Just for the Halibut

We love fresh halibut! The firm white meat is low in fat and full of flavour. With this recipe we didn't want to cover up the natural flavour of the fish, but instead bring in other flavours that are complementary. You can either bake the halibut, pan fry it, or our personal favorite, barbeque it.

Serves 4.

Ingredients: 
4 Halibut fillets (approx 6 oz each) preferably with skin
1 cup of dry white wine
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/4 cup of chopped italian parsley
2 green onions finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a bowl, add all ingredients except Halibut and mix together well.
2. Lay fish into the bowl, and turn to coat.
3. Let sit in the marinade for about 30 mins.

Note: If you let the fish sit too long, the the marinade will start to cook the fish.

4. Heat the BBQ to 400 degrees and lightly oil the grill with vegetable oil.

5. Put the Halibut on the grill skin side down. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick the fillet is. A 1" fillet will take approximately 10 minutes. The fish is ready to eat when it is opaque through the middle and flakes easily. Flip the fish once only as it breaks apart easily.

"Q-ing" up Dinner

Are you tired of thinking about what to have for dinner?  Sick of making a ton of dishes and mess? Having last minute company and don't want to spend your evening cooking and cleaning? 

We love this meal! It is super easy and takes almost no time and has no clean up.

TIP: The secret to the success is that you bake the chicken in the oven before your guests arrive. 

Barbecued Chicken Legs With Grilled Corn and Asparagus.

Serves 6

For the chicken:

• 6 chicken legs - skin on (breasts work as well if you prefer)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Your favorite BBQ sauce (see Product Reviews and Tips for a review of our new favorite)

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a baking dish, (we prefer using a 9 x 13" pyrex cake pan)
2. Salt and pepper lightly.
3. Bake chicken at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until just cooked and juices run clear. 
4. Take out of oven, and let rest for 10 minutes. (You can do this step in advance, but cold chicken will take longer to grill)
5. Coat the chicken in your favorite barbeque sauce, and place on the grill.
6. Barbeque until the chicken has grill marks and the sauce is caramelized. ( 5-7 minutes)  

For the corn and asparagus:

• 6 ears of corn (husked)
• 2 bunches asparagus (not too thin)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Wash and dry the vegetables, trim asparagus.
2.  Coat lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place on grill, turn occasionally to create grill marks. (3 - 7 minutes depending on grill temperature)

Note: Both corn and asparagus cook quickly, and you don't want to overcook them. Asparagus should still be crisp, and corn just required warming through.

Also try: coloured peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms.
For added zip, drizzle veggies with balsamic vinegar.

A MONSTER of a cookie!

Just the name, Monster Cookie, brings back memories for so many people. Whether it was Girl Guides or Scouting, soccer teams, or camping.  These enormous cookies are what youth is all about and taste just as you remember them.

This recipe is from our Great Aunt Mary, she used to make them by the dozens so that they were ready for when the family came to visit.  The original recipe has been used by our family for three generations and makes over 100 large cookies, calling for 18 cups of oatmeal!!! WOW!

To make the recipe a more reasonable size, (not to mention affordable) we have divided recipe into quarters. The dough and cookies freeze really well so they can always be on hand.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups smooth peanut butter
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup Smarties (can be mixed in or used to decorate)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using an electric mixer, whip butter and both sugars together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Add in peanut butter, eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix till well blended.
4. Add the oatmeal in three parts, mixing to incorporate only.
5. Add chocolate chips, nuts and Smarties.
6. Form dough into balls, use large mixing spoon for traditional 'monster' size or a soup spoon, for a more modest size.
7. Leave ample space between each ball as the cookies will spread when baking.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack until totally cool.
9. Try not to eat them all in one sitting!


Do you have a favorite food memory? What is it?