Oh, the little things in life...

There are four summer words in the english language we all love to hear - "Shrimp on the Barbie". Doesn't that sound almost as endearing as, "I love you, please eat"?! It's possibly the easiest way to say these beautiful words; all you need is a Barbie - the fire kind, not one with long blond hair and impossible measurements - shrimp, and a few kitchen staples.

Before I forget, and I do easily forget if a notepad and pencil is not close by, I must tell you about some bacon from a few nights ago... Perfectly crispy, salty and sweet. It's a must try on all accounts, it's bacon with brown sugar, baked in the oven at 375 F. Words actually fail me to describe this phenomenon, it's no wonder Brown Sugar Bacon has, apparently, been all the rave as of late. For one pound of bacon, use 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Place the bacon single file in one or two rimmed rectangle baking dishes. It's a good idea to line the dishes with aluminum foil before lining up the bacon, as brown sugar sure does love to stick! Sprinkle the brown sugar over bacon evenly, bake for 15 - 30 minutes - depending on the thickness of the bacon, and material of the baking dish. I happened to use two different ones: my aluminum pan required just 15 minutes, where the stone pan needed 25. Please do use good quality, naturally smoked bacon. It's not much of a splurge! When finished, drain on paper towels for a minute, then try to hold yourself back and eat only 2 - 3 slices. I am ever so sorry about the lack of photos, I am the first to admit we all need a good photo or two with every recipe. But this one just didn't last, I could hardly hold back the troops, and so not much after the bacon came out of the oven, it was gone. It was just that good.

I bet Brown Sugar Bacon and Shrimp on the Barbie would be amazing together.

Shoot, now I'm hungry. So much for losing a couple of pounds before hitting the beach.

Oh well.

Shrimp! Here's how I love it:

1 lb medium or large uncooked, thawed shrimp, deveined and peeled
3 tbsp grape seed oil
the juice of half a lemon
2 - 3 cloves garlic
pinch white pepper
salt to taste, but only if the shrimp is not already salted (check the package labels)

Combine the marinade, and add the shrimp. Marinade for about 20 minutes at room temperature, then skewer.
Heat the Barbie on high heat. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, until firm and color has changed. Do not over cook, or these beautiful shrimps will be tough and I love you may only come out as I like you, a little.

Harvested some Chives, made some Salmon

Yup, that's right, these chives are fresh, green and beautiful - and - from my backyard. So what, you say? Well, let me tell you, they've been in my backyard since Earth Day, about 6 weeks, and they are not only alive, but thriving! For someone struggling to keep house plants alive, that is a really, super big deal. There just might be hope for me after all... I do have pretty big dreams of a pretty big garden.





I made a decision this week. Salmon is going to be bumped up from splurge to regular item on the weekly grocery list. My love, Paul, immediately throws in some advice - let's beer batter and fry it! And although I may give into this once in a while, salmon is a symbol of heart, brain and skin health to me - deep frying is not. However, if that's how lovey gets excited about fish, then I will oblige. Once a year.





Citron salmon is seasonal, light, and quickly thrown together. It ranks quite high on my favourites list, actually. I especially love that I can drizzle perfectly paired asparagus with a little olive oil and roast them simultaneously. Chardonnay, anyone?





Citron Salmon

half a fillet of whole Salmon (about 2 pounds)
1 Lime
1 Lemon
2 tbsp of Chives
fresh Dill Sprigs
1/2 cup Butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Mix the juice of half the lemon, half the lime, 2 tbsp chopped each dill and chives into the softened butter.
Generously line a casserole dish with aluminum foil. Place the salmon, skin side down, in the dish.
Spread with flavoured butter. Lay about 10 dill sprigs on top of the butter.
Slice the remaining lemon and lime, lay on top of dill.
Enclose everything tightly with the foil. Bake in the 400 F oven for 20 - 30 minutes. Baking time will vary according to the thickness of the salmon. But please, do not over cook! Rather, under cook just a little, and allow the residual heat in the foil to finish cooking it, while sitting on the counter.

Case Study

It's a beautiful spring week day, which means I am spending loads of time out in the yard with the kids, digging for 'fossils' in the sand box, pulling weeds, and sitting on the patio with a cold drink. And unless dinner is prepared on the BBQ, it needs to be made in a flash - I don't want to miss any warm, energizing sun rays! The number 1 misconception of cooking from scratch must be the unavoidable involvement of processed food. I guarantee you, this doesn't have to be the case, fresh is just as fast, but one hundred times tastier. I apologize for yet another pasta dish - it seems as though pastas, breads and soups are what I get excited about, probably because I am confident any home cook rushed for time can make great, fresh food without a ton of time spent (except for the bread, I suppose!). The reason I decided to write about this particular pasta dish is because I have been making a rather similar one when I only have about 20 minutes to spare. This Jamie Oliver version truly knocks it out of the park, and I found it to be an interesting case study in using spices (cinnamon with tuna?), as well as fresh lemon and herbs (I am crazy for these!). There is always that question of, how do I know when to use what herb, when do I add it, and what can I add to bring out the flavour even more? Practicing with existing recipes can open the window of opportunity to create your very own signature dishes.

All the credits for this recipe go to Mr. Jamie. Knowing his passion for passing on a recipe, I am sure he won't mind me passing this one on to you.

Lazy Afternoon Pasta
Serves 4

Olive Oil
1 red or white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 - 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
a bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks chopped
1 x 28oz cans good quality plum tomatoes
2 x 10oz cans good quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb good quality rigatoni or penne (I used seashells)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
a small handful of freshly ground grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a good splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan a cook the onion, chili, cinnamon and basil stalks on medium to low heat for 5 minutes until the onion has softened and is slightly sweet. Turn up the heat and add your tomatoes, tuna and a good pinch of salt. Break the tomatoes up using the back of a spoon, then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Taste for seasoning, adjust with salt and fresh pepper if needed.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to package directions. When al dente, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water (about 1/2 cup). Toss the pasta into the tuna and tomato sauce with the roughly torn fresh basil leaves, a glug of olive oil, the lemon zest and juice and Parmesan, mix together well. Loosen the pasta with a little of the reserved pasta water if needed. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

Thanksgiving Day, Every Day!

I've been spending a lot of time meditating on what it means to live and love "today". I consider myself a content person - I am happy how life has turned out and where it has brought me, but in the back of my mind "tomorrow" can often creep in and, if I am not careful, take place of what is so great about now. I can brush it off as being human, but rising above this mentality is surprisingly rewarding. Suddenly I find myself enjoying the craziest things - even toothpaste takes on a whole new meaning. I realized the other day that where I am today is what I hoped for a few years ago... it was my "getting there", my tomorrow that I longed for so very much. So why is it that today, I often find myself longing for tomorrow? When today is what counts, and missing out on that will result on never getting to tomorrow - tomorrow never comes! We, as humans grieve for yesterday and long for the next day. It's a daily decision to enjoy today. But one I make each and every DAY I get up in the morning, and thank my Saviour for His blessings, from very small (like toothpaste - imagine not having toothpaste), to very great (health, family, and being a two car family)! Now, as I approach a new day, I find myself with butterflies in my stomach - not because something hugely exciting is about to happen, but simply because at every turn, I find something I am thankful for and something I love and most of all having a joy that has nothing to do with circumstances. I am working hard on my beauty routine as well - not only as the commercials advertise it, but one that lends a smile, or a hug with a word of appreciation and encouragement. Because you see, it's in the small things that we do for others, where they know they are loved - as these things get missed when love is not present.

One of my favourite vegetables is Bok Choy. It is slightly sweet and mild, yet it retains some crunch after cooking but importantly it is gorgeous even on it's very own. I like to saute the bottom whites in a little butter until they begin to soften, then drown them in a cup of good chicken stock. After this reduces, I throw in the green tops. Once these have wilted, everything has a shimmery glaze and the chicken stock brings out the best of this veg. Simple, people, simple!

I have discovered along the way that fish is overcooked I would say most of the time. And this is precisely where it turns rubbery and fishy. I believe we would have plenty more fish lovers in this world if our fish was cooked properly. The trick is to undercook it just a touch, then let it rest on a serving plate for a couple of minutes. The residual heat finishes is it perfectly and you end up with moist, tender seafood. Sole has been one that even my husband looks forward to. And it's so quick to prepare, not even fast food stands a chance. Gently dab the sole filets with paper towels to dry, while heating up a saute pan to medium heat. After the filets are dry, grind fresh, coarse pepper on them and sprinkle with sea salt. Heat up a little olive oil in the warm pan, place your fish in it, presentation side down first - then leave it alone for two to three minutes. Flip it, and cook until it is almost done, about three minutes. Take it out, and let rest.

Now this very same husband of mine that normally requires a good helping of tartar sauce, or even plain mayo (yuck!) to get the fish into his mouth, declared this other, much healthier sauce, as a "definate blogger". It's even faster to put together than cooking the fish, so make it first. Serve everthing with garlic mashed potatoes and a colorful vegetable on the side.

Parsley Sauce

Serves 4

130 mL Olive Oil

15 mL Lemon Juice

1/4 cup chopped Parsley

1/4 tsp Salt

Place everything in a blender, Process for just a few seconds.