Eye for a Recipe

This lovely salad from Style at Home is perfect for a summer picnic or buffet. Roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas are mixed with red quinoa, nuts, seeds, mint and dried cranberries, and then tossed with a harissa-flavoured dressing. This would also be a great vegetarian entrée. I omitted the pomegranate seeds.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use a mustard that does not contain sulfites or sodium benzoate, such as President’s Choice grainy honey mustard. You can make your own harissa paste (see recipe below). Check the ingredients of the chickpeas and dried cranberries to make sure they are all natural.

Rinse the quinoa well before cooking

Roast the sweet potato and chickpeas

Toast the pecans

Moroccan sweet potato, red quinoa and roasted chickpea salad

Ingredients:

For the harissa paste

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 chipotle in adobo, minced, plus 1teaspoon adobo sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground caraway

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine ingredients.

For the dressing

¼ cup flaxseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp honey mustard

1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

2 tsp harissa paste

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp cinnamon

For the salad

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3⁄4″ cubes

1 540-ml can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup beluga black lentils

1 cup red quinoa, rinsed

2 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

½ cup chopped toasted pecan halves

¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves + more for garnish

¼ cup dried cranberries

1⁄3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the honey harissa dressing.

Toss ¼ cup of the dressing with the sweet potatoes and spread out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Toss another 2 tablespoons of the dressing with the chickpeas and spread out onto another parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

In a small pot, bring the beluga lentils and 4 cups cold water to a simmer. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Drain, rinse and place in a large bowl, along with the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas.

Meanwhile, in another small pot, bring the red quinoa and 4 cups water to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain the quinoa and let dry in the sieve for 2 minutes. Add to the sweet potato mixture.

Stir in the green onions, pumpkin seeds, pecans, mint and cranberries. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss gently to combine. Place the warm salad on a large serving platter and garnish with the fresh pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. Serves 6.

From Style at Home magazine

Pork and sweet potatoes go well together and this recipe from the July 2014 issue of Canadian Living combines them on the grill. Steam or microwave sweet potatoes and then grill the slices. Meanwhile, grill skewers of pork and red onion, brushing with mustard-honey-garlic glaze. I added some snow peas to my kebabs. Cook’s note: Instead of steaming the potatoes, you can pierce them with a fork and microwave on high, turning once, until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Let them cool slightly, then peel, slice and grill as directed. Also, if you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water before using so they don’t burn up on the grill.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Mustard may contain sulfites or sodium benzoate. Look for an organic brand; I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon.

Thread pork and veggies on skewers and brush with glaze

Steam or microwave yam before grilling

Grill skewers and yam until cooked through and tender

Mustard-glazed pork skewers with grilled sweet potatoes

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, (about 800 g), peeled and cut crosswise in ½ -inch (1 cm) slices

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp (1 ml) each salt and pepper

2 tbsp (30 ml) grainy mustard

1 tbsp (15 ml) hot mustard

2 tsp (10 ml) liquid honey

1 clove garlic, minced

450 g pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut in 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes

Half red onions, cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks

Preparation:

In shallow saucepan, pour enough water to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up side of pan; bring to gentle simmer. Place sweet potato in steamer insert; set in saucepan. Cover and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer sweet potatoes to rimmed baking sheet. Brush with 2 tsp (10 ml) of the oil; sprinkle with thyme and half each of the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, stir together grainy mustard, hot mustard, honey and garlic; set aside.

In bowl, toss pork with onion, 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the mustard mixture and the remaining oil, salt and pepper. Alternating pork and onion, thread onto metal or soaked wooden skewers.

Place skewers and sweet potatoes on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once and brushing skewers with remaining mustard mixture, until potatoes are tender and juices run clear when pork is pierced, about 10 minutes. Serves 4.

From the July 2014 issue of Canadian Living

This recipe from Williams Sonoma Grilling would be a great summer dinner party entrée. Chicken breasts are butterflied, stuffed with fresh sage and mozzarella cheese, and grilled. The cooked chicken is topped with a sage-garlic butter. Cook’s note: Toss the extra sage-garlic butter with cooked pasta for a delicious side dish.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the cheese and butter do not contain colour or any other additives. The cayenne pepper should be free of colour and anti-caking agents.

Place sage and cheese on one side of a butterflied chicken breast

Grill over medium-high heat

Turn chicken once and grill until it is just cooked through

Ingredients:

For the chicken

Olive oil for coating

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

4 slices mozzarella cheese

8 fresh sage leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sage butter

½ cup (125 g) salted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped fresh sage

2 cloves garlic

¼ tsp (1.25 ml) cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill over medium-high heat and oil the grill rack.

Using a long, thin, sharp knife, butterfly the chicken breasts: Cut horizontally into the thickest part of each breast to within ½ inch (12 mm) of the other side. Open the breast like a book and place it between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound lightly with the flat side of a cleaver or knife to flatten and even out the thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and lay 1 slice of cheese and 2 sage leaves on one half of the flattened breast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fold the chicken over the cheese. Coat with oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and black pepper. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.

To make the sage butter, with a fork, mix together the butter, sage, garlic and cayenne in a small bowl and blend well. Set aside or form into a log in waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Grill the chicken on one side directly over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, then turn carefully with a spatula. Grill on the second side for 3 minutes. Check for doneness by cutting into the centre of one of the breasts. There should be no pink showing. Cook longer if necessary, but be careful not to overcook them.

Top each breast with 1 tbsp (15 ml) or more of sage butter and serve. Serves 4.

From Williams Sonoma Grilling

This different take on broccoli from the June 2014 issue of Food and Wine is a great side dish or vegetarian entrée. Cut broccoli lengthwise into “steaks”, grill until charred and then toss with grilled red onion, tomatoes and a tangy dressing. The recipe calls for shaved ricotta salata as a garnish, but I used parmesan cheese instead. Cook’s note: when grilling onion slices, use a toothpick or wooden skewer to keep the rings from falling apart.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use a red wine vinegar with no sulfites, such as Eden Organic brand. Check the label on the cheese to make sure it does not contain colour or preservatives.

Cut the broccoli lengthwise into "steaks"

Grill until charred

Top the broccoli and onions with tomatoes and shaved cheese

Ingredients:

2 large, tight heads of broccoli (2 ½ pounds), cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick steaks (reserve any florets for another use)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

Kosher salt

Pepper

2 medium red onions, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick

3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

Shaved ricotta salata, for serving

Preparation:

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the broccoli steaks with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and let cool.

Meanwhile, brush the red onions with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a work surface and let cool, then cut into 3/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the vinegar and a generous pinch of salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the grilled onions; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the broccoli on plates or a platter and spoon the tomato-red onion salad on top. Garnish with shaved ricotta salata and serve right away. Serves 6.

From the June 2014 issue of Food and Wine