This delicious recipe from NYT Cooking is quick and easy. Combine brown sugar and fish sauce to make a caramel sauce. Cook shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chile paste briefly, add the caramel sauce and warm it through. Add the shrimp and cook until they are done and coated with sauce, about three minutes. Serve over rice.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Cock brand fish sauce, Tuttocalabria chile sauce and PC Organics frozen shrimp. All are additive-free.

Cook shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chile paste

Add shrimp and caramel sauce

Spicy caramelized shrimp with lemongrass

Ingredients:

2/3 packed cup (165 ml) light brown sugar

5 tablespoons (75 ml) fish sauce

2 pounds (900 g) peeled and deveined medium or large shrimp, patted dry with paper towels

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper

1 ½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) canola oil

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced into rings

3 tablespoons (45 ml) finely minced lemongrass (from 2 stalks)

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 (2-inch-/5-cm-long) piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned

1½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) roasted chile paste or chile-bean sauce

Steamed white rice, for serving

Preparation:

Prepare the caramel sauce: To a heavy medium saucepan, add the light brown sugar and fish sauce and gently heat over medium-low, whisking occasionally, until sugar is fully dissolved and mixture is syrupy, about 5 minutes. (You should have about ½ cup/125 ml.) Set aside caramel.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the shrimp with the pepper and set aside.

In a 2-quart (2 L) clay pot or large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the shallots and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chile paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Pour in the caramel sauce and stir until combined and warmed, about 2 minutes.

Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, just until the shrimp are pink and plump, cooked through and coated with a glossy caramel sauce, about 3 minutes. Serve with steamed white rice. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

This delicious recipe from NYT Cooking yields succulent chicken and crispy golden rice, all on a single sheet pan. Make a lemon-garlic-ginger-turmeric marinade and set 1 tbsp (15 ml) aside. Use the rest to marinate the chicken for a few minutes while you toss cooked rice with salt, scallions and oil. Spread the rice on the sheet pan and top with the chicken. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes. Add lemon juice and oil to the reserved marinade and drizzle onto the rice. Serve topped with more scallions and chopped cilantro. Cook’s note: I substituted long-grain rice for the short-grain rice. If you do the same, watch it carefully as it can brown and dry out more quickly than plumper grains of short-grain rice.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Check the spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Baking cooked rice on the sheet pan makes it crispy

Garnish with scallions and cilantro

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving

6 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh ginger (from 1 2-inch/5-cm piece), finely grated or minced

3 teaspoons (15 ml) kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal or use 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) coarse kosher salt, such as Morton), more as needed

2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground turmeric

2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground coriander

1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks

5 cups cooked short-grain rice (such as sushi rice)

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

5 tablespoons (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

½ cup (125 ml) chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

Preparation:

Place sheet pan on middle rack in oven and heat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C).

While the oven is heating, marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, garlic, ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) of the salt, turmeric, coriander and pepper, and mix well. Transfer 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the turmeric-ginger mixture to a small bowl and set aside for serving. To the large bowl, add chicken and toss until the pieces are well coated; let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, toss the cooked rice with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) salt, scallion whites and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil (the best way to do this is with clean hands). Add a little more oil if needed to fully coat the rice so that it crisps up in the oven.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil to the chicken pieces, tossing well to coat.

Use a large spoon to carefully spread the rice out on the hot sheet pan, then make divots in the rice for the chicken, making sure the sheet pan is exposed. Place chicken, skin side up, in the divots touching the pan. Drizzle the rice and chicken with a little more extra-virgin olive oil.

Roast until the chicken is deeply browned on top, cooked through and the rice is crisp at the edges, 40 to 50 minutes.

Stir a little more lemon juice and olive oil into the reserved turmeric-ginger mixture to thin it out. Use a spoon to dab or drizzle it onto the rice (not the chicken). Stir up the rice on the baking sheet, so the crisp parts get mixed into the soft part of the rice, and the turmeric mixture gets distributed. (Taste rice and add a little more oil, lemon juice and salt if necessary; rice can take a lot of seasoning.) Top everything with scallion greens and chopped fresh cilantro and serve. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

This NYT Cooking take on classic carbonara substitutes orzo for spaghetti and the finished dish resembles risotto. Brown guanciale, pancetta or bacon and set aside. Stir the dry orzo into the fat, add stock and simmer. Once the liquid is mostly absorbed by the pasta, remove from heat and stir in cheese and eggs. Serve sprinkled with more cheese, pepper and reserved bacon.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Free From bacon and Better Than Bouillon to make the stock. Use genuine Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, which do not contain colour or preservatives.

Cook bacon and set aside

This preparation is similar to risotto

Orzotto Alla Carbonara

Ingredients:

3 ½ ounces (100 g) guanciale, pancetta or thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice (2/3 cup/165 ml)

1 ¼ cups/about 9 ounces (312 ml/255 g) dry orzo

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups (750 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed

6 tablespoons (90 ml) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks

Preparation:

Add the guanciale to a large, high-sided skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and crispy all over, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale to a small dish. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the fat from the skillet; reserve the extra fat for another use.

Stir the orzo into the fat in the skillet until coated, then season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly for just a few seconds, then add the chicken broth, raise the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the skillet, until the orzo is tender and loose like risotto, adding more broth as needed, 7 to 9 minutes. At this point, the pasta should have absorbed most of the liquid.

Take the skillet off the heat and vigorously stir in 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the pecorino. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and yolks. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pecorino and ¼ cup (60 ml) of the orzo to temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling when added to the skillet. Stir this mixture into the hot orzo, then immediately shake the skillet with one hand and stir with the other until the orzo is creamy and thick, about 1 minute.

Taste and add salt as desired. Divide among plates and sprinkle with more pecorino, black pepper and the reserved guanciale. Serves 2-4.

From NYT Cooking

This paneer recipe from NYT Cooking is a great vegetarian main dish. Marinate paneer, peppers and onion and then bake on a sheet pan for about 8 minutes. Brush with melted butter and broil a few minutes to brown the paneer. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with flatbread.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Tre Stella paneer and Astro Balkan-style yogurt are additive-free. Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use freshly grated ginger and garlic. Look for butter that contains only cream and use freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Sheet-pan paneer tikka

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds (680 g) paneer (fresh or store-bought), cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) cubes

3 tablespoons (45 ml) neutral oil

3 tablespoons (45 ml) full-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon (15 ml) ginger paste or finely grated ginger (from about a 2 inch piece)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) garlic paste or finely grated garlic (from about 6 cloves)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) coriander powder

1 tablespoon (15 ml) garam masala

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Kashmiri or other red chile powder

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) turmeric powder

Salt

2 medium bell peppers, seeded and chopped into 1-inch (2.54-cm) pieces

1 medium red onion, quartered and each quarter cut into halves

2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted ghee or butter for basting

½ lemon, juiced (about 4 teaspoons/20 ml)

Roti and chutney, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

If using store-bought paneer, soak it in hot water for 10 minutes and drain. Arrange one oven rack in the center of the oven and a second one closest to the broiler heating element. Heat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C). Line a large sheet pan with foil and brush it with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the rest of the oil with yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, coriander powder, garam masala, red chile powder, turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt to make the marinade.

Add paneer, bell peppers and onion to the bowl with the marinade and mix until evenly coated. (If you have the time, marinate the paneer and vegetables for 20 minutes and up to 2 hours for even more flavour.)

On the prepared sheet pan, evenly spread out the marinated paneer and vegetables, and bake on the middle oven rack until the paneer edges start to turn golden, about 8 minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven and brush the paneer with melted ghee. Turn the oven to broil, place the paneer and vegetables on the top rack and broil on high until the paneer turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Take the paneer and vegetables out of the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and additional salt, if desired. Serve with roti and chutney or by itself. Serves 4-6.

From NYT Cooking

This recipe from Canadian Living is quick, spicy and delicious. Make chicken meatballs and bake. Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, ginger and spices in melted butter. Add cream, broth and passata and bring to a boil. Add cooked meatballs to sauce and cook for a few minutes to heat them through. Serve with chopped cilantro and naan bread.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use butter that contains only cream, no colour. I used Better Than Bouillon for the stock, Paese Mio passata and Suraj naan—all are additive-free.

Bake the chicken meatballs

Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce to heat through

Serve meatballs and sauce with rice and naan

Ingredients:

Meatballs

1 lb (454 g) ground chicken

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh ginger

1 tsp (5 ml) chili powder

Salt and pepper

Sauce

3 tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter or ghee

½ small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh ginger

1 tbsp (15 ml) curry powder

1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) ground cumin

1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander

½ tsp (2.5 ml) chili powder

1 ¼ cup (312 ml) 35% whipping cream

1/3 cup (83 ml) chicken broth

1 cup (250 ml) passata

Salt and pepper

Chopped fresh cilantro

Naan bread (optional)

Preparation:

Meatballs

Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In bowl, mix chicken with garlic, ginger and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Using hands, form 12 meatballs; place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake until meatballs are cooked, about 15-20 minutes.

Sauce

Meanwhile, in nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Add curry powder, cumin, coriander and chili powder; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Stir in cream, broth and passata. Bring to boil; cook, stirring often, until sauce has thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes Add meatballs; cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with naan bread if desired. Serves 4.

From Canadian Living

This delicious recipe from NYT Cooking is a hearty one-pot meal that is ready in less than an hour. Brown sausage meat, add tomatoes and simmer. Add dry pasta, water and fresh mozzarella. Top with more mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan. Bake for about 25 minutes, run under the broiler for a minute or two to brown the cheese, top with fresh basil and serve.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Free From hot Italian sausages, Blue Menu whole tomatoes, Mutti strained tomatoes and Tre Stelle mozzarella and ricotta. All are additive-free. Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Genuine Parmesan is free of additives – look for the name stamped on the rind.

Brown the sausage meat

Stir in tomatoes and bay leaves

Stir in pasta and water, fold in mozzarella, top with remaining mozzarella, the ricotta and Parmesan and bake

Broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese, top with fresh basil and serve

Ingredients:

¾ pound (340 g) bulk hot or mild Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey)

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried oregano

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) fennel seeds, coarsely crushed

Pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving (optional)

1 (28-ounce/796-ml) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices

1 (14-ounce/398 ml) can crushed or strained tomatoes

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt

12 ounces (340 g) dried pasta, such as small shells, farfalle or other shaped pasta

8 ounces (227 g) fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

6 ounces (170 g) whole-milk ricotta (about ¾ cup/180 ml)

⅓ cup (83 ml) grated Parmesan

¼ cup (60 ml) basil leaves

Black pepper, for serving

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C). Heat oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.

Stir in pasta and 1 cup (250 ml) water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.

Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you’d like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

This recipe from NYT Cooking is quick, easy and delicious. Brown chicken skin side down, flip, add sliced a sliced chile and continue cooking until the chicken in cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Off heat, add honey and vinegar to the chicken fat in the skillet and combine. Dress torn greens with some of the sauce and serve the rest over the chicken.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use pure honey. Allen’s apple cider vinegar is additive-free.

Skillet hot honey chicken with hearty greens

Ingredients:

2 pounds (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs)

Kosher salt and pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 small hot chile, thinly sliced (such as jalapeño, Fresno or serrano), or to taste

1 large bunch or head of hearty greens, such as escarole, mustard greens or kale (about 6 ounces/170 g)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) honey

1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar

Preparation:

Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil into a large skillet, then add the chicken thighs skin side down.

Set over medium heat and cook, without moving them, until the skin is crisp and deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. If you can’t stand leaving the chicken untouched for this long, use your tongs to press the chicken down into the pan, which promotes even browning.

Flip the thighs over and swirl the chile into the rendered chicken fat. Cook until the meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stem and tear the hearty greens into big bite-size pieces. In a big bowl, toss them with salt and pepper.

Transfer the chicken to serving plates, leaving the fat in the pan. Off the heat, stir the honey and vinegar into the fat until the honey’s melted and everything’s combined. Dress the greens with enough of the sauce to lightly coat, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. (Feel free to eat the chile peppers or leave them behind.) Serve the chicken with the salad, spooning more sauce over the chicken and salad as desired. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

This recipe from Bon Appetit combines thinly sliced seared steak with gochujang, Korean hot pepper paste. Marinate the steak briefly before searing. Make a sauce with sesame seeds, garlic, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, cider vinegar and sugar. Spoon half the sauce on a platter, top with thinly sliced steak and top that with the rest of the sauce. Serve with rice and lettuce leaves to use as wraps.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Gochujang usually contains preservatives, but I used O’Food brand, which is additive-free and available from Amazon.ca. Use tamari instead of soy sauce. I used Lee Kum Kee sesame oil and Allen’s apple cider vinegar.

Sear the steak

Make the sauce

Place sliced steak on top of sauce and top with more sauce and scallions

Serve with rice and lettuce to use as wraps

Ingredients:

2 1″- (2.54-cm-) thick boneless New York strip steaks (about 2 lb./900 g total)

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) plus ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Morton kosher salt

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. (45 ml) sugar, divided

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) sesame seeds

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup (60 ml) gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce, preferably low-sodium

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) apple cider vinegar

6 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

Flaky sea salt, cooked rice, and tender lettuce leaves (for serving)

Preparation:

Place the two New York strip steaks in a medium bowl; rub all over with salt, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, and 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) sugar. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) sesame seeds in a dry medium heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat, tossing often, until evenly dark brown, 5–8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and add 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped, gochujang, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, and remaining 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) sugar; whisk to combine.

Wipe out skillet and return to medium-high heat. When pan is very hot, cook steaks, turning every 2 minutes or so, until deeply browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120 F (49 C)for medium-rare, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Spoon half of gochujang sauce on a platter. Thinly slice steaks against the grain and arrange on platter. Drizzle remaining sauce over. Top with 6 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced, and sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve with cooked rice and tender lettuce leaves alongside for making wraps. Serves 6.

From Bon Appetit

This is another great recipe from Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients Mediterranean. Pull the sausage meat out of its casing to make meatballs, brown them and set aside. Cook vegetables and tomatoes, add feta and meatballs and bake for about a half hour. Cook’s note: I used finely chopped fresh onion, carrot and celery instead of frozen.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Free From hot Italian sausages, Eden butter beans, Unico tomatoes and Krinos feta cheese. All are additive-free.

Remove sausage meat from casings and form into meatballs

Giant baked beans with sausage meatballs

Ingredients:

6 hot Italian sausages (1 lb/454 g)

12 oz (340 g) frozen or fresh chopped mixed onion, carrot and celery

1 x 24 oz (680 g) jar of giant butter beans or 2 x 15 oz (425 g) cans of butter beans

2 x 15 oz (425 g) cans of plum tomatoes

7 oz (200 g) feta cheese

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Place a large non-stick ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil. Pull the sausage meat out of the casings into rustic 1-inch (3-cm) balls and put straight into the pan. Brown all over for 3 minutes, then remove to a plate. Place the mixed veg in the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, then tip in the beans (juices and all). Scrunch in the tomatoes through clean hands, season with black pepper, then bring to the boil. Finely break up and stir through half the feta, dot in the sausage meatballs, then coarsely break the rest of the feta into chunks and scatter on top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden, thick and bubbling away. Serve as is or with a hunk of fresh bread for dunking and mopping up the sauce. Serves 6.

From 5 Ingredients Mediterranean

This recipe from Epicurious.com is a fast and delicious way to prepare fish. Pan-fry the fish and then add garlic, olives and rosemary. Add orange juice and stir. Divide fish and radicchio among plates and spoon the warm vinaigrette over. Cook’s note: I used branzino fillets instead of black bass.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Jesse Tree kalamata olives, which are additive-free.

Fish with warm rosemary-olive vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

4 4-5-ounce (113-141-g) black bass fillets, skin lightly scored

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons (45 ml) black oil-cured olives, pitted, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh rosemary leaves

½ cup (125 ml) fresh orange juice

1 small or ½ medium head radicchio, leaves torn into 1 ½-inch (3.8-cm) pieces (about 3 cups/750 ml)

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper and cook, skin side down, until skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn fish and add garlic, olives, and rosemary to skillet. Cook, stirring garlic, olives, and rosemary occasionally, until fish is opaque throughout, about 3 minutes.

Add orange juice to pan and swirl to combine. Divide radicchio and fish among plates and spoon warm vinaigrette over top. Serves 4.

From Epicurious.com

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