halibut with citrusy tomatoes and capers

1T plus 1t olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (i used juice of one lemon because i didn't have orange juice)
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
2t capers
kosher salt and black pepper
4 6oz pieces skinless halibut fillet

heat 1T of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. add the tomatoes, orange juice, parsley, capers, 1/2t salt, and 1/4t pepper and simmer until some of the tomatoes begin to break down, 4 to 5 minutes.

meanwhile, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. season the fish with 1/4t each salt and pepper. cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. serve with the tomatoes.

field green salad with cider vanilla vinaigrette

8oz fresh mixed field greens

4 granny smith apples, sliced as thin as possible

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup cashews

1/3 cup vinaigrette

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup goat cheese

4 fresh apricots, pitted and sliced into eighths

place first five ingredients in a large salad bowl. toss with vinaigrette. season with salt and pepper. top with crumbled cheese and sliced apricots.

cider vanilla vinaigrette:

combine 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup apple juice, 1 teaspoon ground coriander and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. slowly whisk in 1.5 cups extra virgin olive oil. mix in 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil. season with salt and pepper.

meditteranean chicken and orzo salad with sun-dried tomatoes and pinenuts

8 ounces (1¼ cups) orzo
1 cup diced cooked chicken
½ cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
½ cup chopped fresh basil
1⁄3 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (about 3 ounces) crisp greens, such as romaine or Boston lettuce, for serving.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook orzo according to package directions.

Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine orzo with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, olives and pine nuts.

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

give credit: jana

italian stew

2 cans diced tomatoes (italian style)
2 cans beef broth
2 cups water
2 cubes beef bullion
1 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1t pepper
3t dried basil
3t italian seasoning

1 bag fresh spinach
20 oz fresh cheese ravioli

cook sausage, onion and garlic until onion is transparent and sausage is fully cooked. add tomatoes, beef broth, water, bullion, pepper, dried basil, italian seasoning and cook for 1 hour.

add ravioli and spinach and cook for 30 more minutes.

garnish with fresh basil, mozzarella and parmesan

give credit: jana

apple squash soup

"this sweet, silky and uplifting dish is the quintessential fall soup. i serve it to friends and family and even send it to school for my children's lunches. pair it with a salad or some sauteed greens and grains for an easy and satisfying meal."
excerpt from Clean Food

1 large butternut squash
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2T grapeseed oil
4 large apples, peeled, cored and quartered
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup rice milk
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2t ground nutmeg
sea salt

peel squash, cut in half and remove seeds. cut into 2 inch pieces.

in large pot over medium heat, saute onion in oil until soft (about 5 minutes). add squash, apples, stock, rice milk, coconut milk and nutmeg. cover, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until squash is soft. puree with handheld blender and remove from heat to cool slightly. season to taste with salt and serve.

grape, raisn, cheddar appetizer

grapes
raisins
cheedar cheese, cubed
honey

on a platter with a lip, douce with honey. thread grape, raisons, and cheddar cube on a toothpick and place cheddar side down on platter. repeat until platter is full.

give credit: honey girl kitchen

taco soup

again, i followed a recipe and added a touch of my own suggestions. and it was perfect. in the past, i've just dumped random ingredients for taco soup, and it's always been too spicy or too lame. this was perfect. even gustavo (the soup nazi) thought so!

2lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can green chiles
2 cans mexican style rotel
2 cans ranch style beans
2 cans black beans, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 beef bullion cube
1t each salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes

saute ground beef with onion and garlic until beef is cooked. drain. combine all remaining ingredients along with beef mixture in a large soup pot. bring to boil on stove top then turn to medium and cover for 1-2 hours.

top with corn chips, cheese, avocado

give credit: betsy