Eye for a Recipe

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

I had some buttermilk left over from making cornbread, so I decided to try this Buttermilk Roast Chicken recipe from the blog Smitten Kitchen. It is inspired by a Nigella Lawson recipe. Chicken parts are marinated in a brine of buttermilk, garlic, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper. If you have never brined a chicken, I highly recommend it. The brine infuses and seasons the meat, making it tender, moist and full of flavour. This is a very easy recipe and it yields terrific results. I brined the chicken for 24 hours; we used drumsticks and thighs, because we prefer dark meat, but you can use whatever chicken parts you like best.

Sprinkle brined chicken with paprika, oil and salt

Roast until cooked through and well browned

I served Buttermilk Roasted Chicken with roasted potatoes and sauteed green beans

Ingredients:

2 cups buttermilk

5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon table salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons paprika, plus extra for sprinkling

Lots of freshly ground black pepper

2 ½ to 3 pounds chicken parts

Drizzle of olive oil

Flaked or coarse sea salt, to finish

Preparation:

Whisk buttermilk with garlic, table salt, sugar, paprika and lots of freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Place chicken parts in a gallon-sized freezer bag (or lidded container) and pour buttermilk brine over them, then swish it around so that all parts are covered. Refrigerate for at least 2 but preferably 24 and up to 48 hours.

When ready to roast, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil. Remove chicken from buttermilk brine and arrange in dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with additional paprika and sea salt to taste. Roast for 30 minutes (for legs; approximately 35 to 40 for breasts), until brown and a bit scorched in spots. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

From the Smitten Kitchen blog

This recipe from the May 2010 issue of Cook’s Illustrated is really for a charcoal grill, but I used a grill pan on top of the stove and it worked just fine. The tuna steaks are brushed with a Provençal-inspired vinaigrette, seared, then served with more vinaigrette. Keep an eye on the tuna steaks to make sure you don’t overcook them; they should be rare or medium-rare in the middle.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives include the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, anchovies and black olives. I use Eden Organic brand red wine vinegar, which does not contain sulfites. Look for a Dijon mustard without white wine or sodium benzoate. I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon. Read the labels on the anchovies and olives to check for preservatives and colour. I use Unico anchovies and Sardo Organic kalamata olives.

Brush tuna steaks with vinaigrette

Sear until the centre is rare or medium-rare

Pan-Grilled Tuna Steaks with Provencal Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Table salt

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary leaves

¼ cup chopped pitted oil-cured black olives

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

2 minced anchovies

1 minced garlic clove

¾ cup olive oil

6 tuna steaks, 1 inch thick (about 8 ounces each)

Ground black pepper

Preparation:

Whisk vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, mustard, honey, olives, parsley, oregano, anchovies, and garlic together in large bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture until lightly thickened and emulsified. Measure out ¾ cup vinaigrette and set aside for cooking fish. Reserve remaining vinaigrette for serving.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush both sides of fish liberally with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill fish without moving until grill marks form and bottom surface is opaque, about 1½ minutes. Carefully flip, cooking until grill marks form on second side, about 1½ minutes longer for rare (opaque at perimeter and translucent red at center when checked with tip of paring knife) or 3 minutes for medium-rare (opaque at perimeter and reddish pink at center). Transfer to large plate and serve immediately, passing reserved vinaigrette. Serves 6.

Adapted from the May 1, 2010 issue of Cook’s Illustrated

We are trying to eat less meat these days, so I am on the lookout for good vegetarian recipes. If you like curry, try this Easy Chickpea Curry from the January/February 2012 issue of Everyday Food. Roasted cauliflower and chickpeas add heartiness to the dish, so you really don’t miss the meat! If you roast the cauliflower and tomatoes ahead of time and keep them handy in the fridge, this recipe comes together in about 35 minutes. The curry is served over rice – I used Basmati.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives are the curry powder and the chickpeas. Look for organic chickpeas, such as President’s Choice Blue Menu. Curry powder may contain colour, so I make my own. The recipe is below.

Roast cauliflower and cherry tomatoes

Add spinach and stir until it wilts

Serve the chickpea curry over rice

Ingredients:

Curry Powder

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp crushed or ground fenugreek seed

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp crushed dried dill

¼ tsp ground mace

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp dried mustard

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix ingredients together.

Chickpea Curry

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced medium

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

4 teaspoons curry powder

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 1/2 ounces baby spinach (2 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Coarse salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cauliflower florets with 1 teaspoon oil and arrange on one side of a rimmed baking sheet. Toss tomatoes with 1 teaspoon oil and arrange in a single layer on other side of sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until florets are softened and browned in spots and some tomatoes are collapsed, 25 minutes. Refrigerate florets and three-quarters the tomatoes until later or proceed with the recipe.

Cook rice according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and gently simmer 8 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until cauliflower is warmed through and chickpeas are tender, 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and cilantro and season with salt. To serve, divide rice among four bowls and top with curry. Serves 4.

From the January/February 2012 issue of Everyday Food

This braised chicken recipe by Mario Batali was published in the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine. It is very, very good and easy to make. The sauce is well balanced between sour and sweet and the chicken was moist and tender. Rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes would all be great accompaniments.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may have additives and preservatives include the red wine, red wine vinegar, capers and almonds. Look for a red wine with a sulfite content of less than 10 parts-per-million and for red wine vinegar with no sulfites added. I use Eden Organic brand. Check the labels of the capers and almonds to make sure they don’t contain preservatives. I used Unico brand capers and President’s Choice No Name sliced almonds.

Brown the cut-up chicken

Saute carrots, celery and garlic

Add sauce ingredients and browned chicken

Italian Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

One 4-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces (each breast split crosswise)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, cut into ½-inch dice

2 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick

2 celery ribs, cut into ½-inch dice

8 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ cup sugar

1 cup dry light-bodied red wine, such as Chianti

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons capers, drained

¼ cup sliced almonds

Preparation:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off the oil.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the sugar, wine, vinegar, orange juice, capers and almonds and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Boil the pan sauce over high heat until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the skillet until warmed through. Transfer to a plate, spoon the sauce on top and serve. Serves 4.

From the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine

At the end of December, the Toronto Star food section published its top ten recipes of 2011. They included this recipe for Red Wine Braised Short Ribs from Brad’s Takeout and Eatery in Toronto. I love short ribs, but I don’t love the fat they produce. So I adapted the recipe by braising the ribs, removing them from the sauce and refrigerating the ribs and sauce separately overnight. When I checked the next day, the sauce had an inch of solidified fat on the top, which I was able to easily remove. I then reduced the sauce, poured it over the ribs and heated them through. The technique worked very well, so I encourage you to try it if you find short ribs too greasy or you just want to reduce your fat intake.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives are the wine and the stock. Look for a red wine with a sulfite content of less than 10 parts per million. I couldn’t find beef stock, so I substituted Imagine brand chicken stock, which was fine.

Brown the short ribs well

Place browned ribs in a Dutch oven so they fit snuggly in one layer

Brown the vegetables

Add vegetables to ribs, add liquid ingredients and braise

Reduce braising sauce

Serve the ribs with the sauce over egg noodles or mashed potatoes

Ingredients:

4 pieces beef short rib, cut 2-inches (5-cm) wide across the bone (about 3 lb/1.4 kg)

Salt + ground black pepper to taste

2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

2 each: yellow onions, celery stalks, peeled carrots (all cut into 2-inch/5-cm chunks)

5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 sprigs rosemary

2 cups (500 mL) red wine

2 cups (500 mL) low-sodium beef stock

1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Season ribs with salt and pepper.

In large fry pan, heat oil over medium-high. Cook beef, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 10 minutes. Transfer to 4-inch (10-cm) deep casserole or baking dish, bone side down — meat should fit snuggly as possible.

Return fry pan to heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until nicely browned, 5 minutes. Add vegetables to beef along with rosemary. Return fry pan to heat. Add 1 cup (250 mL) wine and stock, scraping up any brown bits. When liquid is hot, pour over meat. Wrap pan tightly with foil. Bake until meat is fork tender, 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

While beef is cooking, place remaining 1 cup (250 mL) wine and sugar in saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce until syrupy, 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Carefully transfer beef to baking dish. Strain braising liquid into saucepan with reduced wine, discarding solids. To reduce the fat in this dish, refrigerate ribs and sauce separately. Before finishing the recipe, remove the solidified fat from the sauce. If you don’t want to wait, bring liquid to boil over medium-high heat. Skim off fat that rises to surface. Reduce liquid until salt level is to your taste, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour sauce over beef. Bake until hot, basting occasionally, 20 minutes. Serves 4.

Adapted from Brad’s Takeout and Eatery recipe published in the December 28, 2011 Toronto Star

If you are in the mood for a Tex-Mex meal, try this recipe from the February 2012 issue of Canadian Living. It would also be good to serve to a crowd on Super Bowl Sunday in a couple of weeks. Make a quick enchilada sauce, brown some ground beef, and sauté onion, corn and black beans. Then layer tortillas, the beef mixture and cheese, top with the sauce and more cheese, and bake. You could use ground chicken or turkey instead of beef. Once the dish was heated through, I put it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that could include additives and preservatives are the passata, chipotle peppers, black beans, tortillas, cheese and sour cream. Try Molisana brand passata, Herdez canned chipotles in adobo sauce, President’s Choice Blue Menu canned black beans, President’s Choice original flour tortillas and Loblaws No-Name sour cream. If you use low-fat sour cream be sure to check the label, as I find low-fat products tend to contain more additives. Cheddar cheese without colour is relatively easy to find.

Make the enchilada sauce

Brown the ground beef

Layer the tortillas, beef mixture and cheese

Top with sauce and cheese before baking

I browned it for a few minutes under the broiler

Garnish with sour cream and green onions

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 mL) bottled strained tomatoes, (passata)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp (30 mL) chili powder

1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped

1 pinch salt

1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef

2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup (250 mL) rinsed drained canned black beans

¾ cup (175 mL) frozen corn kernels

3 large whole wheat or regular tortillas

1- ¼ cups (300 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese

¼ cup (60 mL) sour cream

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Preparation:

In small saucepan, bring strained tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, oregano, chipotle pepper and salt to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, brown beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with wooden spoon. With slotted spoon, remove beef and set aside. Drain fat from pan.

Add oil to skillet; cook onion over medium heat until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add black beans and corn. Return beef to pan, stirring to combine. Stir in 1 cup of the sauce, mixing well.

Place 1 of the tortillas in greased 8-inch (2 L) square baking dish. Top with 1/4 cup of the cheese and half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers of tortilla, cheese and meat mixture once. Top with remaining tortilla and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Slice and serve garnished with sour cream and green onion. Serves 4.

From the February 2012 issue of Canadian Living

This is a fast and tasty way to get more fish into your diet. Canned salmon is mixed with bread crumbs, cilantro, green onions, spices and eggs and then formed into patties. Quickly fry the patties and serve with a refreshing raiti sauce. If you don’t like cilantro, use parsley instead.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives are the yogurt and tandoori paste. Look for a Balkan-style yogurt with no artificial ingredients. It is difficult to find spice pastes that are additive-free, so I usually make mine from scratch. A recipe for tandoori paste is below. Also be sure to use fresh lime juice, as concentrates are bitter and usually contain sodium benzoate.

Mix canned salmon with spices, bread crumbs, cilantro, scallions and eggs

Form the salmon mixture into patties

Fry patties for about 4 minutes per side

Serve with raita sauce

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 mL) plain yogurt

1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh cilantro

2 green onions, thinly sliced

¼ English cucumber, coarsely grated and squeezed dry

2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice

1 cup (250 mL) fresh bread crumbs

1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp (15 mL) prepared tandoori paste

2 eggs

¼ tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper

2 cans (213 g each) wild sockeye salmon, drained and flaked

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

Tandoori paste

¼ tsp each of cayenne, salt, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cumin and paprika

2 tbsp plain yogurt

½ tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together.

Preparation:

In small bowl, combine yogurt, 1 tbsp of the cilantro, half of the green onions, the cucumber and lime juice. Set raita dressing aside.

In separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, ginger, tandoori paste, remaining cilantro and green onions, eggs, cayenne pepper and salmon, mixing well. Shape into eight 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick patties.

In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook salmon cakes until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with raita dressing. Serves 4.

From the February 2012 issue of Canadian Living

We don’t have a barbecue at the apartment and one of the things we miss most over the winter is grilled baby back ribs. So I was delighted to see this recipe for Orange and Soy-Glazed Baby Back Ribs in the January 2012 issue of Bon Appetit. The ribs are parboiled for a couple of hours in water flavoured with soy sauce, garlic, cumin seeds and red pepper flakes. This renders the fat from the ribs. Meanwhile, make a sauce with spices, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, orange juice and honey. To finish the ribs, place them on a cookie sheet, brush with the sauce and broil for a few minutes on each side. Garnish with citrus zest, more sauce and enjoy!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredient to watch out for in this recipe is the soy sauce. Use tamari, which is preserved with alcohol instead of sodium benzoate.

Parboil the ribs to cook them and render the fat

Parboiled ribs

Place parboiled ribs on cookie sheet, brush with sauce and broil

Garnish the ribs with sauce and citrus zest

Orange and soy-glazed baby back ribs

Ingredients:

3 ½ pounds baby back pork ribs, cut between bones into individual ribs (18–20 ribs)

1 cup soy sauce, divided

9 garlic cloves, minced, divided

5 teaspoons cumin seeds, divided

3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, divided

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 scallions (white and light-green parts separated from dark-green parts), finely chopped

1 ½ cups fresh orange juice plus zest from 1 orange

3 tablespoons honey

Zest from 1 lemon and 1 lime

Preparation:

Place ribs, ½ cup soy sauce, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp. cumin seeds, and 1 tsp. red pepper flakes in a large pot; add water to cover completely. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cover with lid ajar; cook until ribs are tender, about 2 hours. Drain ribs; set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add remaining 3 tsp. cumin seeds and 2 tsp. red pepper flakes. Toast lightly until fragrant, about 30 seconds; add remaining 6 minced garlic cloves and white and pale-green scallions. Sauté until just soft, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup soy sauce, orange juice, and honey. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is thick, 12–15 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place ribs on prepared sheet; brush with sauce. Broil until sauce bubbles, 2–3 minutes. Turn, brush with additional sauce, and broil until ribs are heated through and sauce is bubbling, 2–3 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Sprinkle dark-green scallions and citrus zest over. Serves 4-6.

From the January 2012 issue of Bon Appetit