Eye for a Recipe

If you are looking for a quick and tasty side dish for chicken, pork or lamb, look no further than roasted squash and cauliflower. The preparation couldn’t be easier – just toss wedges of acorn squash and cauliflower pieces in oil, salt and pepper. Add a few hot pepper flakes if you like. Then simply roast in a 400-degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

Toss the squash and cauliflower with oil, salt and pepper

The squash and cauliflower become tender and caramelize, which concentrates the flavour. You can, of course, do one vegetable or the other, but together they provide great taste, colour and nutrition.

Roasting caramelizes the vegetables

Ingredients:

1 Acorn squash

1/2 head cauliflower

2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this step is optional, but makes clean-up easier). Cut the squash in half and remove seeds. Cut the halves in half lengthwise, leaving you with four wedges. Cut the cauliflower into florets about 1 or 2 inches in size. Toss squash and cauliflower in bowl with oil, salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes. Arrange on baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are tender and caramelized. Serves. 4.

This is the first recipe I made from my first issue of Cook’s Illustrated, which I began reading in September 2002. It has been a favourite ever since. Juicy shrimp are stir fried with peanuts and whole chiles and then combined with garlic, ginger and a delicious sauce. It is great on its own, or served over steamed rice.

Kung Pao Shrimp

While the ingredient list might seem long, once you have everything assembled this dish cooks in less than 10 minutes. Make sure your pan is very hot, so that the ingredients brown instead of steam. Cook’s Illustrated recommends using a 12-inch, non-stick skillet for stir fries, which works very well.

Brown the shrimp, peanuts and chiles in a very hot pan

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, you will need to make hoisin sauce and oyster sauce from scratch. I’ve included my recipes for these two sauces below. Also make sure the chicken broth, rice vinegar, sesame oil and shrimp are additive-free.

The ingredients are coated in a delicious spicy sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine 2 teaspoons soy sauce

3 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)

½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)

3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil

½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews

6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), 3 chiles roughly crumbled, or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons black rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce (see below for additive-free version)

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (see below for additive-free version)

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice

3 medium scallions, sliced thin

Hoisin Sauce

4 tbsp. Tamari soy sauce

2 tbsp. all-natural peanut butter

1 tbsp. honey or unsulphured molasses

2 tsp. white vinegar

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. sesame seed oil

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1/8 tsp. pepper

Oyster Sauce

1 ½ tbsp. Tamari soy sauce

1 tbsp. sugar

1 ½ tsp cornstarch

Preparation:

Toss shrimp with sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl; marinate until shrimp have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl; set aside. Combine peanuts and chiles in small bowl; set aside. Mix chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster-flavored sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add shrimp and cook, stirring about once every 10 seconds, until barely opaque, 30 to 40 seconds; add peanuts and chiles, stir into shrimp, and continue cooking until shrimp are almost completely opaque and peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer.

Transfer shrimp, peanuts, and chiles to bowl; set aside. Return skillet to burner and reheat briefly, 15 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add red bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved shrimp, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 45 seconds. Stir in scallions; transfer to serving plate and serve immediately. Serves 4.

From the September 2002 issue of Cook’s Illustrated

One of our favourite fall and winter meals is roast chicken. Believe it or not, it is possible to have great-tasting roast chicken, from the grill, in 45 minutes to an hour. The secret is butterflying the bird. A butterflied chicken cooks through quickly and evenly in less time. This is also a good recipe if you are trying to reduce your fat intake, as the chicken fat renders on the grill, leaving a lovely, crispy skin.

To butterfly the chicken, place it breast-side down on a cutting board. Cut along each side of the backbone with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife and remove it. Then press down firmly on the chicken to flatten it. While the grill is preheating, sprinkle the chicken with your favourite rub. I usually use a mixture of paprika, tarragon, rosemary basil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, coarse salt and pepper.

A dry rub is applied to the butterflied chicken before grilling

Ingredients:

1 chicken, 3-4 lbs., butterflied

Dry rub (ready-made rubs are available in stores, or make up your own)

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium (about 400 degrees). Butterfly chicken (see directions above) and sprinkle with rub. When grill is ready, place the chicken, skin side up, on grill. Close grill and cook for about 45 minutes. The chicken is done when juices run clear and leg joint is loose; the internal temperature should be about 180 degrees. Serves 4.

Many people say they don’t like Brussels sprouts. But I’ve been able to turn some of them around with this recipe. Instead of boiling, steaming or microwaving the sprouts, you roast them. They develop a nice brown caramelization and don’t become mushy. Try them; you just might change your mind too!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 lb. Brussels sprouts

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp coarse salt

¼ tsp hot pepper flakes

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each sprout in half, trim the end and remove the loose outer leaves. Toss with the oil, salt and pepper flakes in a bowl. Place sprouts, cut-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once, until tender and brown in places. Serves 2.

Pad Thai is one of my favourite meals. I used to make it from a Thai cookbook recipe that called for more than half a cup of oil, so I was very happy when the July 2002 issue of Cook’s Illustrated ran this version, which uses less than half of that.

Pad Thai

The secret to this dish is using tamarind paste, which is becoming more widely available. I’ve tried the substitutes and there really is no comparison. I’ve also seen recipes that use ketchup instead of tamarind. Don’t go there. I haven’t been able to find dried shrimp or preserved radish, but the dish is fine without them.  The ingredient list may seem long, but if you get everything ready in advance the actual cooking goes very quickly.

Assemble the ingredients in advance

To avoid additives and preservatives in this dish, use fish sauce without MSG or Sodium Benzoate, such as Thai Kitchen brand. I use Marukan rice vinegar, which has no added preservatives.

The actual cooking takes only 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons tamarind paste

¾ cup water (boiling)

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil 8 ounces dried rice stick noodles , about 1/8 inch wide (the width of linguine)

2 large eggs

¼ teaspoon table salt

12 ounces medium shrimp (31/35 count), peeled and deveined, if desired

3 cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (1 tablespoon)

1 medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons dried shrimp , chopped fine (optional)

2 tablespoons Thai salted preserved radish (optional)

6 tablespoons chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

3 cups bean sprouts (6 ounces)

5 medium scallions , green parts only, sliced thin on sharp bias

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Lime wedges

Preparation:

Soak tamarind paste in 3/4 cup boiling water for about 10 minutes, then push it through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds and fibers and extract as much pulp as possible. Stir fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons oil into tamarind liquid and set aside.

Cover rice sticks with hot tap water in large bowl; soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside. Beat eggs and 1/8 teaspoon salt in small bowl; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook, tossing occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and browned about the edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plate and set aside.

Off heat, add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and swirl to coat; add garlic and shallot, set skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1- ½  minutes; add eggs to skillet and stir vigorously with wooden spoon until scrambled and barely moist, about 20 seconds. Add noodles, dried shrimp, and salted radish (if using) to eggs; toss with 2 wooden spoons to combine. Pour fish sauce mixture over noodles, increase heat to high, and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are evenly coated. Scatter ¼ cup peanuts, bean sprouts, all but 1/4 cup scallions, and cooked shrimp over noodles; continue to cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are tender, about 2-½  minutes (if not yet tender add 2 tablespoons water to skillet and continue to cook until tender).

Transfer noodles to serving platter, sprinkle with remaining scallions, 2 tablespoons peanuts, and cilantro; serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately. Serves 4.

From the July 2002 issue of Cook’s Illustrated