Eye for a Recipe

This recipe from Greta Podleski’s Yum & Yummer is a healthy rendition of this popular take-out dish. Marinate the beef while you prepare the sauce and vegetables. Brown the beef and remove from heat. Steam the broccoli, return the beef to the pan, add the onions and add the sauce. Let it bubble for a few minutes and serve, garnished with sesame seeds.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use tamari instead of soy sauce, as it is preserved with alcohol instead of sodium benzoate. I have not been able to find additive-free hoisin sauce, so I make my own; find the recipe here. I used Better Than Bouillon chicken paste instead of beef broth and Lee Kum Kee sesame oil. Both are additive-free. Check the hot pepper flakes and sesame seeds to make sure they don’t contain colour, preservatives or anti-caking agents.

Marinate beef

Brown beef and set aside

Cook vegetables, return beef to pan and add sauce

Ingredients:

Marinade

1 tbsp (15 ml) reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) hoisin sauce

2 tsp (10 ml) grated fresh gingerroot

1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic

1 tsp (5 ml) cornstarch

1 lb (454 g) sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

Sauce

½ cup (125 ml) reduced-sodium beef broth

2 tbsp (30 ml) hoisin sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp (10 ml) grated fresh gingerroot

1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic

1 tsp (5 ml) dark sesame oil

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp (15 ml) peanut oil

4 cups (1 L) broccoli florets

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped green onions

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients until well blended. Add beef and toss to coat evenly with marinade. Let beef stand at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare the sauce and chop vegetables.

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside until ready to use.

Heat peanut oil in a non-stick wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef. Cook and stir until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove beef from wok and keep warm.

Add vegetables and ½ cup (125 ml) of water to wok. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4 minutes, or cooked to your liking (the water helps steam the vegetables. If your wok has a lid use it!).

Return beef to wok, stir in onions and make a well in the centre. Add sauce. Let it bubble a bit, then give everything a good stir and cook until sauce has thickened. Top with toasted sesame seed before serving. Serves 4.

From Yum & Yummer

This recipe from NYT Cooking is a quick and easy fall sheet-pan supper. Toss chicken with oil, crushed fennel seed, salt and pepper. Toss apple, fennel and onion in oil, season with salt and arrange on sheet pan. Top with the chicken and rosemary sprigs. Roast for about 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove rosemary sprigs and broil for a few minutes to brown and crisp the chicken.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the fennel seed does not contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Arrange the apple, fennel and onion on the sheet pan and top with the chicken and rosemary

Sheet-pan chicken with apple, fennel and onion

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons (10 ml) fennel seeds

2½ to 3 pounds (1.1 to 1.4 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry

3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups/375 ml)

1 medium fennel bulb, tough outer leaves removed, cored and thinly sliced (about 1 cup/250 ml)

1 tart apple, such as Mutsu (Crispin) or Granny Smith, halved, cored and cut into 8 wedges

4 sprigs rosemary

Flaky salt, for serving

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425 F (218 C) In a small skillet, toast the fennel seeds over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pound into a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or, alternatively, roughly chop. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil and the fennel seeds and season well with salt and pepper.

Place the onion, fennel and apple slices on the sheet pan. Toss with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt. Spread in an even layer. Add the chicken skin side up on top of the vegetables and lay the rosemary (distributing evenly) on top of the chicken. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the onions, fennel and apples are softened and have begun to caramelize at the edge of the pan.

Turn the oven to broil and move the oven rack to sit right below it. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs and broil the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes until the skin of the chicken is crispy and golden. Season with flaky salt. Serves 4-6.

From NYT Cooking

This potato salad from Chatelaine was a big hit with the family this summer. Boil mini potatoes until tender. Combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and salt in a large bowl and add peppers, tomatoes and olives. Add the potatoes and toss. Arrange greens on a platter and top with warm potato mixture. Sprinkle with feta before serving. Cook’s note: I used multi-coloured mini potatoes and omitted the greens.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. I used Unico roasted red peppers, Savor sun-dried tomatoes, Jesse Tree olives and Krinos feta—all are additive-free.

Greek potato salad with roasted red pepper

Ingredients:

1.5 lb (680 g) mini yellow potatoes

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp (5 ml) dried Greek oregano

½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt

½ cup (125 ml) jarred roasted red peppers, drained and thinly sliced

¼ cup (60 ml) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

1/3 cup (83 ml) pitted kalamata olives, halved

1 5-oz (142-g) package spring mix

1/3 cup (83 ml) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

Add potatoes to a large pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and run under cold water for 30 seconds, until cool enough to handle but still warm. Halve or quarter larger potatoes and set aside.

Whisk oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and salt in a large bowl. Stir in peppers, tomatoes and olives.

Add potatoes to dressing and toss to coat. Arrange spring mix on a platter. Top with warm potato mixture. Sprinkle with feta. Serves 4.

From Chatelaine

This recipe from NYT Cooking produces juicy chicken breasts that don’t stick to the grill. Combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme to make the Dijonnaise. Marinate the chicken in half of the Dijonnaise. Grill the chicken until done and serve with reserved Dijonnaise.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Hellmann’s original mayonnaise, President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon mustard and fresh thyme leaves.

Marinate the chicken in the Dijonnaise

Grill the chicken, turning once

Dijonnaise grilled chicken breasts

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 ml) mayonnaise

½ cup (125 ml) Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

Salt and black pepper

1 teaspoon (5 ml) thyme leaves or dried thyme

1½ to 2 pounds (680 to 907 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry

Preparation:

Heat a grill to medium-high (you can also cook the chicken on the stovetop over medium-high heat, following the same timing). Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard and garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer half to a small bowl and refrigerate until serving.

To the medium bowl with the reserved Dijonnaise, stir in the thyme leaves. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, then transfer to the medium bowl and toss to coat. Let sit at least 15 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight (let it come to room temperature before cooking).

Clean the grill grates (no need to grease; the mayonnaise keeps the chicken from sticking). Scrape excess marinade off the chicken, then grill over direct heat until the chicken unsticks from the grates and is deep golden and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If using a gas grill, cover grill between flips. Discard the chicken marinade. Serve with the small bowl of reserved Dijonnaise alongside. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

This recipe, inspired by America’s Test Kitchen’s Air-Fryer Perfection, makes a great late summer lunch or dinner. Grill sausages, peppers and onion, load into warmed buns and top with your favourite condiments. Cook’s note: To keep onion slices from separating and falling through the grill rack, thread them onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I use Free From hot Italian sausages and Ace Bakery buns, which are additive-free.

Grilled sausage and vegetable subs

Ingredients:

4 mild or hot Italian sausages

1 red pepper, seeded, sides and bottoms sliced off

1 green pepper, seeded, sides and bottoms sliced off

1 red onion, cut into thick slices

Vegetable oil

2 sausage buns

Preparation:

Preheat and grease the grill. Wrap the buns in aluminum foil and warm on the grill. Toss the vegetables with a little vegetable oil. Grill the vegetables, turning once, until charred and tender. Remove from grill and slice into strips. Grill the sausages, turning every few minutes, until they have browned and reached an internal temperature of 160 F (71 C). Place the sausages in the warm buns and top with grilled vegetables. Serves 4.

Adapted from Air-Fryer Perfection