kitchenvixen.ca

Well, dear readers,

Have you noticed my absence in in recent months. I know I haven't been wowing you with great recipes or photos worthy of a little salivation over the keyboard. And for that I apologize.

However, you should know that there is good reason for my absence. I am pregnant. And those first few months of morning sickness really took a toll on what was produced in the kitchen. In fact, in kinda screeched to a grinding halt as I opted for frozen lasagnas and yogurt-fruit smoothies. The thought of raw chicken made me want to gag, and to be honest, I wasn't even too keen on the idea of eating it, even when someone else cooked it (sorry Hubby!)

Luckily now I'm past my first trimester, and my appetite is back. So I promise I'll be a little more diligent.

On that note, I'd like to introduce you to a new cookbook that embraces one of my promises to myself this year, to eat locally, and ethically where possible.

A Year in Lucy's Kitchenby Lucy Waverman gives excellent suggestions for meals every month of our Canadian year. While it's true that we may have to rely on canned goods in the winter, Waverman makes the most of them, noting that they can be substituted with fresh ingredients when in season, like in the following recipe.

The book is beautifully illustrated, but it's not food porn. Don't expect a glossy photo with every dish. Each month also takes into a account seasonal holidays, and incorporates recipes that could be used every day, or for these special occasions. Most importantly though, the recipes are simple. They are easy to execute and make cooking easy.

Waverman hits a homerun with this one.

In the following recipe, I would suggest one small tweak when using canned tomatoes. Drain them, or the wine in the recipe won't have enough time to evaporate by the time the fish is cooked. I loved how fast and simple this dish was. I did about 15 minutes of prep work and it was in the oven.

Halibut with Spiced Moroccan Saucecopyright Random House

By Lucy Waverman

SERVES 4

The combination of spices and colours makes this a real taste treat and feast for the eyes. I make it with fresh tomatoes in summer and good-quality canned tomatoes in other seasons.

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh coriander

1⁄4 cup chopped parsley

2 tsp chopped garlic

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

Pinch cayenne

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1⁄4 cup lemon juice

1⁄2 cup white wine

2⁄3 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes

4 halibut fillets (about 6 oz/175 g each)

1⁄2 cup cracked green olives

PREHEAT oven to 425°F.

CHOP coriander, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Add oil, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper and puree. Add lemon juice and combine. Reserve 2 tbsp spice mixture.

COMBINE wine, tomatoes and remaining spice mixture in a baking dish. Place halibut in baking dish in a single layer, skin-side down. Spread reserved spice mixture over fish.

BAKE for 15 minutes. Add olives and continue to bake for 5 minutes, or until white juices appear on fish. Serve fish with sauce.

Excerpted from A Year in Lucy's KitchenCopyright © 2009 by Lucy Waverman. Photography by Rob Fiocca. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

And in case you were wondering, this is how mine turned out, served over a bed of multicoloured rice.