BBQ Halibut with Mango Salsa

I love summer! It is my absolute favorite time of the year - the sunshine, the bright colours, the warm air and the general feeling of happiness and lightness in the air. I love to transfer those colours and feelings onto my plate at meal time - anything bright, light and fun and I'm in! That's exactly what this dish is all about. Summertime on a plate!

BBQ Halibut with Mango Salsa
Recipe by A Tale of One Foodies Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

Halibut:

• Two pieces of fresh halibut
• 1 tsp each: cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, ground coriander, sugar, salt and pepper

Salsa:

• 1/2 an avocado, diced
• 1 mango, diced
• 1 small jalapeño, diced
• 3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tsp olive oil

Salad:

• Arugula
• Sprouts (any kind will do)
• Pea shoots
• a handful of tortilla strips
• juice of 1/2 lime
• drizzle of olive oil

Method:

1. For the halibut - preheat your grill. Sprinkle spice rub evenly over both sides of the halibut. Pat the spice rub into the fish. Grill seasoned halibut on the grill until just cooked through and remove from heat.
2. While the halibut is cooking, combine the salsa ingredients and stir well. Set aside to let the flavours marry.
3. Divide arugula, sprouts and pea shoots between two places. Drizzle with lime juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with tortilla strips. Top with grilled halibut and spoon salsa over liberally. Enjoy!

What's your summer cooking philosophy? Do you have a favorite meal that you only make during the summer? Feel free to share in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Cooking!

Mixed Greens with Wild Blueberry Dressing, Herbed Goat Cheese & Spiced Pecans

Hey Friends! I'm back in the kitchen now that my exam is over and I am so happy to be here! Hopefully I'll post more regularly and have time to start tackling some cool dishes that I've been wanting to do for a while. I'll share everything with you as I go. :)

Want to eat the best salad of your life? Make this salad!!! Seriously the best thing ever. Plus, it plates up beautifully so your dinner party guests will be wowed by how "fancy" it is. While it is a bit of work because you have to make all of the components prior to assembling your salads, if you prepare the components the day before, then you just have to plate it up when your guests come over. Its an awesome dinner party dish.

All of the below recipes are from the cookbook No more Secrets - recipes from the Cow Bay Cafe by Adrienne Johnston.

 First, make the spiced pecans.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large pinch chipotle powder
• 1 1/4 cups pecan halves

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a 30 cm piece of foil on a flat, heat-proof work surface (I used my cutting board).
2. In a medium bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, salt and chipotle powder. Add the nuts and mix well. Spread nuts on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring every five minutes until golden brown.
3. Spoon them onto the prepared foil and cool slightly. Quickly separate the nuts and cool thoroughly. Store in an air-tight container.

Next, make the blueberry dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• zest and juice of one lemon

Method:

1. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, place the blueberries, sugar, vinegar, cinnamon stick, ginger and lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Then remove from heat and cool. Refridgerate until ready to use.

Then, make the herbed goat cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1 small log goat cheese
• 3 tbsp tarragon vinegar
• fresh basil and tarragon

Method:

1. Finely chop basil and tarragon. Combine goat cheese, tarragon vinegar and chopped herbs. Set aside in fridge.

Finally, assemble your salads when ready to serve (don't preassemble them).

Method:

1. Toss mixed greens (approx 9 cups) lightly with olive oil, some kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
2. Place a puddle of the blueberry dressing on a plate. Mound some of the greens onto the blueberry dressing.
3. Place a few pieces of the herbed goat cheese and some of the pecans on top.
4. Serve immediately.

Hope you enjoy this one!! We most definitely did. What's your favorite salad to make when you have dinner guests?

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Curry Turkey Burgers with Mango Chutney



Happy Saturday peeps! Hope your weekend is off to a good start. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a "healthy" post for you this week after my healthy mac and cheese was an epic fail... I guess some things just aren't meant to be low fat and healthy right?! Is that the wrong attitude to have? Maybe I just need a better recipe... Any way, I was browsing through some of my instagram photos and found this one (apologies for the quality of the photo... I still haven't got the hang of taking photos with my iPhone yet) of Curry Turkey Burgers with Mango Chutney and an Asian Slaw Salad. This is definitely a lightened up burger and the asian slaw salad is a delicious substitute from ceasar salad or french fries. So this is going to constitute my healty post for the week - fitting into the light/ lower-fat category.

Even my hubby who has an aversion to lightened up versions of his favorite foods, really liked these burgers, so I am convinced that even your toughest critics will love these burgers and ask you for seconds. Oh yeah, and they're easy and quick to make, so its a win win situation. What are you waiting for? Whip these up tonight and feel good about your dinner.

Curry Turkey Burgers with Asian Slaw

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

For the Burgers

• 1 1/3 lbs lean ground turkey or chicken (I used a combination of both)
• A handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• A couple pieces of roasted red peppers, finely chopped
• coarse salt
• 2 tbsp mild curry paste or a handful of curry powder
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• Multigrain buns (4-6)
• lettuce (optional)
• guacamole (optional)
• mango chutney
• Light mayo (optional)

For the Slaw

• 1 package prepared shredded cabbage mix (coleslaw mix)
• 1/4 seedless cucumber, chopped
• 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded

For the Dressing

• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable/ canola oil

Method:

1. Combine the chicken, cilantro, ginger, garlic, roasted peppers, salt and curry paste in a large bowl. Form into five patties. Brush or drizzle patties on both sides with a tiny bit of olive oil.
2. Pan fry the patties in a non-stick pan for approximately 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Pile patties onto buns and top with lettuce, mango chutney and guacamole (maybe not if you're watching your fat intake), and light mayo (again - go easy on this if you're watching your fat intake).
3. For the slaw, combine the cabbage, cucumber and basil in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a small plastic container and shake vigorously for one minute. Drizzle sauce evenly over vegetables and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes and re-toss salad. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.   Serve with the turkey burgers.

I'm off to start up on my Saturday kitchen project... top secret productions in preparation for the February Secret Recipe Club!! Woot! Can't wait to share with you. :)

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Skinny Caesar Salad

If you've been following my blog, or browsing my archives, you may have noticed that I don't post many healthy recipes. I love baking, and most baking recipes are inherently laden with fat! And the recipes I usually make from my fav cookbooks are also usually laden with fat too... I do make healthy recipes most of the time during the week, but I don't usually blog about them because I'm always in a rush to get dinner on the table and never bother to photograph any of the healthy things I make... why would people want to read healthy recipes and look at pictures of healthy food?! *gasp*!!

Any way, getting on with the story, I whip this up on a super busy weeknight and plop it on the table in front of my husband and he stops me before we dig in and says "aren't you going to photograph this? It looks like restaurant food". Of course I burst out laughing, but was secretly flattered that he thought dinner looked that good!! It honestly made my day. So, I took pictures and decided to share it with you because it is a delicious and easy healthy recipe that even the most discerning caesar salad lover will enjoy!

Skinny Chicken Caesar
Recipe adapted from Cook Yourself Thin
Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts


• 2 heads romaine lettuce


• two handfuls of low fat croutons (I like the herb and garlic ones)


• 2 medium eggs


• 2 tbsp grated parmesan


• one recipe of caesar dressing (see below for recipe)

Method:

1. Preheat your grill and grill the chicken breasts with a little salt and pepper, or any seasonings you like. Remove from grill and let rest until the rest of the salad is ready to go.


2. Wash the lettuce and dry. Chop or tear the lettuce leaves into bite size pieces.


3. Carefully drop eggs into boiling water for 4 minutes exactly (for a runny center, for a soft, but not runny center, cook more like 6 minutes). Remove from boiling water and immediately immerse in cold water. Leave in cold water until the rest of the salad is ready.


4. Place the lettuce leaves in the bowl you mixed up the dressing in and toss together to coat. Add the parmesan and toss again.


5. Divide the coated lettuce among your serving plates. Slice the chicken and place on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle with croutons and a little extra parmesan if desired. Slice the egg in half and place on the plate as well. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Caesar Dressing
Recipe from Cook yourself Thin

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp fat free greek yogurt


• 1/2 garlic clove, minced


• 2 tsp dijon mustard


• 1 tsp malt vinegar


• 1 tbsp olive oil


• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in the bowl you will toss your salad in. Whisk together until emulsified and creamy.

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Santa Fe Chicken Salad

Here is a delicious summery salad for you! When the weather gets hot, make this. It won't heat your kitchen up because you don't even have to turn on your oven. :) BBQ the chicken, chop everything else up, shake up the dressing, and you've got yourself a delicious summer meal fit to serve to guests, family or just yourself!

Santa Fe Chicken Salad
Recipe adapted from Mennonite Girls Can Cook
Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless


• chili powder &/or cajun seasoning


• 8 cups mixed greens


• 1 - 14 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed


• 3/4 cup corn kernels


• 2 avocados, halved and sliced


• 1/2 cup feta cheese


• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped


• Peanut Lime Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe follows)

Method:

1. Prepare the salad dressing (recipe and instructions follow).


2. Prepare the salad ingredients in separate containers.


3. Rub chicken breasts liberally with the chili powder and/ or the cajun seasoning until well coated. Grill chicken until cooked through. Let chicken breasts rest before slicing while you plate the salad.


4. Assemble the salad ingredients on plates - start with a bed of greens, sprinkle with beans, corn, avocado, feta, sliced chicken and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped toasted peanuts.


5. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Peanut Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

Recipe Adapted from Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup lime juice


• 1/2 cup olive oil


• 1 tbsp peanut butter


• 2 tsp dijon mustard


• 1 tsp lime zest


• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Method:

1. Using a blender, mix lime juice, olive oil, peanut butter, and mustard. Blend until emulsified. Stir in lime zest and finely chopped peanuts. Use as directed in Santa Fe Chicken Salad recipe (above).

This salad is pretty easy to whip together. Make your hubby BBQ the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients and you'll have dinner on the table in no time (thats why I did!). Hope you've been having a fantastic weekend. I sure have - we have had some beautiful summer weather, I did some shopping for my upcoming vacation, and did a little celebrating at finishing a big exam on Friday afternoon. :)

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Blackberry Avocado Salad

This has been a really eventful week for most people around the world. Sad and scary with the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan and the tsunami that hit other areas after rippling out from Japan. My heart goes out to the many people affected by this horrible tragedy - those living in Japan and those with family and friends in Japan. What a scary and stressful time for them. I am really touched the by the aid and fundraising efforts that started so quickly and will continue to provide support to Japan when they need it the most. The devastation and wreckage there is absolutely unreal, looking at photos and video footage makes it all the more real and all the more unnerving. My thoughts and prayers go out to those in need and those who are worried about their friends and family who may have been lost in the wreckage.

In light of the seriousness and stressfulness of the week, I thought sharing a simple and light salad with you would be fitting. As many of you are likely consumed with worry and sadness, this salad is quick to whip up, and will provide you with much needed nourishment to keep you strong and on top of things. This salad is delicious and definitely has a spring feel to it.

Blackberry Avocado Salad

Recipe from Anna Olson

Ingredients:

• 8 cups arugula or other mixed baby greens
• 1 ripe (but not too soft) avocado, sliced
• 1 pint of fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup feta
• juice of 1 lime
• good quality extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Method:

1. Wash and dry lettuce and place in a pretty bowl. Fan out the sliced avocado artfully on top of the greens and sprinkle with the blackberries and crumble the feta on top. Juice the lime over the salad, sprinkling evenly with the lime juice. Drizzle lightly with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I told you it was easy! And it tastes amazing - the fresh flavours really come out and the lime juice keeps the avocado from turning brown. You will love this salad and hopefully it's simplicity brings a little joy to your life in such a sad and trying time.

To all of you affected by this horrible tradgedy, my thoughts and prayers are with you. May you find your loved ones and feel a sense of peace in such a tough time.

Happy Cooking my Friends! Hugs to you all.

Salad with Strawberries, Feta & Homemade Croutons

Alright, no show-stopping pictures tonight or elaborate recipes... just plain simple and tasty. Back to the basics! Here is a great salad to serve any time - slice up a grilled chicken breast, fan on top and drizzle with a nice balsamic dressing and you've got a quick, healthy and yummy weeknight dinner. No, your husband probably won't be crazy about it, but once a week won't kill him right?! He might even, *gasp* start to like "healthy" dinners! But, please don't hold your breath... I wouldn't want you to pass out from waiting for that to happen. ;)

Any way, I'll keep this post short so my attempt at humor doesn't drive you crazy and so you can get on with your evening. :)

For the salad: place some baby spinach in a bowl, top with some toasted sliced almonds, sliced strawberries, crumbled feta cheese and homemade croutons. Drizzle with a nice balsamic vinaigrete and enjoy!

To make your own croutons:

Take some day old bread or scones. Cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with 1/2 tsp each of ground cumin and oregano and 1 tsp of minced garlic (or a little garlic powder). Toss to coat the bread cubes with oil and seasoning, then place croutons on a cookie sheet ina single layer and oast in a 400F oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden and crisp. Season with a little salt and set aside. Croutons keep well in a plastic bag at room temperature.

*Crouton making instructions are courtesy of Cinda Chavich from the Girl Can't Cook cookbook. Feel free to use whatever spices you like though!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Salad with Pears, Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese

I made this salad for our Thanksgiving dinner and quite frankly hadn't thought of it much since then... until today that is. I have some cinnamon sugar pecans toasting in the oven and was reminded of the lovely candied pecans on this fantastic salad - definitely long overdue in posting this recipe.

The combination of the goat cheese, pears and pecans along with the delicious and easy vinaigrette and voila - you have this amazing and simple salad that is sure to please even the most discerning palate. Make it for your dinner party to please your guests or for a week night dinner - if you add some roasted chicken you've got yourself a meal. I found this recipe on fellow food-blogger's site - Food & Whine. Jen's blog is a great resource when you're looking for any kind of recipe - check it out when you have a minute!

Salad with Pears, Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese

Recipe from Food & Whine

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup pecans
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp liquid honey
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 8 cups baby spinach leaves or mixed greens
• 1 large ripe pear, thinly sliced or cut into matchsticks
• 2 oz goat cheese

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse pecans in cold water, drain but do not let them dry. Combine icing sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a small bowl. Toss pecans in the mixture and coat them well. Spread on the prepared baking tray.
3. Bake 8-15 minutes in center of the oven. Keep a close eye on them - they burn quickly. Remove and cool. Set aside.
4. Combine spinach, pear and goat cheese in a large bowl.
5. Whisk the juice concentrate, oil, vinegar, garlic, honey and mustard together in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Garnish with the pecans.

**Note: candied pecans can be made up to two weeks in advance: make ahead and store in an airtight container.

This is a great salad - even people who don't usually like salad will like this one! The flavours are delicious and it is on the sweeter side. No scary vegetables in this salad - its all down-to-earth, easy-to-find ingredients. Hope you enjoy this one!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Summer Salad

I've been absent from the blogging world for a few days because I've been away with my hubby! We went on a little trip for our 3rd anniversary to the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful! Now back to reality.


I thought I would share with you a summery salad today. If you're dreading falls approach, make this salad - you'll definitely feel summery when you eat it! The salad is also very simple and great to make on a work night. You could even add some grilled chicken or fish and you would have a complete meal!

Ingredients:

• Mixed greens
• goat cheese, crumbled
• toasted pecans (I tossed mine with some cayenne pepper, brown sugar and olive oil after I toasted them)
• croutons
• blueberries
• balsamic vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette:

Mix together 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, 1 small clove garlic, minced, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper in a glass jar, blender or food processor. Shake, blend or whirl until smooth. Drizzle over your salad and enjoy!

Try this vinaigrette tonight on your salad! Its delicious and only takes a couple minutes to make. Enjoy!

Blueberry

Proscuitto Wrapped Salmon

While my mom was still visiting, I thought I would experiment on her again with but another new recipe! This time I made Proscuitto Wrapped Salmon (Chef at Home), roasted baby potatoes and ceasar salad with a homemade dressing. All of it turned out very nicely and the presentation was lovely. The recipes were quite simple and used very straight forward and easy to find ingredients.

For the salmon - take 4 filets and season with salt and pepper. Smear approximately 1/2 -1 tbsp of grainy mustard (experiment to see what you like best) and then wrap with one strip of proscuitto. Broil in the oven til flakes when checked with a fork.

Salmon prior to going into the oven:

My cousin came to visit me in May and shared her recipe for ceasar salad dressing with me! I'm so thankful to her for sharing because I think it is one of the best ceasar salad dressing's I've ever tasted! Here is the recipe:

Whisk the following ingredients together in a small bowl:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise


• 1 clove garlic, crushed (or more to taste)


• 1 1/2 tsp worscestshire sauce


• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice


• 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinnegar


• 1/8 cup olive oil


• 1/4 cup parmessan

Enjoy!

Thanks for taking the time to check out my post! Hope you enjoyed this one. Let me know if you try it out and what you think!