A Life, Lived

How the Garden Grows . . .

It was a bit of anticipation for us, after one of the worst winters we can recall with crushing cold temperatures, we were not sure what might still be living under the surface of the soil. We seemed to have skipped spring - cold - a bit of mild weather - and then full-on HOT! The garden has grown quickly. It looks like most everything has made it back except for a rose bush, a few heirloom varieties of coneflower, and the lavender took one hell of a beating.

This is where I sit and contemplate the morning most days. . .

The pond is gurgling away - sadly the resident frog did not survive the winter and his corpse, once frozen in the ice, did not survive the cat next door. On one hand . . .  ewwwww, yet on the other hand I didn't have to deal with a decomposing bullfrog!

The peonies from my grandfather's garden are doing very well this year - with the heat I don't anticipate the blooms will last long.

The shade garden seems to expand a bit every year . . .

I LOVE this new type of salvia we found this year . . . it's unusual to have a red and white flower instead of the deep red you usually see. We figured it was patriotic for we Canadians . . .

This is a close up of the garden art I bought Paul for our anniversary - two birds on a wire.

Paul picked out this basket - I generally refuse to have these white baskets hanging in the garden because the white plastic is garish but we both really liked the colour combination of the two types of geraniums.

And finally. . .the nasturtiums are in full bloom - love these edible flowers!

Photo Hunt - Red

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'red'.

Now THIS makes up for the challenges of last week's hunt. ..although sometimes having too many choices is as bad as having none . . .

Lots of red in this art installation (Fox Games) at the Denver Art Museum.

Grilled Halibut with Lemon-Basil Butter

We sure lucked out this year - as soon as the fresh halibut started to flood the fish store the weather warmed up enough for grilling. Well, to be fair, we grill ALL year long but it is far more enjoyable not standing in a snowbank whilst wearing a parka in front of the grill. Halibut is one of our favourite fish to grill - it takes well to marinades and never falls apart on the grill.

We LOVED this recipe - the fresh flavours worked perfectly with the halibut. Even better it came together quickly making a perfect choice for a weeknight meal. That being said, it is impressive enough that you could entertain a crowd with it.

The best thing about this recipe is that it contains only 237 calories - what is not to love about THAT?

(I apologize for the pic - the focus was a touch off)

Grilled Halibut with Lemon-Basil Butter

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried
2 teaspoons drained capers
4 5- to 6-ounce halibut steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic cloves and grated lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh basil and capers. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Season halibut steaks with salt and pepper. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, dividing equally. Grill or broil halibut steaks until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Rewhisk remaining vinaigrette; pour over fish. Garnish fish with remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve.

Ancho Marinated Pork and Mango Skewers

Skewers are quintessential warm weather food. They cook quickly on the barbecue, keep the house cool, and bring everyone outside to enjoy the wonderfully warm weather!

This recipe for ancho-chile-marinated pork skewered with mangoes is a perfect combination of spicy and sweet. The cilantro sprinkled on top adds freshness and flavor to the already complex dish (NOTE: this is conjecture on our part as we had forgotten to but cilantro but we can imagine how that burst of green would impact the dish).

If you can't find mangoes, other fruits such as pineapples, peaches, or nectarines would be great substitutes.

We liked the marinade so much that we are keen to try it out with other protein.

Ancho Marinated Pork and Mango Skewers

1/4 cup orange juice*
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil, more for the grill **
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of Kosher salt
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium mangoes, peeled, pitted cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
8 skewers, if wooden soaked for a half hour or more

In a medium bowl, whisk the orange juice, lime juice, oil, sugar, ancho powder, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Add the pork, toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Thread the pork and mango cubes onto the skewers, alternating them and beginning and ending with a piece of pork. Each skewer should have about 5 pieces of pork and 4 pieces of mango.

Prepare a medium gas or charcoal grill fire. Scrub the grill grate with a wire brush and then wipe clean with a paper towel dipped in oil. Cook the skewers, turning once, until the meat is browned on the outside but still slightly pink in the center, about 8 minutes.

Serve garnished with the cilantro.

For Those With Kids or Who Work With Kids

Always remember this . . .

Travel Tuesday - Florence 2014

It was a year ago that Paul and our friends jetted off to Italy to celebrate my 50th birthday. I have been thinking of those happy times.

 

 

Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers

Everyone loves shrimp, and who doesn't love chorizo? This makes these grilled appetizers a popular treat for all.

I buy the real Spanish chorizo, the stuff that has a skin and you can eat raw, like a salami.

The Mexican and Portuguese chorizo is another animal, however, you can use that here too.

These cook quickly on the grill so you'll want to watch to make sure you don't overcook the shrimp - no one wants to eat shrimp which has the consistency of shoe leather!

Our skewers were longer than the recipe called for so I threaded two shrimp and two pieces of chorizo on each skewer - no one seemed to mind. :-)

Shrimp & Chorizo Skewers:  (adapted from Galley Gourmet)

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (7.9 ounce) package of Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, garlic, oregano, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil; toss to coat.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Thread metal or good quality wooden skewers with a shrimp and a slice of the Spanish sausage.

Grill or sauté the skewers for a minute or two on each side.

Place skewers on a big platter and sprinkle w/ fresh parsley.

Serve immediately.

Spring Flowers

Last weekend Paul and I took a long walk in the forest near our house. The spring flowers were nice to see after the horrific winter we have had . . .

 

Photo Hunt - Tanned

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'tanned'.

Now this is going to be a challenge . . . I don't normally hang out on beaches and don't tan myself . . .

This shot was taken outside of Athens, we had half a day prior to a cruise of the Greek Islands so we hung out on the beach. There were lots of tanned folks enjoying themselves.

Wild Mushroom and Vegetable Gnocchi

With the arrival of fresh, local asparagus in the market we decided to pair some with the shitake mushrooms we receive with our CSA delivery to make this dish. We were both impressed with the results.

One of the things we love about gnocchi is how it can take to just about any kind of sauce absorbing the flavours and resulting in a comforting dish.

We're trying to include more vegetarian meals in our weekly menu rotation and this was a happy addition - heck, it is almost vegan (ditch the butter and cheese!)

 

Wild Mushroom and Vegetable Gnocchi

1/4 ounce  dried porcini mushrooms
1  tablespoon  unsalted butter
1  tablespoon  olive oil
2  cups  shiitake and cremini mushrooms, sliced (4 to 5 oz.)
asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
1/2  red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon  kosher salt
1  pound  refrigerated or frozen gnocchi
1  cup  frozen baby sweet peas, thawed
1/2 cup  toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup  finely shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese

In a small bowl, combine porcini mushrooms with 1 cup very hot water. Cover and allow mushrooms to soften for 30 min, then strain and reserve soaking liquid. Finely chop mushrooms and set aside.

Prepare a large pot of lightly salted water to cook gnocchi; bring to a simmer but do not cook pasta yet. In a skillet over medium-high heat, combine butter and olive oil until melted. Add shiitake and cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and just golden; transfer to a plate. Combine asparagus and onion in skillet, season with salt and cook until onions are just soft, about 3 min.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in simmering water according to package directions and drain.

Add chopped porcini, cooked mushrooms and the peas to skillet and heat through. Toss with gnocchi, almonds and cheese. Add 2/3 cup porcini liquid to create sauce and serve with extra cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings.