Eye for a Recipe

I recently purchased a copy of Essential Pépin, Jacques Pépin’s new cookbook. It features more than 700 of his favourite recipes from his 60-year career, updated for today’s cooks. It also includes a three-hour DVD that shows Pépin demonstrating cooking techniques. I have been sampling a few recipes from it (and my friend Allan Stanley just received his copy, so I’m looking forward to hearing what he makes). The best recipe I have made so far is this Lamb Couscous, which is wonderful. It features a delicious harissa sauce, melt-in-your mouth lamb, and fig-studded couscous. It’s a delicious meal to share on a chilly fall night.

I used my own recipe for harissa; it follows the Pépin version. To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, make the harissa from scratch and make sure the chickpeas are all-natural (such as President’s Choice Blue Menu brand). Make sure the butter does not contain colour (such as Gay Lea unsalted butter) and that the figs are sulfite-free (I used Aurora brand for this recipe).

Make the spicy harissa from scratch

Simmer the lamb in water and spices

Meanwhile, cut up the vegetables

Add the vegetables to the lamb

Simmer the lamb and vegetables together until they are tender

Stir figs and couscous to coat with butter before adding water

Lamb Cousous

Ingredients:

Harissa

2 ounces dried Ancho chiles (6-8)

5 cups water

8 garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp tomato paste

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

(Ingredients for alternate version:

4 tbsp sweet paprika

2 chipotle in adobo, minced, plus 1 tsp adobo sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tsp ground cumin

4 tsp ground caraway

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing)

Stew

1½ lbs very lean boneless lamb, preferably from the shank or shoulder, cut into 1½ inch chunks.

3 cups water

5 garlic cloves

1 piece ginger (about the size of the combined garlic cloves), peeled

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp homemade or store-bought harissa, or to taste

1 large onion, 8 oz., sliced

8 oz. kohlrabi or large white turnips (about 2), peeled and cut into 1½ inch chunks

1 small butternut squash (about 12 oz.), halved, peeled, seeded and cut into 1½ inch chunks

1 small eggplant (about 8 oz.), trimmed and cut into 1½ inch chunks

2 carrots (about 3 oz.), peeled and cut into 1½ inch chunks

1 ripe tomato (about 8 oz.), halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

1 medium zucchini (about 6 oz.), trimmed and cut into 1½ inch chunks

1 16-oz. can chickpeas (don’t discard liquid in can)

Couscous

1¾ cups water

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 2/3 tbsp (1/3 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups instant couscous

4 oz. (about ¾ cup) dried figs, but into ½-inch pieces

Homemade or store-bought harissa for serving

Preparation:

For Harissa

Drop the chiles into a bowl with the water. Set a plate on top to hold the chiles underwater and let them soak for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove the chiles from the water; reserve ½ cup of the soaking water. Pull out and discard the stems and seeds and cut the chiles into 1-inch pieces. Place some of the chile pieces in a mini-chop or blender with some of the garlic, some of the oil, and a little of the reserved chile-soaking water and process until pureed. Remove to a bowl. Process (in batches if necessary) the remainder of the peppers with the remainder of the garlic, oil, and soaking liquid and combine with the puree in the bowl. Add the tomato paste, salt and cayenne, mix well and put in a jar.

(If making alternate recipe, simply combine all ingredients)

For Stew

Put the lamb in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot and add the water.

Puree the garlic cloves and ginger in a mini-chop or food processor (you should have about ¼ cup) and add to the Dutch oven, along with the cumin, salt, tomato paste and 2 tbsp harissa. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil gently, covered, for 45 minutes.

Add the onion, kohlrabi or turnips, butternut squash, eggplant and carrots, return to aboil, and boil gently for 15 minutes. Add the tomato, zucchini and chickpeas, with their liquid, return to a boil and boil gently for 15 minutes longer. The stew can be made ahead to this point and reheated before serving.

For the Couscous

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a larger saucepan. Add the couscous and stir until the grains are coated with butter. Stir in the figs, the mix in the seasoned boiling water. Stir well, cover, and set aside for about 10 minutes.

At serving time, reheat the stew if necessary. Pour 1 cup of broth from the hot stew into a serving bowl and add about 3 tbsp harissa (depending on how much heat you want). Stir well and place the harissa on the table so guests can add it to the stew if they wish.

Fluff the couscous and mount it on individual plates. Make a well in the centre of each mound and fill with a few pieces of meat and vegetables and some of the juices. Serves 4.

From Essential Pépin

The October 2011 issue of Real Simple provides recipes for four weeks of easy dinners. Some I wouldn’t want to try (salami and Brussels sprouts pizza – no thank you) but several are very good, including Pork Chops with Roasted Beets and Oranges. Pork chops are quickly pan fried and served with beets and oranges tossed with arugula (three of my favourite things). I cheated a little bit on the prep, in that I thought peeling and cutting up beets before roasting them would be very messy. Instead, I roasted the whole beets earlier in the day, then peeled them, cut them into wedges and kept them in the fridge until dinnertime. I then warmed them through in the microwave; you could also add them to the oranges while they are roasting. I also added a little feta to the salad. Be careful not to overcook the chops, or they will become tough.

Some news I’d like to share – a recent Eye for a Recipe post was included in Bon Appetit’s “What People Are Cooking” blog. You can view it at http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2011/11/lamb-tagine-with-chickpeas-and.html#entry-more

Season pork chops with oregano, thyme, salt and pepper

Toss roasted beets and oranges with arugula; I also added feta cheese

I served the chops and vegetables with roasted mini potatoes

Everything in this recipe is natural, so no need to find additive-free ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 pound beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges (to roast whole beets in advance, see directions below)

4 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

2 oranges, cut into large chunks

6 cups baby arugula (5 ounces)

4 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick; about 2 pounds total)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Preparation:

To roast whole beets, wrap them individually in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about an hour. Large beets may take longer to cook through. Unwrap beets and insert a sharp knife to ensure they are tender all the way through. When beets are cool enough to handle, rub off skins with a paper towel. Cut peeled beets into wedges and refrigerate until needed.

If cooking the beets according to the recipe, heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the beets with 3 tablespoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast until beginning to soften, 13 to 15 minutes. Add the oranges to the baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until the beets and oranges are tender, 15 to 17 minutes more (if you have pre-roasted the beets, warm them in the microwave or oven and add at this stage). Add the beets and oranges to the arugula and toss to combine .

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the pork with the oregano, thyme, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes per side. Serve with the beets and oranges. Serves 4.

From the October 2011 issue of Real Simple

This chicken stir-fry from the October 2011 issue of Canadian Living is so good, I’ve made it twice in the last three weeks. Chicken thighs are cubed, browned and then stir fried with garlic, ginger and vegetables. A tart-sweet chili sauce is added at the end. The recipe calls for onions and peppers – I also tossed in broccoli and blanched green beans when I made it the second time. I couldn’t find additive-free Thai-style sweet chili sauce, so I made it from scratch, using a recipe from allrecipes.com, which I have also included below.

To avoid additives and preservatives in these recipes, use all-natural rice vinegar, such as Marukan brand, and all-natural ketchup, such as Heinz original.

Cube and brown skinless boneless chicken thighs

Add vegetables you have on hand

Add sauce and heat until it thickens

I served Sweet Chili Chicken over rice and with sauteed baby bok choy

Sweet Chili Thai Sauce

½ cup water

½ cup rice vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

½ tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp hot chile pepper, minced

1 tsp ketchup

1 tsp cornstarch

Pour water and vinegar into saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in sugar, ginger, garlic chile pepper, and ketchup; simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cornstarch. Remove saucepan from stove to cool. Transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

From allrecipes.com

Sweet Chili Chicken

Ingredients:

1½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-size pieces

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger

1 onion, chopped

1 sweet red pepper, cut in bite-size pieces

1 sweet green pepper, cut in bite-size pieces

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

½ cup Thai-style sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Sprinkle chicken with salt. In large skillet, heat oil over high heat; stir-fry chicken until starting to brown and juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 6 minutes.

Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion, red and green peppers and jalapeño pepper; stir-fry for 3 minutes, adding about 4 tbsp water by the tablespoon to prevent sticking to pan.

Mix chili sauce with vinegar; add to pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until reduced and vegetables are tender-crisp. Serve sprinkled with green onions.

From the October 2011 issue of Canadian Living

I have wanted to make this famous dish for some time, and finally had a free Saturday afternoon to do so. It was so worth it. I had a wonderful time in the kitchen and learned some new techniques, such as how to properly sauté mushrooms. Julia said the dish would taste even better the next day, so I popped it in the fridge and we had a lovely Sunday dinner that was ready in less than 30 minutes. As Julia suggested, I served the boeuf bourguignon with potatoes and buttered peas.

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use nitrite-free bacon (I cut bacon slices in to strips), red wine with a sulfite content of less than 10 parts per million, all-natural beef stock (I used Imagine chicken stock and it worked just fine) and butter with no colour added.

Cut bacon in thin strips, called lardons

Pat the beef dry so it will brown properly

Brown the beef well

Remove the meat and brown the vegetables

Recombine the meat and vegetables and cook slowly in the oven

While the stew cooks, braise onions with a bouquet garni

Properly sauteed mushrooms will turn brown and "squeak" in the pan

Simmer everything together before serving

Serve Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon with potatoes and buttered peas

Ingredients

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon

3½ tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)

2½ to 3½ cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 white onions, small

3½ tablespoons butter

Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Preparation:

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks ¼ -inch thick and 1½ inches long).

Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 ½ quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides.

Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1½ tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add ½ cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2½ cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon

lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Recipe may be made in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15-20 minutes before serving, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

I served this quinoa pilaf from the October issue of Style at Home at Thanksgiving dinner. It is a colourful and tasty side dish, and hearty enough serve as a vegetarian entrée. I roasted the squash ahead of time, kept it in the fridge, and then rewarmed it quickly in the microwave before tossing everything together just before serving.

You can roast the squash in advance

The recipe calls for white quinoa; I used regular quinoa and it was fine. I also chose to double up on the pistachios instead of buying pumpkin seeds.

Cranberry Pecan Quinoa Pilaf

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use fresh lemon juice and dried cranberries without colour or sulfites. I used Craisins brand original dried cranberries.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

2 tsp olive oil

Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup white quinoa

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

1 tbsp unsalted butter

¼ cup dried cranberries

½ cup roughly chopped pecans

¼ cup shelled pistachios

¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the squash and cut the flesh into ¾” cubes. Toss with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet.

Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the quinoa for 12 minutes.

Drain and transfer to a bowl. Toss quinoa with the squash, lemon zest and juice and butter. Stir in cranberries, nuts, pumpkin seeds and parsley. Serve warm. Serves 6.

From the October 2011 issue of Style at Home

Pasta with meatballs is a great dish, but making and browning meatballs from scratch takes time. This recipe from an October 2011 LCBO Food and Drink newspaper insert takes a shortcut by using sliced hot Italian sausages instead of meatballs. The original recipe suggested browning the sausages and then slicing them. Instead, I cooked the sausages in boiling water for 5 minutes to render some of the fat, then sliced them and browned them. I used canned crushed tomatoes, which made a very thick sauce. If you make this recipe, I suggest you use canned whole tomatoes and puree them in your blender or food processor.

Simmer tomato sauce with garlic and basil

Add baby spinach leaves just before tossing with the cooked linguine

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use all-natural sausages and tomatoes, olives and Parmesan that does not contain colour, flavour or other artificial ingredients.

Linguine with Sausages in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

4 hot Italian sausages

1 tbsp chopped garlic

5 cups canned tomatoes pureed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 lb linguine

2 tbsp sliced green olives

2 green peppers, thinly sliced

4 oz fresh baby spinach leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Boil sausages in water for 5 minutes to render fat. Slice into bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Add sausages and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil and stir in garlic. Add pureed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Season with salt, pepper and basil.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile stir olives green peppers and sliced sausages into sauce. Cook 10 minutes longer or until green peppers are slightly crisp.

Drain pasta when cooked. Add spinach leaves to sauce and toss with pasta. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

Adapted from Food and Drink October 2011 newspaper insert

This spicy lamb stew from the October 2011 issue of Bon Appetit is flavoured with Ras-El-Hanout, a combination of coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom, ginger and turmeric. Cubed lamb is browned and then simmered with the spices, onion and tomatoes. Chickpeas and dried apricots are added just before serving.

The recipe includes instructions for cooking the chickpeas; I used cooked canned chickpeas, which were fine. If you use canned, you won’t need the cinnamon stick or the two whole garlic cloves. Be sure to trim as much fat as you can from the lamb.

Blend the Ras-El-Hanout in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle

Trim the fat from the lamb and brown it well

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, look for all-natural canned tomatoes and stock, such as Imagine brand. It can be difficult to find dried apricots with no sulfites added, but many grocery stores do stock them.

Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots

Ingredients:

¾ cup dried chickpeas (or a can of cooked chickpeas)

5 garlic cloves (2 whole, 3 chopped)

1 large cinnamon stick, broken in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds 1″ cubes of lamb shoulder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, diced

5 teaspoons (see recipe below)

1 tablespoon chopped peeled ginger

1 cup canned diced tomatoes with juices

2½ cups (or more) low-salt chicken stock

½ cup halved dried apricots

Steamed couscous

Chopped fresh cilantro

Ras-el-Hanout

1½ teaspoons coriander seeds

¾ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Toast coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until aromatic and slightly darkened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a spice mill; let cool. Add crushed red pepper flakes. Process until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients; whisk to blend. Can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Preparation:

If cooking the chickpeas yourself: Place chickpeas in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover by 2″. Let soak overnight. Drain chickpeas; return to same saucepan. Add 2 whole garlic cloves and cinnamon stick. Add water to cover by 2″. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until chickpeas are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain; set aside.

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch.

Transfer lamb to a medium bowl. Add onion to pot; reduce heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic, Ras-el-Hanout, and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and lamb with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil. Add 2½ cups stock. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lamb is tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Stir in chickpeas; simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in apricots; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon couscous onto a large, shallow platter, forming a large well in center. Spoon tagine into center. Sprinkle cilantro over. Serves 6–8.

From the October 2011 issue of Bon Appetit