O Canada. Haven't Forgotten You.

With all the Hannah hoopla this week, I haven't had a chance to post our dinners! So tonight I share two meals we've had this week. Both delicious, though the Salmon wins if comparing it head-on to the Pork.

We dined in Nova Scotia on Tuesday, enjoying a delicious baked salmon. It was my first time ever preparing salmon in the oven. We usually grill it. And I must say, it was amazing. Hannah declared it to be her favorite salmon ever! She admitted that she doesn't like it grilled. Who knew?

Tonight we had a roasted pork tenderloin, marinated in a maple mustard chili sauce. What's funny is the recipe was titled "grilled" yet the directions were to roast in the oven. It took longer than the directions, I think because it was a bigger piece of meat. It was tender and good. Though I prefer tenderloins on the grill.

Hannah has enjoyed her 1st official whole day as a driver. Her day began with picking up her friend Lexi to go to breakfast before school. Then, she took Katy with her to a tennis game after school to watch her friends Chloe and Delaney. The biggest ah ha moment was tonight when she drove herself to swim practice. I felt like a girl who just regained a little freedom! it felt like a Friday night. Crazy. I just might get used to this new chapter in our lives. Though never fear, the stress just shifts to worry.

Sticky Ginger Salmon

1⁄4 cup (60ml) soy sauce 

2 tbsp (25ml) cider vinegar 

2 tbsp (25ml) Chinese rice wine 

1 tbsp (15ml) maple syrup 

1 tbsp (15ml) finely chopped fresh ginger 

1 tsp (5ml) finely chopped garlic 

2 lb (1kg) salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions

Method

Preheat oven to 450F

Line a baking sheet with foil.

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, maple syrup, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until sauce thickens slightly. Place salmon fillets on baking sheet and cover with sauce.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until salmon is just cooked through. Kitchen notes:

- Look for Chinese rice wine in Asian food stores. White wine can be substituted, or double the amount of cider vinegar instead. - Don’t worry if the oven gets a wee bit smoky – that’s the sweet sauce doing it’s work. The foil-lined baking sheet makes clean up easy.

- Serve salmon with steamed vegetables over Asian noodles or white or brown rice.

Maple Mustard Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2 (1 lb/500 g) Canadian Pork tenderloins  (I used a 1 1/2 pound loin)

2 Tbsp (30 mL) dijon mustard 

1 Tbsp (15 mL) pure maple syrup 

2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil

1 tsp (5 mL) hot chili-garlic sauce

Cooking Instructions

Place pork tenderloin in a plastic bag, non-metal bowl or sealable container. Blend remaining ingredients; pour over pork; seal or cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place tenderloins in a shallow pan, discarding any unused liquid, and roast for 30 minutes (to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C)). Remove from oven; cover loosely with foil and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.