Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives include the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, anchovies and black olives. I use Eden Organic brand red wine vinegar, which does not contain sulfites. Look for a Dijon mustard without white wine or sodium benzoate. I use President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon. Read the labels on the anchovies and olives to check for preservatives and colour. I use Unico anchovies and Sardo Organic kalamata olives.

Brush tuna steaks with vinaigrette

Sear until the centre is rare or medium-rare

Pan-Grilled Tuna Steaks with Provencal Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Table salt

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary leaves

¼ cup chopped pitted oil-cured black olives

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

2 minced anchovies

1 minced garlic clove

¾ cup olive oil

6 tuna steaks, 1 inch thick (about 8 ounces each)

Ground black pepper

Preparation:

Whisk vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, mustard, honey, olives, parsley, oregano, anchovies, and garlic together in large bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture until lightly thickened and emulsified. Measure out ¾ cup vinaigrette and set aside for cooking fish. Reserve remaining vinaigrette for serving.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush both sides of fish liberally with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill fish without moving until grill marks form and bottom surface is opaque, about 1½ minutes. Carefully flip, cooking until grill marks form on second side, about 1½ minutes longer for rare (opaque at perimeter and translucent red at center when checked with tip of paring knife) or 3 minutes for medium-rare (opaque at perimeter and reddish pink at center). Transfer to large plate and serve immediately, passing reserved vinaigrette. Serves 6.

Adapted from the May 1, 2010 issue of Cook’s Illustrated

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives are the curry powder and the chickpeas. Look for organic chickpeas, such as President’s Choice Blue Menu. Curry powder may contain colour, so I make my own. The recipe is below.

Roast cauliflower and cherry tomatoes

Add spinach and stir until it wilts

Serve the chickpea curry over rice

Ingredients:

Curry Powder

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp crushed or ground fenugreek seed

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp crushed dried dill

¼ tsp ground mace

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp dried mustard

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix ingredients together.

Chickpea Curry

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced medium

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

4 teaspoons curry powder

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 1/2 ounces baby spinach (2 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Coarse salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cauliflower florets with 1 teaspoon oil and arrange on one side of a rimmed baking sheet. Toss tomatoes with 1 teaspoon oil and arrange in a single layer on other side of sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until florets are softened and browned in spots and some tomatoes are collapsed, 25 minutes. Refrigerate florets and three-quarters the tomatoes until later or proceed with the recipe.

Cook rice according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and gently simmer 8 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until cauliflower is warmed through and chickpeas are tender, 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and cilantro and season with salt. To serve, divide rice among four bowls and top with curry. Serves 4.

From the January/February 2012 issue of Everyday Food

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may have additives and preservatives include the red wine, red wine vinegar, capers and almonds. Look for a red wine with a sulfite content of less than 10 parts-per-million and for red wine vinegar with no sulfites added. I use Eden Organic brand. Check the labels of the capers and almonds to make sure they don’t contain preservatives. I used Unico brand capers and President’s Choice No Name sliced almonds.

Brown the cut-up chicken

Saute carrots, celery and garlic

Add sauce ingredients and browned chicken

Italian Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

One 4-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces (each breast split crosswise)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, cut into ½-inch dice

2 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick

2 celery ribs, cut into ½-inch dice

8 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ cup sugar

1 cup dry light-bodied red wine, such as Chianti

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons capers, drained

¼ cup sliced almonds

Preparation:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off the oil.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the sugar, wine, vinegar, orange juice, capers and almonds and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Boil the pan sauce over high heat until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the skillet until warmed through. Transfer to a plate, spoon the sauce on top and serve. Serves 4.

From the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives are the wine and the stock. Look for a red wine with a sulfite content of less than 10 parts per million. I couldn’t find beef stock, so I substituted Imagine brand chicken stock, which was fine.

Brown the short ribs well

Place browned ribs in a Dutch oven so they fit snuggly in one layer

Brown the vegetables

Add vegetables to ribs, add liquid ingredients and braise

Reduce braising sauce

Serve the ribs with the sauce over egg noodles or mashed potatoes

Ingredients:

4 pieces beef short rib, cut 2-inches (5-cm) wide across the bone (about 3 lb/1.4 kg)

Salt + ground black pepper to taste

2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

2 each: yellow onions, celery stalks, peeled carrots (all cut into 2-inch/5-cm chunks)

5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 sprigs rosemary

2 cups (500 mL) red wine

2 cups (500 mL) low-sodium beef stock

1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Season ribs with salt and pepper.

In large fry pan, heat oil over medium-high. Cook beef, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 10 minutes. Transfer to 4-inch (10-cm) deep casserole or baking dish, bone side down — meat should fit snuggly as possible.

Return fry pan to heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until nicely browned, 5 minutes. Add vegetables to beef along with rosemary. Return fry pan to heat. Add 1 cup (250 mL) wine and stock, scraping up any brown bits. When liquid is hot, pour over meat. Wrap pan tightly with foil. Bake until meat is fork tender, 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

While beef is cooking, place remaining 1 cup (250 mL) wine and sugar in saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce until syrupy, 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Carefully transfer beef to baking dish. Strain braising liquid into saucepan with reduced wine, discarding solids. To reduce the fat in this dish, refrigerate ribs and sauce separately. Before finishing the recipe, remove the solidified fat from the sauce. If you don’t want to wait, bring liquid to boil over medium-high heat. Skim off fat that rises to surface. Reduce liquid until salt level is to your taste, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour sauce over beef. Bake until hot, basting occasionally, 20 minutes. Serves 4.

Adapted from Brad’s Takeout and Eatery recipe published in the December 28, 2011 Toronto Star

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that could include additives and preservatives are the passata, chipotle peppers, black beans, tortillas, cheese and sour cream. Try Molisana brand passata, Herdez canned chipotles in adobo sauce, President’s Choice Blue Menu canned black beans, President’s Choice original flour tortillas and Loblaws No-Name sour cream. If you use low-fat sour cream be sure to check the label, as I find low-fat products tend to contain more additives. Cheddar cheese without colour is relatively easy to find.

Make the enchilada sauce

Brown the ground beef

Layer the tortillas, beef mixture and cheese

Top with sauce and cheese before baking

I browned it for a few minutes under the broiler

Garnish with sour cream and green onions

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 mL) bottled strained tomatoes, (passata)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp (30 mL) chili powder

1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped

1 pinch salt

1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef

2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup (250 mL) rinsed drained canned black beans

¾ cup (175 mL) frozen corn kernels

3 large whole wheat or regular tortillas

1- ¼ cups (300 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese

¼ cup (60 mL) sour cream

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Preparation:

In small saucepan, bring strained tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, oregano, chipotle pepper and salt to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, brown beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with wooden spoon. With slotted spoon, remove beef and set aside. Drain fat from pan.

Add oil to skillet; cook onion over medium heat until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add black beans and corn. Return beef to pan, stirring to combine. Stir in 1 cup of the sauce, mixing well.

Place 1 of the tortillas in greased 8-inch (2 L) square baking dish. Top with 1/4 cup of the cheese and half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers of tortilla, cheese and meat mixture once. Top with remaining tortilla and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Slice and serve garnished with sour cream and green onion. Serves 4.

From the February 2012 issue of Canadian Living

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives are the yogurt and tandoori paste. Look for a Balkan-style yogurt with no artificial ingredients. It is difficult to find spice pastes that are additive-free, so I usually make mine from scratch. A recipe for tandoori paste is below. Also be sure to use fresh lime juice, as concentrates are bitter and usually contain sodium benzoate.

Mix canned salmon with spices, bread crumbs, cilantro, scallions and eggs

Form the salmon mixture into patties

Fry patties for about 4 minutes per side

Serve with raita sauce

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 mL) plain yogurt

1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh cilantro

2 green onions, thinly sliced

¼ English cucumber, coarsely grated and squeezed dry

2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice

1 cup (250 mL) fresh bread crumbs

1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp (15 mL) prepared tandoori paste

2 eggs

¼ tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper

2 cans (213 g each) wild sockeye salmon, drained and flaked

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

Tandoori paste

¼ tsp each of cayenne, salt, coriander, ginger, turmeric, cumin and paprika

2 tbsp plain yogurt

½ tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together.

Preparation:

In small bowl, combine yogurt, 1 tbsp of the cilantro, half of the green onions, the cucumber and lime juice. Set raita dressing aside.

In separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, ginger, tandoori paste, remaining cilantro and green onions, eggs, cayenne pepper and salmon, mixing well. Shape into eight 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick patties.

In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook salmon cakes until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with raita dressing. Serves 4.

From the February 2012 issue of Canadian Living

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredient to watch out for in this recipe is the soy sauce. Use tamari, which is preserved with alcohol instead of sodium benzoate.

Parboil the ribs to cook them and render the fat

Parboiled ribs

Place parboiled ribs on cookie sheet, brush with sauce and broil

Garnish the ribs with sauce and citrus zest

Orange and soy-glazed baby back ribs

Ingredients:

3 ½ pounds baby back pork ribs, cut between bones into individual ribs (18–20 ribs)

1 cup soy sauce, divided

9 garlic cloves, minced, divided

5 teaspoons cumin seeds, divided

3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, divided

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 scallions (white and light-green parts separated from dark-green parts), finely chopped

1 ½ cups fresh orange juice plus zest from 1 orange

3 tablespoons honey

Zest from 1 lemon and 1 lime

Preparation:

Place ribs, ½ cup soy sauce, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp. cumin seeds, and 1 tsp. red pepper flakes in a large pot; add water to cover completely. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cover with lid ajar; cook until ribs are tender, about 2 hours. Drain ribs; set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; add remaining 3 tsp. cumin seeds and 2 tsp. red pepper flakes. Toast lightly until fragrant, about 30 seconds; add remaining 6 minced garlic cloves and white and pale-green scallions. Sauté until just soft, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup soy sauce, orange juice, and honey. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is thick, 12–15 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place ribs on prepared sheet; brush with sauce. Broil until sauce bubbles, 2–3 minutes. Turn, brush with additional sauce, and broil until ribs are heated through and sauce is bubbling, 2–3 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Sprinkle dark-green scallions and citrus zest over. Serves 4-6.

From the January 2012 issue of Bon Appetit

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives and preservatives are the broth, mirin (rice wine vinegar) and soy sauce. I used Imagine brand chicken stock, which is all-natural. Mirin and soy sauce can contain sodium benzoate, so look for tamari instead of soy sauce and a brand of mirin that uses alcohol as a preservative. I used Kikkoman brand aji-mirin.

I used a red pepper and hot banana pepper

Pound chicken breasts and saute until cooked through

Saute peppers until they start to brown

Slice the chicken and serve with the peppers and teriyaki sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth

1/3 cup sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

Steamed short-grain rice, for serving

Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, lightly pounded

2 tablespoons mirin

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons sake

2 large Italian frying peppers, cut into ½-inch strips

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock with the soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sake and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until the teriyaki sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup and syrupy, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned all over and cooked through, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let stand for 5 minutes.

Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until shimmering.

Add the pepper strips and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Transfer the peppers to plates. Slice the chicken breasts crosswise and transfer to the plates. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve with rice. Serves 4.

From the January 2012 issue of Food and Wine

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this recipe that may contain additives are the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Use tamari instead of soy sauce, because it is preserved with alcohol instead of sodium benzoate. I use Marukan brand seasoned rice vinegar and Eden Selected Toasted Sesame Oil.

Marinate the wings in advance and place on rack over baking sheet

Bake until cooked through; then broil for a few minutes to brown then

Korean Hot Wings with Garlicky Soy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp minced gingerroot

1 tbsp sesame oil

1-1/2 tsp granulated sugar

½ tsp pepper

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lb. chicken wings, trimmed

Preparation:

Mix together first eight ingredients in bowl and add chicken wings. Bag and marinate in fridge for 2-24 hours. Arrange wings on rack on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake in 400-degree oven for 20 minutes; turn and bake until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 15 minutes. Broil wings, turning once, until crisp and browned, 1-2 minutes per side. Serve with Garlicky Soy Dipping Sauce. Serves 2-4.

Garlicky Soy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbsp minced green onions

4 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

½ tsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp hot pepper flakes

Preparation:

Mix together all ingredients in small bowl. Makes about ¼ cup.

From December 2003 Canadian Living.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients in this dish that could have artificial ingredients include the butter, which may contain colour, and the feta cheese. Look for butter with one ingredient only: Cream. If you don’t use much butter, keep it in the freezer to preserve it. President’s Choice feta cheese in brine is additive-free.

Saute chopped asparagus and red pepper

Brown the frittata under the broiler for a few minutes before serving

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 mL) butter

2 cups (500 mL) trimmed asparagus, chopped

1 sweet red pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme, (or 1 tsp/5 mL dried)

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

8 eggs

1/4 cup (60 mL) milk

1/3 cup (75 mL) feta cheese, crumbled

Preparation:

In 9- or 10-inch (23 or 25 cm) nonstick ovenproof skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook asparagus, red pepper, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.

In bowl, whisk eggs with milk. Stir into asparagus mixture; sprinkle with feta cheese. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until bottom and side are firm but top is still slightly runny, about 7 minutes. Broil until golden and set, about 1 minute. Serves 4.

From the June 2003 issue of Canadian Living