A Life, Lived

Roast Salmon with Leeks and Bacon

You likely do not think of bacon when you think of Salmon. Unless you are such a bacon fan that you think of it all of the time in connection with anything. Salmon is a fish whose flavor pairs extremely well with bacon, as you’ll see when you prepare this dish. This recipe seems like it would be something you'd find in  French bistro (not that I'd know since my only experiences in France are of Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris).

This is one of those recipes which works well for a weeknight dinner or you can pull it out when you have company and wait for the compliments from your guests. Either way you'll love the combination of flavours and the fact that it comes together quickly with a minimal amount of fuss or mess.

Roast Salmon with Leeks and Bacon

2 lbs. salmon fillet, skin on, cut into four 8-oz. pieces
3 Tbs. olive oilv2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 lb. thickly sliced bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise into rings (2 cups)
2 tsp. cider vinegar

Position the rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Rub the salmon flesh with 1 Tbs. oil and then sprinkle with half the thyme, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

In a large (12-inch), oven-proof skillet (like a cast-iron pan) over medium heat, cook the bacon in 1 Tbs. oil, stirring occasionally, until it crisps and renders most of its fat, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Discard the bacon fat and wipe the pan with a paper towel.

Add the remaining Tbs. oil and the leek to the pan, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt, the remaining thyme, and the vinegar, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the leek softens completely and turns light brown, about 10 minutes.

Spread the leeks evenly around the pan and set the salmon skin side down on top. Transfer to the oven and roast uncovered until the salmon browns and becomes mostly firm to the touch (it should be just a little pink inside when you flake open a thicker piece of the fish), about 20 minutes. NOTE - our salmon wasn't very think and only required about 10 minutes of cooking time. Watch this as overcooked salmon is not a happy thing.

Serve the salmon with leeks and crisp bacon on top.

Travel Tuesday - Savannah

9 years ago close to 100 members of the slow travel community gathered in Savannah for a weekend of food, drink, chatter, and laughter.

Vimy Ridge - 100 Years Ago

In April 1916 my grandfather signed up to fight in WW1.

A year later he found himself at the battle of Vimy Ridge. This is Canada's most celebrated military victory — an often mythologized symbol of the birth of Canadian national pride and awareness. The four divisions of the Canadian Corps, fighting together for the first time, attacked the ridge from 9 to 12 April, 1917 and captured it from the German army. It was the largest territorial advance of any Allied force to that point in the war – but it would mean little to the outcome of the conflict. More than 10,500 Canadians were killed and wounded in the assault. Today an iconic white memorial atop the ridge honours the 11,285 Canadians killed in France throughout the war who have no known graves.

Grandpa would tell me stories about this battle when I used to sit at his feet listening to his tales as a child. he was a 'sapper' in the war and his role in this battle was to help build and repair rail lines to the front to ensure a steady supply of supplies. He told me how at Vimy the burrowed into the ridge itself to provide natural protection to the lines. I am sure his experiences in the gold mines of northern Ontario helped him with this.

Heck yes!!!!!!

Great Parenting Blogs Through the Ages

This appeared on the McSweeney's website (which you should visit regularly if you do not already do so)

It was written by Pete Lynch

Great Parenting Blogs Through the Ages

What Me Wish Got Tell Daughter before Wolves Took

My Kids Keep Drawing on Our Cave Walls — And I Couldn’t Be Happier!

What I Said Wrong (and Right) when My Son Came Out as a Gatherer

14 Ways the Wheel is Making Our Kids Lazy

Zeus May Be My Daughter’s Father… But My Husband is Her Dad

Managing Scream Time: Are We Letting Our Kids Watch Too Many Gladiator Decapitations?

I Thought I Would Always Hate Visigoths — Until My Son became Friends With One

I Don’t Know About You, But I Don’t Want My Son Learning About the Concept of “Zero”

A Letter to My Unmarriable Daughter as She Heads Off to Convent

Overcoming Disappointment When Your Child’s Crusade Fails

To the Woman Staring as I Dumped My Child’s Plague-Ridden Body Into the Street

Protecting Our Children from the Heliocentric Agenda

While Switching to the Gregorian Calendar, Don’t Forget to Schedule Some “Me” Time

Helping Your Son Pick the Indentured Servitude That’s Right for Him

The Day My Formerly “Troubled” Daughter Stood Up Proudly and Accused Her First Witch

I, Too, Declare My Independence — From Worrying About the Mess in This House!

“They’re Killing Each Other!”: Dealing with Sibling Conflict, from the Backyard to Bull Run

The Simple Trick I Used to Get My Kids Off the Couch and Back Into the Factory

I Swore I’d Never Read My Daughter’s Diary, But Now That I Have, Our Attic is a Happier Place

Sharing and Caring: 14 Ways to Tell If Your Toddler is a Communist

I Have a Dream: That Someday I’ll Get to Sleep-In Long Enough to Have a Dream!

Hey Iran, Could You Take My Kids for 444 Days?

The Cold War May Be Over, But the War On Our Children’s Low Self-Esteem Has Just Begun

Travel Tuesday - Berlin

I was thinking about our planned trip to Berlin later this year. I was there once before in January so I am looking forward to exploring the city again in some warmth.

Of course, I had to go and view my pics from that trip . . .

Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken Piccata

So let me be 100 % clear - I HATE the title of this recipe. Piccata is a Italian specialty: nothing more than chicken breast cutlets, dredged in flour, browned, and served with a sauce of butter, lemon juice, capers, and either stock or white wine. To suggest that it is lemon chicken piccata is like saying cold ice cream. Then there is the use of the word parmesan.

Shoot me.

Nonetheless, I managed to get past this and determined to try the recipe out.

The results were wonderful. Proof that sometimes you need to get beyond simple annoyances and give things a shot.

We thought that this tasted a bit lighter than other versions we have had - likely because the amount of butter is cut back compared to what you might find in other recipes.

This would normally be served with pasta but you could also serve it with steamed or grilled vegetables for a lighter meal.

Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken Piccata

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 whole wheat flour
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp cornstarch
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup reduced fat milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp capers
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice from 1 lemon

Slice chicken breasts into 4 thin fillets. Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl, and dredge each chicken filet in the four, making sure to evenly coat both sides. Shake off excess, and set aside.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes per side, depending how thick the chicken is. Remove chicken from pan, and set aside.

To make the sauce, add the garlic into the skillet, and cook for about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low-medium, add the broth and milk. Bring the sauce to a boil; season with salt and pepper.

Stir in parmesan cheese and capers and let simmer for about 2 minutes until it gets a little thicker. Then mix the cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water, and whisk it into the sauce.

Now stir in the lemon juice, then return the chicken to the pan. Let warm a minute, then serve.