Eye for a Recipe

This recipe from Canadian Living is a perfect quick lunch or supper. Combine the mayo, lemon juice and mustard and add cooked shrimp and chopped pickles, dill, capers and shallot. Place arugula warmed buns and top with the shrimp mixture. Cook’s notes: For a lighter version, use yogurt instead of mayonnaise. I used a baguette instead of hot dog buns.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives.

I used Hellman’s mayonnaise, freshly squeezed lemon juice, PC Organic frozen shrimp, Putter’s dill pickles, Savor capers and an Ace Bakery baguette — all are free of additives, preservatives, artificial colours and flavours.

Tartar sauce shrimp rolls

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

12 oz (340 g) cold water shrimp, patted dry

2 tablespoons (30 ml) finely chopped dill pickles

1 tablespoon (15 ml) capers, rinsed, drained and finely chopped

1 tablespoon (15 ml) finely shopped shallot

1 cup (250 ml) arugula

4 hot dog buns, warmed

Preparation:

In bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, pickles, capers and shallot; mix gently. Place ¼ cup (60 ml) arugula in each bun. Divide shrimp mixture among buns. Serves 4.

From Canadian Living

This delicious cake from the Eat With Us cookbook is made in a cast-iron skillet. Pre-heat the skillet and then coat the hot pan with melted butter. Add the cake batter to the pan, top with strawberries and bake for about 35 minutes. Let cool, then remove the cake from the skillet. Dust with icing sugar, top with more berries and serve.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use butter that does not contain colour. Astro Original Balkan-Style Yogurt is additive free. Use pure maple syrup and pure vanilla extract.

Spread batter in pre-heated cast iron skillet and top with berries

Bake about 35 minutes, cool, and top with icing sugar and berries to serve

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 ml) flour

2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder

½ tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda

¼ tsp (1.25 ml) salt

½ cup (125 ml) plus 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter, room temperature

1 cup (250 ml) Greek yogurt

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup (250 ml) maple syrup

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla

1 cup (250 ml) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise, plus additional for serving

Icing sugar, for serving

Preparation:

Place a 10-inch (25-cm) cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 350°F (177°C).

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk ½ cup (125 ml) of the butter until it is soft and fluffy, then mix in the rest of the butter, yogurt and eggs. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix until just combined.

Remove the skillet from the oven and add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of butter. Using oven mitts to hold the skillet, swirl the butter around to coat the entire pan. Pour in the batter and use the back of a spoon to spread it into an even layer. Top with the strawberries.

Using oven mitts, place the skillet back into the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until the cake is lightly browned and a knife or toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Once the cake has cooled, place on a cake stand and dust generously with icing sugar. Top with additional strawberries. Serves 6-8.

From Eat With Us

This recipe from Half Baked Harvest combines grilled salmon with a hearty salad of orzo, chickpeas, red pepper, tomato, olives, cucumber, avocado, herbs and lemon-infused feta cheese. Healthy, colourful and delicious.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for a balsamic vinegar with no sulphites added, such as La Bonissima brand. Make sure your dried spices don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Tre Stelle feta is additive-free. Roast your own pepper or look for jarred roasted peppers with no additives, such as Pilaros brand. Unico or Blue Menu chickpeas are additive-free. I used President’s Choice garlic-stuffed olives, which contain no preservatives.

Season the salmon before grilling

Serve the grilled salmon with a chickpea and orzo salad

Ingredients:

4 (5-6 ounce/140-170 g) salmon fillets

1 tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons (10 ml) smoked paprika

2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon/15 ml dried oregano)

1 shallot, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced or grated

Red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper

6 tablespoons (90 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1-2 lemons, sliced and seeds removed – use to your taste

8 ounces (226 g) feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup (125 ml) fresh basil, dill, and or mint, chopped

Orzo salad

3 cups (750 ml) cooked orzo

1/3 cup (82 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 cup (250 ml) fresh basil, dill, and or chives, chopped

1 roasted red pepper, chopped

1 (14 ounce/396 g) can chickpeas drained

2 cups (500 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup (125 ml) green olives

½ cup (125 ml) cucumber

1 avocado, diced

Preparation:

Place the salmon in a 9×13 inch (22×33 cm) baking dish. Add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, paprika, oregano, shallot, garlic, and a pinch each of crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Rub the seasonings and oil evenly into flesh. Toss the lemon slices into the oil.

To make the salad. Add the orzo, olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, herbs, and a pinch each of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to a large serving bowl. Add the chickpeas, red peppers, tomatoes, olives, and avocado, toss to combine.

Heat your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium high heat. Place the salmon on the grill, skin side down. Add the lemon slices. Cover and cook until skin is lightly charred, 4-5 minutes, flip the salmon and lemons, grill another 3-4 minutes until opaque. Remove everything from the grill.

Finely chop the lemon slices and mix them with the herbs, crumbled feta, and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the feta to the orzo salad.

Divide the salad between plates. Add the salmon and sprinkle with lemon feta. Top with lots of fresh herbs, and an extra squeeze of lemon, if desired. Serves 4.

From Half Baked Harvest

This recipe, adapted from a variety of fresh tomato-sauce pasta recipes, is a delicious way to use late summer tomatoes, basil, onion and arugula. Marinate chunks of tomato in salt, pepper and olive oil. Sliver red onion and place in an ice-water bath with a little salt to mellow their flavour. Tear handfuls of basil and arugula into bite-sized pieces and use your vegetable peeler to shave off strips of hard cheese, such as Parmesan. When you are ready to eat, cook the pasta and toss with the tomatoes and other ingredients and top with more cheese, pepper and hot pepper flakes.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Genuine Parmesan cheese (look for the name stamped on the rind) is additive-free. Check the hot pepper flakes to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Marinate tomatoes for at least 30 minutes

Arugula, basil and red onion are added to the pasta and tomatoes

Add Parmesan cheese - I had some burrata so I added that too

End-of-summer pasta

Ingredients:

3 or 4 large ripe tomatoes, heirloom if you can get them, cut into chunks

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup (82 ml) olive oil

12 oz (340 g) dried spaghetti

¼ red onion, cut into slivers

1 cup (250 ml) basil

2 cups (500 ml) arugula

½ cup (125 ml) strips of hard cheese, such as Parmesan, shaved off with a vegetable peeler, plus more for serving

Hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:

Add the tomatoes to a glass or ceramic bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes. Add olive oil and let marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Cook the spaghetti in salted water. While the spaghetti cooks, put the red onion in a small bowl with ice water and a pinch of salt. Tear basil and arugula into bite-sized pieces.

Drain the pasta and return to pot. Add about 1/3 of the tomatoes, toss gently and then add the rest of the tomatoes, the drained red onion, the basil, arugula and cheese. Toss gently and serve topped with more cheese, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Serves 4.