Eye for a Recipe

I prefer chicken or salmon burgers to beef, so I was looking forward to trying these chicken burgers from Canadian Living. I wasn’t disappointed — these are easy to make, hold together well and are moist and flavourful, thanks to the cheese, basil and sun dried tomatoes.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the cheeses, buns, breadcrumbs and sun dried tomatoes for additives and preservatives. Genuine parmesan cheese is additive free. I used Tre Stelle bocconcini cheese, 4C panko breadcrumbs, D’Italiano buns and Aurora sun dried tomatoes.

These chicken burgers contain parmesan cheese and sun dried tomatoes

Serve burgers with tomato, basil and bocconcini

Ingredients:

4 slices bocconcini cheese (one 4-oz/125 g ball)

1 plum tomato sliced

4 fresh basil leaves

4 hamburger buns

Patties

1 lb (454 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 egg

1 tablespoon (15 ml) water

½ onion grated

2 garlic cloves minced

1/3 cup (75 ml) grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup (60 ml) dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil packed sun dried tomatoes

¼ teaspoon (1 ml) salt and pepper

Preparation:

Patties: In food processor, pulse chicken until coarsely ground; set aside.

In large bowl, beat egg with water; stir in onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Mix in chicken. Shape into four ¾ -inch (2 cm) thick patties.

Place patties on greased grill over medium heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until digital thermometer inserted sideways into centre reads 165°F (74°C), 12 to 14 minutes.

Sandwich burgers, Bocconcini, tomato and basil in buns. Serves 4.

From Canadian Living

This hearty salad from Style at Home keeps well because it is made with Israeli couscous, a toasted pasta shaped into tiny balls a little smaller than peas. The recipe is just a guide; you can be very creative with this dish. I skipped roasting the tomatoes, left out the tuna and halloumi, and added sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and a Dijon mustard without preservatives such as President’s Choice Old Fashioned Dijon. Other ingredients that may include additives are the tuna, beans, artichoke hearts, capers and halloumi.

Toast the dry Israeli couscous to bring out its nutty flavour

You can add lot of ingredients to the couscous, including tomatoes, artichoke hearts and herbs

Toss with a lemony dressing

Ingredients:

Lemon chive dressing

2 tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped shallots

2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped chives

2 tsp (10 ml) lemon zest

1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard

½ tsp (2.5 ml) sea salt

½ tsp (2.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper

For salad

1 pint (250 ml) multicoloured cherry tomatoes

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1- ½ cups (375 ml) uncooked Israeli couscous

1 5-oz jar (150 g) chunk Italian tuna in olive oil

1 18-oz jar (532 ml) large butter beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup (250 ml) quartered fire-roasted marinated artichoke hearts

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp (15 ml) capers, rinsed

9 oz (255 g) halloumi, cut into 6 pieces

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C0

In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the lemon chive dressing; set aside.

Cut the tomatoes in half and lay them, cut sides up, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are a little wrinkly but still moist. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil in a pot over medium heat; add the garlic and cook until just sizzling.

Add the Israeli couscous and stir to coat in the garlic oil. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring, until lightly toasted and then add 2 cups (500 ml) cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender. Remove from the heat, stirring to fluff.

Pour the lemon chive dressing over the couscous and stir to combine. Add the roasted cherry tomatoes, tuna, butter beans, artichoke hearts, basil and capers. Stir gently to combine.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the halloumi slices for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden. Serve the Israeli couscous salad warm, topped with the grilled halloumi. Serves 4 to 6.

From Style at Home

This colourful salad is a great side dish with any grilled meat, fish or seafood. Zucchini and peppers are grilled or broiled and then tossed with cooked Israeli couscous, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion and basil. Unlike regular couscous — small grains of durum wheat — Israeli couscous is a toasted pasta shaped in tiny balls, about the size of small peas. The cooking method is different too; to make regular couscous, you usually boil liquid, add the couscous, turn off the heat and let the couscous steam and absorb the liquid. To cook Israeli couscous, which is called Ptitim in Israel, you add the pasta to boiling water, reduce the heat and simmer until the pasta absorbs the liquid.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Sun-dried tomatoes and olives may contain preservatives. I use Mediterranean Organic sun-dried tomatoes and Pilaros black olives.

Grill or broil colourful vegetables

Mix with cooked Israeli couscous

This is a great side dish with grilled seafood, fish or meat

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) Israeli couscous

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, plus 2 tbsp reserved oil

1 tsp (5 ml) Maldon sea salt

1 yellow zucchini, sliced into 1/8″ (0.3 cm) thick rounds

1 green zucchini, sliced into 1/8″ (0.3 cm) thick rounds

1 red pepper, thickly sliced

1 orange pepper, thickly sliced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup (60 ml) pitted and chopped kalamata olives

¼ cup (60 ml) red onion, finely diced

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook Israeli couscous for 12 minutes or until tender to the bite. Drain well, place in a large bowl and toss with sun-dried tomatoes, reserved oil and salt. Stir occasionally until cool. Meanwhile, heat the barbecue to medium. Toss all the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Grill until vegetables are tender and lightly charred. Allow to cool slightly and chop into 1/4″ (0.6 cm) dice. Stir into the couscous along with the olives, red onion and basil. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

From Style at Home

This recipe from the Barefoot Contessa is one of my favourite pasta salad recipes. Fresh tomatoes, black olives, fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes are tossed with cooked pasta and then dressed with a tangy vinaigrette. Top with grated Parmesan and chopped basil and you have a wonderful side dish or vegetarian lunch.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

It can be difficult to find sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil that do not contain sulfites. You can dry your own, or look for a sulfite-free brand, such as Mediterranean Organic. Check the ingredients on the olives and fresh mozzarella. I use Pilaros olives (available at Costco) and Tre Stella bocconcini cheese. Red wine vinegar can contain sulfites – I used Eden Organic brand. Unico capers are additive free. Make sure the Parmesan does not contain colour.

Fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, olives and fresh mozzarella

Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

Ingredients:

½ pound (225 g) fusilli (spirals) pasta

Kosher salt

Olive oil

1 pound (454 g) ripe tomatoes, medium-diced

¾ cup (188 ml) good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced

1 pound (454 g) fresh mozzarella, medium-diced

6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

For the dressing:

5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons (90 ml) good olive oil

1 garlic clove, diced

1 teaspoon (5 ml) capers, drained

2 teaspoons (10 ml) kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon (3 ml) freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (250 ml) freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup (250 ml) packed basil leaves, julienned

Preparation:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well. Serves 6-8.

From the Barefoot Contessa