clean eating – Page 2

Grilled Halibut with Roasted Tomatoes & Squash

Published on April 7, 2015April 2, 2015 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Buying the best fish is important to T.W.O. We don’t buy farmed raised and we like it fresh. Wilder the better! Anyways, this time we were at the market the Halibut caught our eye. It was a beautiful filet of fish and we couldn’t wait to come home and grill it! We wanted to keep the recipe simple, yet full of flavor. Check out this recipe below that is easy, delicious and will be sure to melt in your melt in your mouth. (Unless you burn the filet!!)

Grilled Halibut with Roasted Tomatoes & Squash

Ingredients:
– Halibut
– 1-2 lemons
– 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
– 2 cups zucchini squash, halved
– 1 cups onion, chopped
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– 2-3 tsp olive oil
– Salt
– Pepper

Directions:
1. Fire up the grill and turn oven on to 425⁰F. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper for roasting and another baking sheet with foil for the fish.
2. Season the fish with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Before placing the fish on the foil, squeeze lemon on the foil so the fish does not stick. Let it sit.
3. Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, zucchini, onions and garlic on the parchment paper. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss. Place into the oven and roast for about 25-30 minutes.
4. After the tomato medley has been in the oven for about 15 minutes, take the fish to the grill. Carefully move the fish (still on the foil) to the grill, removing the baking sheet. Grill for about 10-15 minutes depending on the size/thickness of the fish.
5.Once the fish is done, remove from grill and plate. Spoon the tomato medley over the fish to complete the dish.

Grilled Potato Salad with Scallion Vinaigrette and Jalapeños

Published on April 1, 2015March 31, 2015 by T.W.O.1 Comment

With summer approaching, well in SoCal it already has, T.W.O. wanted to fire up the BBQ and grill some potatoes for their weekend dinner. It’s a great side dish to your meal that is a new spin on traditional potato salad. It’s warm, spicy and refreshing….what else can you ask for?

Grilled Potato Salad with Scallion Vinaigrette and Jalapeños

– As adapted and modified from Food and Wine-

Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
– 10 scallions, cut
– 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, for dressing and brushing
– 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
– 1 cup lemon juice
– 1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
– Salt
– Pepper

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat for about 15 minutes. Drain water and halve potatoes lengthwise.
2. Preheat BBQ. While BBQ is heating, brush the scallions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the bbq for about 2 minutes or lightly charred. Transfer to a plate and cover to let steam for 5 minutes.
3. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on foil and add to the bbq for about 5 minutes or lightly charred. Transfer to a bowl.
4. While the potatoes are on the grill, mix together the remaining olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice. Add the scallions to the dressing and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and mix well. Sprinkle the jalapeños over the potatoes and serve.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce

Published on March 24, 2015March 24, 2015 by T.W.O.3 Comments

Even though the first day of Spring was last week, Summer is officially here in Southern California. That being said, T.W.O. enjoys firing up their grill and barbecuing fresh seafood. For this Taco Tuesday, we are featuring a Spicy Shrimp Taco Recipe with homemade Chimichurri Sauce. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Ole!

Ingredients
– 1 lb wild shrimp, peeled & cleaned
– 2 Tablespoon olive oil
– 1 teaspoon garlic powder
-1 teaspoon onion powder
– 2 teaspoon paprika
– 1 Tablespoon oregano, dry
– 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
– Salt
– 3 limes, sliced
– 1 lemon
– 8 corn tortillas,
– cilantro leaves for garnish

For the Chimichurri Sauce:
– 1 small bunch Italian parsley
– 1 small bunch cilantro
– 3 Tablespoon oregano
– 4 -5 large garlic cloves, diced
– juice from 1 lemon
– ⅓ c extra virgin olive oil
– ½ red chile pepper
– Salt

Instructions:
1. To make the Chimichurri sauce: Using a blender, add the parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and red chile pepper. Blend until smooth. Season with the sea salt and if you need to add more lemon juice to the sauce to make it more liquid now is the time to do so. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl toss together the shrimp with the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season well to your taste with the sea salt.
4. Preheat the BBQ to medium heat. Add the shrimp to the grill for about a minute on each side until it curls up and turns pink; making sure not to overcook it. (Please note T.W.O. skewered their shrimp for best grilling results)
5. Heat the corn tortillas on a low open flame. Assemble the tacos garnishing the tacos with fresh cilantro and lemon or lime juice.

Lamb Kabobs

Published on February 25, 2015February 25, 2015 by T.W.O.4 Comments

Opa! T.W.O. headed to Greece for the night and made Lamb kabobs accompanied with fresh vegetables, humus and pita. It was the closest we could get to Mykonos in less than 24 hours. Check out how to make this easy, delicious recipe for your next family dinner. It’s great for a group of people and will have everyone walking away satisfied!

Ingredients:
– 3 lb leg of lamb
– 3 large meyer lemons
– 4 Tablespoons Lawry’s season salt
– 3 Tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
– 1 Tablespoons cayenne pepper
– 3 teaspoons coriander

Directions:
1. Cut up the leg of lamb into cubes. If the leg of lamb has fat surrounding the perimeter, trim it off. Place in a bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice from all three lemons, Lawry’s season salt, garlic cloves, cayenne pepper and coriander. Mix well and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes. If there is no juice at the bottom of the bowl, add more fresh lemon juice.
3. Place on skewers and pour remaining juice on top of the lamb prior to placing on the bbq.
4. Preheat bbq to medium heat. Add the lamb and cook for 20 minutes or until done. Be careful not to overcook, you don’t want chewy lamb.

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Published on January 27, 2015January 26, 2015 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Spaghetti alle vongole is a dish that we love ordering while dining out. Typically pasta isn’t on the weekly menu at our house, but with this dish we made an exception. There is nothing like pasta loaded with a ton of clams, lemon juice, garlic and fresh parsley. Some of the best spaghetti alle vongole we have had has been in Italy, Amsterdam, San Francisco and now in T.W.O.’s kitchen. Check out how to make this recipe for your family and friends!

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Ingredients:
– 1 lb dry spaghetti*
– 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
– 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
– 2 lbs littleneck or Manila clams
– 3/4 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)
– 2 meyer lemons, juiced
– 1 1/2- 2 cups fresh flat-parsley, chopped
– 1 1/2 cup mizithra cheese, grated
– Sea Salt
– Pepper

* T.W.O. tried a gluten-free pasta which tasted exactly like regular pasta. Our guest didn’t even know it!

Directions:
1. Wash and scrub the clams.
2. Cook pasta as directed. While the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce.
3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a deep sauce pan with a lid. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the clams, wine and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 7 minutes or until the clams open. Discard any clams that do not open.
4. Over medium heat, add the drained spaghetti and season with salt and pepper. Toss carefully. Plate the pasta and clams and top with fresh parsley and mizithra cheese. Sprinkle with lemon juice if desired.
5. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit,

Dutch Tomato Soup

Published on January 15, 2015January 13, 2015 by T.W.O.7 Comments

T.W.O. spent some time in Amsterdam over the Holidays and discovered how amazing their tomato soup was. The Dutch made it the right way – hearty, full of flavor and fresh tasting. Each afternoon we escaped the cold and went into a café ordered some mint tea and a bowl of soup. Most (well maybe all) of the time the tea was followed by a glass of craft ‘bier’ that was on tap…Heineken, Witte Brouwerij ‘t IJ, Amstel, the list goes on. We had to do as the locals do! Anyways, we got home to the States and decided to recreate the tastes and flavor of the tomato soup in our own kitchen. In our eyes, we pretty much perfected the Dutch recip. We were missing one thing though…the ambiance. There is no place like Europe!

Hope you have fun making the soup; we did! Also, make sure to check the blog next week we will be featuring a portion of our Europe trip! #BritTwoDutch

Ingredients
-3 lbs fresh tomatoes (we used tomatoes on a vine)
– 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
– 2 cups sweet onion, chopped
– 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
– 1 cup celery, chopped
– 2 Tablespoons garlic, chopped
– 2 bay leaves
– 1 cup fresh basil,chopped
– 2 large sprigs thyme
– 2 large stalks Italian flat-leaf parsley
– 1 cup vegetable broth (low sodium)
– 1 15oz canned tomato sauce
– 1 Tablespoon sugar
-5 Tablespoons tomato paste, divided
– Salt
– Pepper
– Red pepper flakes

Instructions
1. Take the tomatoes and cup in half. Remove the seeds using a stainer making sure to save the juice in a bowl underneath. Place the tomatoes in another bowl. Take the liquid left in the strainer bowl and add to the tomato halves.
2. In a large heavy bottomed pot, add olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaves. Cook over medium high for five minutes. Add tomato halves with juice.
3. Add half of the fresh cut up basil. Tie whole thyme and whole parsley together with twine and place in pot.
4. Add broth, tomato juice, sugar, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes.
5. Remove and discard bay leaves, thyme and parsley.
6.Add second half of basil to the soup. Stir in pepper flakes and butter. With a food processor, blend soup until completely pureed.
7. Add the soup back into the pot and cook for 10 minutes. (If you like it thick, add the remaining two tablespoons of tomato paste. )

Happy Cooking,

Spinach Artichoke Dip with Greek Yogurt

Published on December 18, 2014December 18, 2014 by T.W.O.6 Comments

Everyone loves a good artichoke dip! Whether it be at a dinner party, football tailgate, holiday party or Superbowl – it is usually a top crowd pleaser. As the holidays are coming our way, the calories increase and so does appetites! So we decided to put a little spin to the traditional Spinach Artichoke dip and make it with Greek yogurt! This is a much healthier option, but don’t be alarmed – the flavor has not been lost! Try it at your next get together!

Spinach Artichoke Dip with Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:
– 8 cups fresh spinach
– 2 clove garlic, minced
– 2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
– 1 ½ – 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
– 1 cup Chobani Greek yogurt
– 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
– Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375⁰ F. Spray 1 1/2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Blanch spinach. Squeeze excess water.
3. In a bowl, mix together spinach and garlic. Add artichoke hearts, 1-cup mozzarella, Greek yogurt, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Place mixture into prepared casserole dish, layering in the cheese. Make sure to keep some for the top – it’s the best part! Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Serve hot or cold along with your choice of dipper.

Cheers,

Orange Rosemary Fish en papillote

Published on December 11, 2014December 10, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Orange Rosemary Fish en papillote

Ingredients:
-⅓ cup orange preserves
– 1 cup white wine
– ⅓ cup water
– 4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
– 1 orange, peeled & sliced into wedges
– 3 large fish fillets*, cut in half
– Salt & Pepper
– Rotisserie twine
– Parchment paper
*T.W.O. used rockfish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350⁰F.
2. Season fish with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Combine orange preserves, wine, water, 2-3 springs of rosemary and ½ of the orange slices in a sauté or sauce pan over medium heat and stir.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Meanwhile, cut 3 large squares of parchment paper.
5. Place the fish (2 halves/paper) onto the parchment paper. Add a spring of rosemary and 1-2 slices of oranges. Baste the fish with the orange glaze. Wrap the fish up in the parchment paper and secure with rotisserie twine. Repeat process for the 2 other filets.
6. Place the fish into the oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Plate and serve while hot!

Tuscan Kale Soup

Published on December 4, 2014November 30, 2014 by T.W.O.2 Comments

Tuscan Kale Soup

Ingredients:
– 1 Tablespoon olive oil
– 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
– 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
– 1 (32 oz) box low-sodium chicken broth or homemade broth*
– 4-5 cups kale, chopped and packed
– 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire roasted canned tomatoes
– 1 (14.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
– 1 – 1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced

Directions:
1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 4 minutes.
2. Add broth, kale, tomatoes and carrots and cover. Cook about 10 minutes.
3. Add beans and cook on low for 30 minutes.
4. Serve hot.

* Homemade broth – we hard boiled a chicken carcass for 45 minutes with bay leaves, celery, sweet onions, garlic cloves, salt pepper and 8 cups of water. Reduce heat to low and cook for up to 3 hours.

Honey Glazed Chicken

Published on November 13, 2014November 12, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

It’s simple, flavorful and anyone can do it. Honey Glazed BBQ Chicken. T.W.O. loves sharing fast and easy recipes that will spice up your week day dinners. This recipe involves three ingredients and will be great for a main entrée, topping to a salad or even sliced in a sandwich. Grab your bbq tongs and lets start grilling.

Honey Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:
– 4 chicken breast
– ¼ cup organic honey
– 1-2 Tablespoons Lawry’s Season Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat your bbq.
2. Sprinkle the Lawry’s Season Salt on both sides of the chicken.
3. Spread the honey on the chicken making sure you reach all the surfaces.
4. Once the bbq is ready, add the chicken to the grill. Cook for 20 minutes or until done. Halfway through cooking, spread honey on both sides to create a second layer.
5. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 minute. Plate and enjoy!