Oh Canada!

If you've been living on a desert island, you may not be aware that the Winter Olympics are currently taking place in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. It's somewhat of a big deal here in Canada and admittedly, I do beam with pride when I see those gorgeous aerial shots of Vancouver and surrounds. It's a beautiful part of our country and I am glad that the rest of the world now knows about this magical and beautiful place.

Not only is Vancouver known for its spectacular natural beauty, it is also a mecca for cuisine. Some of Canada's best known restaurants and chefs are found in this city and food trends that eventually find themselves in Toronto often have their roots in Vancouver. With its close proximity to the sea, it is no wonder that Vancouver also boasts some of the best sushi outside of Japan. And if you are in search of seriously fresh fish and that connection to the people who "catch" your food, drive out to Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver, to meet the fishing boats and inspect that morning's catch. You probably couldn't find fresher fish.

For this week's post, I thought I might do something Canadian inspired to celebrate the Olympics. While there isn't really a Canadian cuisine in the same way there is distinct French, Japanese or Italian food, I think the consensus is that Canadian cuisine is probably characterized by the use of our local produce and local flavours.

I came up with a dish that reflects the foods of this vast nation. From the West, there is nothing more reflective of BC than salmon, from the Prairies, I chose lentils (Did you know that Canada is the world's largest exporter of lentils?), and from the East, glorious maple syrup from Quebec.

The salmon is prepared very simply - it is pan seared until the skin crisps up and finished with a glaze of maple syrup from Oka, Quebec. Then it is laid a top of bed of lovely brown lentils. (For this dish, I prefer French lentils (when I can find them) as they keep their shape and don't shed their skins when cooked. Unfortunately, for this post, I could not find them and have substituted brown lentils. The texture is slightly different but still delicious nevertheless.)


Grilled Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad

1 lb Pacific center-cut salmon - cut into four portions (or if you are looking for larger portions, I would say 1/2lb per person)
1 c brown lentils (or Du Puy aka French lentils, if available)

1 lemon - zest & juice
1 1/2 tbsp capers
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp light olive oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
optional: maple syrup for finishing

1. Cook lentils according to package instructions. Do not overcook.
2. Meanwhile, roughly chop capers. Add to a large bowl along with lemon zest, juice, sugar & olive oil. Once lentils are cooked drain them well and add them to vinaigrette. Gently toss.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pan on high heat. Turn down to medium-high and cook salmon skin side down until the skin is nicely browned and crisp. Carefully turn fish over and cook on the opposite side. Cook until medium - approximately 10 minutes.
4. Serve salmon immediately on a bed of warm lentils.

*If there is leftover lentil salad, it is delicious on its own with some crumbled goat cheese on top.

Go Canada Go!
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A Light Lunch

It's been three months since I had my baby. He's healthy, beautiful and wonderfully cheery.


And while it took nine months to put on the weight during my pregnancy, I am quite eager to get to my pre-pregnancy shape.

It's time to take action.

But I love to eat and this is a food blog... so let's not go crazy here.

Maybe we should have lunch first....

Normally, I make a mini version of these crab cakes as an hor d'oeuvre for parties. And gosh, they are delicious. These are so simple to make, perfectly paired with a light salad for lunch.

I use lump crab meat as I love biting into the little nuggets of crab delicately held together by a savoury, moist filling brightened with a hint of citrus and dill.


Crab Cakes
(makes approximately 4 crab cakes)

1/4 lb crab meat, well drained (lump crab if you have it)
1 tsp finely minced dill
1 tsp finely minced parsley
1/2 tsp celery salt
pinch of smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1/2 c panko crumbs
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp lemon juice
(* 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning - I normally add Old Bay to my crab cakes but it isn't available everywhere. If you have it, I'd reduce the celery salt to 1/4 tsp but add a pinch of salt to the mixture.)

1/2 c panko crumbs in a separate shallow bowl

1 tbsp butter

1. Gently fold dill, parsley, celery salt, paprika, pepper, panko crumbs, egg and lemon juice into drained crab. Don't overmix and try to keep crab in chunks.
2. Divide the mixture into quarters and gently shape into patties.
3. Gently coat crab cakes in panko bread crumbs. Set aside on a plate. Repeat. Cover crab cakes with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Melt butter over medium heat in a large fry pan until butter is foamy.
5. Gently fry crab cakes until golden brown and toasty. (Flip crab cakes over only once.)
6. Serve immediately with a side salad.
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Wonton Soup

Recently I started to think about the foods my family ate when I was a child and even though my little guy is still way too young for solids, it got me to thinking about the foods I could/would make for my family. My mom made wonton soup practically every night when we were kids. Like most moms, she had a day job and then came home to her second job as a full-time mom. I remembered how she quickly folded a couple of wontons and dropped them into a boiling soup pot just in time for dinner. Wonton soup was such a delicious way to start dinner.

If you have never had the pleasure, please do go out and try this. Wontons are little bite-sized dumplings usually filled with a mixture of meat and seafood. (In this case, chicken and shrimp.) The wonton wrapper is made of a thin dough similar to pasta but tastes much lighter. Wontons are often dropped directly into soup or pre-poached into boiling water before being added to a soup. A few minutes in a hot bath and they are transformed from smooth semi-opaque triangles into ruffled, translucent silky bundles.

Although it is an extra step, I prefer to cook them in boiling water first. Some wrappers are a bit starchy and may change the flavour and the consistency of the soup.

Admittedly, making a batch of wontons is a bit of work if you decide to make a full batch... However, if you are making just enough to a pot of soup, then once you make the filling it shouldn't take much longer to wrap a couple of wontons and throw them into a soup.(The filling should keep for about 3-5 days in the refrigerator.)

Alternatively, you can make the entire batch of wontons and freeze them. Once they are made, you can just plop them into a boiling broth and have wonton soup in minutes without having to defrost them first.


Wonton Soup

For the filling:
1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 lb shrimp, chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 c water
salt & pepper to taste

1 package of wonton wrappers

For the soup:
750ml low sodium chicken broth
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil

optional: lightly beaten egg

1. Gently mix together the filling except the water. Meanwhile bring to a boil a small pot of water. using a teaspoon, drop a small meatball into the water once the water reaches a rolling boil. When the meatball floats to the top, leave in the water for an additional minute and scoop out onto a plate. Allow to cool. Taste meatball for seasoning and adjust accordingly. (Once you have made this recipe several times, you will find this added step is unnecessary.)

2. Once satisfied with seasonings for the filling, place a teaspoon of the mixture into the center of the wonton wrapper. Dip your finger into a small bowl of water and wet two adjoining sides (in an L-shape). Fold the opposite corner over until the edges meet and gently press the wonton closed, removing any air pockets. You will be left with a triangle shaped wonton. Place the wonton on a large platter and repeat until all the wonton wrappers or meat mixture is finished. Do not overlap the wontons on the platter. If you have additional meat left over, a great way to use them is to make tiny meatballs to add to your soup.

3. If you are not using the wontons immediately, lay the wontons out on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze for ten minutes. Then store the wontons in a freezer bag for later use.

For the soup:

1. Bring to a boil the chicken broth and green onions.

2. In another pot, bring water to a boil. One by one drop wontons into the water and stir to ensure the wontons do not stick together. Once the wontons, rise to the surface, scoop out the wontons and move to the pot with the boiling chicken broth. Reduce temperature and simmer for another 2 minutes.

3. If using, stir broth in the pot so that the liquid is squirling about. Gently pour the lightly beaten egg into the broth. After about five seconds, swirl a wooden spoon around the pot until the egg is cooked into whispy strands.

4. Remove from heat and add sesame oil. Serve immediately.

If you are serving this as an appetizer, it easily serves four people with about 5 wontons each. If you are having this as a main, it feeds 2-3 people with 8 to 10 wontons each.

For your own variations, you can experiment with different types of meat - pork or beef, or consider the additional of other seasonings including chili, white pepper, or five spice.
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What to do with Barley

I have developed tendonitis (from carrying the baby!) and therefore, typing is a bit of a challenge... so please forgive the short post....

It's officially February and I am still clinging to the hope of losing some weight this winter. I am trying to watch what I eat (with the acknowledgement that I will be falling off the wagon this Superbowl weekend) and I have also started to exercise again. But it's the middle of winter afterall and the days are so dreary. It seems far easier to cuddle up on the sofa with a good book, and consume copious amounts of junk food than to go for a run. But that's just me...

In my search for something healthy and easy, I saw a bean salad at the deli section of the supermarket and thought perhaps this would hit the spot.

Enter barley. It's a grain and a great source of fibre. Therefore, you can feel full without gorging on naughty things like french fries, hamburgers and chocolate or feel like a rabbit by eating a rather large bowl of lettuce.

Wonder what to do with barley?

A couple of things I like to do are:

1. Add cooked barley to beef stew or to soups
2. Substitute arborio rice as a "risotto"
3. Barley water (Seems weird but bear with me - it's a British drink where you mix boiled barley water with sugar and lemon juice. It's actually very delicious.)
4. Add into a salad - delicious with chicken and dried cranberries or this barley and beans salad.


Barley & Bean Salad

1 c pearled barley
1 can navy beans

2 tbsp olive oil
1/4c lemon juice
1 c petit pois (sweet green peas)
1 small carrot, peeled and diced into small cubes
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dill
1 tsp parsley

salt & pepper
optional: crumbled goat cheese

1. Rinse barley in cold water until clear. Cook barley according to package directions (approximately 20-25 minutes in 4 c of water.)
2. Rinse beans in cold water and set aside. Meanwhile mix olive oil, lemon juice, honey, dill and parsley together.
3. Once barley is tender, drain and add to bean mixture.
4. Serve warm topped with crumbled goat cheese.
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Superbowl Meatballs

Happy New Year!

Hope your holidays were filled with lots of friends, family and delicious food.

As the Superbowl is just around the corner, this is the time to start considering foods for the big day. I like meatballs for casual get togethers. They are the ultimate party food!

The inspiration for this recipe came from my mother-in-law who gave me her recipe. I adjusted this recipe to make it extra saucy and to brighten the flavour with the addition of citrus. While it may seem a little different from other sweet and sour meatball recipes with the cranberry sauce & orange zest, but trust me, it tastes wonderful!

The best part about these meatballs is they can be made ahead and frozen. They cook from frozen very easily and the sauce is a snap to pull together.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef
¾ cup of bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp finely diced onion
2 tbsp milk
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
vegetable oil for brushing

1 c Heinz Chili sauce
1/4 c orange juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1 c cranberry jelly
zest of 1 orange

Mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, milk, garlic, salt & pepper. Form into approximately 40 bite-sized meatballs and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze cookie sheet for at least twenty minutes. (If you are making the meatballs ahead, you can remove the meatballs from the cookie sheet and place in a resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer until you are ready to use.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush meatballs with vegetable oil and bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until fully cooked. In a large saucepan, or slow cooker, combine chili sauce, orange juice, lime juice, jelly and zest. Add meatballs. Stir well. Simmer 10-12 minutes on stove top or cook on low in the slow cooker. The sauce will thicken. Baste occasionally.

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Holiday Wishes & How to Make Creme Fraiche

Brrrr.... Is it cold enough for you? Sigh... winter is upon us.

I apologize for my recent absence. It's been a wonderful though tiring couple of weeks as our newborn son has made himself at home. Babies for all their eight (nine, ten...) pounds are high maintenance. Parents warn you that babies grow so quickly and to embrace every moment... admittedly, it's hard to embrace the moment when you are trying to get your crying child back to sleep at 3:30am. However, I didn't realize how true this statement was until today I put away my baby's newborn clothes... he has already outgrown them and it's only been four weeks. Oh, how they grow! While I am happy he is growing and thriving, I admit I am a little sad that this little baby I gave birth just a month ago is already growing up so quickly. (My friends with teen aged children tell me this feeling never goes away the older they get...)



This is my last post for the year. I am still learning how to multi-task with a newborn, we are getting ready to host my in-laws for the holidays and (surprise, surprise) I am sleep deprived. I want to take the time to savour this special time with my family so I am going to take a short break. I hope, dear readers, you have a very happy holiday surrounded by your loved ones. Happy holidays and see you sometime in January!

Until then, I leave you with the recipe to one of my favourite ingredients, creme fraiche.

Creme fraiche used to sit in the pantheon of high-end ingredients along side, foie gras, truffles, saffron, caviar, and Kobe beef. But no longer.... it is very accessible and everyday affordable (though your hips might not forgive you) because it is can be made at home.

I first became acquainted with this luxurious ingredient while watching Martha Stewart Living back in the day. I watched with endless curiosity when she used this sophisticated cousin of sour cream in both sweet and savoury applications: cakes, pies, appetizers, eggs, etc. It's rich texture and tangy flavour possesses the ability to magically transform the mundane into the extraordinary, for example, turning mashed potatoes from humble to la-dee-da special.

Recently, I had a craving for those luscious Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs the other day. Alas, my fridge did not have creme fraiche. I did have some buttermilk and heavy cream (35% milk fat!!) and a little time on my hands.

Creme fraiche also has many other splendid uses: whipped and served over berries; swirled as a thickener for sauces (due to its high fat content, it does not curdle when heated); dolloped over a frittata, omelet or eggs en cocotte; added into mashed potatoes, or stirred into this risotto.

Mind you, making your own creme fraiche is at minimum an overnight endeavour so plan in advance. ;)

Bon Appetit.

See you in the new year!

Creme Fraiche


2 c heavy cream
1/4 c buttermilk

Heat heavy cream in a heavy pot until it reaches 100 degrees F. Pour into a clean glass bowl, stir in buttermilk. Cover loosely with cling wrap and leave on counter top in a warm place undisturbed in your kitchen for at least 12 hours to 36 hours - depending on desired consistency. (Obviously this varies depending on the temperature of your kitchen. If you make this in a more humid environment, I would check on your creme fraiche sooner rather than later.) I like it rather thick and rich so that it is sturdy and stands up when scooped.

Refrigerate and use within two weeks.
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