Eye for a Recipe

I’m always on the lookout for new recipes for pasta salad and this new find from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appetit is well worth trying. Instead of the usual mayonnaise-based dressing, it uses olivada – a combination of chopped green olives, capers, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, mustard and hot pepper flakes. Tossed with pasta, cherry tomatoes, bocconicini cheese and oregano, it makes a great summer side dish or main dish for vegetarians.

Pasta salad with cherry tomatoes and green olivada

A number of ingredients in this recipe can contain additives or preservatives, including the olives, capers, red wine vinegar and Dijon. Read the labels carefully to avoid benzoate of soda and sulfites. I use Pilaros garlic-stuffed green olives, Unico capers, Eden organic red wine vinegar and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon.

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 cups coarsely chopped pitted green olives (from about 6 ounces unpitted whole olives), divided

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound gemelli, fusilli, or rotelle pasta

2 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved

1 8-ounce package small (cherry-size) fresh mozzarella balls in water*

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Also called bocconcini, fresh mozzarella balls packed in water are available at many supermarkets.

Preparation:

With machine running, add garlic clove to processor through feed tube and process until finely chopped; turn off machine. Add 1 cup chopped olives, capers, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, mustard, and crushed red pepper. Using 6 on/off turns, process to chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil, forming coarse puree. Transfer to bowl; stir in remaining 1 cup olives. Season olivada to taste with salt and pepper. Olivada can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Transfer drained pasta to large bowl. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over pasta; toss to coat. Cool, stirring occasionally.

Add olivada, halved tomatoes, mozzarella, and oregano to pasta; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

From the July 2010 issue of Bon Appetit

This recipe from Williams-Sonoma’s Essentials of Grilling combines two great techniques for cooking poultry—spatchcocking and placing a stuffing under the skin.

To spatchcock or butterfly a small chicken or hen, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Then flatten the chicken and grill it. It cooks quickly and evenly. Some people weigh the chicken down with a foil-covered brick, but I don’t think it’s necessary.

Placing a stuffing under poultry skin adds flavour and makes for an impressive presentation. In this recipe, the stuffing is made of chopped summer herbs. Be patient and go slowly when you are loosening the skin of the chicken and pushing in the stuffing, otherwise the skin will tear. It’s a little messy to do, but worth the effort.

Spatchcocked Cornish hen in the process of having herbs stuffed under the skin

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use fresh lemon juice. Concentrates usually contain sodium benzoate.

Grilled Cornish hen

Ingredients:

2 Cornish hens

¼ cup chopped fresh summer savory

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Preparation:

Remove the backbones from the hens and press down on them firmly to flatten them. Rinse the hens and pat dry. In a small bowl, toss together the chopped savory, chives, mint and parsley. Using your fingers, and starting at the tail end, carefully loosen the skin over the breast and thigh of each hen half. Using about half of the mixed herbs and dividing them evenly among the hen halves, insert them under the skin of each bird half, spreading as evening as possible.

Add the oil, lemon juice, garlic and ½ tsp each salt and pepper to the herbs left in the bowl. Mix well. Brush the oil mixture evenly over the hen halves, reserving a little of it for basting on the grill. Let the birds stand for 15 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. If refrigerated, remove from fridge 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare charcoal or gas grill for grilling over medium-high heat. Grill the hens, skin side down, over hottest part of the fire for 15 minutes. Turn and brush with the reserved herb-oil mixture. Continue to grill, turning once or twice, until richly browned, about 30 minutes longer. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh away from the bone; it should register 175 degrees F. Cover loosely with foil and let hens rest 10 minutes (temperature should rise to 180 degrees during resting). Serves 4.

From Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Grilling, 2005

It’s that time of year.

The green and yellow beans and zucchini are piling up in the garden and I’m on the lookout for new ways to enjoy the harvest.

This new find from the June 2010 issue of Bon Appetit is a keeper. In addition to using beans and zucchini, it calls for basil and Italian parsley, which are also at their peak. The veggies are tossed in a delicious sauce verte, which is like a pesto made with basil, parsley, scallion, capers, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and olive oil.

A few notes on this recipe: Unless you like very crunchy beans, blanch them first, so that they are ready at the same time as the zucchini. Otherwise, the zucchini gets soggy and begins to disintegrate. You can use yellow and/or green beans and I think the sauce verte would also be good made with other herbs, such as tarragon and summer savory.

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use fresh lemon juice, capers without additives (I use Unico brand) and Dijon mustard without preservatives, sulfites, sodium benzoate or added colour (I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon).

Ingredients:

Sauce verte

1/3 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves

1 green onion, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons (packed) fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons drained capers

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, peeled

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Vegetables

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound green beans, stem end trimmed

12 ounces zucchini, halved lengthwise, each half cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-wide strips

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves (for garnish)

Preparation:

For sauce verte

Blend first 7 ingredients in processor until finely chopped. With machine running, gradually add olive oil. Process until coarse puree forms. Season sauce verte to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

For vegetables

Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables; stir until coated. Sprinkle with salt and 3 tablespoons water. Cover; cook vegetables until almost crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Uncover; cook until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Stir in enough sauce verte to coat vegetables generously. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Garnish with parsley and serve. Serves 6.

From the June 2010 issue of Bon Appetit

I like this new find from Canadian Living’s The Barbecue Collection because it includes a recipe for homemade teriyaki sauce. Most ready-made sauces contain additives, preservatives, artificial colours and artificial flavours, so they are off-limits in our house. You can make the sauce in advance and then use it in the marinade for the lamb chops.

Lamb chops in teriyaki marinade

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use homemade chicken stock or an all-natural brand, such as Imagine. Use tamari instead of soy sauce, an orange juice concentrate that is 100% pure and an additive-free mirin, such as Kikkoman Aji-Mirin. I served these delicious chops with grilled fingerling potatoes and green beans sauteed with summer savory.

Summer savory complements green beans beautifully

Teriyaki lamb chops with fingerling potatoes and green beans

Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients:

¾ cup chicken stock or vegetable stock

½ cup soy sauce

1/3 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

2 tbsp granulated sugar

3 slices gingerroot

2 tbsp cold water

1 tbsp cornstarch

Preparation:

In saucepan, stir stock, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and gingerroot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes or until reduced by about half. Whisk water with cornstarch; add to pan and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until thick enough to coat back of spoon. Discard ginger. Let cool.

Lamb Chops

Ingredients:

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tbsp thawed orange juice concentrate

1 tbsp minced gingerroot

2 tsp grated orange rind

1 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp salt

Pinch pepper

12 lamb loin chops, ¾ inch thick (2 lbs)

2 green onions, sliced

Preparation:

In large bowl, combine teriyaki sauce, orange juice concentrate, ginger, orange rind, garlic, salt and pepper. Add lamb, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours, or up to 24 hours. Reserving marinade, place chops on greased grill over medium-high heat; brush with marinade. Close lid and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or until desired doneness. Serve sprinkled with green onions.

From Canadian Living’s The Barbecue Collection

We love hot and spicy food and this grilled chicken from the July 2010 issue of Bon Appetit was excellent. I couldn’t find piri-piri sauce locally, so I substituted Tabasco brand hot sauce, which worked very well. If you are looking for ways to use the cilantro in your garden, try this recipe, because both the glaze and marinade include it. I marinated the chicken for 24 hours.

Piri-Piri marinade

Marinate the chicken overnight if you have time

I grilled the chicken over charcoal with a handful of soaked apple wood chips. The glaze, which is poured over the cooked chicken, is fabulous. I served the chicken with roasted asparagus and sautéed corn.

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, use Tabasco brand hot sauce, butter that does not contain colour and fresh lemon juice (concentrates contain sodium benzoate).

Piri-Piri chicken with roasted asparagus and sauteed corn

Ingredients:

Glaze:

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons piri-piri sauce or other hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Chicken:

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced

1 large shallot, peeled, quartered

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup piri-piri sauce or other hot pepper sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, backbone removed, opened flat

1 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 1 1/4-inch disposable aluminum baking pan (to catch drips)

Preparation:

For glaze:

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cilantro and garlic; cook until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add piri-piri sauce and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 minutes. Glaze can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before using.

For chicken:

Finely chop cilantro, ginger, shallot, and garlic in processor. Add piri-piri sauce, 1/4 cup oil, lemon juice, coarse salt, and pepper; process marinade to blend.

Place chicken, skin side up, on work surface. Using palm of hand, press on breastbone to flatten chicken. Tuck wing tips under. Pour half of marinade into 11×7x2-inch glass baking dish. Open chicken like book; place skin side down in single layer in dish. Pour remaining marinade over. Cover; chill at least 4 hours or overnight, turning chicken occasionally.

Remove top rack from barbecue. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). If using 2-burner gas grill, light 1 burner. If using 3-burner gas grill, do not light center burner. If using charcoal grill, light briquettes in chimney and pour onto 1 side of lower grill rack. Place disposable aluminum pan on unlit part of grill.

Place upper grill rack on barbecue; brush with oil.

Remove chicken from marinade. Arrange skin side up on grill rack above drip pan. Cover barbecue; grill until skin is browned and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, turning often, about 40 minutes. Transfer to platter. Pour warm glaze over. Serves 4.

From the July 2010 issue of Bon Appetit

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please (www.morepleasebymargie.blogspot.com) and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies (www.livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com). They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

This challenge was easier than last month’s, which involved baking bread and making pâté. I decided to make cashew butter, which forms the basis of the dressing for one of the challenge recipes, Asian Noodle Salad with Cashew Dressing.

Cashew butter couldn’t be easier to make – just process a cup of roasted unsalted cashews in the food processor until a spreadable paste or butter is formed. It takes 2-3 minutes.

The cashew dressing, which is like a peanut dressing for satay, is delicious. This recipe makes loads more than you will need for the salad, so plan your menus accordingly!

The Asian Noodle Salad is perfect for a summer lunch or light dinner. Cooked noodles are drained, cooled and tossed with cucumber, red pepper, scallions, basil and cooked shrimp. I grilled the shrimp and used a blend of regular and Thai basil. Delicious!

Asian Noodle Salad with Cashew Dressing

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe notes: Customize the salad by adding or substituting your favorite vegetables. Shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and slivered carrots would make nice additions. You can omit the shrimp, or substitute chicken or tofu or the protein of your choice. The dressing is equally good with peanut butter.

Cashew Butter

Ingredients:

1 cup (240 ml) cashews*

Cashew Dressing:

½ inch (1 cm) slice of fresh ginger, chopped

8 cloves garlic, more or less to taste, chopped

½ cup (120 ml) cashew butter

¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce

3 Tablespoons (45 ml) sugar

3 Tablespoons (45 ml) vinegar

3 Tablespoons (45 ml) toasted sesame oil

¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon (75 ml) water

Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Noodle Salad

½ pound (225 g) linguine or thin rice noodles

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

½ pound (225 g) small or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large red bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into thin strips

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, sliced

¼ cup (60 ml) sliced green onions

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped cashews (optional garnish)

Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:

Make cashew butter: Grind cashews in food processor for about 2 minutes until smooth. (*or start with ½ cup (120 ml) prepared cashew butter.)

Prepare cashew dressing: Combine ginger, garlic, cashew butter, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and water in food processor or blender. Process/blend until smooth. Be sure to process long enough to puree the ginger and garlic. The dressing should be pourable, about the same thickness as cream. Adjust consistency – thinner or thicker – to  your liking by adding more water or cashew butter. Taste and add your favorite hot sauce if desired. (If the cashew butter was unsalted, you may want to add salt to taste.) Makes about 1 ½  cups (360 ml) dressing. Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator.

Prepare noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Rinse and drain noodles. Set aside.

Heat oil in large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add shrimp to the pan and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes or until opaque throughout. Alternately, cook shrimp in boiling water for about 2 to 3 minutes or until done. You can also grill the shrimp, about 2-3 minutes per side, until done.

Slice basil into thin ribbons. Combine noodles, bell pepper, cucumber, onions, and basil in a large bowl. Add about ½ cup (120 ml) cashew dressing; toss gently to coat. Add more cashew dressing as desired, using as much or as little as you’d like. Scatter shrimp on top. Squeeze fresh lime juice over salad or serve with lime wedges. Sprinkle with chopped cashews if desired.

This new find from the July/August issue of Everyday Food starts with a rosemary-garlic oil that is brushed on both the steak and the vegetables prior to grilling.

Steak brushed with herb oil

While the cooked steak is resting you can quickly grill the vegetables and then drizzle them and the steak with a dressing made of the herb oil, balsamic vinegar and honey. I didn’t have eggplant or summer squash, so I used wedges of radicchio, halved fingerling potatoes, orange bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, zucchini and scallions.

Use a selection of veggies for the grill

To avoid additives in this recipe, be sure to use a brand of balsamic vinegar that contains only naturally occurring sulfites or that is labeled “no sulfites added”.

Grilled veggies tossed with dressing

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill

2 sprigs rosemary

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 ¼ lbs steak

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 medium eggplant, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 zucchini, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

1 yellow squash, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

½ lb cherry tomatoes on the vine, or plum tomatoes halved

1 bunch scallions

1 sweet bell pepper, any colour, cut into sixths, seeds and stem removed

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tsp honey

Preparation:

Heat a grill to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a small oven-proof pot, combine oil, rosemary and garlic and place on grill or stovetop burner. Cook until oil begins to bubble, 2 minutes. Remove herb oil from heat and set aside 3 tablespoons in a small bowl. Brush steak with herb oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill, turning occasionally, until it is medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

In batches, brush vegetables with herb oil, season with salt and pepper, and grill, turning occasionally, until tomato skins are split and vegetables are tender, 3-5 minutes total. Transfer to a serving platter. Add vinegar and honey to reserved oil and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then drizzle dressing over steak and vegetables.  Serves 4.

From the July/August issue of Everyday Food

The other night our friends Allan Stanley and Eileen Hennemann came over for an impromptu barbecue. Allan, who is a fabulous cook, brought marinated skinless boneless chicken breasts and a gorgeous reduction sauce. He reduced the sauce even further while the chicken grilled and smoked over charcoal and soaked cherry wood chips. It was unbelievably good! Eileen took these wonderful photos.

The sauce preparation is based on the reduction technique Allan learned during the course he took a few years ago at the prestigious Leiths School of Food and Wine in London, England. (www.leiths.com). Allan explains that it is a particularly useful technique if you are unable to pan-sear your meat to produce fond – the lovely caramelized bits left on the bottom of the pan – that are typically deglazed from the pan with added liquid.

Marinade

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tomato chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste (Allan likes to use tomato paste that comes in a tube, as opposed to opening a can for just a small amount)

4-6 garlic cloves minced

4 green onions chopped

2 shallots chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped

1 tbsp rosemary chopped

1 tbsp tarragon chopped

1 tbsp basil chopped

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp honey

Pinch of cayenne

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Whisk together oil, vinegar, tomato, tomato paste and garlic until emulsified. Stir in remaining ingredients. Marinate for a few hours or overnight. Makes enough marinade for four skinless, boneless chicken breasts or four barbecue-cut pork chops.

Reduction Sauce

Ingredients:

*Mirepoix – 1 cup coarsely chopped onions, ½ cup each carrots and celery

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tbsp tomato paste

½ cup white wine or Madiera

4 cups stock or apple cider reduction (4 cups apple cider reduced to 1 cup)

1 sprig each of thyme and rosemary, whole but bruised

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp butter or cream

* Mirepoix is a combination of chopped carrots, celery and onions used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, sauces, soups and other foods. The proportions (by weight) for making mirepoix are 50% onions, 25% carrots and 25% celery.

To avoid additives and preservatives in this recipe, be sure to use balsamic vinegar and wine with no sulfites added. Also be sure to check your Dijon and butter for artificial flavours or colours.

Preparation:

Typically, you produce fond by searing your meat, which is the ideal method, providing you don’t burn the fond. “That is nothing but carbon, and will ruin all your efforts by bringing a bitter taste to the sauce,” Allan explains.

This recipe produces fond without searing meat. Brown the mirepoix in 2 tbsp olive oil with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and in about eight minutes this will turn a lovely russet colour. Add the wine and reduce until you have about a quarter of the original amount. Add stock and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve or, preferably, a chinois, which is a very fine-meshed conical-shaped sieve made especially for straining sauces to produce a very smooth texture. Be sure to use a wooden spoon to press on the solids to extract every bit of the delicious sauce. “Lots of flavour and thickening comes from this straining process,” says Allan. The herbs can stay in the final sauce, because you will be spooning it over the chicken.

Put the gorgeous liquid into a small saucepan and reduce further until it is the consistency you want (you can do this while the chicken is grilling). Keep the sauce thin to “flood” the plate or thicker to coat the chicken. At this point you can add a little mustard (this step is optional) to the sauce and then can finish it by whisking in (off heat) a drop of cream and or butter, which makes the sauce shiny. “Be very, very careful with the salt until the very last to taste,” adds Allan. Top the delicious sauce with a garnish of chopped parsley.

There are endless variations for this sauce. “For example, you can omit the cider reduction and add a tablespoon of apricot jam to the final sauce,” says Allan. “This sauce also works well for beef; just use beef stock instead of chicken stock and don’t use the cider reduction.”