It’s no secret that in my world, food is life. I love to eat. I LIVE to eat. But more than that, I love the idea of food. I love thinking about it as more than just something to chew up…where it came from, how it was raised, what it ate, how it was harvested, or (*shudder*) how it was killed. What will I get from it? Is it nutrient-rich? Is it benefitting my eyesight? My digestion? My skin? And even more than that, it seriously tickles my pickle to think of what I’m eating as art — the creation of something beautiful on my plate — the colors, the textures, the smells…

After a relatively underwhelming food weekend in Vancouver (don’t get me wrong, we had some good food, but none of our meals held a candle to the food here in Seattle), I was craving a healthy afternoon in the kitchen. A quick stop at PCC on the way home from work made it all possible.

First prep: Cheryl’s homemade tomato soup. Easily my favorite soup in the whole wide world. Also the perfect meal to have on hand for the week (I prefer mine for lunch with two slices of Dave’s light bread). I’ll pass this recipe on later.

And on the dinner menu:

Blackened halibut (a super fresh cut from PCC — to die for) + pecorino and walnut brussel sprout salad.

How to do it…

Salad:
1.5 pounds of sprouts (halved, stems and discolored leaves off)
1/4 cup shredded pecorino
1/3 cup raw organic walnuts (roughly chopped, lightly toasted)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Pepper + salt to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add sprouts and cook 5 minutes or until just tender. Be sure not to overcook.

Remove from heat, rinse with cold water, and dry well. Let return to room temperature.

Lightly toast walnuts (about 5 minutes). Cool.

Toss sprouts and walnuts with olive oil. Add pecorino. Season to taste.

Halibut:
1/2 pound fresh halibut (room temp)
Paprika
3 tablespoons earth balance butter

Heat 2 tablespoons earth balance in a small nonstick pan (med-high).

Season top of halibut steak with a hefty amount of paprika. Once butter begins to sizzle, place halibut in pan, seasoned side down. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Carefully flip steak and add remaining tablespoon of earth balance to top. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, but leave covered for another 5.

Serve!