Eye for a Recipe

This recipe from Food52 is great comfort food for a chilly fall night. Dredge chicken thighs in flour, brown them and set aside. Fry some bacon and cook peppers, onion, garlic and mushrooms. Season, add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock, return the chicken to the pan and braise until done. Toss in some fresh herbs, serve over pasta or polenta and sprinkle some grated parmesan on top.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for nitrite-free bacon and spices without colour or anti-caking agents. I used Imagine organic chicken stock, Unico canned tomatoes and Molisano tomato sauce, which contains only tomatoes and salt. Genuine parmesan cheese contains no artificial ingredients.

Dredge chicken in flour and brown

Cook bacon until crisp

Fry peppers, onion and mushrooms

Add tomatoes, stock and tomato sauce, return chicken to pan and braise

Serve over pasta or polenta

Ingredients:

Olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with a lid

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour seasoned with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt and ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper

2 slices bacon, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded, cored, and sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored, and sliced

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 ounces (113 g) white or brown button mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried basil

1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried oregano

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground fennel seed

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

1 (14 to 15-ounce/414 to 144 ml) can whole peeled tomatoes

8 ounces (236 ml) tomato sauce

8 ounces (236 ml) chicken broth

¼ cup (60 ml) torn fresh basil leaves

¼ cup (60 ml) torn fresh oregano leaves

Grated parmesan for serving

Cooked pasta or soft polenta for serving

Preparation:

Coat the skillet with olive oil, up the sides of the pan about ¼ inch (0.64 cm) and heat. Dredge the chicken thighs in the seasoned flour and brown each side until golden. Remove the thighs and set aside.

Drain the oil from the skillet and add the chopped bacon. Cook until almost crisp and then add the 2 peppers, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté for a few minutes.

Stir in the dried basil, dried oregano, ground fennel, red pepper flakes, and salt. Continue to sauté until you can smell the garlic, another few minutes.

Crush the plum tomatoes with your clean hands to break them up and add to the skillet along with the juices from the can. Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth.

Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side up, and bathe the sauce over the pieces. Bring everything up to a simmer and continue to simmer, partially covered, for 30 to 40 minutes.

After the 30- to 40-minute simmer, stir in the fresh basil and oregano. Serve a chicken thigh and some of the sauce with peppers over spaghetti or some soft polenta. Shower a little Parmesan over the top and enjoy! Serves 4.

From Food52

This farro salad from Food52 feeds a crowd and brims with the late summer season’s tomatoes and herbs. Cook the farro in water with onion, garlic and parsley and let it cool. Meanwhile, make the dressing and assemble the other ingredients. Add the farro and toss with the dressing.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Tre Stelle bocconcini cheese is additive-free, as are Pilaros Kalamata olives. Spectrum Organic balsamic vinegar and Eden Organic red wine vinegar contain only naturally occurring sulfites.

Cook the farro in water with onion, garlic and parsley

Combine the other ingredients

Make the dressing

Summer farro salad

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 ml) uncooked farro (or substitute barley)

1 medium red onion, cut in half

1 clove garlic

1 handful fresh parsley plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) finely chopped

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt, plus more if needed

1 cup (250 ml) finely diced fresh mozzarella cheese (bocconcini)

2 teaspoons (10 ml) minced pitted Kalamata olives

2 cups (500 ml) grape tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 tablespoon (15 ml) finely chopped fresh basil

1 pinch freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon (5 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons (10 ml) honey

Preparation:

Add the farro, one onion half, garlic, handful of parsley and salt along with 2 ¾  cups (690 ml) water to a 2 quart (2 L) pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off burner and let sit, covered, for 5 more minutes. Discard the onion, garlic and large pieces of parsley. Spread out on a rimmed sheet pan and let cool completely (do not skip this step or the mozzarella will melt into the finished dish).

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegars and honey to prepare the dressing. Chop the remaining onion half finely. Add onion, cooled farro, mozzarella, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, remaining tablespoon of parsley and basil to a deep bowl. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and stir well to combine, using a long wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Season with salt and pepper. The salad is ready to serve, but can also be made and stored in the fridge, covered, one day ahead. Serves 8-12.

From Food52

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