Baked Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil Oil

I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of this last night.  Seriously.  This recipe is so unbelievably easy and makes a gorgeous presentation.  I have no excuses for not taking a photo either, I was just plain lazy!  I told myself it was because my knee was hurting and I didn't want to go down and then back up the stairs to get the camera... to me that is just screaming "I want to sit on my rump instead!"  Anyway, I will absolutely have to make this again, take a picture of it and re-post this because after you see it, you won't be able to not make it for dinner!

Alright so what you do is: In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Wash and slice organic cherry tomatoes in half and add to the skillet when it is hot.  I used two bunches of tomatoes because I wanted leftovers for pizza (I love to make something that I can split in half and use for two different recipes).  Dice 1/2 cup of red onion and saute with the cherry tomatoes.  The tomatoes will start to get juicy, thats ok, just turn the heat up to medium high.  You want to cook the tomatoes until the liquid reduces and you are left with a chunky thick tomato sauce.  Ok, so add about 1 TBS of tomato paste (helps to thicken it up), 1/2 TBS dried oregano and a dash of large grain sea salt.  Stir to combine.  Lastly, add 2 tsp. of maple syrup.  I know it sounds weird, but it cuts the bitterness from the tomatoes and makes them taste incredibly rich.  Ok, your sauce is done!  

I let my sauce cool a bit and  then spooned it on top of a piece of halibut, popped it into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for ummmmm about 35 minutes (it was a thick piece!).  While it cooked, I washed about 1/4 cup of basil leaves and tossed them into my mini chop with a pinch of large grain sea salt and whirred it together with about 1/2 cup of olive oil.  You could be fancy and strain out the finely chopped basil leaves, but quite honestly, I like the extra flavor.

When the fish comes out of the oven, serve and drizzle with the basil oil.  

I made this recipe with sauteed kale and parmesan quinoa.  Loved it.

Quinoa in the morning...

So I am trying to eat even healthier lately and one of the ways I am attempting to do so is rotating diverse whole grains in for breakfast. One day buckwheat groats, then eggs the next day, quinoa the next, steal cut oat meal... you get the picture. It seems to be working out except that quinoa in the morning can be somewhat unappetizing.

UNTIL TODAY!!! I decided to treat it like a quinoa muesli... I cooked it in one part water, one part almond milk and added a cinnamon stick and a couple cloves. When it was cooked and fluffy, I stirred it together in a bowl with cinnamon, raw coconut, pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds (only about 1 tsp. of each) and topped it with about 1/4 of a banana and an extra drizzle of almond milk.

It was more than good, it was something I will look forward to eating all the time! ...and that says a lot for quinoa in the morning!

*Quinoa is a whole grain (gluten-free) native to South America. Quinoa is considered a "complete protein" because it is composed of all 9 amino acids as well as a good source of manganese, phosphorous, copper, iron and magnesium; making it helpful for migraine sufferers, cardiovascular health and diabetes. (www.whfoods.com)