Eye for a Recipe

This tasty dish from Food and Wine takes about 20 minutes to make. Sear the fish in butter and then transfer to the oven to roast. Meanwhile, fry bread cubes and then add lemon juice, wine, capers and herbs. Serve the sauce over the fish and dinner is ready!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the butter does not contain colour and the bread is preservative-free. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and a wine with a sulfite level of less than 10 parts per million. I use wine from Frogpond Farm organic winery. Unico capers are additive-free.

Sear fish

Fry croutons and then add lemon juice, wine, capers and herbs

Fish with Capers and Croutons

Ingredients:

¾ cup (180 ml) unsalted butter, divided

1 teaspoon (15 ml) olive oil

4 skinless fish fillets, such as cod, halibut, tilapia or skate (about 2 pounds/1 kg total)

Kosher salt

White pepper

½ pound (250 g) crusty bread, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes (about 3 cups/750 ml)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry white wine

¼ cup (60 ml) salt-packed capers, rinsed well and drained

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped parsley

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped tarragon

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 475° F (245° C). In a large ovenproof skillet, melt ¼ cup (60 ml) of the butter with the oil. Season the fish with salt and pepper, add to the skillet, and cook over moderate heat until bottom is browned, about 3 minutes. Flip the fish, transfer the skillet to the oven, and roast until the fish is just white throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plates and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

In the same skillet, melt the remaining ½ cup (125 ml) of butter. Add the bread cubes and cook over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and wine, and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Stir in the capers and herbs. Spoon the mixture over the fish and serve. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine

This is another great recipe from Ruth Reichl’s My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life. Marinate shrimp in a mixture of lime juice and Sriracha, sauté aromatics, add asparagus and when it is tender add the shrimp and marinade and quickly stir fry. A quick and tasty weeknight supper!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for shrimp with no additives and use fresh lime juice. I use Simply Natural Organic Sriracha, which is all-natural.

Marinate shrimp in lime juice and Sriracha

Sauté aromatics and then add asparagus

Add shrimp and marinade and quickly stir fry

Sriracha Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 lb (454 g) shrimp, shelled and deveined

3-4 tablespoons (45-60 ml) lime juice – squeeze 1 lime

3-4 tablespoons (45-60 ml) Sriracha

4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil

1 (small) onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon (15 ml) ginger, chopped

1 lb (454 g) asparagus, peel stems and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces, discarding thick, hard ends of the stalks

Cooked rice

Preparation:

Marinate shrimp in the lime juice and the Sriracha for 15-30 minutes.

Heat oil in large frying pan. Sauté onion, garlic, ginger until soft and beginning to brown – about 5 minutes. Add asparagus. Cook for about 5 minutes until it begins to brown. Cover pan and turn off heat until asparagus softens. This step might not be necessary if the asparagus is very thin. When you are ready to eat, turn up heat and add shrimp with the marinade. Cook until shrimp is barely done, about 3-4 minutes. It is crucial to almost undercook the shrimp, so that the shrimp doesn’t get tough.

Divide rice into bowls or plates. Spoon shrimp and asparagus mixture over the rice. Serve with extra Sriracha and lime wedges. Serves 5.

From My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life

Grain bowls — any type of grain topped by a variety of ingredients — are a great way to bring healthy nutrition and variety into your diet. This recipe from Chatelaine starts with a base of rice, topped with roasted chicken and broccoli, greens, orange slices, nuts and a spicy hoisin drizzle.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I have never been able to find all-natural hoisin sauce, so I make my own. The recipe is below. Check the canola oil to make sure it is additive-free. All-natural sriracha is also hard to find, but

Simply Natural Organic makes a delicious additive-free red sriracha.

Marinate chicken

Place broccoli and chicken on sheet pan and roast

Place cooked rice in bowl and top with chicken, broccoli, greens, orange slices, nuts and sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) quick-cooking brown rice

2 oranges, divided

3 tbsp (45 ml) hoisin (see recipe below)

3 tbsp (45 ml) canola oil, divided

1 ½ tbsp (22 ml) sriracha

1 tsp (5 ml) alt

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

3 cups (750 ml) broccoli florets

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup (250 ml) microgreens

½ cup (125 ml) toasted cashews, chopped

Hoisin Sauce

4 tbsp (60 ml) soy sauce

2 tbsp (30 ml) peanut butter

1 tbsp (15 ml) honey or molasses

2 tsp (10 ml) white vinegar

Pinch garlic powder

2 tsp sesame seed oil

1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese-style hot sauce

Pinch pepper

Preparation:

Mix hoisin ingredients together.

Cook rice following package directions. Let stand 10 min, then fluff with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400F (204C) . Line a baking sheet with foil.

Whisk juice of 1 orange, hoisin, 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil, sriracha and salt in a bowl. Reserve 1/3 (75 ml) cup. Add chicken to bowl and stir until coated. Let stand 10 min.

Place chicken on 1 side of prepared sheet. Drizzle with marinade. Toss broccoli with remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil on other side of sheet. Roast until chicken is cooked through and broccoli starts to brown at edges, about 15 min.

Cut off top and bottom of remaining orange. Cut off peel and white pith, so flesh is showing. Slice into rounds, then halve. Slice chicken. Stir green onions into rice and divide among bowls. Top with chicken, broccoli, orange, microgreens and cashews. Drizzle with reserved 1/3 cup (75 ml) marinade and any pan juices. Serves 4.

From Chatelaine