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Minted Salmon

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Maybe it was because we haven’t had salmon in a couple months. Maybe it was because we were hungry. Maybe it was an easy meal to BBQ on a hot summer day. Whatever the reason, we devoured the salmon the night we made this dish.

When shopping for salmon, I try to buy a large boneless full fillet, usually steelhead trout, one of the many river fish I grew up eating. This size ensures we get a couple meals out of it, like dinner and lunch the next day. I also tend to cut the fish into two fillets, sometimes three, experimenting with one section and keeping the latter piece(s) simple for the minions who prefer simple salmon flavours. Although my daughter has to eat hers with pesto. We love to eat our salmon with some variation of a teriyaki sauce and so when I made this dish, I rummaged through the refrigerator for soy sauce and whatever else I could find to toss in. The mint admittedly was an after thought

Salmon is a heart healthy fish and rich in omega-3s. When you buy salmon make sure it’s fresh and you know where it came from. I would not recommend buying farmed fish as it tends to be lower in omega 3s, are more prone to disease which is controlled by antibiotics, and tend to contain more contaminants.

This dish can be grilled on foil or a cedar plank or even broiled in the oven. One additional sprinkle of mint and it was on the table. Quick, easy and affordable.

 

Coriander Pork Tenderloin

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It’s starting to feel Fallish in the evenings as the temperature drops during the night and a blanket of morning dew covers the ground early in the morning. I’ve sadly seen a few leaves on the ground signalling the trees are also feeling Autumn is in the air. But it’s only August….she shouts to nobody in particular.

Here in Calgary we get on average, 4-6 months of cold winter. Canadians love to BBQ so our family tends to BBQ all winter long (or as much as we can handle). With back to school also around the corner it’s time to start preparing and ramping up for easy week day meals as they need to be on the table quickly and us out the door even quicker.

Tender, lean and juicy pork tenderloin is the perfect meal to accommodate a busy night. Whether you grill it, roast it, cut it up and saute it or let it slow cook in the crockpot, you are bound to have a delicious meal. This recipe is a family favourite.

Disclosure – I am one of 10 food blogger winners in the Canadian Pork on the BBQ: Put Pork on Your Fork Contest with Pork Marketing Canada and the Food Bloggers of Canada. I have received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Garlic Mustard Glazed Chicken Kabobs with Peaches

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I have a family of chickens..er chicken lovers. We definitely eat our share of bird. There so many ways to prepare chicken and/or turkey the opportunities are endless. My kids love meat on a stick and so kabobs or satay’s are one way we eat chicken regularly. It’s easy and it’s fun, as long as they are not stabbing each other at the table.

Still on a Maille Mustard kick (Mustard Maverick) I wanted to do a chicken kabob with mustard. And with a bowl full of summer fresh peaches I wanted to take it a step further and do a peach/chicken mustard kabob. So I threw a bunch of ingredients into a bowl and this is what came of it.

A dish like this is perfect for camping. Get everything marinating in the bag or bowl, toss it into your fridge or cooler, gently pack a couple peaches and some skewers and you will be good to go. Really it’s that easy to look like a superstar in the campsite. It could also be a quick meal depending how long you let your chicken marinate.

Grilled peaches are delicious no matter how you prepare them. Their natural sweetness comes out. If you are not sure about peaches, try pineapple. Equally divine. The marinade also worked well with grilled shrimp.

I served this dish with brown rice, sliced carrots and green beans from our garden and grilled corn cut up. Simply perfect.

Disclosure – I am participating in the Maille Mustard Maverick Program with the Food Bloggers of Canada and 14 other food bloggers. I have received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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Cast Iron Grilled Blueberry Focaccia

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Inspiration hit full on when I attended the BC Blueberry launch recently at Model Milk. The Chef prepared so many amazing blueberry bites, that I’m sure all the attendees left full and happy. We were given swag bags to bring home and they included fresh blueberries (insert happy dance)!

There were several of the bites that stood out for me. One of them was the Blueberry Focaccia’s served in mini cast iron pans. Brilliant and a hit amongst everyone. For weeks I have been wanting to recreate this dish and thinking about how I would do it.

The time came and I decided to make the dough in the bread maker and grill it on the Barbecue. I’ve made focaccia dough in the bread maker before so I was confident it would work. And it did work out exceptionally well. The only con is the Bocconcini melted into the bread so next time I may wait to add it until the last few minutes or so of cooking.

You could also take this recipe camping. Pre-make your dough and keep it in the cooler or buy some pizza dough before you depart on your camping trip. Just make sure you bring the blueberries and a cast iron pan!

The kids gobbled it up. The husband like it. A success! Leftover focaccia ended up being the perfect lunch the next day.

 

Grilled Peach, Strawberry & Watermelon Salsa

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The Canadian Food Project Experience was started on June 7, 2013 by Valerie Lugonja of A Canadian Foodie. It’s a compilation of Canadian Food Bloggers who are committed to sharing their time, unique Canadian food experiences, and recipes. I came into this 12 month challenge a couple months late and this will be my first submission. Our theme for August is to write about A Canadian Food Hero. This is a difficult topic as there are so many Food Hero’s deserving recognition. So how do you pick one? From the Ranchers and Farmers who work endlessly to get their goods to market, local shops and artisans who are committed not only to their craft, but to getting their items to you, to the local foodie advocates who promote the local restaurants and chefs by creating public awareness through various channels. Choosing one was hard. So I decided to choose two.

Late last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Dana VanVeller and Lindsay Anderson of Feast, an Edible Road Trip, while they stopped in Calgary. This opportunity to chat with these two remarkable ladies was provided by the Food Bloggers of Canada, who hosted this small and intimate Tweet-up at Café Gravity Espresso & Wine Bar. It was here I learned about the journey that brought Dana and Lindsay to create Feast: an Edible Road Trip, and later discover where they would be going next.

Foodie Friends Dana and Lindsay started their coast to coast food adventure in June with hopes of increasing Canadian Food Culture awareness through various stories, recipes, photographs, and videos. These ladies are driving, camping and eating their way across Canada finding and featuring local people, communities and organizations that strive to make each Province’s food systems more vibrant, sustainable and accessible. Their journey so far has brought them through British Columbia, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alberta with many Provinces to go. Sitting beside these two, enjoying a glass of wine while listening to their stories, makes you feel like you’ve known them forever and could easily stow away in their car to join them, if they’d let you.

Dana and Lindsay are my Canadian Heroes. They are the storytellers, bloggers, writers, educators and food activists who are sharing their stories from the road and making our mouths water with their photos and experiences. Checking their blog has become a daily ritual for me, eager to see what’s new in their world, what epic culinary adventure they’ve had that day and drooling just a little more with each photo.

I was inspired to create several recipes from their experiences thus far, but with the kids on summer holidays, July was mostly a travel month for us, and so time was not on my side. So this former BC girl decided to create a simple recipe derived from the fruits of the Okanagan, a place Dana and Lindsay visited and a place I’ve frequented many times over the years. My home is Alberta, but my heart remains in British Columbia.

 

Grilled Peach Galette

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Galette on my mind for quite some time. I can honestly say I’ve never made a Galette. But I’ve wanted to! And I finally found inspiration and a subtle push thanks to Chatelaine’s July Cooking Club Challenge. Simply put, make our Galette, change it up if you wish, photograph it, post it. And have fun, darn it.

I discovered this challenge before I left for holidays three weeks ago and immediately I knew I wanted to grill some peaches for my Galette. But I couldn’t put the idea to the plate due to lack of time. So it would have to wait until we returned home from Battle Mosquito in Manitoba.

Home, unpacked, settled and inspired. With fresh peaches and mint in hand, my brother and fiance coming for dinner, I got to work and behold, a new Galette was born.

Now I got distracted chatting with our company and almost forgot to pull it out of the oven. But the overall taste was given rave reviews by our guests, and the photo caught some good feedback on Facebook, so I decided to go ahead and post the recipe/photo.

Guess what? Galettes can also be made savory. This will be my next personal challenge for myself, to create a Galette with meat.

 

Grilled Asparagus Bean Salad

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Love Summer for many reasons but quick and simple food appeal to me the most especially on hot days. Brightly coloured, fresh and tasty fruit and vegetables are inspiration everywhere you turn. I loves me a good bean salad and this one is simple enough to make while camping or at a cabin. In fact out at a cabin in Manitoba last week, is where I created this delicious salad.

We had been planning for two years to return to Clear Lake, Manitoba in 2013, after spending time there in 2011.  As it turns out a rather large family gathering was also brewing for around the same time. Our return last week collided with the family gathering and it ended up being quite a large family affair with family folks coming and going throughout the week. Love being part of such a great, happy, social group of people – also known as my inlaws/outlaws. My brother and family also joined in on the fun and with all the people in attendance we completely covered Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

As it turns out husband and I celebrated our Anniversary while in Manitoba and decided to host a BYOBCM Potluck (Bring your own Booze, Chair and Meat) for all the family assembled in Clear Lake. We supplied the sides which consisted of: baked potatoes, quinoa salad, ceasar salad, green salad with fruit and a new grilled asparagus bean salad). It was a lovely evening spent with special family and we couldn’t have asked for a better Anniversary celebration. The wine flowed and the food was splendid. Since I received some good feedback on this salad I wanted to get it posted to share.

 

The Blue Cheese, Pear and Dark Ale Caramelized Onion Burger

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I was recently at a private event here in Calgary for Jelly Modern Doughnuts. It was an interactive evening where we got to decorate doughnuts and as an ice breaker we were asked to create a new doughnut. Sounds easy enough right? Well then we were told to go around and ask other attendees what their doughnut creation was and give them a sticker if you loved their idea. The most stickers won. Sadly my doughnut idea didn’t win but the combination remains a tried and true favourite in many variations; blue cheese, pear, toasted walnuts on top with a honey drizzle. This is what lead to the inspiration for our new burger, The Blue Cheese, Pear and Dark Ale Caramelized Onion Burger. For the sauce I grabbed some chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, mixed it with mayo, and we ended up with a delicious Chipotle Mayo to accompany the burger.

Not every one in my family loves burgers but that doesn’t stop us from trying new creations regularly. This version, surprisingly, was loved by the entire family.

Burgers are also a great meal to have when you are camping. We mix up a batch of fresh burgers in advance, freeze them individually in burger containers/set given to us by friends and transfer them to the trailer freezer when it’s time to go. It’s the perfect camping meal. You make/take as many as your family will eat and won’t have any leftovers. Everyone loves a good burger while sitting around the campfire.

And here is the next addition to our Triple B (Bakers Burger Blast).

 

 

 

Bakers Spice Rub

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Our Bakers Spice Rub is an all purpose spice rub.  It’s delicious on any grilled meat, slow cooker or oven baked dishes, in soups, on tofu, potatoes, casseroles & sauces.  Options are endless.

Sometimes when I make this rub, if I have a store purchased spice rub on hand, I will toss a little into my Bakers Spice Rub to crazy it up a bit.

Here is our recipe.

Double Bacon Burger

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When you hear double bacon burger, what comes to mind?! Double patties, double the bacon? For me it’s usually double the bacon. That’s exactly what we did with this burger. We’ve doubled the bacon by adding cooked bacon on the burger and mincing some bacon while still raw and adding it to the burger before forming.

Don’t fret. We’ve been doing this for over 10 years and never once gotten sick or has the burger/bacon been under cooked. The key is either to grind the bacon or mince it very small. By doing this it melts right into the raw burger adding extra flavour keeping it juicy. Now having said that if you like your burger still mooing, you may not want to try or slightly fry your bacon a little first before adding to the raw meat.

I topped my burger with a little mayonnaise – sometimes flavoured, spinach/arugula mix, slow cooked & caramelized onions, crisped bacon and Gouda or Manchego cheese.

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Pancetta & Lemon Grilled Salmon

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We barbequed this lovely whole salmon fillet about a month ago…inspired by a recent trip to Northern British Columbia. The flavours are simple but tasty. Salmon is really easy to cook. Remember to buy your salmon fresh…it should not smell fishy. I’m slowly teaching my husband and kids to smell the fish before they buy it. If it smells fishy after you’ve cooked it, then you’ve cooked it to long.

This salmon dish falls under the simple category and is a modified version of a salmon dish my mom used to make wrapped in parchment and baked in the oven. Deep seeded inspiration I think.

To serve this salmon I topped it with a cool, fresh Cucumber Salad, omitting the onions with the hopes the kids would be more inclined to eat the salad – they weren’t, but we keep trying. A sprinkling of chili flakes finished it off. The kids do enjoy salmon and I liken that to our eating fish regularly.

You can choose to serve your salmon with a salad on top or as is. Either way is equally satisfying. If you can’t find pancetta you can use regular bacon. Very simple flavours.

 

Hoisin Ginger Pork Tenderloin

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Pork Tenderloin is a delicious & lean cut of meat you can cook and prepare several ways. Try grilling it with this sticky honey hoisin sauce and end up with a moist, flavourful dinner. We double the recipe making extra for leftovers the next day. Use it in a Vietnamese style sub adding in fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, cucumber, carrots and the leftover sauce, slice it thin and add it last minute to hot broth, or warm it in some leftover BBQ sauce.

Serve with a simple salad, roasted potatoes or fresh veggies.

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Greek Chicken Kabobs

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Marinating the chicken before hand tenderizes it and adds extra flavour to the meat. Simple and tasty, we serve these Greek Chicken Kabobs with our Feta Mint Dip and fresh pita. Substitute in eggplant, white onion or any summer squash instead of zucchini, red onion & peppers to change it up.

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Five Spice Salmon with Maple

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Here is just one of many salmon recipes I have up my sleeve since I grew up in a small Northern British Columbia Town that prides itself on it’s great fishing.  I had my fair share of salmon growing up, but my favourite will always be my father’s smoked salmon.

As a child we spent time in Port Edward (near Prince Rupert) fishing for crab off the docks by the Cannery.  My dad went out ocean fishing with friends on the Douglas Channel (Kitimat) and often came home with Red Snapper, Ling Cod, Halibut and um Octopus.  Yes there was a live octopus in the kitchen sink one day when I came home from work waiting to be made into soup.  Never a dull moment in my house once my mother channeled her inner Julia Child.

Further to all this we dug & cooked clams on the beaches of the Queen Charlotte Islands and fished the mighty Kalum & Skeena Rivers in Terrace until we were allowed to fish no more (chinook, sockeye, trout, pink, chum, stealhead, coho).   Fish at my house was often smoked (in an old refrigerator turned smoker), canned, it was smoked and then canned and it was good.  To this day I have yet to try another smoked salmon that even comes close to my fathers recipe.

Salmon is in my blood and after bringing some fresh sockeye home with us from our recent vacay to B.C. I am ready to get back to cooking it on a regular basis.  I tend to stay with simple flavours when cooking salmon…although sometimes I like to change it up a bit so here is a recipe with a few different levels of flavours that will make you go hmmm it works, how delicious!  A keeper.

 

Jumbo Grilled Shrimp

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We had friends over for a BBQ the other night and I always have to try at least one new recipe when people are over.  I love to experiment and love it even more when I have people to test recipes on!   Since it was a warm day I opted for colder appetizers and decided on jumbo grilled shrimp with a tasty citrus aioli.  If you can not find jumbo shrimp in your store, use regular sized shrimp instead.

Grilled shrimp are lovely with any type of flavoured Aioli.  We paired these with a Citrus Aioli.

Grilled Veggie, Pesto & Bocconcini Pizza

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This Grilled Veggie, Pesto & Bocconcini pizza is inspired by my leftover grilled veggies.  I loved grilled veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, zucchini) and in the summer we grill them frequently.  Leftovers usually find their way into omelets or pasta dishes.  This time however, I decided to put the leftovers on a pita and make yet another version of a pita pizza.   

Apple & Halloom Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

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Apple & Halloom Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette….I bet you are wondering what Halloom is? I was too when I saw it in the grocery store. Halloom is a semi-soft unripened cheese that is perfect for grilling. It is a Mediterranean-inspired cheese that holds its shape and resists melting when heated.

My love affair with cheese is never ending and as such I was very excited to try grilling some Halloom. And so hubs was given the order to grill it one night since he is the grill-master in our house. He took his job very seriously and did it with ease, never flinching under the pressure. It looked divine when it came off the grill, sliced up nicely and was a lovely but simple addition to my apple salad. Reminds me of a cross between a salty feta and a firmer bocconcini. It’s a keeper and my mind is spinning with ideas on how to use Halloom in the future. Until then try this salad, it’s one of my favourites and a show stopper.

Lemon Chili Pork Chops

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There are many ways to spice up and/or marinate pork chops.  Open your pantry and see what you have for spices.  Then experiment with a few.  If you are not sure about what to use try the spice combination in this recipe.   It is not a spicy recipe but more on the milder side – which is perfect for kids who do not like too much spice!  If you like your meat kicked up a notch add in more chili powder.

It was a cooler day outside when we grilled these pork chops.  So I paired these bad boys with some roasted proscuitto, potatoes, onions and carrots.

Thai Inspired Chicken

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This is one of those recipes I’ve gone past several times…always drawn to the quantity of fresh herbs used. Rummaging through my fridge recently I discovered I had all the herbs required to make that “Thai Chicken” recipe. Fortunately I also had some green curry paste and was inspired to add some more flavour to the dish.

Happy to report this recipe got 4 thumbs up…the family loved it. The kidlets did not complain about the herbs at all even commenting on how much they enjoyed it. Fresh Tasting & Flavourful.

For this recipe I pulled out of the freezer both bone-in chicken thighs and boneless chicken breasts as they needed to be used up. I threw them all into the marinade noting the different cooking times for the chicken. Each morsel tasted equally divine.

Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

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Steak has always been one of my favourite things. My dad would grill it up on occasion, but it would always be the same cut of steak and have to much of the same barbecue sauce added every time. This my friends is what food memories are all about – ahhh the good ole days!

These days I do steak a variety of ways. This Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce is simple, yet the sauce packs a punch of flavour. Today I am using a top sirloin steak to go with my chimichurri. Mix together a few spices, some garlic and olive oil. Rub onto the steak and let sit for awhile. Mix up your chimichurri, grill your steak to your liking and Bob’s your uncle.

Chimichurri sauce originates from Argentina & South America and is a green sauce used to accompany any grilled meat or veg. I’ve had green, red and even a white chimichurri and it’s such a delicious flavour boost. Try adding some to roasted potatoes – super yum right?

As a side to the steak we grilled up some mushrooms and asparagus and filled half our plate with veggies.

 

 

Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

 

 

Simple Chicken Fajitas

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Mexican style food is something our family adores. I’ve tried many different versions of chicken fajita’s and always found the flavours are rather bland. So after playing with some spices most of us would have in our pantry, I was able to get the flavour I was hoping for. Plus the family enjoyed the meal so much my daughter asked for it for lunch the next day at school (now that is unusual).

Fajita’s for our family are a quick & easy supper on an activity night. These are truly yummy.

If you are making these for the Wild Rose D-Tox you will have to eat them without the tortillas, sour cream, cheese and any pickled peppers.

Fruit Pizza

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You know how certain foods remind you of certain times in your life? This pizza is one of them. It brings me back to my days living in Vancouver, Billie Holiday, Blue Rodeo, and dinners consisting of wine & popcorn. Those were also the days where I used to swoon over the Vancouver Province every Wednesday or Thursday as it was recipe day in the paper, and I was always eager to see what recipes would be shared.

From picnics to potlucks, or lunch time office parties, this pizza is the perfect guest. I’ve even brought it along to a baby shower. You can change up the fruit based on the time of the year, and what’s in season. Brighten up a gloomy day with a fruit pizza.

Maple Soy Pork Chops

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When kids come into your lives you have no idea how busy life will become. Schedules, routines, activities, eventually school, playdates, family time, and somewhere in there we need to eat right? As my kids started to get older, and several weekly activities became the norm, we were running like chickens with our heads cut off several times a week trying to grab something healthy to eat and go.

Quick meals solutions were needed. Pork chops are one of those quick, easy and healthy meal ideas that can be grilled, fried, or broiled quickly. Once cooked and cooled you could slice thin and add to sandwiches or wraps if you do not have time for a sit down meal. A bowl of pasta, pork chops and fresh veggies are really that easy to get on the table in 30 minutes or less.

These pork chops are a family favourite, in fact anything that includes Chinese five-spice powder is a favourite here.

 

 

Squash & Goat Cheese Pita Pizza

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I thought yesterday’s pizza creation was pretty tasty and since today is pizza day for lunch, the inspiration carried over and I wanted to create another yummy pizza. Today’s pizza is a leftover roasted Squash & Goat Cheese Pita Pizza, yumo.

I always use pita pockets to make pizzas for lunch for the kids. They are the perfect size for little hands and hold the ingredients well. Looking around my kitchen for inspiration I discovered some uncooked squash that needed to be used up. Not enough time to grill it, I steamed it instead. Being a lover of all things squash but never having had it on pizza I was up for the challenge. I looked through the fridge, fished out some basil and some peppered goat cheese. A new recipe was born.

Note: If you like goat cheese but do not care for a lot of pepper buy a plain or perhaps herb goat cheese and omit the additional cracked pepper.

I can honestly say I had a Clinton Kelly moment when I took my first bite. (If you ever watch The Chew….love that show…whenever Clinton tastes something he adores he becomes incoherent).  Yes I felt that way, this pizza rocked my socks off. Trying to figure out what to call this pizza was my biggest challenge.

If you are up for a new pizza and and like squash, try it – you will not be disappointed.  I didn’t calorie count this one but I’m pretty sure since there are fewer ingredients it might be under 500 calories.