Eye for a Recipe

This hearty soup from Canadian Living’s Best Soups and Stews is a perfect lunch or light dinner after you’ve been outside enjoying the wintry weather. Brown sausage, add vegetables, spices, tomatoes and stock and simmer. You can make keep this in the fridge for two days and it also freezes well.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the sausage, spices, tomatoes, chickpeas and stock for additives, preservatives and colour. I used “Free From” mild Italian sausage, Imagine stock, Blue Menu chickpeas and Unico tomatoes.

Use any kind of sausage you like

Brown sausage and vegetables

Add tomatoes, spices, chickpeas, stock and simmer

Ingredients:

1 lb. (500 g) fresh turkey sausage or any sausage you like

1 tsp (5 ml) vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced thinly or chopped

1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin

½ tsp (2 ml) ground coriander

½ tsp (2 ml) paprika

¼ tsp (1 ml) chili powder

¼ tsp (1 ml) pepper

1 19 oz (540 ml) can tomatoes or chopped tomatoes

1 19 oz (540 ml) can chickpeas

3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock

¼ cup (50 ml) fresh coriander or parsley, chopped

1 avocado

2 limes

Preparation:

Remove casings from sausage; cut into slices or break into chunks. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat; cook sausage, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened and sausage is cooked through. Skim off any excess fat.

Stir in jalapeno peppers, cumin, ground coriander, paprika, chili powder and pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes (breaking up with a spoon if using whole tomatoes). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse chickpeas; stir into pot along with stock and 2 tbsp (25 ml) of the fresh coriander. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Halve avocado and remove pit. Cut through flesh to skin lengthwise and crosswise to dice; with spoon, scoop out cubes into bowl. Squeeze juice from one of the limes and toss juice with avocado. Slice remaining lime into 8 wedges. Garnish each serving with avocado and lime wedge. Sprinkle with remaining coriander. Makes 8 servings.

From Canadian Living’s Best Soups and Stews

This recipe from Food and Wine calls for marinated artichoke hearts and meaty green olives. After browning the chicken thighs, transfer to a baking dish and scatter artichoke hearts, olives, garlic, lemon slices and thyme on top. Bake and serve!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for artichoke hearts and olives that are preservative-free. I use Imagine brand stock and Cock brand fish sauce.

Olives, lemon, garlic and marinated artichoke hearts flavour this dish

Flatten chicken and brown, skin side down

Place chicken in baking dish and scatter other ingredients on top

Braised chicken thighs with marinated artichoke hearts

Ingredients:

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (3 ¾ pounds/1.7 kg)

Sea salt and pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

15 ounces (425 g) marinated artichoke hearts, plus ¼ cup (60 ml) brine from the jar

1 cup (250 ml) green olives

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

1 lemon, thinly sliced

6 thyme sprigs

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock or low-sodium broth

½ cup (125 ml) semidry sherry, such as amontillado

1 tablespoon (15 ml) Asian fish sauce

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet or black steel pan, heat the oil. Add half of the chicken skin side down and top the pieces (not the pan) with a pot lid; cook over moderate heat until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer skin side up to a large baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Scatter the artichoke hearts, olives, garlic, lemon slices and thyme in the baking dish.

Pour off the fat from the skillet. Add the artichoke brine, stock, sherry and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Stir in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of salt, then pour the mixture around the chicken. Cover tightly with foil and braise in the oven for 1 hour, until the chicken is very tender.

Uncover and increase the oven temperature to 400° F (204° C) Roast the chicken for 15 minutes longer, until the skin is crisp.

Discard the thyme. Transfer to plates and serve. Serves 4-6.

From Food and Wine