Flowfit

Who would have thought that mustard goes so well with salmon?  This is truly a great combo – one that can be prepared camping!  Well, that’s what my cooking facilities are like at the moment, so yours should turn out even better than mine!  Right?  The asparagus was cooked in a saute pan on my hot plate, while the salmon was cooked on the BBQ.

For the asparagus, simply wash and cut off hard ends.  Into a saute pan add, 1 tsp peanut oil, 1 tsp sesame oil and the asparagus.  Add some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and toss to combine.  Saute on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and squeeze lemon over asparagus and serve.

YUM!

I’m not going to type a formal recipe for the salmon… you’ll laugh, but I used what I had, and it worked, so I challenge you to do the same!  I used a squirt of plain ol’ yellow mustard, a dollop of whole grain mustard, another dollop of dijonaise and about 1tbsp of soy sauce and about 1tsp of sesame oil.  Add in some cracked pepper and a glug of peanut oil.  Mix all together, and pour over salmon, reserving a bit to add after salmon is cooked.  Grill for about 4 minutes per side.  Soooooo good!  The mustardy sesame sauce was amazing!

Double YUM!

We have WALLS!  And a ceiling! Tomorrow the flooring goes down – hooray!  What a difference walls can make! And the amazing thing? Sometimes you don’t know how bad something was until you change it – for us, that means insulation!!  WOW!  No more cold pockets.  Our house actually feels warmer!  Too warm in fact… we’ve been turning the heat off at night – it’s too warm!  Funny eh?

As I type, the walls are being painted as is the ceiling.  The pot lights are installed, and we had fun last night playing with all the dimmers.  This week is a full one – our floors (African walnut) will go down, the walls and ceiling will be completely painted and some of the cabinets will arrive!  Can’t wait to see it!  It’s amazing watching it all come to life.  So exciting!

Last night we wanted something grilled.  The smell of bar-b-que was in the air and we were all salivating for something with that smokey charred taste.  In my fridge I had a selection of fresh veggies, so I lined them up on the bbq and this is what happened:

Grilled Balsamic Veggies:

Selection of vegetables of your choice.  I used asparagus, yellow pepper and red onion.  Pick your favorites and enjoy!

Balsamic Glaze:

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Combine above ingredients in bowl. Whisk to combine.  Add veggies, stir to coat.

Place veggies on grill set to meduim heat.  Grill turning frequently for approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Watch them closely as all grills are different.  They should still be crisp tender.

Using same bowl with remaining glaze, place veggies back into bowl and toss to coat.  Serve with brown rice, couscous or quinoa…. or with “Grilled Bruschetta Pizza” like I did. YUM!

The first time I had this dish was in China Town in Toronto.  I was immediately struck by the simplicity and freshness and knew I needed to recreate it at home!  Asparagus is one of our families favorite green vegetables, which is a good thing as they are packed with Iron, Magnesium, Zinc and dietary fiber to name a few goodies.  You wouldn’t think protein when you think asparagus, but there are 5g of protein per one cup serving.  Not bad from a veggie eh?

Salt and Pepper Asparagus:

• 1 bunch asparagus, bottoms cut off and halved on an angle
• 1 tbsp peanut or olive oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sea salt
• fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 2 tsp dark sesame seeds

Heat oil in saute pan.  Toss in asparagus and stir to coat with oil.  Add salt and pepper and cook on med/high, stirring continually for 2 minutes.  When asparagus turns bright green, add soy sauce and 1 tbsp water, reduce heat and cover.  Cook for 2 minutes covered.  Remove lid, turn heat up again to evaporate any liquid.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.  And of course, a cilantro garnish to pretty it up.

YUM!