Eye for a Recipe

Recipes usually suggest marinating chicken before grilling, but this recipe from Martha Stewart Living suggests coating the chicken with a marinade afterwards. It’s quick, easy and tastes great. Any mixture of herbs would work well. You can also use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, as the concentrates contain sodium benzoate.

Place marinade ingredients in shallow dish

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper

Grill the chicken until crispy and cooked through

Toss the grilled chicken with the marinade and serve

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 cup lightly packed mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, and chervil, finely chopped

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds), pounded to make even (optional)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Preheat grill to medium-high. Combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, and herbs in a baking dish.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill, turning frequently, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to baking dish and turn to coat with marinade. Serve immediately, or refrigerate chicken in marinade up to 1 day, turning to coat a few times. Serves 6.

From Martha Stewart Living

It’s great to be back at our house for the summer and great to be barbecuing again. One of the first things I made was this grilled potato salad with scallion vinaigrette from the June 2014 issue of Food and Wine. Parboil some small potatoes and then grill them with some scallions until lightly charred. Toss with a refreshing vinaigrette and top with slice jalapenos and red pepper. The recipe called for piment d’Espelette, a mildly spicy ground red pepper from France, but I used cayenne.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use a rice vinegar with no preservatives; I use Marukan brand. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Parboil small round or fingerling potatoes

Grill scallions until lightly charred

Cover scallions with plastic wrap and steam for a few minutes

Grill the potatoes until lightly charred

Grilled potatoes with scallion vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes

Kosher salt

10 scallions, trimmed

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

Ground black pepper

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Piment d’Espelette

1 small jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and simmer over moderate heat until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly, then halve lengthwise.

Meanwhile, light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the scallions with oil and season with salt and black pepper. Grill over high heat, turning, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes. Cut the scallions into 1-inch lengths.

Brush the potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill cut side down over high heat until lightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

In a large bowl, whisk the 1/3 cup of olive oil with the vinegar and lemon juice. Add the scallions and potatoes and toss well. Season with salt and piment d’Espelette and toss again. Scatter the jalapeño slices on top, garnish with a large pinch of piment d’Espelette and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

From the June 2014 issue of Food and Wine

These noodles from the July/August 2014 issue of Cook’s Illustrated are absolutely delicious. Stir curry powder and cayenne pepper in oil to “bloom” the flavours and then toss with softened rice vermicelli noodles, soy sauce and sugar. Cook shrimp, egg, and vegetables and place in a separate bowl. Add the noodles to some stock to finish cooking them and then toss them in with the shrimp, egg and vegetables. Add bean sprouts, lime juice and scallions and serve. Cutting the softened noodles into thirds makes them easier to eat.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Curry powder may contain colour, so I make my own; the recipe is below. Check the cayenne to make sure it does not contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use tamari instead of soy sauce and frozen shrimp that use only salt as a preservative. I use Imagine brand chicken stock, which is free of preservatives. Be sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice.

Warm the spices in oil to bloom their flavours

Cut the softened noodles in thirds to make them easier to eat

Toss the noodles with the curry-oil mixture

Cook the egg and shrimp

Singapore Noodles

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons curry powder (see recipe below)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

6 ounces rice vermicelli

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

12 ounces large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and cut into ½ -inch pieces

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Salt

3 garlic cloves, minced to paste

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks

2 large shallots, sliced thin

2/3 cup chicken broth

4 ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts

4 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

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:

Heat 3 tablespoons oil, curry powder, and cayenne, if using, in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

Bring 1 ½  quarts water to boil. Place noodles in large bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles and stir briefly. Soak noodles until flexible, but not soft, about 2 ½ minutes, stirring once halfway through soaking. Drain noodles briefly. Transfer noodles to cutting board. Using chef’s knife, cut pile of noodles roughly into thirds. Return noodles to bowl, add curry mixture, soy sauce, and sugar; using tongs, toss until well combined. Set aside.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shrimp in even layer and cook without moving them until bottoms are browned, about 90 seconds. Stir and continue to cook until just cooked through, about 90 seconds longer. Push shrimp to 1 side of skillet. Add 1 teaspoon oil to cleared side of skillet. Add eggs to clearing and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Using rubber spatula, stir eggs gently until set but still wet, about 1 minute. Stir eggs into shrimp and continue to cook, breaking up large pieces of egg, until eggs are fully cooked, about 30 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp-egg mixture to second large bowl.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add bell pepper and shallots. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with shrimp.

Return skillet to medium-high heat, add broth to skillet, and bring to simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add noodles to bowl with shrimp and vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Add bean sprouts, scallions, and lime juice and toss to combine. Transfer to warmed platter and serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately. Serves 4 to 6.

From the July/August 2014 issue of Cook’s Illustrated

We love chicken wings and this recipe from the LCBO is a new favourite. Toss the wings in dried basil, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper and then coat them with a mixture of Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs and lemon zest. Bake them for 30-40 minutes and serve. They are savoury, crunchy and addictive! Cook’s note – be sure to zest the lemon before squeezing it.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Check the ingredients for the dried spices to be sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Look for panko and Parmesan with no artificial ingredients. I use President’s Choice Parmesan and ShaSha brand breadcrumbs, which are similar to panko in texture but are made from spelt.

Toss the wings with basil, oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper

Toss with panko and Parmesan and place on baking sheet

Pesto chicken wings

Ingredients:

2 tbsp (30 ml) dried basil leaves

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice

2 tsp (10 ml) garlic powder

½ tsp (2 ml) salt

½ tsp (2 ml) pepper

2 lbs (1 kg) chicken winglets and drumettes

½ cup (125 ml) finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup (80 ml) panko bread crumbs

2 tsp (10 ml) lemon zest

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil.

In a large bowl, whisk together basil, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add wings and toss well.

In a second large bowl, stir together Parmesan, bread crumbs and lemon zest. Toss wings in Parmesan mixture to coat well.

Spread wings out on baking sheet and sprinkle with any remaining Parmesan mixture. Roast, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Serves 2-4.

From the LCBO What’s For Dinner publication

Now that the weather is warmer, I’m craving potato salads and fresh herbs. This recipe from the May 2014 issue of Canadian Living includes both. Boiled baby potatoes, roasted salmon, hard-boiled eggs, chives, dill and sliced pickles are combined with a lemon-mustard dressing. Delicious!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice and a grainy mustard with no sulfites or sodium benzoate. I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon. Instead of cornichons, I used dill pickles. Strub’s Kosher Pickles contain no preservatives.

For perfect hard-boiled eggs, cover eggs with cold water, bring to boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand 18 minutes

Boil baby potatoes until tender

Roast the salmon and flake it with a fork

Add herbs and pickles

Egg and salmon potato salad

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 pkg (680 g) baby yellow-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed

400 g skinless salmon fillets

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice

4 tsp (18 mL) olive oil

4 tsp (18 mL) grainy mustard

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh chives

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh dill

8 cornichons, sliced

Preparation:

Place eggs in saucepan; pour in enough cold water to cover by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 18 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool, about 2 minutes; drain again. Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Peel off shells; cut eggs into quarters.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes; drain. Let cool just enough to handle; cut into quarters.

Meanwhile, place salmon on parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper. Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven until fish flakes easily when tested, 12 to 15 minutes. Flake with fork.

In large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, mustard and remaining salt and pepper. Add potatoes, salmon, chives, dill and cornichons; gently toss to coat. Scrape onto serving platter; top with eggs. Serves 6.

From the May 2014 issue of Canadian Living