Eye for a Recipe

Chicken on the grill is a summer staple. But if you’re tired of the same old chicken pieces with barbecue sauce, try this recipe from Epicurious.com, which includes two great grilling tricks — butterflying the chicken and using a board sauce. Removing the backbone from the chicken and flattening it means the chicken cooks more quickly and evenly. Tossing it with an herb-infused sauce on the cutting board allows the warm chicken to soak up the flavours.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The only ingredient that might contain preservatives are the red pepper flakes, so check the label.

Chop cilantro and oregano for the sauce

Set aside some sauce for basting and use the rest on the cooked chicken

Removing the backbone means the chicken will cook for quickly and evenly

Baste the chicken when it is almost done

Toss the cooked chicken with the rest of the sauce on the cutting board

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) crushed red pepper flakes

¾ cup (180 ml) chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil plus more for grill

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1 4-pound (1.8 kg) chicken, halved, backbone removed

Lime wedges (for serving)

Preparation:

Combine red pepper flakes, cilantro, oregano, lime zest, and ¼ cup (60 ml) oil; season dressing with salt and pepper. Dressing can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Prepare grill for medium indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on 1 side of grill; for a gas grill, leave 1 burner turned off). Brush grill rack with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place, skin side down, on grill. Grill chicken, turning occasionally, until skin is crisp and browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165° F (74° C), 10-15 minutes per side (move chicken to cooler part of grill if it’s cooking too quickly). About 5 minutes before chicken is done, baste with some of dressing.

Pour remaining dressing onto a carving board (or platter, if you don’t have a large board) and place chicken, skin side up, on top. Let sit at least 10 minutes to rest and absorb flavor from dressing before carving. Drizzle chicken with some dressing from board and serve with limes. Serves 4.

From Epicurious.com

This fun recipe from Food and Wine bakes flour tortillas into a crisp bowl for a salad of coleslaw and shrimp, topped with radishes and avocado. The recipe suggested using an inverted muffin tin to shape the tortillas but I used soup bowls instead and it worked very well.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the shrimp, tortillas, cumin and chili powder to make sure they are additive-free. Use freshly squeezed lime juice and pickled jalopenos without preservatives. I used President’s Choice brand.

Place the flour tortillas in bowls

Bake until crisp

Cook the shrimp

Mix together the coleslaw ingredients

Place the coleslaw in the bottom of the tortilla bowl and top with shrimp, radish, cilantro and avocado

Ingredients:

Four 10-inch (25.4 cm) flour tortillas

1/3 cup (75 ml) mayonnaise

2½ tablespoons (37 ml) fresh lime juice

½ teaspoon (2 ml) ground cumin

8 cups (2 L) shredded green and red cabbage (1 pound/454 g)

1 cup (250 ml) chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

3 pickled jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced (¼ cup/60 ml)

Kosher salt

Pepper

¾ pound (340 g) large shrimp, shelled and deveined

¾ teaspoon (3 ml) chili powder

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Sliced radishes and diced avocado, for serving

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Invert a jumbo muffin tin on a work surface. In 2 batches, gently stuff the tortillas between the upturned muffin cups to form bowls. Bake for 15 minutes, until crisp; cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lime juice and cumin. Add the cabbage, 1 cup (250 ml) of cilantro and the jalapeños and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the shrimp and chili powder; season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the shrimp and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until just white throughout, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Fill the taco shells with the slaw and shrimp. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, radishes and diced avocado. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine

This delicious dish from Food52 is redolent with Indian spices. While the shrimp marinates in salt and turmeric, mix up a cilantro-ginger-garlic-chile paste. Toast the spices and then sauté with onion and half the paste. Add water, butter and mint, bring to a boil, then add the rice and bake. About 5 minutes before the rice is done, sauté the shrimp in the other half of the paste.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the shrimp is additive-free and use spices that have no colour or anti-caking agents. Use butter that contains only cream.

Marinate shrimp in salt and turmeric

Toast spices and sauté onion

Add half of cilantro-chile paste

Add water, butter, mint and then rice

Sauté other half of the paste

Then sauté the shrimp in the paste

Top baked rice with shrimp

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 ml) basmati rice

1 pound (500 g) shrimp, shelled and de-veined

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground turmeric

¼ bunch cilantro

2 Serrano chilies

1 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger

4 large cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons (60 ml) oil

1 large yellow onion

1 teaspoon (5 ml) whole black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick, 1-½ inches (3.8 cm)

¼ stick of butter

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) whole cloves

10 – 12 whole green cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

3 cups (750 ml) water

2 sprigs mint

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Wash the rice and soak it in cold water until needed.

Wash the shrimp and drain it well. Add the salt and turmeric and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Peel the ginger and garlic and use a food processor to blend it to a paste with the cilantro and chilies. You can use a little water if it is too dry.

Chop the onion and mint and leave to the side until needed.

Heat the oil on medium in an oven safe dish. Add the peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and 1 bay leaf. Sauté until fragrant, approximately 2-3 minutes.

Add the chopped onion and sauté until light brown, stirring constantly.

Add half of the paste and sauté for another minute or two.

Add water and salt to taste and bring to this to a boil.

Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water and add the butter and mint. Bring this to a boil, cover and place it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

When the rice has been in the oven for about 10 minutes heat some oil in a sauté pan and add the remainder of the paste along with the other bay leaf. Sauté this for a minute or two and add the shrimp. Sauté the shrimp until done (they should be light pink) about 5 minutes.

Remove the rice from the oven. Top it with the shrimp and serve. Serves 6.

From Food52

This recipe from Canadian Living is quick enough for a weeknight but would also be great for a casual Sunday dinner with family and friends. The chicken is flavoured with a spice rub and stuffed with lemon and orange quarters. While the chicken rests, make the delicious chimichurri, made with fresh herbs and citrus. Chimichurri, which originated in Argentina, is a green sauce served with meat.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the spices do not contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Coat chicken with spice rub

Let roasted chicken rest for 10 minutes

While chicken rests, make chimichurri

Spiced roast chicken with orange-cilantro chimichurri

Ingredients:

Spiced Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg)

2 tsp (10 ml) vegetable oil

½ tsp (2 ml) kosher salt

½ tsp (2 ml) each pepper and tumeric

¼ tsp (1 ml) each ground allspice and ground cloves

Quartered orange

Quartered lemon

Orange-Cilantro Chimichurri

½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup (125 ml) chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup (75 ml) each chopped fresh oregano and fresh parsley

½ tsp (2 ml) grated orange zest

3 tbsp (45 ml) orange juice

2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

¼ tsp (1 ml) kosher salt

¼ tsp (1 ml) pepper

Preparation:

Spiced Roast Chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Brush all over with oil; sprinkle with salt.

Stir together pepper, turmeric, allspice and cloves; rub all over chicken. Place orange and lemon quarters in cavity. Place chicken, breast side up, on greased rack in roasting pan.

Roast in 400°F (200°C) oven, basting occasionally, until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 185°F (85°C), about 1 hour. Let rest for 10 minutes; discard orange and lemon. Carve chicken into portions.

Orange-Cilantro Chimichurri: While chicken is resting, in bowl, stir oil with garlic. Stir in cilantro, oregano, parsley, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice, salt and pepper. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours.) Serve with chicken. Serves 4-6.

From Canadian Living

At this time of year, I like to cook a big pot of soup on Sunday. This soothing Ginger Chicken Soup from epicurious.com is delicious and very comforting if you have the sniffles.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

There are no additives or preservatives in these ingredients.

This recipe calls for lots of ginger

Remove the chicken breasts after about 30 minutes

Shred the chicken

Rewarm the stock after straining out the solids

Ginger Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

2 celery stalks, chopped

8 ounces (250 g) unpeeled scrubbed ginger, cut into ½ “-thick (1.27 cm) slices

2 garlic cloves, crushed

10 whole black peppercorns

1 3-pound (1.5 kg) whole organic chicken, cut into 7 pieces (2 breasts, 2 legs with thighs attached, 2 wings, 1 back)

Kosher salt

Cilantro leaves (optional)

Preparation:

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large heavy pot. Add chicken, placing breasts on top. Add 6 quarts (6 L) water (preferably filtered or spring water); bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover with lid slightly ajar. Reduce heat to low; simmer until chicken breasts are just cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken breasts to a plate; let cool, then cover and chill. Continue to simmer soup, uncovered, until broth is fully flavored, about 2 ½ hours longer. Return breasts to soup to rewarm, about 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, coarsely shred meat; discard skin and bones. Place a fine-mesh sieve over another large pot; strain broth, discarding solids in strainer (you should have about 8 cups broth). Season with salt.

Rewarm soup. Divide chicken among bowls. Pour hot broth over, dividing equally. Garnish soup with cilantro leaves, if desired. Serves 8.

From Epicurious.com

This grilled shrimp from Martha Stewart Living is marinated in fresh herbs, jalapeno, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil. A few minutes on the grill and you have a lovely lunch or light supper. The recipe calls for jumbo shrimp, but you can use any size.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Shrimp can be treated with preservatives. Look for shrimp with only salt added.

Marinate the shrimp

Grill skewers for a few minutes on each side

Grilled Herbed Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons (45 ml) chopped fresh cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons (45 ml) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced jalapeno chile (from ½ jalapeno)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced garlic (from about 3 cloves)

1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon zest

1/3 cup (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound (500 g) jumbo shrimp, in shells (about 20)

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in a large resealable plastic bag. Snip through each shrimp shell down the back, leaving last segment and tail intact, and devein with a paring knife, leaving shell intact. Add shrimp to bag and massage with marinade. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to overnight.

Soak 10 short wooden skewers in water 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat grill for indirect heat, with coals to 1 side (or medium heat on a gas grill). Thread 2 shrimp onto each skewer and place on indirect side of grill. Cook, turning once, until shrimp are curled, slightly charred, and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

From Martha Stewart Living

This recipe from the June 2014 issue of Canadian Living can be made in less than 30 minutes. Simply spread a mixture of yogurt, mayonnaise, onion and cilantro on salmon fillets, pat panko crumbs on top, and bake. The salmon stays incredibly moist, while the panko adds a satisfying crunch. Paired with a curried yogurt sauce, this would be great for a casual dinner party. One note – depending on the thickness of the salmon, the baking time may be closer to 15-20 minutes.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use all-natural yogurt and mayonnaise, and butter that contains only cream. Check the label on the panko and the curry powder to make sure they do not contain preservatives, colour or anti-caking agents. If you would like to make your own curry powder, I’ve included a recipe below. I used ShaSha brand breadcrumbs, which are similar to panko in texture but are made from spelt and are all-natural.

Salmon, spread and panko

Spread the yogurt-mayo mixture on the salmon

Top with the panko and bake until the salmon is cooked through

Panko-crusted salmon with curried yogurt sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbsp 2% plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp light mayonnaise

2 green onions, chopped

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

4 skinless salmon fillets (about 680 g total)

Pinch each salt and pepper

½ cup panko crumbs

2 tbsp butter, melted

Curried Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp liquid honey

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp curry powder (to make your own, see recipe below)

Pinch each salt and pepper

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.

Preparation:

In bowl, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, green onions and cilantro. Arrange salmon on lightly greased foil-lined baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread yogurt mixture evenly over top of fillets.

Combine panko and butter; sprinkle on top of yogurt mixture, pressing lightly to adhere.

Bake in 425F (220C) oven until fish flakes easily with fork and panko is golden, about 10 minutes.

Curried Yogurt Sauce: Meanwhile, in bowl, stir together yogurt, cilantro, ginger, honey, lemon juice, 1 tsp of water, curry powder, salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days). Serve with salmon. Serves 4.

From the June 2014 issue of Canadian Living