Another attempt at fish...SWORD FISH

I can't believe our last post was in July when we attempted haddock.  I don't like food from the sea, but Shawn insisted (as did the Fish Monger) that Sword Fish tastes like steak (yah right)...

Well I can assure you, it indeed tastes like meat rather than fish.  Although I would compare it to wild boar or pork rather than beef.  It is definitely going into the rotation!

Sword Fish from Angelos Waterfront Seafood Market
One the menu:
  • Swordfish
  • Roasted Zucchini 
  • Roasted Sweet Potato
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First attempt at Haddock....

Shawn was craving haddock after a trip to Vancouver, so we tried it out.  Used Tempura batter and deep fried it.  Four days later the house still smells of deep fried fish.  Next time we will do this on the BBQ.



Happy Birthday Shawn (And Queen Victoria)

Although we celebrated the Queen's Birthday on Monday, she was actually born on May 24, 1819.  My husband was born many decades later!

Inspired by our friend Emily, we attempted wild boar chops.  They were amazing.  Boar...the other, other white meat.

A meal fit for a King (Shawn) and Queen:
  • Wild Boar
  • Corn on the cob
  • Loaded baked potato
  • Garlic sautéed shrimp
Grillin' the Wild Boar
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Been on a bit of a hiatus...

Well it has been a busy couple of months since I have been in the kitchen blogging.  It was a super busy March and April and now that May is almost done BBQ season is in full swing (not that it actually ever stops, but it is much nicer with a glass of wine in hand on the patio than having to shovel a path to the BBQ).

So.....for the summer I am taking a break from the weekly blog, but will post pics and recipes when I can.

Golf (at the Brampton Golf Club) cutting into my blogging time!

Until Autumn rolls around, enjoy the rest of Spring and Summer!!!

On the menu for the Queen Victoria's Birthday:
  • Striploin charred on the Sizzle Zone
  • Grilled veggies
  • Garlic sautéed shrimp
No receipes this time folks....it is pretty straightforward.  GRILL EVERYTHING!!!

Napoleon Sizzle Zone in Action

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Steak, potatoes and some greens....

Nothing like a tried and tested meal with a few twists.

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When someone gives you lemons....you make????

Lemon loaf of course!!!

Ok, well no one gave us lemons, but you always end up with too much when you shop at Costco.  Note...this recipe won't put a dent in your lemon inventory, as it only uses one.  But I suppose it could if you made more than one loaf!

Lemon Loaf
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Hubby needs dinner....Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs?

Shawn was getting sick of the same old chicken thigh recipe during the week, so he challenged me to make them more delicious....I am always up for a challenge.

More specifically he asked me to make a recipe he found online.  I pretty much followed it exactly.  Verdict....they were delicious, but on the down side....not very healthy.  We need to strike a balance.  I am not going to go through the step-by-step directions (you can follow via the link above).  Here are some pics from my process.
Delicious Oven BBQ Chicken Thighs

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Beef Short Rib Crock Pot Experiment

Shawn hates all things cooked in the crock pot; however, I am determined to make something he will enjoy.  Today's challenge....beef short ribs.


Our Family Day Dinner menu included:

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Need some warmth...butternut squash soup!!!

It is absolutely freezing outside, the fire is roaring, but we still need more warmth.  Homemade butternut squash soup will do the trick.

Butternut Squash Soup

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Old man winter messed with our dinner plans! Oh well...Happy 10th Anniversary!

10 years ago today!
February 15, 2005
Today is our 10th Wedding Anniversary and we had planned to do a roast on the BBQ.  BUT....as I indicated in my last post, today is -40 °C (with the wind chill).  So we switched up the weekend menu order and tonight it is time for some good old comfort food.
On the menu:

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Love is in the air...what's cooking in the Kitchen?

Valentine's & 10th Anniversary Roses
It is Valentine's Day and tomorrow (our 10th Anniversary) is forecast to be one of the coldest days of the season. We intended to do a roast on the rotisserie on Sunday, but with temperature forecast at nearly -40 °C (with the windchill) we adjusted the weekend menu plans. Originally planned as our anniversary dinner our Saturday night menu included:
In Shawn's words...."Rusty, you out did yourself!"

P.S. Don't ask why I report ambient temperature in celsius and cooking temperature in fahrenheit!
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Comeback Meal!

After our debacle two weeks ago, we needed a tried and tested dinner for our COMEBACK MEAL!

On the menu:
It tasted way better than it looks, but that is part of this blog...to improve my photos.
Ribeye lookin' a bit charred, but it was delish
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Happy Birthday to Me!

I can't take any credit for the dinner presented herein...

However, I can say that it was delicious and prepared by my husband's family for my birthday.  No recipes (because I was on a Birthday break), but here are some snapshots of the delicious dinner.

On the menu:
  • Greek Salad
  • Cheese and Spinach Ravioli
  • Vegan Taco Potato Crisps
  • Chicken Wings
  • Vegan Pizza
  • Mini Regular Pizza
  • Chocolate Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday to Me!
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Homemade Caesar Salad

It is Saturday night...what's for dinner?  Pizza and homemade caesar salad....

We had pizza a couple of weeks ago, so I won't go into that again.  However, we had some friends over, so we could just serve them pizza.  So, I thought I would try a healthy caesar salad to offset the pizza.

So on the menu was:

Homemade Caesar Salad

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Mac and Cheese Anyone?

It was a dreary weekend and we needed some good old mac and cheese.


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What to do with egg whites?

Remember the crème brûlée from Saturday night?  Well that left me with 16 egg whites, so what do you do with them?

Inspired by my cousin Caitlin, I whipped up a quick quiche.

What to do with egg whites?
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Bet Your Dinner Was Better Than Ours!

Well I can truly says this was an epic fail (greater than missing the countdown on New Year's Eve)!

On the menu:

It doesn't sound so bad right, but where did it go wrong?
  1. The risotto relied on aromatic greens for the flavour.  What are those you ask?  Tarragon, fennel, and green onions.  A far cry from the lemon zest and asparagus risotto from two weeks ago.  Tarragon and fennel have a licorice flavour (the black stuff, not the red strawberry stuff).
    Note: these herbs are good laxative agents (something you may not want).  
  2. Shawn has grilled a rack of lamb before, so not sure why it took three attempts to get it to medium rare.
All in all, the presentation was good, but the risotto lacked flavour and we were frustrated with the lamb and its lack of want to be grilled to medium-rare!

P.S.  I don't like lamb.

Grilled Lamb with Risotto and Aromatic Greens
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Saturday Night Potluck!

When the boys are away...the girl will plan an amazing dinner!  That was the case on Saturday.  While our significant others were representing Dixie Curling Club in the Goldline TCA Men’s Championships, we planned and executed amazing menu.  Thanks Craig for grilling the steaks!

On the Menu: I was responsible for the French Bread, Scalloped Potatoes and Creme Brûlée (I have provided those recipes below).
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Rainy Sunday calls for comfort food!

Tonight we had one of Shawn's favourite dishes --- candied ham!

Click the links below to jump to the recipes.

Candied ham with carrots & mashed potatoes

Lucky for him, I made dinner while he watched the Cowboys beat the Lions.  He is the King of the Grill, while I am the Queen of the Kitchen.
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It is raining cats and dogs, so why not veal and risotto?

Shawn picked up some veal chops a couple of weeks back at Longo's, so we picked the perfect day to grilled them up!

In the forecast: snow, sleet and rain.

Fortunately for me, I stayed inside to make the Lemon Zest & Asparagus Risotto while Shawn had to shovel the patio and grill the Veal (although it took less than 5 minutes).

Veal Chops 
Veal Chops & Seasonings

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A great day for pizza on the BBQ!

On the menu tonight...homemade pizza on the BBQ.  It is a balmy -4 °C (feels like -11 °C with the windchill), so why not?

My husband will have to sufficiently burn-off the fat/grease from last night's dinner --- Tomahawk Steaks before we put the pizza on the BBQ.  Those babies were delicious.  If you want to see what I am talking about click here.

Back in July 2014, I had the unfortunate incident of making a pizza on the BBQ a day following a Tomahawk feast.  I didn't think it was possible for pizza crust to get that black --- like I mean tar-black.  Shawn and I ate the toppings, but our nieces (Lochlyn and Ella-Rose) were not so inclined.  So being the awesome aunt that I am....offered to make them hot dogs, except there was only one left.  Ok, so we aren't use to having people in the house beside ourselves...so ice cream for dinner it was!  I said I was awesome right???

Ok, back to tonight's dinner --- Meatatarian Pizza (yes that is correct)!

I don't think I need to provide instructions on how to make a pizza, so this is what she was topped with:
  • ground beef
  • sauteed onions
  • salami
  • ham
  • bacon
  • pepperoni
  • mozarella cheese
  • cheddar cheese

She turned out fabulous (and not burnt!).

Using bread flour will provide a crispier crust

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Ringing in the New Year with Tomahawk Steaks!

Welcome to Was Your Dinner This Good?

 Because I don't have enough time on my hands, I decided to start a blog about our adventures in food and wine beginning in 2015.

Well 2015 is here....and so we begin....

New Year's Eve Dinner

Sorry no after photos, but here are the prep photos.

Our New Year's Eve menu included (click links to jump to the recipes):

French Onion Soup

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