Episode 98 - In the Lap of Luxury

Sometimes my life is so hard.  I just got back from a 3 day conference in Toronto where I was forced to swim in the heated saltwater pool, soak in the hot tub and sleep alone in a huge king sized bed with 6 pillows.  I was also forced to eat croissants, fancy cheeses, smoked salmon and omelets made to my exact specifications.  Rough, eh?  I haven't even told you about the wine!  The free wine.  Free!  Wine!  Despite all these luxuries I really couldn't wait to get home to my own bed, my own kitchen and my own man, because sometimes things don't have to be fancy to be perfect.


Grilled Salmon with Dill Sauce

This picture does not do this meal justice.  Some day I promise to
get some kind of actual photography skill...

1 large fillet of salmon
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
salt and pepper, to taste


1 cup couscous
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp capers plus about 1 tsp of the juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste


2 tbsp mayo
1 tsp dijon
1 tbsp chopped dill
salt and pepper, to taste


Start by building yourself a little fish boat (described here) and lay out a bed of lemon slices.  Stick the fish up on top, season it with salt and pepper then grill away - about 15 minutes over medium heat (this can vary depending on how thick your fish is).
While the fish is cooking start the couscous.  To do this you pretty much follow the directions on the box but substituting chicken broth for the water.  When its all nice and fluffy add the capers and juice, oil, mustard, salt and pepper and mix until it's delicious.
Finally, the sauce - this is the easy part.  Just stick everything in a ramekin and stir.  Done!
Serve the salmon over a bed of the couscous with a dollop or two of the dill sauce up on top!  Simple, but delicious!

Now that I'm home the luxury seems to be continuing.  I took today off of work and spent the day shopping and getting a massage and tomorrow Dawson and I are going off to celebrate our anniversary (that we both forgot about this year!) by eating copious amounts of Brazilian food.   We'll also be staying in yet another fancy-dancy hotel, mostly because the dinner comes with far more alcohol than we could possibly drink and still be able to legally drive home - be safe kids, don't drink and drive - stay in fancy hotel beds instead!  Yeah, sometimes my life is so hard.

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Episode 63 - Fancy French-ish Food

Sometimes we like to pretend we're fancy.  Only as far as our food goes though.  We totally still eat in sweatpants on the couch like bums.    

Roasted Asparagus

1 bundle of asparagus, woody ends removed
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place your asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with the oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  The ends will just start to brown a little when they're ready!

Mmmm...butter and egg sauce...

Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 palmful of minced fresh dill

Drop the egg yolks into the blender with the lemon juice and blend well.  Now, with the blender running slowly start to add in the melted butter drop by drop.  You should notice the sauce thickening as the butter gets all emulsified into the yolk-y goodness.  When its nicely blended, transfer the sauce to a small bowl and add the salt, pepper and dill.  Set aside until you're ready to serve.

Poached Salmon a la Dawson

2 salmon fillets
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf
1 pinch of each salt and pepper

Fill a skillet with enough water to fully cover the salmon.  Add in the seasonings then bring to a gentle bubble over medium-low heat.  Slide the salmon fillets into the water and cook until opaque.  This happens very very quickly - maybe 5 minutes at most.  Make sure you have everything else prepared!

Speaking of being all fancy - we went to our second wedding of the year this weekend where we actually did peel off the old sweatpants and fancy ourselves up a bit.

Lookin' spiffy. 

I think I love weddings -declarations of love, good food, fancy cocktails and dancing  like a bunch of crazies?  Yes please!  We had an awesome time!  Highlight of the evening- Dawson having a tiny heart attack when I won the bouquet toss! Muhahahah!  I didn't even have to trample anyone!  Although, I should confess that I was totally prepared to do so should the need have arisen.

Oh, Mr. Webb, you're stuck with me now!

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Episode 61 - Tropical fishes...in a lazy suit.

Internet, prepare yourself for what I am about to tell you.  Today I made the incredible, not at all impulsive, obviously totally necessary purchase of a matching pair of Forever Lazies for Dawson and I.  In "asleep on the job grey"...with matching footies.  Best ever (or "bever" as I originally typed that right now).  I cannot wait for them to arrive.  We will be the most stylin' lazy couple ever.  I promise to post pictures of us in our onesies as soon as they arrive.   Until then you can fill your obvious need for stupid Kristy/Dawson pictures with this little gem:

Now just imagine us clad in matching fleecy pjs with butt-flaps.   

You can bet that I'll be wearing my lazy suit pretty much every second that I'm at home.  Watching tv?  In the lazy suit.  Napping? In the lazy suit.  Freaking out the neighbours who can totally see me practicing Zumba routines through our windows?  In the lazy suit.  Ooohhh yeah.  Admit it.  You want one too.  Go ahead and copy me.  Lazy suits for everyone! When you get your suit you can double copy me and wear it while making yourself this recipe for dinner!

Coconut Brown Rice

handful of sweetened coconut
1/2 cup brown rice
1 1/4 cup chicken broth

Heat a pot over medium heat and toss in your coconut.  Keep an eye on it and watch it get nice and toasty.  When it's about 50% brown pour in the chicken broth and rice.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook on low for 45 mins or until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is soft and chewy.

While the rice is cooking start the fish:

Pineapple-y yumminess.

Pineapple Glazed Trout or Salmon or Arctic Char

1 tbsp olive oil
1 fillet of the fish of your choice
a pinch of each salt and pepper
the juice from a small can of diced pineapple
1/4 cup of canned diced pineapple

Heat the oil over medium heat then carefully lay the fish fillet into the pan.  Season with the salt and pepper.  Let the first side cook for about 3 minutes the flip and season the other side.  Add in the juice and pineapple.  As the juice cooks it'll thicken into a delicious glaze-y type sauce.  Keep brushing it over the fish as it cooks - about 5 more minutes.  Done!  How easy is that?!

Serve with a veggie of some kind.  We had roasted broccoli.

You know what?   The first person to send me a picture of them eating this dish while wearing an adult onsie totally gets some sort of prize.  Don't say I never gave you anything!

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Episode 57 - Here fishy fishy!

So...no one tell Summer, but I think Fall might be growing on me.  Yeah, I know.  It's horrifying.  I feel like an adulterer.  Poor summer over on the other side of the planet alone while I'm out gallivanting around town in my new boots with Fall. Oh, the boots.  It's all about the boots.  It appears that Fall is flirting with me via it's boot-y weather (not to be confused with booty weather, which I can only assume is another thing entirely).  Yes internet, today, I wore boots to work.  Boots and leggings and a big comfy sweater, and you know what?  It was awesome.  I felt like I was wearing pjs.  Incredible.  You need to do it immediately.

Speaking of work, holy guacamole (ha!  A food joke!) is it ever busy!  I am le tired! I'm pretty sure that come December 16th (the last day of my internship) I might actually keel over into a big, exhausted pile o' Kristy.  A pile! Of Kristy!  Hopefully I'll at least be a very fit pile given the 6 Zumba classes I, in a fit of insanity, signed myself up to teach.  Yeah, 6.  On top of a full-time job.  I am a crazy person.

In any case, with all this fitness and jobness happening I haven't really had a lot of time to devote to cooking.  Don't fret, though!  Dawson, being the most wonderful man alive, has been keeping me well fed.  Tonight he made me these:

Dill-y Salmon Burgers

Fiiissshhhhhhh!

2 whole wheat burger buns
2 small skinless salmon fillets (5 oz each), cut into large chunks
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 sprigs of fresh dill, minced
1 green onion, diced
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
tomato and spinach as garnishes

First, pull out a food processor and toss in the salmon.  Blend it until its pretty much unrecognizable - it should look like pink mush.  Put your pink mush into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Form the mix into 2 burger patties.  Next, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Cook the burgers for about 5 minutes per side.  Keep an eye on them - if they overcook they'll be dry.
Meanwhile mix the dill,  green onion, mayo, mustard and salt and pepper together in a bowl.  This is your dilly-sauce.
To assemble your burger spread a little dill sauce on the bottom bun, then top with the salmon patty, spinach leaves a slice of tomato and a good dollop of dill sauce for the top.  So wonderfully dill-y!

Now if you'll excuse me I have a date with my bed...don't tell Fall.

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Episode 49 - Something Fishy's Going On...

I have this entire week off!  Retail job finished!  School not starting until next Monday! Weeee! I'm free!  Now, what am I going to do with myself all week?!  I can hear you all now "Oh god, not another ridiculously long post about the insignificant things you did all day!" and no, don't worry, I won't subject you to another one of those...this week.  Instead I think I might actually share some recipes!  Recipes!  On a food blog!  How novel!


Prosciutto Wrapped Tilapia with Mango Salsa


2 tsp olive oil
4 slices prosciutto , two per fish
2 pieces of Tilapia
salt and pepper to taste


1/2 mango, diced
1/2 red pepper. diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
a few jarred hot peppers, diced
~8 grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp juice from the bottom of the hot pepper jar
1 tsp lime juice


Preheat a grill to medium.  Brush the fish with the olive oil. season with salt and pepper then carefully wrap it up with the prosciutto.  Make yourself a little tin foil boat and put the fish inside.  Place the whole thing on the grill and close the lid.  The tin foil keeps the fish from flaking and falling through the grill.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

Fish all wrapped up and ready to go in their tin foil boat!

Meanwhile, make your mango salsa, mix all the chopped mango and veggies in a bowl with the lime and hot pepper juices and some salt and pepper.  


Serve the fish over some brown rice, topped with the salsa.  Look how pretty!

I totally just finished eating this.  

On a fish related note, isn't this video hilarious?  





I don't know what up with the sound but I kinda don't care, the fishy faces speak for themselves.  

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Episode 35 - Fishy Fiesta!

Ok, I will admit that the first time I heard about fish tacos I thought they were a joke.  You know, some sort of euphemistic way of describing...well, never mind what.  Suffice it to say, not at all appetizing.  BUT, apparently they're not only real, but also a Southern California tradition.  Deep fried fish wrapped in tortilla shells with spicy sauce.
Now, this being a blog featuring recipes ranging from healthy to at least healthy-ish I can't very well suggest deep frying a beautiful, heart-healthy piece of fish.  Hence, these tacos were born!  Voila!  Delicious and healthy!

4 whole wheat tortilla wraps
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb of any white fish (tilapia, halibut, haddock, cod, perch etc)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each of pepper, cayenne, cumin and coriander

Garlic Guacamole

1 avocado, removed from the peel and pitted
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp hot sauce
juice of 1/2 lime (2-3 tsp)
pinch of salt and pepper

Mango Salsa

1/2 mango, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tomato diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup jarred picked jalepenos, diced
juice of the other half of the lime (2-3 tsp)
1 tbsp picking juice from the jar of jalepenos

First, make your condiments.  To make the guacamole, put everything in a small-ish bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and creamy.  You can also do this in a blender or food processor but then you have to clean a blender or a food processor.  No thank you.

To make the salsa, just mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and give em a stir.  If you have the foresight you can do this ahead of time to give everything a chance to blend but its not really necessary.

Now, for the important part - the fish.  The secret to making grilled, un-breaded fish taste even better than the deep-fried version is a) to have Dawson make it for you, and b) to season it really well!  First, choose your fish - you can use anything you want really.  We used ocean perch.  Why?  Because it was $6.99 a pound and I'm cheap.  But yeah, any fish you like is probably ok.  So, once you and your fish are home, preheat your BBQ to medium.  To keep the fish from sticking to the grill or, horror of all horrors, falling through the grill, make yourself a little tin foil boat.  Take the tin foil and just fold up the edges to make walls.  Put the fish into the boat and brush them with the oil.  Season well with all the spices and put the boat on the grill and close the lid.  Let the fish cook for about 10-12 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. Now you are ready to assemble!

Put a tortilla on the plate, spread on some guac and then top with salsa and flaked fish pieces!  I like mine with hot sauce and a side of Mexican Cerveza.

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THEY PICKED ME!

Wooo!  Dietitians of Canada are publishing one of my recipes in their new cookbook.  Possibly the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me!  Check it out!  Here is my scanned page:

Try it out!  Its one I came up with a few years ago based on some random stuff I had lying around in my fridge!  Mmmm feta cheese...

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Episode 14 - Cedar Planks and Fish are Soulmates

Seriously...they were made for each other.  This was so good that I had already devoured mine before I even thought about taking a picture...hence this picture is of Dawson's half eaten piece.  Even half eaten it still looks good.  Mmmmmmm...

1 side of rainbow trout
a pinch of each fresh ground pepper and alderwood smoked sea salt
2 green onions, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cedar plank

This requires a little bit of planning...you have to soak the cedar plank in water for at least a few hours to keep it from doing anything crazy like catching on fire when you put it on the bbq.  You want your fish to be smoky...not flaming, so anyway, soak your plank!  When it's nice and water logged, brush it with some olive oil and top it with the fish (skin side down).  Brush the fish with some olive oil and season with the smoky salt and pepper. Put the plank on the bbq at medium heat and close the lid.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes...or, as it was in our case,  until the fish is flaky and your plank is on the verge of becoming a small camp fire.  Top with some green onions and serve with something green and something starchy.  We had steamed green beans from our garden and some homemade garlic bread. I highly recommend it.

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