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.

Shake 'n' Bake Chicken

I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I was planning on making this post DAYS ago... but for some reason never got around to it. But here it is. It is probably the most simple thing you could make. It's great for lunch... dinner... or just a snack! :) Really, all you need is chicken, a tomato and a few pickle slices (and some shake n bake). The best part is, if you make a few extra, you can just reheat them for a sandwich, or cut it up into a salad. Super yum!!

The inspiration from this comes from a meal my mom always cooked growing up. Exactly the same items, except we had sliced cucumbers and sliced tomatoes on the side. I mixed that with McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Sandwich. Mmmmm...

Shake 'n' Bake Chicken w/ tomato and pickle "salad"

Ingredients:

4 - boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. Shake N Bake - any flavor, I prefer Chicken
fresh tomatoes
sliced hamburger dill pickles
salt and pepper

Box of Chicken Rice-A-Roni

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375. Pour Shake seasoning into Shake Bag and place 1-2 breasts at a time inside. Shake well, making sure to completely coat chicken. Repeat until all chicken is used up (if using more than 5 breasts, it's best to use 2 bags/seasonings).
Place chicken on a foil-lined pan. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until completely cooked.
2. Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package directions.
3. Slice (or chunk) tomatoes and dice up pickles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and combine.
4. Serve and enjoy!

The different textures and flavors are so perfect! If you don't like raw tomatoes, you definitely won't like this meal and you shouldn't try it without. It's just not the same. But it's definitely worth it to just give it a try. My mouth is watering.....