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!!

Sausage and Veggie dinner

I know I have seriously been slacking in my posts this week. But I have lots of things I'll be posting this coming week... as long as nothing else comes up and gets in my way!!



Do you have a bunch of veggies left over from your garden this year and are sick of the same ol' dish? I love this meal. It's so simple and easy and it has everything in it. And the best part? You can pretty much put whatever you have on hand in it and it will be delicious!

*Side note: I tried out a Turkey Polsa Kielbasa sausage and it just wasn't the same. Unless you really love turkey sausage, I don't recommend using it in this dish. Also, be aware of the Sodium intake in Turkey sausages. Did you know Turkey bacon is actually WORSE for you than regular bacon? Crazy!

Ingredients:

2 Polska Kielbasa Sausages (or a mix of your favorite, the already cooked kind)
2 Russet Potatoes, 1" chunks
1 Med. Onion, diced
2 Zucchini, about 1" chunks
1 Yellow Squash, 1" chunks
Sm bag of Cut Carrots, halved
2 pkgs. Cremini Mushrooms (have you had these? I used to only use white buttons... but these carry so much more flavor!)
2 ears of Corn
3 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt, Pepper, Red Wine Vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Soy sauce, Olive Oil
3 pats of butter
Reynolds Oven Bag

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Lay oven bag into large, deep baking dish. Add Potatoes and a little salt and pepper and olive oil. Add remaining veg and a little more salt and pepper. Add sausage and rest of seasonings. Toss well and pour in a little water, almost to cover. Tie off bag.

Bake for 45-75 minutes until potatoes are soft.

You can serve it on a platter family style, on individual plates allowing those "picky" eaters to only take what they want, or in bowls with a little of the broth. I prefer soup-style with the delicious broth!

A Classic: Spaghetti

When it's so easy to make a REALLY great sauce, why would you spend money buying a pre-made, packaged sauce with extra JUNK that's bad for you?! Sometimes, I'll start with a bottled sauce and add fresh veg and spices to it (and meat). But today (err... yesterday), I made it from scratch. Yum. Because it's my own concoction, I didn't really measure spices. Just taste it. If it's too spicy/salty, add some sugar and/or vinegar.


Ingredients:

1lb. ground hamburger
1 small onion, diced
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms
2 Cans Tomato Sauce
1 Can diced tomatoes
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Red Wine Vinegar
Red Chile Flakes
Salt and Pepper
*optional: diced Bell Pepper, minced fresh garlic (if you have time, which I didn't)

Whole Wheat pasta (I used Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Thin Spaghetti)

Instructions:

1. Boil large saucepan/stock pot half full of hot water with about 2TBS salt. Once boiling, add pasta and cook accordingly. Drain.

2. Brown hamburger in medium saucepan. Once almost browned, add onions and mushrooms. Sautee until hamburger is completely browned and add diced tomatoes and sauce. Throw in your spices until it tastes right.

Side note: this is the garlic bread I use. Walmart sells it in a 2 pack for just around $2 and it's super yummy and easy to make!