Archive for August, 2016

This salad from Chatelaine is supposed to serve four, but it was so good the two of us ate it all in one sitting. This is a great way to use up the green beans, cherry tomatoes and fresh oregano from your garden.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use a red wine vinegar with no sulfites added, such as Eden Organic brand. Look for shrimp and feta with no additives or preservatives.

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a large bowl

Cook the beans in boiling water until tender-crisp

Keep the cherry tomatoes whole if they are small

Cook the shrimp until pink, about 3 minutes

Toss everything together and enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) red wine vinegar

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups (500 ml) trimmed green beans

12 oz (340 g) frozen peeled shrimp, thawed

4 cups (1 L) thinly sliced romaine lettuce

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup (250 ml) crumbled feta

1 cup (250 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved if large

Preparation:

Whisk oil with vinegar, oregano and garlic in a large bowl until combined. Season with fresh pepper.

Boil a pot of water. Add green beans and cook until tender crisp. Drain and rinse under cold water and pat dry. You can boil the shrimp in the same water or sauté them in a pan with oil. Cook until shrimp turns pink, about 3 min.

Add beans and shrimp to dressing, along with romaine and onion. Toss until coated. Add feta and tomatoes. Serves 2-4.

From Chatelaine

These tasty beef and vegetable skewers reach a whole new level when topped with a parsley-basil pesto vinaigrette. Use any remaining vinaigrette to toss with grilled potatoes or other vegetables.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for a red wine vinegar with no sulfites added, such as Eden Organic brand.

Use fresh parsley and basil for the vinaigrette

Combine the herbs with garlic, vinegar, salt and oil

Cut the meat and vegetables in chunks that are about the same size

Cook on a greased grill, basting with the vinaigrette

Provençale Beef Brochettes

Ingredients:

1 lb (500 g) steak cut into 1½-inch (3.8 cm) cubes

1 red onion

1 each sweet red and green pepper

1 small eggplant

12 mushroom caps

Olive oil

Pesto Vinaigrette

3 large garlic cloves, quartered

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

2 cups (500 ml) packed fresh parsley

1 cup (250 ml) packed fresh basil

3 tbsp (45 ml) red wine vinegar

1 tsp (5 ml) granulated sugar

⅔ cup (150 ml) olive oil

Preparation:

Pesto Vinaigrette

In food processor, puree garlic and salt. Add parsley and basil and process into fine paste.

With motor running, add vinegar and sugar, then oil in thin, steady stream. Season with pepper to taste. Makes 1 cup (250 ml).

Cut beef into 1½-inch (3.8 cm) cubes and cut vegetables into similar-sized chunks.

Thread steak, onion, peppers, eggplant and mushrooms onto skewers and brush with oil.

Place skewers on greased grill over high heat. Cook for 2 minutes. Reserving half of pesto vinaigrette, brush some of the remaining vinaigrette over the brochettes. Serves 4.

From Canadian Living’s Best Barbecue Cookbook

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life is Ruth Reichl’s memoir about the year after her beloved Gourmet magazine abruptly ceased publication. Set mostly in her country house, Reichl mourns her loss, ponders her future — and cooks. In the book, Reichl makes these Americanized Thai noodles during the winter, but they are delicious at any time of year.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for a brand of fish sauce without MSG and shrimp without preservatives added. I used Tabasco sauce instead of sriracha.

Cook shrimp until they change colour

Stir fry scallions with ground pork

Add soaked rice noodles

Scramble egg

Add sauce and combine

Thai American Noodles

Ingredients:

½ pound (250 g) very thin rice noodles, preferably Thai rice sticks

¼ cup (60 ml) sugar

¼ cup (60 ml) fish sauce

¼ cup (60 ml) white vinegar (or unseasoned rice vinegar)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut oil

½ pound (250 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ pound (250 g) ground pork

4 scallions, white and tender green parts, sliced into ½ -inch (1.27 cm) lengths

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon (5 ml) crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 limes (juice only)

½ cup (125 ml) salted peanuts, finely chopped

1 lime, cut into 6 wedges, for garnish

Sriracha Chili sauce

Preparation:

In a large bowl, soak the noodles in hot water to cover for about 20 minutes or until soft, then drain and set aside.

Combine the sugar, fish sauce and vinegar. Set aside.

In a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, just until they change color, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the garlic to the wok, and as soon as it starts to color and get fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the pork and half of the scallions. Cook just until the pork loses its redness, 2 to 3 minutes, then add drained noodles and mix quickly. Add the fish sauce mixture, reduce the heat to medium and cook 5 to 8 minutes or until the noodles have absorbed all the liquid.

Clear an area of the wok and crack 1 egg into it, breaking the yolk. Tilt the wok to get as thin a sheet of egg as possible and scramble just until set, about 1 minute. Then mix the egg into the noodles. Repeat with the remaining egg. Add the shrimp, remaining scallions and red pepper flakes and mix thoroughly. Add the lime juice and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Transfer the noodles to a platter and top with a sprinkling of peanuts. Serve with lime wedges, the remaining peanuts and lots of Sriracha. Serves 3.

From My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl