Eye for a Recipe

This hearty dish from Food and Wine combines spicy pork sausages with tomato sauce and garlic-rosemary white beans. Soak and cook the dried beans. Brown the sausages and set aside. Cook onion and garlic, add hot red pepper flakes, wine, tomatoes, water and fish sauce, return the sausages to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove sausages when they are cooked, slice into thirds and return to the pan. Divide the warm, cooked beans among serving bowls and spoon the sauce and sausages over them. Garnish with arugula and cheese. Cook’s note: I omitted the arugula.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Free From hot Italian sausages, Blue Menu tomatoes and Cock fish sauce; all are free of additives. Check the red pepper flakes to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I used a wine from Frogpond Farm that contains a sulphite level below 10 parts per million. Genuine Parmesan cheese contains no additives; look for the name stamped on the rind.

White beans with sausage and arrabbiata sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound (454 g) dried white beans (such as Marcella beans or cannellini beans)

2 dried bay leaves

1 (6-inch/15-cm) rosemary sprig

3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for garnish

1 ½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) kosher salt, plus more to taste

5 medium garlic cloves, smashed, divided

1 pound (454 g) spicy Italian pork sausage

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup/250 ml)

1 teaspoon (5 ml) crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine

1 (28-ounce/796 ml) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

1 ½ cups (375 ml) water

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce

Arugula, fresh lemon juice, and shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preparation:

Place beans in a 6-quart (6 L) pot. Add water to cover beans by 2 inches (5 cm). Refrigerate, covered, at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours.

Add bay leaves, rosemary sprig, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil, salt, and 2 garlic cloves to pot with beans. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. Season with additional salt to taste. Set beans aside; keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add sausages; cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to prevent overbrowning.) Transfer sausages to a plate, reserving drippings in skillet. Add onion and remaining 3 garlic cloves to skillet. Cook over medium, stirring often, until onion is softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Add wine, and cook, stirring often, until nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, water and fish sauce; bring to a simmer over medium, stirring occasionally. Return sausages and any accumulated juices on plate to skillet; cook over medium, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until sauce has thickened slightly and flavours meld, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove sausages when fully cooked through. (Sausages should register between 160°F and 165°F/71°C and 73°C.) Season tomato mixture with additional salt to taste. Slice sausages diagonally into thirds and nestle pieces back into sauce.

Divide beans evenly among serving bowls, and spoon sauce and sausages evenly over beans. Lightly dress arugula with olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Garnish bowls with arugula mixture and shaved Parmesan. Serves 4-6.

From Food and Wine

This tasty recipe from Food and Wine combines cubes of seared steak with tomatoes, onion, scallions and a soy-mirin sauce. Cook’s note: I omitted the nuts and fried garlic.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used tamari instead of soy sauce, Yoshi brand mirin and Foreway sesame oil—all are additive free.

Sear the steaks

Prepare the other ingredients

Make the sauce

Beef poke

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pounds (566 g) 1-inch-/2.54-cm thick beef tenderloin steaks

1 ¼ teaspoons (6.25 ml) kosher salt

1 tablespoon (15 ml) canola oil

¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce

3 tablespoons (45 ml) mirin

2 tablespoons (30 ml) toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) light brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) cornstarch

2 teaspoons (10 ml) minced garlic, divided

1 cup (250 ml) grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2/3 cup (165 ml) sliced sweet onion

1/3 cup (82.5 ml) sliced scallions, plus more for garnish

3 tablespoons (45 ml) roughly chopped salted roasted macadamia nuts, plus more for garnish

1 ½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) fresh lime juice

Fried garlic, for garnish

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation:

Place steaks on a plate, and season evenly with salt. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature 1 hour.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over high until shimmering. Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Add steaks to skillet; cook 2 minutes per side. Turn and sear edges of steaks until browned, about 1 minute. Remove steaks from skillet, and transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. Wipe skillet clean.

Meanwhile, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic in skillet; bring to a simmer over medium, whisking and scraping bottom of skillet. Simmer, whisking constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens to a loose, syrup-like consistency, 15 to 30 seconds.

Cut steaks into ½-inch (1.25-cm) cubes. Stir together steak, tomatoes, sweet onion, scallions, macadamia nuts, lime juice, soy sauce mixture, and remaining 1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic in a medium bowl until combined. Garnish with fried garlic and additional scallions and macadamia nuts. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine

This recipe from Food and Wine includes marinating pork chops in a spiced yogurt sauce prior to cooking. The yogurt tenderizes the pork and adds flavour. Once you have cooked the chops, set them aside to rest and make a quick shallot-wine-mustard sauce to serve with the meat.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I use Astro Balkan-style yogurt, which is free of additives. Keen’s mustard powder is free of colour and additives. Check the celery seeds to make sure they don’t contain anti-caking agents. I used a white wine from Frogpond Farm that has a sulphite level below 10 parts per million, butter that contains only cream and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon mustard.

Yogurt-marinated pork chops with white wine-shallot sauce

Ingredients:

3 cups (750 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt, plus more as needed, or 6 cups (1.5 L) yogurt whey

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon (15 ml) mustard powder

1 teaspoon (5 ml) celery seeds

6 (8-ounce/227 g) bone-in pork chops (loin or rib-cut chops)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) kosher salt

1 tablespoon (15 ml) black pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided

2 medium shallots, minced (about ½ cup/125 ml)

½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine

2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, sliced

1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard

Preparation:

In a large, flat-bottomed container, stir together yogurt or yogurt whey, garlic, mustard powder, and celery seeds. Add pork chops, turning to coat; add more yogurt if needed to fully coat pork chops. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours.

About 30 minutes before cooking, remove pork chops from marinade, and place on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Discard marinade. Pat pork chops dry using paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, rubbing liberally on both sides of pork chops.

Heat a 12-inch (30-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium-high until very hot, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, swirling to coat skillet; add 3 pork chops. Sear until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip pork chops, and cook until seared on other side, meat is just slightly pink in centre, and a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork chops registers 145°F (63°C), 3 to 4 minutes, reducing heat if exterior gets too brown before pork chops are cooked through. Transfer pork chops to a clean plate; tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Wipe skillet clean and repeat cooking process with remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil and remaining 3 pork chops.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add shallots to skillet, and cook, stirring often, until soft and caramelized, about 3 minutes. Pour wine into skillet; using a spatula, scrape up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Cook until wine is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes; turn off heat, and stir in butter and Dijon mustard. Pour sauce over pork chops. Serves 6.

From Food and Wine

This new take on the classic puttanesca sauce from Food and Wine is delicious. Cook linguine until just short of al dente and reserve some of the cooking water. While the pasta is cooking, sauté scallion bulbs, garlic, anchovies, capers and hot jarred chiles. Add wine and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add olives and scallion greens, season with pepper and remove from heat. Add the cooked pasta and cooking water and toss until the pasta is done and lightly coated in sauce. Fold in arugula and parsley and serve.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Unico anchovies, Unico capers and President’s Choice garlic-stuffed green olives. I couldn’t find jarred Calabrian chiles that did not have sulphites added, but I did find Tutto Calabria brand Calabrian chili sauce that was additive free, so I used it instead. I used a white wine from Frogpond Farm that has a sulphite level below 10 parts per million.

Cook onions, garlic, anchovies, capers and chilies in oil.

Stir in remaining ingredients and toss - fold in parsley and arugula before serving

Ingredients:

1 pound (454 g) uncooked linguine

2 medium spring onions

½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 (2-ounce/57 g) can flat anchovy fillets in oil, drained

¼ cup (60 ml) capers, drained

1 tablespoon (15 ml) finely chopped jarred Calabrian chiles

½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine

1 cup (250 ml) Castelvetrano olives, pitted and coarsely crushed

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) black pepper

3 cups (750 ml) loosely packed baby arugula

½ cup (125 ml) loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high. Add linguine; cook, stirring occasionally, until 2 minutes short of al dente (pasta will finish cooking in sauce). Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup (250 ml) cooking liquid.

While pasta cooks, thinly slice spring onions, separating bulbs from greens. Heat olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium. Add spring onion bulbs, garlic, anchovies, capers, and chiles. Cook, stirring often, until spring onion bulbs are softened and anchovies are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook, stirring often, until almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in olives and spring onion greens; cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with black pepper.

Add cooked pasta and reserved cooking liquid to skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high; cook, tossing vigorously, until pasta is al dente and coated in a light sauce, about 3 minutes. Fold in arugula and parsley. Divide evenly among 4 bowls and serve immediately. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine

This delicious recipe from Food and Wine is based on the classic roast chicken with bread salad dish from Zuni Café in San Francisco. Stuff garlic and thyme under the chicken skin, sprinkle with salt and pepper and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24-48 hours. This dry-brining technique results in beautifully seasoned meat and crispy skin. Bake cubed bread for the salad and toss the croutons with salad dressing, scallions, garlic, currants and pine nuts. Then bake the bread salad for about 25 minutes and set aside. Roast the chicken in a cast-iron skillet and while it rests toss the pan drippings with the bread salad in a large bowl. Add greens and more dressing to the salad just before serving. Serve the chicken with the bread salad. Cook’s note: I used skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken, raisins instead of currants and baby arugula for the greens.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Eden Organic red wine vinegar to soak the currants and also for the dressing. Ace Bakery bread is usually free of additives. Check the currants and pine nuts to be sure they are free of sulfites and other preservatives.

Stuff garlic and thyme under chicken skin

Dry brining seasons and the meat and makes the skin crispy

Add greens and more dressing to the salad just before serving

Zuni chicken and bread salad

Ingredients:

Roast chicken

1 (3 ½ – to 4-pound/1.6-1.8 kg) free-range whole chicken

4 (4-inch/10-cm) thyme sprigs

4 small garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped

3 ½ teaspoons (17.25 ml) fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) black pepper

Bread salad

1 tablespoon (15 ml) warm water (90°F to 110°F/32°C to 43°C)

1 teaspoon (5 ml) red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) dried currants

¾ cup (187.5 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Champagne vinegar

¾ teaspoon (3.75 ml) fine sea salt

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper

½ pound (226 g) day-old, open-crumb, chewy, rustic bread loaf (not sourdough), cut into large (2-inch/5-cm) chunks (about 2 ½ cups/635 ml)

4 medium scallions (about 2 ounces/56 g), trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise (about ¾ cup/187.5 ml)

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1 tablespoon/15 ml)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) pine nuts

4 cups (1 L) lightly packed greens (such as chicory, escarole, or radicchio) (about 4 ounces/113 g)

Preparation:

Make the roast chicken

Gently loosen skin from chicken breasts and thighs using your fingers. Stuff thyme and garlic under skin, spreading in an even layer. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.

Make the bread salad

Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Stir together 1 tablespoon (15 ml) warm water and red wine vinegar in a small bowl; add currants, and soak until plumped, about 10 minutes. Drain currants; set aside.

Whisk together ½ cup (125 ml) olive oil and Champagne vinegar in a small bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper.

Toss together bread and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet until well combined. Bake in preheated oven until lightly toasted, 8 to 12 minutes, flipping bread once halfway through baking time. Let stand on baking sheet until cool enough to handle, 5 to 10 minutes; tear bread into smaller, bite-size (1- to 1 ½ -inch/2.54- to 3.8-cm) pieces. Toss bread with three-quarters of dressing (about ½ cup/125 ml) in a large bowl, and let stand until bread absorbs liquid, about 15 minutes.

Heat ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) olive oil in a 10-inch (25-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium-low. Add scallions and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in pine nuts. Transfer to bowl with bread. Add currants and toss until well combined.

Spoon bread salad into a shallow 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish. Cover loosely with aluminum foil; bake in preheated oven until heated through, about 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until tops of bread cubes are dry and bottoms are lightly browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 500°F (260°C). Wipe skillet clean, and transfer to oven to preheat for 8 minutes. Remove heated skillet from oven and add remaining 1 ½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) oil to hot skillet, swirling to coat. Pat chicken dry, and carefully place in skillet, breast side up. Roast until juices run clear when a thigh is pierced using a knife and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion of breast and thigh registers at least 160°F to 165°F (71°c to 73°C), 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and let rest, uncovered, 10 minutes.

Tilt chicken and cutting board over skillet and drain juices into drippings. Skim fat from juices in skillet and bring to a simmer over medium-low; stir and scrape bottom of skillet to soften any hard golden drippings using a wooden spoon, about 1 minute. Return bread salad to large bowl; drizzle with a spoonful of pan juices, and toss. Add greens and remaining 3 tablespoons (45 ml) dressing; fold until well combined.

Cut chicken into pieces. Arrange bread salad mixture and chicken on a platter. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine

This recipe from Food and Wine enhances the flavours of heirloom and cherry tomatoes by marinating them with onions in a dressing of oil, vinegar, oregano and garlic. Cook’s notes: I used chicken thighs instead of cutlets and added feta cheese to the tomatoes and onions just before serving. I also brushed the bread with oil and grilled it until toasted.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Eden Organic red wine vinegar and Ace Bakery bread, which are both additive free. Check the dried oregano to make sure it doesn’t contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Marinate the tomatoes and onions

Grill chicken and serve over tomato mixture. along with crusty bread

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

6 tablespoons (90 ml) sherry or red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons (7.25 ml) dried oregano

1 small garlic clove, grated

2 teaspoons (10 ml) kosher salt, divided

¾ teaspoon (3.75 ml) black pepper, divided

12 ounces (340 g) small heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges (about 2 cups/500 ml)

8 ounces (227 g) cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes, halved (about 1 ½ cups/375 ml)

1 medium-size red onion, thinly sliced crosswise into rings (about 2 cups/500 ml)

8 chicken breast cutlets

Crusty bread, for serving

Preparation:

Whisk together oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt, and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pepper in a large bowl or baking dish. Add tomatoes and onion; toss well. Let marinate at room temperature, tossing occasionally, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Brush chicken with oil, and season with remaining 1 ½  teaspoons salt (7.5 ml) and ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pepper. Place chicken on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Slice as desired, or leave whole. Transfer chicken to a serving platter; spoon tomato mixture and any remaining marinade in bowl over chicken. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 6.

From Food and Wine

This dish from NYT Cooking is tasty, healthy and ready in 15 minutes. Add chickpeas, onion, chile and parsley to the lemon-lime-mustard dressing and toss to coat. Cook garlic and red pepper flakes for a minute or two, add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is done. Remove from heat and squeeze lime juice over the shrimp. Serve shrimp on top of the chickpeas, garnished with parsley. Cook’s note: If you have time, make the salad in advance to allow the chickpeas to absorb the dressing.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon and either Unico or Blue Menu chickpeas. Look for frozen shrimp with only salt added as a preservative.

Toss chickpeas, onion, chile and parsley in dressing

Cook the shrimp and then squeeze lime juice over them

Spicy shrimp and chickpea salad

Ingredients:

1 medium lemon, zested and juiced

1 lime, zested and halved

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

5 tablespoons (75 ml) olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 (15-ounce/443 ml) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ small red onion, diced (about ¼ cup/60 ml)

1 jalapeño chile, cut into thin coins or seeded and diced

1 packed cup (250 ml) parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) red-pepper flakes

1 pound (454 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined, patted dry

Preparation:

In a large serving bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, lime zest and mustard. Whisk in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Add the chickpeas, onion, chile and most of the parsley (reserving some for garnish) and toss to coat with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, pulling the pan from the heat briefly if it seems like the garlic is burning.

Add the shrimp to the pan, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat with the garlic and oil. Cook until the shrimp are pink all over with a golden crust in parts, stirring and flipping the shrimp halfway through, about 4 to 6 minutes total. Turn off the heat, then squeeze the lime juice over the shrimp in the pan, stirring to combine and scraping up anything on the bottom of the pan to coat the shrimp.

Serve the shrimp on top of the salad. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

This recipe from Food and Wine is a one-pan meal of chicken, potatoes and leeks, topped with a gremolata of parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest, garlic and salt. Make the gremolata and set aside. Place potatoes, leeks and garlic in roasting pan and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Add broth and place chicken on top. Roast about 40 minutes, basting halfway through.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the pine nuts do not contain preservatives. I used Imagine Organic chicken stock.

Place chicken on top of vegetables

Roast until chicken is done and vegetables are tender

Serve topped with the gremolata

Ingredients:

Gremolata

1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, tough stem ends removed

⅓ cup (85 ml) pine nuts, toasted

1 tablespoon (15 ml) grated lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon/5 ml)

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) kosher salt

Chicken

1 ½ pounds (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 medium potatoes), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into ½ -inch-thick (1.25-cm) wedges

3 medium leeks, cut crosswise into ¾ -inch-thick (2-cm) pieces (about 4 cups/1 L)

1 garlic head, cloves separated and peeled (10 to 12 cloves)

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) kosher salt, divided

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper, divided

½ cup (125 ml) chicken broth

4 pounds (1.8 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and legs (about 12 pieces), trimmed

Preparation:

Gremolata

Combine parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest, and garlic on a cutting board. Sprinkle with salt, and finely chop mixture together. Transfer gremolata to a bowl and set aside.

Chicken

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C) with rack 8 inches (20 cm) from heat. Arrange potatoes, leeks, and garlic cloves in bottom of a large broiler-safe roasting pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt and ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pepper. Toss to coat. Pour broth into roasting pan.

Arrange chicken pieces, skin side up, on top of vegetable mixture in roasting pan. Brush chicken evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil; sprinkle evenly with remaining ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pepper.

Roast in preheated oven on rack 8 inches (20 cm) from heat until vegetables are tender and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 165°F (74°C), 40 to 45 minutes, spooning pan juices over chicken after about 20 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to broil. (Do not remove roasting pan from oven.) Broil until chicken skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.

Transfer chicken pieces and vegetables to a platter. Spoon sauce from roasting pan over chicken; scatter generously with gremolata (about ¾ cup/187 ml). Serve hot alongside any remaining gremolata for sprinkling. Serves 6.

From Food and Wine

This quick and easy recipe from Food and Wine combines sausages with bell peppers and onions, simmered in a tomato-garlic-vinegar sauce. Brown the sausage and set aside. Cook the peppers and onions, add tomato paste, garlic and spices and then stir in broth and vinegar. Reduce the liquid and then transfer the skillet to a pre-heated oven and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the sausages are done.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Free From hot Italian sausages, No Name tomato paste, Imagine Organic stock and Eden Organic red wine vinegar. Check the crushed red pepper to make sure it does not contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Brown the sausages

Cook the onions and peppers

Return the sausages to the pan and roast until done

Ingredients:

4 (6- to 7-ounce/170- to 198-g) sweet or hot Italian pork sausages

3 medium bell peppers (mix of yellow, red, and green), sliced

1 large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1 ½ tablespoons/22.5 ml)

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) kosher salt

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) crushed red pepper

1 cup (250 ml) lower-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Prick Italian sausages all over using a knife. Place sausages in a cold large ovenproof skillet. Cook over medium-high, flipping occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 14 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Do not wipe skillet clean.

Add bell peppers and onion to skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are well coated in tomato paste and garlic is tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Boil, stirring often, until liquid has almost completely reduced, about 6 minutes. Return sausages to skillet.

Transfer skillet to preheated oven, and roast until vegetables are tender and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of sausages registers 160°F (71°C), about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand until cool enough to handle, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine

This recipe from Food and Wine calls for airline chicken breasts, which are skin-on boneless chicken breasts with the drumette attached. I couldn’t find them, so I used skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, which worked just fine. Brown the chicken and set it aside. Cook carrots, oyster mushrooms, small turnips or radishes with butter and herbs and then add scallions and the chicken to the pan. Roast until the chicken is done and then remove it and the vegetables from the pan. While the chicken rests, add wine, herbs and chicken stock to the pan and simmer to reduce it. Add butter. Season the sauce and serve it over the chicken and vegetables.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for butter that contains only cream, with no colour added. I used wine from Frogpond Farm, which has a sulfite level of less than 10 parts per million. Imagine Organic chicken stock is additive-free.

This recipes uses a combination of oyster mushrooms, radishes, carrots and onions

Brown the chicken and set aside

Cook the vegetables with rosemary sprigs

Add the chicken and onions to the pan and roast until done

While the chicken rests, make a quick sauce

Serve the chicken and vegetables with the sauce

Ingredients:

4 (10-ounce/283 g) skin-on airline chicken breasts or skin-on bone-in chicken breasts or thighs

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

¾ teaspoon (3.5 ml) black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

6 small carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch (2.54-cm) pieces (about 1 ½ cups/375 ml)

8 ounces (226 g) fresh oyster mushrooms, halved

6 small hakurei turnips or radishes, trimmed and quartered (about 1 cup/250 ml)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided

6 rosemary and thyme sprigs, divided

2 spring onions, or 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces (about 1 cup/250 ml)

¼ cup (60 ml) rosé wine

½ cup (125 ml) unsalted chicken stock

2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 ¼  teaspoons (6.25 ml) salt and ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) ovenproof skillet over medium. Cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is golden brown and crispy, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reserve drippings in skillet.

Increase heat to high. Add carrots, mushrooms, turnips, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter, 3 herb sprigs, remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pepper; stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add onions and chicken, skin side up. Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 160°F (71°C), 18 to 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken and vegetables among 4 plates; reserve drippings in skillet.

Return skillet to heat over high. Add rosé and remaining 3 herb sprigs; cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Add stock, and bring to a simmer over high. Simmer until reduced by one-third, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons butter; season to taste with salt. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine