I'm fairly certain that this means the "trial" gourmet series will focus on quick and easy meals over the next few weeks - not that the focus was "elaborate and complicated" to begin with, but you know what I mean...

This weeks recipe/meal was super simple to throw together, but surprisingly tasty and healthy (healthier if you remove some of the butter!). It was perfect for the end of my first day back at work. Nothing fancy - just good food minus the frills. And I was pretty happy with how it looked on my plate... doesn't it just feel nice to eat a meal that looks nice?

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
• Prepare green beans to steam (cut off tips if that's how you like them)
• Butter the bottom of a casserole dish, place 4 small salmon filets in dish (skin-side down)
• Melt 3 tablespoons of margarine (or butter) in a small glass dish. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of paprika. Pour mixture over fish.
• Place dish in oven for 15-20 minutes.
• Steam green beans and boil water for pasta.
• Add 2-4 tablespoons of pre-made basil pesto to the pasta.
• Check fish. Butter the beans. Serve.

That's it, that's all. The whole dinner preparation should take under 25 minutes from start to finish during which (while everything is cooking) you should have around 15 minutes to play with the kids, set the table or... do whatever you need to do!

a.o.k. "TIP": Try playing with the simple ingredients used for this meal. Replace the salmon filets with white fish filets, and the green beans with asparagus or brocoli and you'll have a whole new balanced (and just as simple) meal.

Not bad... if I do say so myself!

Enjoy!

A.

Montrealers were spoiled with an incredible Easter weekend - with record high temperatures for this time of year... perfect for openning up our tent-trailer for the first time, going out for ice cream and enjoying our first "nature" walk of Spring 2010!

I'm convinced that there is nothing like beautiful weather to lift your spirits and renew your energy...

Lucky Meaghi got to ride the whole walk...

The kids got to explore. Here are Layla & Mateo checking out the worms!

It's 9:30 p.m., the evening before my first day back at work.

I think I'm ready. I think. Laundry is done. Work clothes are ironed. Shower is taken. Hair is dried and straightened to require least possible morning maintenance. Lunch is made. Tomorrow's outfit is ready to slip into...

Am I forgetting anything? In my experience, no matter how prepared I think I am, no matter how organized - there are always little things that pop up at the last minute - always. Maybe one of the girls will have a bad night and I'll start off my day with less sleep than I was hoping to have. Maybe I'll spill something on my pre-picked outfit. Then again - maybe nothing unexpected will happen, maybe tomorrow morning will go smoothly and the entire day will go off without a hitch.

Think positive, right? Right. It's not like this is my first "first day back". I've been here before. I've felt the anticipation (both good and bad) of returning to the office after being off for a year (a whole year!) on maternity leave. I've worried about my choices, and hoped I was making the right ones. I've debated the pros and cons of staying home, working more, working less. I've stressed over everything, from leaving my girls in daycare and whether they're napping enough (or not) to picking the right outfit and managing to jump back into my professional roles and responsibilities... all while hoping that no one will notice that I'm worried or stressed about any of it!

With that said, it actually seems easier this time around. I've known this day was coming for a while, it didn't just creep up on me. The idea of going back to work has had the time to sink in. A spot opened up for Meaghan at the same daycare as Layla (in my office building!) a few months earlier than expected and her integration over the last few weeks has been an absolute dream. Meaghan's happy, Layla's happy (as I was putting her to bed tonight she actually said she was happy I would be working upstairs while she was at daycare!)... they'll both be less than 2 minutes away from me as I go about my day... and so I am happy.

At the moment I'm mostly anxious to get the first day (or the first few days) over with. Ignoring the fact that I will miss my girls and continue to worry about whether they're napping enough. Ignoring the fact that my home is what will probably suffer most (laundry will pile up, chores will get put off to the weekend...) I know this change is coming and I want to get the transition part over with. I want to figure out the new morning routine and to have the chance to re-integrate and prove myself at work. And to be completely honest - I'm anxious to have a reason to dress up, to indulge in adult conversation and bring my expertise to new and ongoing projects.

Wish me luck!

A.

I think it's become very clear by now that I'm always looking for quick and easy recipes to add to my regular rotation of dinner ideas. I snipped this maple chicken recipe from the Montreal Gazette a few week ago (Thank you Julian Armstrong!) and as easy as it was to make, it took me a while to get organized enough to put it together... (i.e.) Have the right ingredients on hand, remember to take the chicken out of the freezer to thaw and start marinating the meat with enough time left to make dinner...

I finally made it this week and was pretty happy with the result. Not ecstatic. It reminded me of a maple glazed pork tenderloin recipe that I've been making for a few years now - but not as good. On a scale from one to ten I would give it a 7... maybe even a 6.5 (?). Although the flavour was very good, the chicken breast was a little too dry for my taste (maybe it would have been better if I'd marinated it for longer? maybe I just prefer the taste and texture of darker meat?) and the sauce was a little to thin and soupy. With that said, the girls gobbled this up without hesitation and so I'll probably make it again (marinating it longer and possibly with chicken thighs instead of breasts).

2. Peel all the garlic cloves, crush them by banging each with flat side of a knife and sprinkle all but two cloves over chicken.

3. Add 1/3 cup of malt vinegar and stir and turn to coat all sides with mixture.

4. Cover and let marinate an hour at room temperature or six hours in the refrigerator (bring to room temperature before baking).


**On a side note I *love* this marinating container by Tupperware (and no - I am not being paid to say that!). Once sealed shut you can flip it to make sure that your meat (or whatever it is you are marinating) is coated evenly. Pretty nifty.

5. Grease a roasting pan and transfer chicken to pan, shaking off marinade and reserving it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered, in oven preheated to 375 degrees for about 25 minutes (my chicken breasts were particularly fat and took an extra 10 minutes).


6. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes while making sauce.

7. In a small saucepan, simmer reserved marinade and the remaining half cup maple syrup, three tablespoons of vinegar and two cloves of garlic over low-medium heat for three minutes (up to 10 minutes if you're using a lighter maple syrup).



8. Slice each chicken breast in three pieces on the diagonal and place on 8 warmed serving plates (um... for real? who actually warms their serving plates?) Spoon warm sauce over chicken.


... and Enjoy!


A.