Eye for a Recipe

This salad from Evergreen Kitchen is light and delicious. Warm spices and garlic in oil and add chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes and remove from heat. Prepare couscous, add lemon juice and add the chickpea mixture. Add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, basil, and mint and toss everything together. Sear the halloumi until golden brown, tear into pieces and serve over the couscous.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I used Blue Menu chickpeas, President’s Choice couscous and Saputo halloumi. All are additive-free.

Halloumi couscous salad with lemon

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely grated (ideally on a microplane, otherwise minced)

2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground cumin

1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) ground coriander

1½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) fine sea salt

¼ to ½ (1.25 to 2.5 ml) teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 15 oz (398 ml) can chickpeas, rinsed

1½ cup (375 ml) couscous

1½ cup (375 ml) boiling water (from kettle or stove)

½ cup (125 ml) fresh lemon juice

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

12 oz (340 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup (250 ml) thinly sliced red onion

1 cup (250 ml) chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup (250 ml) chopped fresh basil

½ cup (125 ml) chopped fresh mint

8.8 oz (250 g) halloumi cheese, sliced ¼-inch (0.5-cm thick)

Preparation:

Warm spices and chickpeas: In a large nonstick skillet, combine olive oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and red pepper flakes. Warm over low heat until the spices begin to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and cook, stirring frequently, until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Prep couscous: Meanwhile, add couscous to a large bowl and pour the boiling water over top. Immediately cover the bowl with a baking sheet or plate, to trap in the steam. Let steam for 5 minutes undisturbed, or until water is fully absorbed and couscous is tender. Pour in lemon juice. Use a fork to gently fluff the couscous.

Combine: Pour the oil and chickpea mixture over the lemony couscous (scrape as much oil as you can into the bowl, then set aside the skillet without wiping it down). Toss to mix. Add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, basil, and mint. Toss again, to mix. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Sear halloumi: Reheat the nonstick skillet over medium heat. Arrange the halloumi in the skillet and cook until both sides are golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Tear halloumi into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle over the salad, then serve. Serves 6.

From Evergreen Kitchen

This delicious pizza from Evergreen Kitchen combines the traditional flavours of tomato sauce and oregano with red pepper, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and feta cheese. Serve the pizza garnished with arugula, pesto, Parmesan and hot pepper flakes. Cook’s note: I used green olives instead of Kalamata and omitted the pesto.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make your own pizza dough with flour, salt, water, sugar, yeast and olive oil or check store-bought dough for additives or preservatives. I used Unico pizza sauce, which is additive free. Check the dried oregano and hot pepper flakes for colour and anti-caking agents. I used No Name pizza mozzarella, President’s Choice garlic-stuffed olives, Aurora sun-dried tomatoes, Unico capers, Tre Stelle feta and No Name pine nuts. Genuine Parmesan (look for the name stamped on the rind) is additive free.

Mediterranean pesto pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza

1 lb (454 g) home-made or store-bought pizza dough

1 to 2 tbsp (15-30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup (125 ml) pizza sauce

½ tsp (2.5 ml) dried oregano

2 cups (500 ml) shredded mozzarella

1 medium shallot, minced (¼ cup/60 ml)

1 small red bell pepper, diced

¼ cup (60 ml) pitted and sliced Kalamata olives

3 tbsp (45 ml) drained and minced sun-dried tomatoes

2 tbsp (30 ml) drained capers

½ cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

2 cups (500 ml) lightly packed arugula

Pesto, home-made (recipe below) or store-bought

Parmesan cheese

Red pepper flakes

Pesto

2 cups (500 ml) fresh basil, packed

½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup (60 ml) pine nuts

¾ cups (180 ml) extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

Preparation:

Pesto

Whirl basil cheese pine nuts and garlic in food processor. Add oil in thin stream while processor is running.

Pizza

Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 475 F (240 C). Set aside two large baking sheets.

Cut the pizza dough into two equal portions. Loosely cover one portion of dough with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. On a lightly floured work surface using your hands or a rolling pin, stretch or roll one portion of dough into an 8-inch (20 cm) circle. Transfer it to one of the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough and transfer it to the second baking sheet.

Lightly brush the olive oil over the stretched dough. Evenly divide and spread the pizza sauce over each pizza leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) border around the edge, then sprinkle with the oregano. Over each pizza, spread ½ cup (125 ml) of the mozzarella over the pizza sauce. Sprinkle each pizza evenly with the shallot, bell pepper, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and capers. Sprinkle each pizza with ½ cup (125 ml) of the remaining mozzarella. Divide the feta between the pizzas and season generously with black pepper.

Bake the pizzas, one at a time, until the crust is golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted, 10 to 14 minutes. Top with the arugula, drizzle with pesto and sprinkle with Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if using. Makes two 8-inch (20-cm) pizzas.

From Evergreen Kitchen

Here’s another delicious recipe from the vegetarian cookbook Evergreen Kitchen. Cook onion, garlic, chipotle peppers and sauce and then add passata, tomatoes and quinoa. Cover and bake until the quinoa is cooked. Stir in pinto beans, corn, cheddar cheese and cilantro. Top with more cheese and broil until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling. Garnish with pickled red onions, scallions and more cilantro.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

La Costena canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are additive free, as are most brands of passata. Unico or Blue Menu diced tomatoes and pinto beans are additive free, as is Green Giant frozen corn. Make sure the cheddar does not contain colour.

Cheesy chipotle quinoa bake

Ingredients:

Pickled red onions

2/3 cup (165 ml) boiling water

1 tbsp (15 ml) granulated or cane sugar

1 tsp (5 ml) fine sea salt

2/3 cup (165 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Quinoa bake

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped (2 cups/500 ml)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, minced + 1 tbsp (15 ml) adobo sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) ground cumin

1 jar (23 fl oz/680 ml) passata

½ cup (125 ml) water

1 can (14 fl oz/398 ml) diced tomatoes

2 tbsp (30 ml) tamari

1 cup (250 ml) dried quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 fl oz/398 ml) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups (375 ml) frozen corn kernels

2 cups (500 ml) shredded aged cheddar cheese (8 oz/227 g), divided

¾ cup (187 ml) chopped fresh cilantro leaves and more for garnish

½ cup (125 ml) quick pickled red onions

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Pickled red onions

Run warm water over a 4-cup (1 L) mason jar to warm the glass.

Pour the boiling water into the jar. Add the sugar and salt, then stir until dissolved. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and add the sliced red onion. Use a spoon to press the onions down into the liquid. If the onions are not fully submerged, add equal parts of additional water and apple cider vinegar to cover.

The picked red onions are best enjoyed when soft and light pink. You can enjoy them after 30 minutes of soaking, but they’ll get better over time. Let sit on the counter for 1 hour to cool, seal with the lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Quinoa bake

Place an oven rack in the centre position and preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).

In a large Dutch oven or braiser, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the passata. Use the water to rinse the jar and pour the contents in to the pot. Add the tomatoes and tamari, stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the quinoa.

Cover the pot with a lid and bake for 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is fully cooked.

Remove the chipotle-quinoa from the oven and reposition the oven rack, if needed, so that the top of the pot is 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12 cm) under the broiler. Set the oven to broil.

To the pot, stir in the pinto beans, corn, 1 cup (250 ml) of the cheddar and cilantro. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) cheddar. Broil until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling, 4 to 8 minutes (watch carefully, as broil times vary). Remove from the oven and top with picked red onions, scallions and more cilantro. Serves 6-8.

From Evergreen Kitchen

If one of your resolutions for 2023 is to eat more veggies, try this vegetarian chili from Evergreen Kitchen. The ingredient list is a bit long, but using your food processor to mince the vegetables reduces the prep time. Once everything is in the pot, the chili will be ready in about 35 minutes. Cook’s note: Instead of canned beans and lentils, I used 1 cup (250 ml) of dried kidney beans and 1 cup (250 ml) of dried lentils. I soaked the dried kidney beans overnight, drained them, covered them with cold water and then simmered them until tender. Lentils don’t require soaking; just cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 25 minutes. I topped the chili with sour cream, parsley, red onion, shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used No Name tomato paste, Blue Menu diced tomatoes, Unico roasted red peppers, Imagine Organic stock and La Costena chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Check the dried spices for colour and anti-caking agents. If you are using canned beans and lentils, Blue Menu and Unico brands are usually additive-free.

Easy veggie chili

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion, quartered (10 oz/283 g)

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 celery ribs, roughly chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced (2 cups/500 ml)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste

1 tbsp (15 ml) ground cumin

2 tsp (10 ml) ground coriander

¾ tsp (7.5 ml) smoked sweet paprika

2 cans (28 fl oz/796 ml each) diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 can (19 fl oz/540 ml) lentils, drained and rinsed

1 can (14 fl oz/398 ml) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup (165 ml) roasted red peppers from a jar, diced

1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock

3 tbsp (45 ml) tamari

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo, minced + 1 tbsp (15 ml) adobo sauce

Toppings (optional)

Pitted, peeled and chopped avocado

Diced red onion

Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation:

In a food processor, pulse the onion until finely minced. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the carrots and celery to the food processor and pulse until finely minced; keep them in the food processor for now.

In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil, farlic, tomate paste, cuin, corander and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring constantly, until frangrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, lentils, kidney beans, roasted red peppers, vegetable stock, tamari and chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. Stir to mix. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the sweet potato is fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer to thicken slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Ladle the chili into bowls. Garnish with toppings of your choice. Serves 6-8.

From Evergreen Kitchen