spinach salad w/ fish & balsamic honey dressing

So I know a lot of my recipes have an emphasis on red meat and carbs (I can't help it!) However, every once in awhile I like to kick back with some fish and leafy greens. The recipe below is for an awesome little salad that only uses one pan - great taste AND easy clean-up. It doesn't get better than that. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 lb. white fish fillets (I used tilapia)
• 4 cups of baby spinach leaves
• 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
• 3 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 medium red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoons of honey

Rinse the fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Then cut the fish into 4 serving-sized pieces and set aside. Place the spinach in a large bowl and set aside. In a large skillet, cook the onion in 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until tender and slightly golden. Add the sweet pepper, cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir the onion mixture into spinach; transfer to a serving platter and set aside.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the fish fillets with 1/8 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper. In same large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook for 4 minutes. Carefully turn fish. Reduce the heat to medium; cook 3 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place the fish fillets on top of wilted spinach and cover to keep warm.

In a small bowl, stir together the balsamic vinegar and honey. Add to the same large skillet. Cook and stir until heated through, scraping up any browned bits. To serve, spoon the balsamic vinaigrette over the fish and spinach. Makes 2-4 salads, depending on the appetites at hand.

Bon chappétit!

cherry tomato pizza margherita

I've featured different kinds of pizza on the blog several times, but I've never tried a basic margherita. The recipe I tried is a variation of one I found. It includes a nice kick with the addition of the red pepper. And it's super quick and easy, which is always nice. You could also probably use this recipe to cheat a really simple pasta sauce! Here's what you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• Dozen or so cherry tomatoes, stemmed (do not cut!)
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 
• 1 4 oz. ball fresh mozzarella in water (ovoline), coarsely diced 
• 4 ounces shredded whole-milk mozzarella
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 6" whole wheat pita breads (or you can make the pizza crust from scratch if you wanna be all fancy)

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lemon oregano roasted chicken

After all of the fish and healthy vegetables I've been consuming lately, I was in the mood for something hearty, something with potatoes. Something completely not that healthy! I'd never made roast chicken before, nor have I ever made it with the skin on. I can safely say, it will not be my last. This was delicious. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 garlic cloves 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
• 1 lemon, halved
• 2 chicken breasts with skin
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 
• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 

shrimp & broccoli rabe

I came across this recipe on nytimes.com. It was a little outside of my comfort zone - being that I've never liked broccoli rabe in the past - but decided to try it anyways. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment? Well not this time. It was actually pretty great, and super quick and easy. And guess what? I liked the rabe! Is there supposed to be an accent on that: rabé? Whatever, let's get to it.

• Broccoli rabe, tough bottom stems removed. Just get a whole bunch. I thought I had WAY TOO MUCH, but that stuff really wilts down. Just load it on there.
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes (I didn't have this, unless it's the same as red pepper flakes mixed with cayenne pepper, which is what I had and used)
• 3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled 
• 1 large orange (1 teaspoon orange zest, plus the wedges for serving)