Eye for a Recipe

We all need a little breath of spring these days, even if we can’t go outside as often. For me, that means a main-dish salad. This tasty, crunchy salad from Real Simple uses shrimp and romaine as its base, tossed with a salty/creamy/ginger dressing and topped with avocado, cucumber and scallions. Frozen shrimp is fine and you can substitute any hardy lettuce, such as iceberg. Regular cucumber can replace the small Persian ones, and if you don’t have avocado just use what’s in the fridge, such as radishes, carrots or peppers.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I use Hellman’s mayonnaise and Marukan rice vinegar. Use tamari instead of soy sauce, because it uses alcohol as a preservative instead of sodium benzoate. Look for frozen shrimp using only salt as a preservative. Simply Natural Organic sriracha is additive-free.

The salad is tossed with a tamari-ginger dressing

Japanese-style shrimp salad

Ingredients:

1/3 cup (85 ml) mayonnaise

3 tbsp (45 ml) tamari or soy sauce

3 tbsp (45 ml) rice vinegar

2 tbsp (30 ml) sesame oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) canola oil

½ tsp (2.5 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger

¼ tsp (1.25 ml) sugar

1 ½ lb. (680 g) peeled, deveined and cooked large shrimp

3 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped

2 avocados, cubed

2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

¼ cup (60 ml) thinly sliced scallions

Sesame seeds for serving

Sriracha for serving (optional)

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation:

Stir mayonnaise, tamari, vinegar, oils, ginger and sugar in a large bowl.

Add shrimp and lettuce; toss to coat.

Top with avocados, cucumbers and scallions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Drizzle with sriracha, if using. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4.

From Real Simple

This tasty stir-fry from Canadian Living includes soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat flour. While you marinate the shrimp for a few minutes, cook the noodles in boiling water and drain. Stir fry the garlic, ginger and snow peas, then add the shrimp mixture and cook until the shrimp are done. Add the cooked noodles and mix until they are warmed through.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use tamari instead of soy sauce, which usually contains MSG or sodium benzoate. I use Marukan rice vinegar and frozen shrimp with nothing added. Check the cashews to make sure they are additive-free.

Marinate the shrimp for a few minutes

Boil, drain and rinse soba noodles

Saute snow peas

Shrimp, snow pea and cashew stir-fry

Ingredients:

6 oz (175 g) soba noodles

2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) rice vinegar

2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil

2 green onions, sliced

8 oz (250 g) medium shrimp , peeled and deveined

1 tbsp (15 mml) canola oil

1 tsp (5 ml) grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, grated

2/3 lb (300 g) snow peas

½ cup (125 ml) unsalted roasted cashews

Preparation:

Cook soba noodles according to package directions; rinse under cold water and drain. Set aside.

In bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and onions. Add shrimp and toss to coat; set aside.

In wok or nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over high heat; stir-fry ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add snow peas; cook until slightly tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Scrape shrimp mixture into wok; stir-fry until shrimp are pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add noodles and toss until warmed through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with cashews. Serves 4.

From Canadian Living

Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs are among my favourite things to make for dinner, because they are inexpensive, tasty and easy to cook. In this recipe from the May 2014 issue of Bon Appetit, the thighs are marinated in a mixture of garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, honey and aniseed for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Then just pop them in the oven. Halfway through the cooking time (about 20 minutes after putting the thighs in the oven) add asparagus and scallions. The chicken will caramelize into a lovely deep brown colour. Garnish the finished dish with cilantro and lime wedges. The recipe calls for aniseed but I used fennel seed and it worked well.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lime juice and tamari instead of soy sauce, as it is preserved with alcohol instead of sodium benzoate.

Marinate the chicken thighs

Add asparagus and scallions when chicken is partially cooked

The thighs will caramelize

Soy-glazed chicken thighs with asparagus and scallions

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons aniseed

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving

¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

8 chicken thighs (about 4 lb.)

1 bunch asparagus (about ¾ lb.), trimmed

2 bunches scallions, trimmed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

Preparation:

Toast aniseed in a small dry skillet over medium heat, tossing, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool; finely chop.

Whisk garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and aniseed in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let sit at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°. Transfer chicken and marinade to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, placing chicken skin side down. Roast until fat begins to render, 15–20 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up and continue to roast, basting occasionally with pan drippings, until chicken is cooked through and deeply browned, 15–20 minutes longer.

After turning chicken, toss asparagus and scallions with oil on another rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, shaking pan halfway through, until tender, 10–15 minutes (thinner stalks will cook more quickly).

Transfer chicken to a platter. Pour any pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let sit a few minutes, then spoon off fat from surface.

Spoon pan juices over chicken and serve with asparagus, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges. Serves 4. Do ahead: Chicken can be marinated 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

From the May 2014 issue of Bon Appetit

I had never tried daikon radish before, but this recipe from Lucy Waverman inspired me to give it a try. It looks like a large, white carrot, but tastes like a mild radish. It added great flavour and crunch to this chicken stir-fry.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use tamari instead of soy sauce, because it uses alcohol as a preservative, not sodium benzoate. Look for a balsamic vinegar with only naturally occurring sulfites.

Daikon looks like a large white carrot

While the chicken marinates, prepare the daikon, carrots and bok choy

Brown the chicken

Cook the daikon and carrots until tender-crisp

Cook the bok choy until it wilts and return the chicken to the pan

Chicken with daikon radish

Ingredients:

2 tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp minced ginger

½ tsp sugar

8 oz (250 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast

Finishing Sauce

1 tsp chopped ginger

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp black or balsamic vinegar

½ tsp sugar

Stir-Fry

1 lb (500 g) daikon radish, peeled

2 medium carrots, peeled

6 cups baby bok choy

2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

Preparation:

Combine soy sauce, ginger and sugar in a bowl. Slice chicken in half horizontally and then into thin strips. Add chicken to the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain chicken and discard remaining marinade.

Stir together ginger, garlic, shallots, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl and reserve. Cut daikon in half lengthwise, if large. Slice in thin slices (1/8 inch) on diagonal.

Cut carrots the same way. Divide bok choy into leaves.

Heat a wok or skillet over high heat until pan is very hot. Add oil and heat again. Add chicken and cook, stirring until slightly undercooked, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and reserve. Add daikon and carrots. Stir-fry until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add bok choy and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes longer – until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Return chicken and toss with vegetables. Pour sauce over, tossing everything together.

Bring to boil and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately scattered with green onions.

From Lucy Waverman