Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Tilapia in Parchment

This is one of those simple, healthy meals you can make during the week that tastes great and is suuuuper quick and easy.  You will be so surprised at how good this tastes with very little effort.  The light butter and lemon make a delicious sauce for the fish.  To go along with it I just roasted some asparagus and some fingerling potatoes tossed in olive oil, sea salt and pepper, also very easy.  Just put the potatoes in about 10 minutes prior to the fish and the asparagus, since they take longer to cook.  The only other thing to mention about this recipe is the parchment paper.  If you don't have it in your house or have never used it, you can use tin foil, but it will not be quite as good.  Parchment can be found in most grocery stores near the foil and plastic wrap.  It may seem a little more expensive, but once you've tried it for baking, you will not mind the price.  I don't think anything in the world will stick to it, so it is amazing for making cookies, candies, cakes, etc.  Just line a cookie sheet with it and there is no clean up!  There is definitely more than one way to use parchment.

 
 
 



Tilapia in Parchment

2 decent sized tilapia fillets (recipe can very easily be doubled or tripled)
10 Cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
1/2 lemon sliced into 4 thin slices
1 tablespoon low fat butter cut into small pieces  (I like the 50% lower fat version)  or regular butter if you like
1 tablespoon  capers (optional--but worth it)
a few shakes of garlic powder
kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 good size pieces of parchment (enough to wrap fish in a package)
Cookie sheet
preheat oven to 400 degrees

Clean and pat dry fillets.  Place pieces of parchment side by side on cookie sheet.  Put fish down on parchment in the center (making sure there is plenty of parchment to fold up around fish to make package).  Generously salt and pepper each side, as well as sprinkle on a little garlic powder.  Scatter  butter and capers over the top.  Then, divide the tomatoes evenly between the fish and scatter over them.  Last, place the lemons on top, 2 per fish (see first picture above).  Pull parchment up on the long sides and fold down at least 3 times and then roll up and crunch the open sides upward (do not fold underneath or all the liquid will flow out of the parchment when it cooks) Bake in 400 degree  oven for 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven.  Fish is done when it is moist and flaky.  Serve with roasted potatoes and veggies, some wheat pasta or quinoa.

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