Category: Fish

There's something fishy about this curry…But we're bananas for it!

   We’ve been in “use it up” mode at our house lately, finding creative ways to avoid the grocery store and use what’s on hand. This includes working down things we have in the freezer, in anticipation (hope?) of another season of garden bounty. Also, I was once again fooled into buying bananas. Here in Nova Scotia, even if the bananas look as green as grass, they won’t last more than a day or two. So here’s what we did – enough for last night’s dinner and lunch today…

Dice a large carrot, an onion, and two peeled white potatoes. Put on to boil in some vegetable broth, then simmer 10 minutes til tender.

Chop up half a pound or about 200g of fish, or use leftover cooked fish, and add to the veg along with a couple of large spoonfuls of dried unsweetened coconut and a tablespoon (15ml) of curry powder. Simmer until fish ish opaque and stir in a cup or so of milk. 

Heat through…and here’s the surprise: in each bowl, slice in half a banana. Top with the soup and some chopped herbs – we have basil and Vietnamese coriander growing in the window. 

It was delish, and we hope you enjoy it.

Where's the Veg?



OK, so technically a tomato is a fruit. Nonetheless, a tried and true weight management strategy is to make sure you get some fruit or veg in every meal. We like to add tomato, diced cucumber, or grated carrot to our tuna sandwiches (on whole grain homemade rye bread). Replace half the mayo with Dijon will also give your tuna salad a flavour kick! 

Good Friday Grill

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We spent part of Good Friday in our usual way, praying and contemplating with friends, the darkest point of the Easter story. After driving home from Mass along the seaside, watching the sun glinting off the ocean, we spent most of the afternoon doing yard work. It truly feels like Easter – small signs of life are revealing themselves all over the garden. After an incredibly fierce winter, this rebirth will really be welcome.

Most Fridays we feature fish on the menu, as much out of habit as custom, but on Good Friday we do make a special effort. The combination of sun and fresh outdoor air begged for the grill, and we had just the fish for it – halibut. We served it perfectly cooked alongside a medley of potato, carrot, and some baby leeks we found hiding under a cover of leaves in the garden.

Into the Inky Blackness We Go

The days are getting longer, and yet it gives us an increasing perspective on the night. When we leave for work in the dark, and arrive home in the dark, it is hard to appreciate that time when the indigo sky highlights the trees and there is a time of beautiful contrast.

On the “official” first day of spring, we had the trifecta of indigo light, wind, and waving trees. In celebration, dinner consisted of an inky squid pasta, combined with the season’s veg…celery, carrot, onion, hothouse pepper, and some Altantic salmon. It was a great combo that fed our tummies and souls.

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Rhymes with Orange?

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Last night we needed a fast, easy dinner that could be easily ignored while we decompressed and shared our day. The solution was this salmon – frozen fillets, oven poached in white wine with orange slices to keep the moisture in, and a sprinkling of chopped ginger and soy sauce.

On the side, garlic mashed red potatoes with the skin on, and some frozen peas. Quick food from the freezer that’s frugal, nutritious, and delicious – and the whole thing is ready, freezer to table, in about 30 minutes.

Nice Ideas from Nice

As February begins, we start to consider more springlike foods – the occasional bursts of sunshine and milder temperatures seem to mitigate the wintry desire for comfort and cocooning. The Niçoise salad seems to perfectly capture everything we look forward to – and this adaptation combines winter’s preserves, like capers and olives, with the local hydroponic lettuce and tomatoes that are appearing more frequently at the market.

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When Friday is Tired-Day

When you’ve had a long week, finishing off with a busy Friday at work, it can be easy to sink into the couch with a glass of wine and let your fingers do the walking to something fatty and not-so-healthy. We had that kind of Friday this week, but we took some time-tested steps to be sure our 2014 plan to stay healthy and happy kept on track.

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First of all, a tall glass of sparkling water with lemon to rehydrate and rejuvenate. Sometimes that rundown feeling is a simple lack of water. Then we put our favourite oven-baked fish and chips on to cook, and turned on an engaging movie that would help put our minds on something else. (In our case it was Dallas Buyers Club – a great movie for reminding ourselves about the difference between our problems and real problems). Before we knew it dinner was ready and we were rebuilding our spirits to face another day.

What Goes with Veggies

We’re back from vacation with a distinct longing for vegetables – which seem to be in short supply when eating in many restaurants. Too much fat, salt and meat has left us hungry for fresh food. As luck would have it, our veggie garden has run rampant, so we have a surfeit of choice.

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Our choice? A combo plate of golden beets roasted in balsamic and garlic, green and yellow beans, peas, and beet greens, all steamed. On the side, fish poached in white wine, lemon pepper and tarragon. Feeling full (and full of gratitude that the deer left us something to eat!)

Tuna Melts with French Flair

In just barely more time than it takes to assemble and slice sandwiches, you can have this delicious tuna melt, to warm you on a chilly day near the coast. Makes 3 or 4:

3-4 slices of multigrain toast (not buttered)
1 can tuna in water, drained, and mixed with
1 diced tomato
15 ml Dijon
15 ml mayonnaise

Preheat broiler to high. Make the filling and put it on the toast. Grate over top, a thin layer of Comté cheese (aged cheddar works well also). Voilà, a satisfying lunch for 2.

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Around the Corner from Nice

20130606-071912.jpg Our dinner plans were foiled. A couple of days ago we picked up some fresh green beans and a piece of salmon, expecting to make a slight twist on the classic Salade Niçoise. But some twists of fate kept the recipe off the menu for three days, and third-day fish is never a good idea. The beans weren’t looking so hot, either.

Not deterred, we gathered a basket of greens from the garden – tender turnip greens, arugula, spinach, chard, beets, and a few kinds of lettuce. Some pretty French radish. It would be enough. We made do with some good-quality canned tuna, a red pepper (locally hothouse grown) and free range eggs. Olives and a Dijon lemon dressing rounded out the meal. How can you be anything but grateful in the season when home gardens are springing to life with delicious surprises every day?