Eye for a Recipe

This grilled chicken dish from the July 2011 issue of Everyday Food makes a great late-summer lunch or dinner. It calls for chicken cutlets, but I used skinless boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to an even ½-inch thickness. The grilled chicken and vegetables are drizzled with a tasty vinaigrette of vinegar, oil, currants, marinated artichoke hearts and parsley, which looks great on a platter.

If you don’t want to char the peppers over a flame, use the broiler instead. To do this, cut the top and bottom off the pepper. Cut down one side of the pepper so that you are left with a long, unbroken piece. Remove the seeds and ribs. Place the top, bottom and long piece of pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side up. Place under the broiler and broil under the skin turns black – this can take 10-20 minutes, depending on how close the pepper is to the broiler. Remove from oven and fold the foil up from the baking sheet to cover the peppers. Let steam for 10 minutes. Peel the skin from the peppers and continue with the recipe.

Cut top and bottom from pepper and then down one side. Seed and place on foil-wrapped baking sheet

Broil until the skin turns black

Remove blackened skin and slice into strips

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use red wine vinegar without sulfites, such as Eden Organic brand and marinated artichoke hearts without artificial ingredients, such as Unico brand.

The vinaigrette includes currants, marinated artichoke hearts and parsley

Grilled chicken and vegetables with parsely vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 red or orange bell peppers

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill

1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch strips

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 chicken cutlets (1 pound total)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dried currants or raisins

1/3 cup marinated artichoke hearts, coarsley chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

Over a high gas flame, roast peppers until charred, 16 minutes, turning frequently. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam for 20 minutes. To char peppers under the broiler, see directions above.

Meanwhile heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Toss zucchini with 1½ teaspoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill zucchini until browned, about 4 minutes, flipping once. Drizzle chicken with ½ teaspoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until cooked through, about 6 minutes, flipping once.

Rub peppers with paper towels to remove skin. Stem, seed and slice into ½-inch strips. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and 2 tablespoons oil, season with salt and pepper. Stir in currants or raisins, artichokes and parsley. Arrange chicken and vegetables on a serving platter and drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

From the July 2011 issue of Everyday Food

The garden is teeming with zucchini right now, so it’s time to get creative. This new find from the September issue of Food and Wine threads paper-thin ribbons of zucchini, summer squash and prosciutto onto kebabs. The kebabs are quickly grilled and served with a mint-lime sauce. This is a tasty and attractive dish that would also work well as hors d’oeuvre.

Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to thinly slice the zucchini and summer squash

Use two skewers for each kebab

Grill until lightly charred

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use fresh lime juice and prosciutto that is preserved with salt only.

Grilled Squash Ribbons and Prosciutto with Mint Dressing

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped mint

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandoline or with a vegetable peeler

2 medium yellow squash, very thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandoline or with a vegetable peeler

6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

Preparation:

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, combine the lime zest and juice with the mint, garlic and the ¼ cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Alternately thread the zucchini, yellow squash and prosciutto onto 4 pairs of 12-inch bamboo skewers. Lightly brush the vegetables and prosciutto with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Grill the skewers over high heat until the zucchini and yellow squash are lightly charred, about 1 ½ minutes per side. Serve with the mint dressing on the side. Serves 4.

From the September 2011 issue of Food and Wine

When this recipe appeared in an October 2010 issue of the Toronto Star, I thought it was strange that it would be featured in the fall, after the end of tomato and basil season. So I tucked it away in my August 2011 calendar and made it last week. The recipe is based on U.S. chef Scott Conant’s famous spaghetti served in his restaurant, Scarpetta.

This is a delicious dish. Canned and fresh tomatoes are cooked down and then infused with a garlic- and basil-flavoured oil. Add cooked pasta and finish with pasta water, more basil, cheese, butter and oil. Luscious!

Basil-garlic oil is added to the tomato sauce

To peel the tomatoes, immerse in boiling water for 1 minute, then plunge into ice water

Simmer the sauce for 25 minutes before adding garlic-basil oil

Add cooked pasta and finish the sauce with basil, cheese and butter

You can vary the ratio of fresh and canned tomatoes, depending on the season. To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use canned tomatoes that do not contain preservatives, and Parmesan and butter that do not contain colour.

Scarpetta's Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil

Ingredients:

Basil-Garlic Oil

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed

8 basil leaves

Pinch red chili flakes

Tomato Sauce

8 plum (roma) tomatoes

2 cups (500 mL) canned San Marzano (plum) tomatoes with juices

2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper to taste

Spaghetti

Kosher salt

12 oz (340 g) high-quality dried spaghetti

3 cups (570 mL) Tomato Sauce

16 large basil leaves, stacked, rolled into cylinder, thinly sliced crosswise

½ cup (125 mL) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter

¼ cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

For Basil-Garlic oil, in small saucepan, heat oil, garlic, basil and chili flakes over low heat, 20 to 30 minutes, until garlic starts to brown. Strain; discarding solids. Reserve oil.

For Tomato Sauce, core fresh tomatoes with paring knife. Score bottom of each tomato with an X.

Fill medium bowl with cold water; add ice.

Heat large saucepan of water over high until boiling. Add tomatoes. Cook 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer tomatoes to ice bath. When cool, peel by hand starting from X. Halve tomatoes lengthwise. Remove seeds with spoon or your fingers; discard. Seed canned tomatoes same way.

In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add fresh and canned tomatoes with juices. Cook 5 minutes to soften. Smash with potato masher. Simmer 25 minutes, smashing and stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in Basil-Garlic Oil. Taste; season with salt and pepper if desired. Makes about 3 cups (750 mL). Refrigerate up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months, and use as needed.

To make pasta, fill large pot with water and generously season with salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Add spaghetti. Cook as per package instructions 1 minute less than al dente. Reserve ¼ cup (60 mL) cooking liquid, then drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm Tomato Sauce in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add drained pasta and 2 tbsp (30 mL) reserved cooking liquid (to add starch and seasoning). Cook 1 minute, tossing pasta and sauce together with 2 wooden spoons (not tongs) by lifting pasta and dropping it back into pan. (This helps introduce air and create a lighter/brighter dish. You can also use the pan-jerking methods that chefs prefer.) Do this until pasta is just tender and sauce, if any oil had separated, looks cohesive. If sauce seems too thick, add remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) pasta cooking liquid; toss until incorporated.

Remove from heat. Add basil, cheese, butter and oil. Toss until well-incorporated. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

From the October 22, 2010 Toronto Star

This new find from the September 2011 issue of Everyday Food is a perfect weeknight meal. Grill chicken breasts and onion slices, basting them toward the end of cooking with a tasty honey-mustard sauce.

Baste grilled chicken with honey-mustard sauce

Here’s a trick for grilling onions so that the rings don’t separate and fall through the barbecue rack when you flip them: Secure the rings with toothpicks or bamboo skewers. I use 2 toothpicks for each slice; just insert them on opposite sides of the slice. Be sure to remove the toothpicks before serving.

Grilling brings out the sweetness of onions

Serve with a spinach and tomato salad dressed with sherry vinegar and olive oil. If you don’t have sherry vinegar, use balsamic or rice vinegar.

Toss spinach and tomatoes with a light vinaigrette

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use mustard and vinegar that do not contain sodium benzoate or sulfites.

Grilled honey-mustard chicken with onion and spinach salad

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing

4 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon honey

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 pounds total)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 medium yellow onions, cut into ½ -inch rounds

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cups baby spinach (5 ounces)

2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

Preparation:

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a small bowl, stir together mustard and 2 tablespoons honey. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until browned and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes, flipping once. Brush with half the remaining honey mustard and cook 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Cut chicken breasts into thin slices and transfer to a serving platter.

Brush onions with vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill until browned and tender, 7 to 9 minutes, flipping once. Brush onions with remaining honey mustard and cook 1 minute. Transfer onions to serving platter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ teaspoon honey, vinegar, and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and tomatoes and toss to combine. Serve salad alongside sliced chicken and onions.

From the September 2011 issue of Everyday Food

I’m always on the lookout for recipes that call for chicken thighs. They are moist, tasty and usually much cheaper than chicken breasts. This recipe from the June 2011 issue of Canadian Living calls for skinless, boneless chicken thighs, but I think it would also work well with skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

The chicken is tossed in an Asian-inspired marinade, grilled, and basted for the last few minutes until it is glazed. It is served with a delicious cucumber salad that takes no time at all to make.

Marinate the chicken for 10 minutes

Grill, turning once

Basting the chicken for its last few minutes on the grill creates a delicious, sticky glaze

Sticky glazed grilled chicken with cucumber salad

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use fresh lime juice, tamari sauce and sesame oil without artificial ingredients. Rice vinegar is used in the salad dressing; I prefer the flavour of Marukan seasoned rice vinegar.

Ingredients:

Chicken

1/4 liquid honey
2  tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp sodium-reduced tamari soy sauce
1  tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp toasted sesame seedstoasted sesame seeds

Cucumber Salad

1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp liquid honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced diagonally
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Preparation:

In large bowl, combine honey, lime juice, tamari sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger; remove 3 tbsp and set aside. Add chicken to bowl, turning to coat; marinate for 10 minutes.

Cucumber Salad: Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, sesame oil, hot pepper flakes and salt. Add cucumber and mix until coated; set aside in refrigerator.

Place chicken on greased grill over medium heat; close lid and grill, turning once and brushing with reserved marinade in final 2 minutes, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 10 minutes.

Stir green onions into salad. Sprinkle sesame seeds over salad and chicken. Serves 4.

From the June 2011 issue of Canadian Living

This recipe from the June 2011 issue of Bon Appetit is fun to make and perfect for outdoor dining. First, season water with onion, garlic, lemon and spices and simmer to make a delicious stock. Add shrimp, still in their shells, and simmer for three minutes.

Season water with onion, garlic and spices

Simmer the stock before adding shrimp

To ensure the shrimp stop cooking, but still spend enough time in the stock to absorb its flavours, add ice cubes!

Ice cubes stop the shrimp from overcooking

Now that the late summer harvest is at its peak, serve these delicious shrimp with corn on the cob, boiled potatoes and sliced tomatoes with fresh basil.

Eat these delicious shrimp in the shell with your hands

Serve with corn on the cob

To avoid additive and preservatives in this recipe, use an all-natural hot sauce, such as Tabasco original sauce.

Ingredients:

2 onions, halved crosswise

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

5 whole cloves

3 bay leaves

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

4 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

2 teaspoons dill seeds

2 teaspoons whole allspice

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 lemon, halved

5 dashes (or more) hot pepper sauce

1 1/2 pounds unpeeled large shrimp (about 30)

Preparation:

Combine first 12 ingredients and 8 cups water in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes. Squeeze in juice from lemon; add lemon to pot. Add hot sauce and shrimp. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Turn off heat, add 4 cups ice cubes, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and place on a newspaper-lined baking sheet. Serve with additional hot sauce, if desired. Serves four.

From the June 2011 issue of Bon Appetit

Pasta salads and summer just go together, and this recipe from Canadian Living has been a favourite of ours for years. It goes well with grilled meats and can be served as vegetarian entrée. It serves a crowd and – best of all – it can be made ahead.

Toss the cooked pasta with half the dressing and let it cool

Add tomatoes, onion, parsley, olives, cucumber and feta cheese

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, be sure to use fresh lemon juice. Check the ingredients on the anchovy paste, black olives and feta to be sure they are free of colour and preservatives.

This delicious salad can be made a day in advance

Ingredients:

8 cups farfalle (bow tie pasta)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tbsp anchovy paste (comes in a tube; available at fish stores; keep in fridge)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

Pinch each salt and pepper

1 small cucumber

2 cups small cherry tomatoes

1 cup small black olives (I use kalamata)

1 cup chopped red onion

½ cup chopped fresh parsely

1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 oz)

Preparation:

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook farfalle for 8 to 12 minutes until tender but firm; drain well. Meanwhile, whisk together oil, lemon juice, anchovy paste, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; toss half with pasta. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Cut cucumber in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and thinly slice crosswise. Add to pasta along with tomatoes, olives, onion, parsley and remaining dressing; toss to coat well. Gently stir in feta cheese. Salad can be served right away or covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Serves 8-10.

From the Canadian Living Pasta Cookbook

This new find from the June 2011 issue of Everyday Food is another quick, easy and tasty dish that minimizes the time you spend in a hot kitchen. Cube a pork tenderloin, place the cubes on skewers with snap peas (or snow peas, which I used) and scallions and grill. Just before the kebabs are done, brush them with a ginger-hoisin sauce.

Place cubed pork tenderloin on skewers with snow peas and scallions

The kebabs are brushed with a ginger-hoisin glaze for the last few minutes of cooking

I have never been able to find hoisin sauce that does not contain additives or preservatives, so I make my own (you can find the recipe under my November 28, 2010 post about Kung Pao Shrimp). To avoid other additives and preservatives in this recipe, use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 pork tenderloin (about 3/4 pound), cut into 3/4-inch slices or cubes

5 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 pound snap peas, trimmed

Preparation:

Heat a grill to medium. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a small bowl, stir together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and rice vinegar.

Alternately thread pork tenderloin, scallions, and snap peas onto four 8-inch skewers. Grill, turning occasionally, until pork is cooked through and vegetables are charred, about 9 minutes. Brush kebabs with hoisin mixture and cook 1 minute more, turning once, until mixture begins to bubble.

From the June 2011 issue of Everyday Food