easy healthy halibut

Halibut is a delicate white fish with a great source of high quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular health, magnesium for increased blood, oxygen, and nutrient flow throughout the body, and vitamin B. Pretty much it's a light delicate fish with a bushels-worth of benefits. With a delicate fish it's mostly important to let it shine and not overpower it. A quick & easy vinaigrette of lemon & olive oil brushed over the halibut kicks it up a simple notch.

Ingredients (for 2 servings):
1 lb halibut
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs and 1 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
salt & pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Whisk olive oil with lemon juice, mix in a large pinch of each salt & pepper.  

2. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay halibut skin-down and sprinkle with a bit more salt & pepper. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette mixture over the fish evenly. Pop in preheated oven for 14 minutes.
 

 

 

3. Remove from oven when flaky and done. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the fish. Serve with rice pilaf and red pepper flake green beans for a bit of a kick.

 

 

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caramelized chicken wrap

I like to put honey, rock salt, and garlic all over my whole roasted chickens to make a supa crispy blackened outside. Not having a whole chicken on hand (shucks), but craving this combo, I decided I would settle for a whipped up caramelized chicken wrap. Turns out I didn't settle and this was aaaamazing.

Ingredients (for 5 tortillas-worth inspired by this recipe):
1 lb organic chicken breast, sliced
1/4 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbs olive oil  
rock salt & pepper
1 cup water, divided
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
1.5 cups rice pilaf
5 tortillas
Creme fraiche for topping

Directions:1. Cut chicken into slices and place in a bowl or a ziploc bag directly. Add honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and rock salt & pepper. Mix and stir to coat. Transfer to a ziploc bag or cover with clingwrap and place in fridge for 20 minutes.
 

2. Heat a pan (or this nifty pan that lets liquid pool in the cracks) over medium-high heat.
 

3. Add chicken and marinade to the pan, squeezing every bit of marinade out onto the pan. Let cook over medium-high heat while marinade bubbles underneath and browns the chicken until dark (shown in last picture of this instruction).

 

 

 

 

4. Add 4 tbs water to the pan to sizzle and stick the sauce to the chicken.  Cook until water is gone. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm, but let breathe to not overcook while sitting.
 

 

5. Add tomatoes to the pan over medium-high/high heat. Add remainder of water to the pan and shake to coat. Cook until tomatoes begin to squish and split, about 10 minutes.
 

 

6. Add squished tomatoes to the chicken plate, arrange wraps in the order of tortilla, rice pilaf, chicken, tomatoes & a dollop of creme fraiche.
 

 

 

 

*Of note for leftovers: chicken and rice saves well in the fridge, 

tomatoes & creme fraiche do not*

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rice pilaf

After writing about my rice pilaf time after time again I realized I've never shared my super simple rice pilaf recipe! I grew up with boxed rice pilaf, we even called it our family rice, and it was buttery and delicious...and boxed. When T and I moved in together, T forbade me to ever buy boxed rice, he told me it was a waste of money, and after being forced to perfect my rice pilaf, I actually have to say he's right. Rice pilaf is so easy to make it's hardly even a recipe.

Ingredients (for a side-portion for 4 people):
3 tbs butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1/2 cup orzo
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chicken stock

Directions: 
1. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large pot along with garlic and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Let cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
 

2. Add orzo to pot and stir to coat in buttery-garlic goodness. Stir and let orzo brown lightly, about 3 minutes.
 

3. When butter begins to bubble up around the pasta, add the onion powder and parsley, stir to coat. Then add rice and stir to incorporate. Let cook together for another 2 minutes.

 

4. Add chicken stock and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, lower heat to a simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Don't open or even peek over the next 20 minutes.
 

5. After the 20 minutes has passed, uncover and fluff before serving this super simple side dish!
 

 

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seared filet with garlicky kale-mushrooms

Occasionally I get a steak craving. Monday was one of the days. I was hungry and needed a quick-cook steak dinner, and that is just what I made! Done within 30 minutes from start to finish, this whole meal is an easy weeknight choice.
 

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

1 lb filet

1 tbs mustard seeds

1 tbs black peppercorns

1 tbs salt

1/4 tsp dried cilantro

1 pinch allspice

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 package button mushrooms

1 handful of rinsed raw kale

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stick salted butter, divided

Directions:

1. Crush and mix mustard seeds, peppercorns, salt, cilantro, allspice, garlic powder & onion powder to create the rub. Pour out onto a plate. 

  

2. Place steaks on top of rub and push down to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes.
 

 

3. Flip and press to coat on other side. Let side another 10 minutes.
 

 

4. Meanwhile preheat oven to 400F, clean & cut up mushrooms, and add to a large skillet along with 3 tbs butter. Let mushrooms sweat and cook up for about 10 minutes.
 

 

5. Add another 1 tbs butter along with minced garlic, and stir.
 

6. While garlic becomes fragrant, heat 2 tbs butter in a cast iron skillet over med-high heat. Add steak and sear for 3 minutes.
 

 

7. Flip to sear other side of steak for another 3 minutes.

 

8. Top each piece of steak with 1/2 tbs butter and pop in preheated oven (2 minutes for rare, 5 minutes for medium-rare).
 

9. Meanwhile, add the kale to the mushrooms, along with the final tbs of butter, sprinkle with salt & pepper and stir to coat. Cook until kale becomes wilted, about 6 minutes.
 

 

 

10. When the time is up for your steaks, remove from oven, transfer to a plate, and let sit for 5 minutes so they are able to reabsorb some of the liquid.
 

 

 

 

Serve warm and enjoy! I also made mine with some easy 20-minute rice pilaf sprinkled with garlic & parsley.

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