Fish cooked in a Bag with veg

 One of my goals this year is to eat healthier. Did you know the Food Guide Pyramid is no longer in use? Now the USDA wants our meals to look more like this:

I like it. It helps me know how much of each item we should be eating during our meals. Much more simple! So tonight, I sort of just threw this meal together. No, really. I did. And I got the recipe from Cook This, Not That!


If you haven't seen the Eat This, Not That! books, you really should check them out. They have changed the way I eat. That and Food, Inc. on Netflix instant. Worth the time, trust me!

This recipe is so simple and you can make it with any kind of fish you like.

Ingredients:

Fish fillets (3-4oz each, I used Mahi Mahi)
Onions, sliced (or fennel sliced)
grape tomatoes, halved
marinated artichoke hearts, cut up
olives, sliced (your choice here, I used manzanita)
lemon slices
Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
White wine vinegar (or white wine)

Parchment paper (or foil)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Take 2 large sheets of parchment or foil, place a fillet in the center of each, and top equally with the artichokes, tomatoes, olives, fennel or onion, and lemon. Drizzle with oil and wine; season with salt and pepper. Fold the paper over the fish and seal by tightly rolling up the edges, creating a secure pouch. It's important the packets are fully sealed, so that the steam created inside can't escape.

3. Place the pouches on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with lemon and rice and fresh veggies.

Halibut in a Bag

This recipe comes from one of my favorite series of books: Eat This, Not That, particularly Cook This, Not That. Did you know a Whopper is so much worse for you than a Big Mac? I had no idea! That's why I love these books.
I was going to make this for dinner tonight, using Cod instead, but it's so cold that I really don't feel like cooking. Good for my budget, not so good for my waist-line(in the sense that instead I'll probably end up eating junk food... argh)!
I have made this before and it really is simple and delicious. Instead of fennel, I sliced up a regular white onion. Instead of kalamata olives, I used green olives. And instead of white wine, I used red wine vinegar. I also added a dash of fresh ground pepper and a dash of ginger. And as a side, I made up a bit of Quinoa. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 fillets of halibut or other firm white fish (5 oz each)
1 jar (8 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped kalamata olives
1/2 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced (or onion)
1 lemon, half cut into thin slices, the other half cut into quarters
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine (or vinegar)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Take 2 large sheets of parchment paper or foil, place a fillet in the center of each, and top equally with the artichokes, tomatoes, olives, fennel, and lemon slices. Drizzle with the olive oil and wine; season with salt and pepper. Fold the paper or foil over the fish and seal by tightly rolling up the edges, creating a secure pouch. It’s important the packets are fully sealed, so that the steam created inside can’t escape.

Place the pouches on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on how thick the fish is. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges.


NOTE on COOKING IN A BAG (from Cook This, Not That!):
The French call it en papillote; the Italians, en cartoccio. It's a technique that combines, health, flavor, and convenience as effectively as any cooking method in the kitchen. By adding a bit of liquid, you create a perfect steaming environment for chicken, fish, and seafood. Toss in tomatoes, onions, zucchini- anything that will cook in 15 min or less- to bolster the flavor. The best part? No cleanup!!

Sunday Dinner AND Dessert: Herb-Roasted Citrus Chicken w/ Root Veggies AND Peaches 'n' Cream

It's Sunday, it's a special day. Which calls for a special meal! Tonight's menu includes a whole herb-roasted Chicken with roasted sweet potatoes, carrots and onions.
Plus, a yummy dessert of Peaches 'n' Cream. Enjoy!!

Herb-Roasted Citrus Chicken

The chicken recipe is a mixture of Ming Tsai's Cranberry-Glazed Chicken, Jamie Oliver's Herb-Roasted Chicken, and a little of my own ideas.

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken (can also use 4 chicken breasts, cooking time will vary)
8 Cloves Garlic, minced (or pressed is my favorite) and separated
thumb-size piece of fresh Ginger, minced
Olive Oil
Juice of 1 lemon (keep rind to place inside cavity) and 2 limes
Fresh Parsley (I used 3-5 ice cubes - check under Herbs for info on that)
2 TBS Rosemary
1TBS Red Chile Flakes
2 Bay Leaves
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
2 Yellow Onions, diced
2-3 Sweet Potatoes, diced
sm. bag of baby Carrots (or 2 Fennel/Anise bulbs, cored and sliced)

Instructions:

1. Combine all herbs and spices- except Bay Leaves, half the minced garlic, oil, lemon and lime juices into food processor/blender. Blend well. Pat chicken dry and carefully poor marinade mixture all over. Starting at the neck, lift up the skin to break it apart from the meat and gently stuff a little marinade inside. Pour remaining marinade inside cavity, and add lemon rinds. Allow to sit at least 4 hours, or over night.

2. Pre-heat oven to 500-550 and pre-heat roasting pan. Once heated, place chicken in pan, place bay leaves on top, and brown 15-20 minutes, turning pan around half-way through. In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine potatoes, fennel/carrots, and onions. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once chicken is browned, reduce heat to 350 and cover with foil. Roast for 45-55 minutes.

3. Uncover and add the veggies to the pan. If you can, lift up the chicken a little so the veg can fall underneath. (Once again, I don't like my veg soggy, and I've found this it the best way to fully cook everything without OVER-cooking anything). Recover with foil and allow to cook another 50-60 minutes, depending on size of chicken (you're looking for a temp of 160-165). Take it out and place it on a cutting board and lightly tent with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving it. Spoon the veg into a bowl.

Enjoy!

Peaches 'n' Cream - Grandma Style

Three simple ingredients and 20-40 minutes is all it takes for this delicious recipe, brought to you by my own mom!

Ingredients:

Peaches (1-2 per person)
3TBS white Sugar (per serving)
Half and Half


Instructions:

1. If you prefer, you can place the peaches into a pot and barely boil them, then dunk them into cold water and peel them. Or you can skip this step and just cut them up.
2. Cover with sugar. Lots. Of. Sugar. Allow to sit at least 20 minutes, until a "syrup" forms.
3. Dowse them in half and half.

Just a side note: I. Love. Half and Half. Yum! This recipe also works with strawberries. When I make it with strawberries, I add about 1/4 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (remember I like texture!) to my bowl, and not as much sugar.

Enjoy! I know I just did!!