Eye for a Recipe

This delicious recipe from NYT Cooking is a popular Senegalese dish of chicken, onions and peppers. Marinate the chicken in a mixture of scallions, thyme, vinegar, lime juice and oil. Brown the chicken and set aside. Then cook the onions, adding peppers, garlic, ginger, bay leaves and mustard once the onions have started to brown. Return the chicken to the pan, add some water and simmer until it is cooked through and tender. Cook’s note: I served this with asparagus instead of rice.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lime juice; concentrates contain sodium benzoate. I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon mustard.

Brown the chicken and set aside

Cook the onions until they start to brown

Add the peppers and seasoning

Return chicken to the pan and cook until done

Chicken Yassa

Ingredients:

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (2 ½ to 3 pounds/1.13 to 1.36 kg)

4 scallions, trimmed, whites and greens finely chopped

2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh thyme, finely chopped (or 2 teaspoons/10 ml dried)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

½ cup (125 ml) lime juice (from 3 or 4 limes), plus more as needed

4 tablespoons (60 ml) peanut, vegetable or canola oil, plus more as needed

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 pounds (900 g) yellow onions, halved and sliced ½-inch (1.27-cm) thick

1 green bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into thin matchsticks

1 whole Scotch bonnet chile, poked with a fork (or 1 whole habanero chile, 1 to 2 minced jalapeños, or ½ to 1 teaspoon/2.5 to 5 ml red-pepper flakes)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 teaspoons (20 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger

3 fresh or dried bay leaves

2 teaspoons (10 ml) Dijon mustard (optional)

Cooked rice, for serving

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine the chicken legs with the scallions, thyme, vinegar, ¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

If using a grill or grill pan, heat it over high; if using a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil over medium-high. (If cooking indoors, pat the chicken dry, discarding marinade, then brush the chicken lightly with oil.) Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.

Working in batches if necessary, grill or sear the chicken until browned on both sides, 6 or 7 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 ml) oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the onions in an even layer, season with salt and pepper, and let sear without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir occasionally to prevent onions from burning at the bottom of the pot, and allow onions to cook until they start to caramelize and take on some color, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, chile, garlic, ginger, bay leaves and the mustard (if using), and continue stirring, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of water as needed to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pot, another 5 minutes. Stir in another ¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice, and season with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) salt and 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pepper.

Add the grilled chicken into the pot, tucking it under the onions, then top with 1 cup (250 ml) water. Stir well, smooth mixture gently into an even layer, cover and simmer over medium until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes.

Season to taste and add more lime juice to taste, if desired. Serve chicken over rice, with onion mixture and sauce drizzled generously on top. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

If you are trying to eat more meatless meals, try this hearty cheesy white bean-tomato bake from Cooking NYT. Fry some sliced garlic, stir in tomato paste, add canned white beans, water and seasoning. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes. To brown the top, broil for a minute or two.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used No Name tomato paste and Blue Menu white kidney beans. No Name pizza mozzarella cheese is additive- and colour-free.

Layer ingredients and bake

Broil for a minute or two to brown the top

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

3 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons (45 ml) tomato paste

2 (15-ounce/425 g) cans white beans (such as cannellini/white kidney beans, Great Northern beans) or chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup (125 ml) boiling water

Kosher salt and black pepper

⅓ pound (150 g) mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 1 1/3 cups/335 ml)

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 475 degrees F(246 C). In a 10-inch (25-cm) ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic until it’s lightly golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste (be careful of splattering) and fry for 30 seconds, reducing the heat as needed to prevent the garlic from burning.

Add the beans, water and generous pinches of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then bake until the cheese has melted and browned in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. If the top is not as toasted as you’d like, run the skillet under the broiler for a minute or 2. Serve at once. Serves 4.

From Cooking NYT

This nutritious quick sheet-pan meal includes chicken, chickpeas, squash and dates. Toss the chicken, chickpeas and squash with oil and arrange on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, add the dates, and roast for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked, the squash is tender and the chickpeas are crisp. While the roasting is underway, mix up a relish of olives, parsley, capers and lemon juice to serve with the meal. Cook’s note: I used acorn squash and individual skin-on, bone-in chicken drums and thighs instead of whole legs.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Blue Menu chickpeas, Parnoosh dates, President’s Choice garlic-stuffed green olives and Unico capers—all are additive free. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice, as the concentrates contain preservatives.

Arrange chicken, squash and chickpeas on baking sheet

Add dates after about 20 minutes, roast for another 20-25 minutes and serve

Ingredients:

2 pounds (900 g) delicata squash (about 2 large squash), scrubbed, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick (2.54-cm) pieces

1 (15-ounce/425 g) can chickpeas, rinsed

½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (about 3 pounds/1.4 g)

4 ounces (113 g) pitted large Medjool dates (about 6), quartered lengthwise

½ cup (125 ml) pitted green olives (about 2 ounces/56 g), coarsely chopped

½ cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon (15 ml) drained capers, plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) caper brine

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C). On a rimmed baking sheet, combine squash and chickpeas with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) oil; season well with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread in an even layer. Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil, season with salt and pepper, and arrange on top, skin-side up. Roast for 20 minutes, then stir in dates, and roast until squash is golden and chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes longer.

While the mixture roasts, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) oil with the olives, parsley, capers and caper brine, and lemon juice. Season the olive relish with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Divide the roasted chicken, squash, dates and chickpeas among plates. Stir any pan juices into the relish, then spoon the relish on top of each serving. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

This sheet-pan recipe from NYT Cooking makes a quick and satisfying supper. Put the sheet pan in the oven while it preheats (I cover the pan with foil for easy clean-up). Toss sausages, sprouts and potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. Place on the hot sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix up the honey-mustard sauce. When the 15 minutes are up, drizzle the sausages and vegetables with the sauce and toss. Roast for another 10 minutes or until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Free-From hot Italian sausages and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon Mustard.

Toss sausages and vegetables in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread on baking sheet

After 15 minutes, toss ingredients with honey-mustard sauce and continue cooking until sausages are done and vegetables are tender

Ingredients:

1 pound (454 g) fresh sausage, such as sweet or hot Italian, or bratwurst

1 pound (454 g) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise

1 pound (454 g) small potatoes, like baby Yukon gold or red potatoes, halved

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 teaspoons (20 ml) honey

1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon (15 ml) yellow mustard seeds (optional)

¼ cup (60 ml) almonds or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C), and place a sheet pan in the oven. Score the sausages in a few places on both sides, making sure not to cut all the way through. Transfer to a large bowl with the brussels sprouts, potatoes and 2 tablespoons olive oil, and stir until coated. (If the mixture seems dry, add a little more oil.) Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the mixture in an even layer on the heated baking sheet, and arrange the vegetables cut-sides down. Roast 15 minutes, until the brussels sprouts and potatoes start to soften. (The sausages will not be cooked through yet.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the honey, mustard and mustard seeds, if using.

Drizzle the honey mustard over the sausages and vegetables, and toss or shake to coat. Flip the sausages. Sprinkle with almonds, if using. Roast until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are golden and tender, another 10 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking