a mixture of colours, seeded and each cut into 8 pieces

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) fennel seeds

1 tsp salt (5 ml)

Freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp (30 ml balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Toss all ingredients except the vinegar together in a large mixing bowl until they are evenly mixed and lightly seasoned. Place mixture in a large roasting pan. Bake, stirring once or twice, until tender and browning. Toss with cooked pasta and top each serving with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

From Fast Flavours by Chef Michael Smith

I recently bought a copy of Chef Michael Smith’s new book, Fast Flavours, and have made several recipes from it already, including Bacon Beer Mussels. This interesting take on steamed mussels produces a richly flavoured broth that begs to be sopped up with crusty bread. Chef Smith suggests a method for crisping bacon that I had never tried before—covering it with water, which helps render the fat. As the water evaporates, the bacon crisps. It really does work! The recipe calls for a dark beer, but I used what we had on hand. This is a great weeknight supper or casual dinner party recipe, and would go well with a green salad and bread.

Avoiding additives and preservatives

Bacon, beer, hot sauce and bread can contain additives and preservatives. Use nitrite-free bacon and a microbrewery beer with all-natural ingredients (such as Sleeman, Creemore or Mill Street Organic). I used Tabasco original hot sauce and an Ace Bakery baguette.

Cover the bacon with water and simmer until bacon is crisp.

See how crisp the bacon gets!

Ingredients:

4 to 6 slices of bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

5 pounds (2.25 kg) of fresh, fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1 teaspoon (5 ml) of hot sauce

1 bottle of dark beer

4 green onions, chopped

1 baguette or fresh bread for dipping

Preparation:

Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, then pour in enough water to just barely cover it. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. As the water simmers, the bacon will begin to cook. Then, as the water evaporates, the bacon will render, releasing its fat. Lastly, it will crisp as the fat left behind heats past the boiling point of water. Be patient and keep stirring until every piece is evenly crisped, about 5 or 6 minutes.

When the bacon is crisp, add the onions. Stir for a few minutes as they cool the pan, softening and dissolving the flavourful crust, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the mussels, then the hot sauce and beer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Lower the heat a bit and steam the works, cooking and flavouring the mussels and their broth with brown bacon and brown beer. Continue cooking until a rich, fragrant broth forms and all the mussel shells pop open, about 10 minutes.

Divide the mussels among bowls (discarding any mussels that didn’t open), then pour in the remaining broth. Sprinkle on the green onions, serve, and share with lots of bread to soak up the delicious broth. Serves 4 to 6.

From Fast Flavours, by Chef Michael Smith

This one-dish meal from the November 2012 issue of Chatelaine is ready in about 30 minutes and is both healthy and tasty. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are browned and then removed from the pan. Add garlic, ginger, uncooked rice, broth, hoisin and chili-garlic sauce and bring to a boil. Then top with shiitake mushrooms and the browned chicken, cover and cook until the rice is done. Remove the lid, lay baby bok choy on top, cover and cook again until the bok choy is tender and the chicken is done.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure your canola oil and sesame oil do not contain preservatives and look for a chicken broth that is all natural, such as Imagine brand. I have never been able to find hoisin sauce or chili-garlic sauce without artificial ingredients, so I make my own; the recipes are below.

Fresh chili-garlic sauce

Homemade hoisin sauce

Brown skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Remove chicken and add uncooked rice

Add stock, bring to boil and top with shiitakes and browned chicken

When rice is done, top with baby bok choy, cover and continue cooking

Dinner is ready when the bok choy is tender and the chicken is done

One-Pot Asian Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

Chili-garlic sauce

6 ounces hot chiles (e.g., cayenne, Fresnos, habanero, jalapeno, long, serrano, Thai, or a combination of them), stemmed and chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

1 ½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Put all the ingredients in an electric mini chopper or food processor. Process to a coarse texture. Taste and adjust the flavor with add extra salt or sugar. Transfer to a small jar and refrigerate. Let stand at least 30 minutes before using to allow the flavors to blend. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Hoisin sauce

4 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. honey

2 tsp. white vinegar

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. sesame seed oil

1 tsp. Chinese-style hot sauce

1/8 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients.

One-Pot Asian Chicken and Rice

1 tbsp canola oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 ½ cup jasmine rice, rinsed well and drained

3 cups no-salt chicken broth

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 to 2 tsp chili-garlic sauce

113 g pkg fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and quartered

4 stalks gai lan or 8 baby bok choy

1 tsp dark sesame oil

Preparation:

Heat a large pot over medium-high. Add canola oil, then chicken. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 min per side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add garlic, ginger and rice to pot. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 min. Add broth. Stir in hoisin and chili-garlic sauce. Arrange mushrooms and chicken over rice and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until rice is almost tender, 10 to 12 min.

Remove lid. Lay greens over chicken and rice. Cover and continue simmering until greens are just tender, about 5 more min. Drizzle sesame oil over finished dish before serving.

From the November 2012 issue of Chatelaine

If you are looking for a hearty and healthy dinner, try this Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine. The ingredient list may seem long, but, once the chopping is done, this vegetarian stew is done in 40 minutes. The spices give the tagine great flavour, and the currants provide a bit of sweetness. The recipe includes a tangy yogurt parsley sauce. If you are not a strict vegetarian, you can use chicken stock. I also used garlic-stuffed olives, because I had them on hand. I substituted turmeric for the saffron.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the labels on the yogurt, tomato paste, spices, stock, chickpeas, currants and olives. Astro Original brand Balkan-style yogurt contains no artificial ingredients. I used No-Name tomato paste, No-Name currants, PC Blue Menu chickpeas, President’s Choice garlic-stuffed olives and Imagine brand chicken stock. Make sure the spices do not contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Saute onion and garlic with spices

Simmer parsnips and turnips in liquid

Add the cauliflower and sweet potato later

Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine with Parsley Yogurt

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups plain whole-milk yogurt

¼ cup finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth

Pinch of saffron threads

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

½ cauliflower (1 pound), cut into bite-size florets

Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup dried currants

1 ½ cups pitted green olives, quartered

Preparation:

In a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the ¼ cup of parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper, caraway and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until fragrant and glossy, about 3 minutes.

Add the turnips, parsnips, tomatoes and their liquid, broth, saffron and 1 cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the turnips and parsnips are beginning to soften, about 20 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas and currants to the pot. Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the olives and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tagine to a serving bowl, garnish with parsley and serve with the yogurt.

From the November 2012 issue of Food and Wine

This recipe was on the cover of the September 1993 Bon Appetit, which, as I recall, was featuring French bistro-style recipes. I was a novice cook in those days, but I thought it would make a lovely dinner party entrée. I managed to pull it off, it was a big hit and I made it several times after that. At some point, I lost that issue of the magazine, and couldn’t find the recipe. Fortunately, I was able to find it online. I recently made it again, and, 20 years later, it is still a great recipe. You can make the delicious sauce in advance, which is a bonus when entertaining. If you don’t have a barbecue, you can bake the chicken in the oven and then proceed to the broiling step. This is great with steamed green beans and mashed potatoes, which soak up all the lovely sauce.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Butter, white wine, purchased chicken stock and Dijon mustard can contain colour, sulfites, sodium benzoate and artificial colour and flavour. I use Gay Lea unsalted butter, which has a single ingredient: cream. If you are sensitive to sulfites, look for a white wine with fewer than 10 parts per million. I use Imagine chicken stock and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon.

You can make the delicious sauce in advance

Serve the chicken with steamed green beans and mashed potatoes

Ingredients:

2 T unsalted butter
5 shallots, coarsely chopped
5 large mushrooms, quartered
5 tsp cracked black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
5 fresh rosemary sprigs
5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 cubs chicken stock
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 T whole yellow mustard seeds
½ tsp minced fresh thyme

Preparation:

Melt 1 T butter in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots, mushrooms and 1 tsp pepper and sauté until vegetables brown, about 8 minutes. Add wine and bring to boil. Add rosemary and thyme sprigs and simmer 5 minutes. Add stock, increase heat to medium high and boil until liquid is reduced to ¾ cup, about 20 minutes. Strain into saucepan (can be made 1 day ahead. cover and refrigerate).

Prepare barbecue (medium high heat). Sprinkle remaining 4 tsp pepper over both sides of chicken. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet.

Preheat broiler. Brush mustard over chicken. Sprinkle with mustard seeds. Broil until brown, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring sauce to simmer. Add minced thyme and remaining 1 T butter; whisk until melted.

Divide chicken among plates. Spoon herb sauce around chicken. Serves 4.

From the September 1993 issue of Bon Appetit

Now that the temperature is dropping, I’m craving soups, stews and baked pasta dishes. This Creamy Baked Four-Cheese Pasta from Cook’s Illustrated is several hundred notches up from Kraft Dinner. Cooked penne is mixed with a cream sauce and four cheeses, topped with bread crumbs and baked. This is a great vegetarian meal served with a salad, and would also be an excellent side dish.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Some breads contain sulfites or other additives; I used an Ace bakery loaf for this recipe. Cheese can contain colour, so read the label carefully. Use butter with a single ingredient: cream.

This baked pasta calls for four tangy cheeses

Whirl torn slices of bread in the food processor to make crumbs

Boil cream then simmer with the flour

The hot cream and cooked penne melt the cheeses

Place pasta in a baking dish and top with crumbs

Creamy baked four-cheese pasta

Ingredients:

Bread Crumb Topping:

3 or 4 slices white sandwich bread with crusts, torn into quarters

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 ounce)

¼ teaspoon table salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pasta and Cheese:

4 ounces fontina cheese , shredded (about 1 cup)

3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese , crumbled (about 3/4 cup)

½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (1 ounce)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 ounce)

1 pound penne pasta

1 tablespoon table salt

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups heavy cream

¼ teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation:

For the topping: Pulse bread in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses (you should have about 1 ½ cups). Transfer to small bowl; stir in Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set mixture aside.

For the pasta: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in stockpot. Combine cheeses in large bowl; set aside.

Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water; stir to separate pasta.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk flour into butter until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in cream, increase heat to medium, and bring to boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 minute to ensure that flour cooks. Stir in remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper; cover cream mixture to keep hot and set aside.

When pasta is very al dente (when bitten into, pasta should be opaque and slightly underdone at very center), drain about 5 seconds, leaving pasta slightly wet. Add pasta to bowl with cheeses; immediately pour cream mixture over, then cover bowl with foil or large plate and let stand 3 minutes. Uncover bowl and stir with rubber spatula, scraping bottom of bowl, until cheeses are melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.

Transfer pasta to 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then sprinkle evenly with reserved bread crumbs, pressing down lightly. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6 as a main course.

From the January 2003 issue of Cook’s Illustrated

Just a note to let you know that Eye for a Recipe is now searchable. The search box is on the right side of the home page, below “Archives”. If you have any problems with it, please let me know. I love hearing from visitors to the site, so please leave a comment anytime, including what type of recipe you would like to see more often.

Recipe Sleuth

This recipe from the May 2012 issue of Real Simple is perfect for a weeknight supper. It’s tasty, takes about 45 minutes to make, and uses inexpensive skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. It’s also a one-dish meal, as the cauliflower roasts along with the chicken. Serve it with a salad or a green vegetable and feel free to use parsley if you don’t like cilantro.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Lime juice concentrates are bitter and contain preservatives, so use juice from a fresh lime.

Make sure the chicken thighs are well browned; this ensures crispy skin

Toss cauliflower in oil

Return chicken to pan, skin side up, and put in the oven

When the chicken is done, add the lime juice and cilantro

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower and Cilantro

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 head cauliflower (about 1 ½ pounds), cut into florets

2 small dried red chilies or ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation:

Heat oven to 450° F. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Working in batches, cook the chicken skin-side down until crisp and golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate; reserve the skillet.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet. Add the cauliflower, chilies, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper; toss to coat. Nestle the chicken skin-side up in the cauliflower, transfer to oven, and roast until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 22 minutes.

Add the lime juice and cilantro to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with the lime wedges. Serves 4.

From the May 2012 issue of Real Simple

If you are craving shellfish, try this Fettuccine with Spicy Shellfish by Emeril Lagasse from the July 2012 issue of Food and Wine. The timing on this recipe is very forgiving, because the pasta is cooked, rinsed and then tossed with warm chile oil, cheese and basil. This flavours the pasta and keeps it from sticking together. You then quickly cook the remaining ingredients and reheat the pasta with cooking liquid before serving the pasta in bowls, topped with the seafood, broth, cheese and basil. This recipe also includes sausage, which adds heat and depth of flavour. Dry chorizo is called for, but I used crumbled hot Italian sausage instead and cooked it a little longer. I also used dried pasta, which worked fine.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients to watch out for are the cheese, sausage, clam juice and shrimp. Make sure the Parmigiano-Reggiano does not contain colour and that the sausage is all-natural. The clam juice should contain one ingredient: clam juice. Look for shrimp that is flash-frozen with nothing added, except perhaps salt.

Cook hot pepper flakes in oil for a few minutes.

Add chile oil, cheese and basil to the cooked pasta.

Saute the sausage for a few minutes until it is cooked and the fat has rendered.

Fettuccine with spicy shellfish

Ingredients:

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pound fresh fettuccine

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

¼ cup shredded basil leaves

6 ounces dry chorizo, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 large shallot, minced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 plum tomatoes—peeled, seeded and chopped

1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed

1 cup bottled clam juice

1 pound mussels, scrubbed

1 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp

Salt

Preparation:

In a small skillet, combine ¼ cup of the olive oil with the crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it is barely al dente; drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the warm chile oil, ¼ cup of the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the basil.

In a very large, deep skillet, heat the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Add the chorizo and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered, about 2 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, clams and clam juice, cover and cook until the clams just begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, cover and cook until all the shells have opened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, season with salt and cook until pink and curled, about 2 minutes.

Using a ladle, transfer half of the liquid to the pasta in the pot and cook over high heat, tossing, until the pasta is al dente and heated through, about 2 minutes. Divide the pasta between bowls and spoon the shellfish all around. Ladle the broth on top and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of shredded basil and ¼ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve right away. Serves 6.

From the July 2012 issue of Food and Wine