Fish Fillets in Parchment

My family loves fish. This is a mild flavoured fish dish that seems to appeal to small people. I hope you give it a try. Another one dish meal, its quick to put together and clean-up is a breeze.

Start by softening the carrots, onions, and celery in a bit of olive oil. I like to julienne the veggies. You can cut them however you like.

Cook them for five or ten minutes. They don't have to be completely cooked as they will be cooked some more in the oven.

Once the veggies are tender. Place about 3/4 cup onto a 9x13 piece of parchment.

Place a thawed fillet on to of veggies. You can use any fish that you like. This is sole. It is a very thin fillet which is why it only takes 10-15 minutes to cook. If you have a thicker fillet you will have to cook it a bit longer. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. You can add some lemon pepper or pickled lemon if you would like.

.

Add some uncooked asparagus spears. A splash of white wine and a small square of butter.

First fold the paper in half. Then make small folds starting at one side and going to the other side. You will have a rough semi-circle in the end. Follow the instructions on the video below.

Put all of the packages onto a sheet pan and put into a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. The packages will puff up a bit because of the steam and the parchment paper will become a little brown on the edges.

Open the packages carefully. They are hot and full of steam.

Voila! a Healthy, nutritious, easy supper. My guys love this dish. Serve with rice of you wish. We usually have it with a side salad and skip the carbs. You can broccoli instead of asparagus.







Fish Fillets in Parchment
5 Frozen sole fillets, thawed (substitute with any fish that you like)
2 ribs celery, julienned
4 carrots, julienned
1 large onion, julienned
2 tbsp olive oil

Season each fillet with salt, pepper, paprika, lemon pepper or pickled lemon, finely minced( see description at the bottom of recipe)
1 tbsp dry white wine per package
1/2 tsp butter per package

1 bunch asparagus(can substitute broccoli)
Parchment paper torn into 9x13 rectangles

Saute carrots, onions, and celery in oil for five to ten minutes. Place about 3/4 cup carrot mixture onto one end of parchment rectangle. Put fish on top of carrot mixture. Sprinkle salt, pepper, paprika and lemon pepper onto fish. Put 4 or five asparagus spears on top of fish. Gently pour wine over top of asparagus and, lastly place the tablespoon of butter on top of asparagus. Fold the paper in half and fold to seal as described in the video. Place package onto a sheet pan and put into a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Let packages sit for a few minutes and then cut them open, carefully. They will be filled with steam.

Fish Tip- If your fish has a fishy smell after thawing soak it in some milk for a bit. The smell should be better after that.


Pickled Lemon- my new favourite thing. It comes from the middle east where it is used as a condiment and a flavouring for a variety of dishes. Very easy to make and it lasts for months in the fridge. All you need is organic lemons, a glass jar and coarse sea salt. Cut the lemon into eighths. Put a half inch of salt into the bottom of the jar. Put the lemon slices onto the salt. Layer the lemons and salt into the jar. Press the lemons until the juice rises above the lemon. You may need to add more juice. Keep at room temperature for three weeks making sure that the lemons are covered by the juice at all times. After three weeks put the jar into the fridge. They will keep for months. I like to discard the pulp and rinse well with water. Chop the rind very finely. Especially good on grilled chicken and fish dishes. Use it wherever you want a salty lemony punch.
Video tutorial coming soon.

Auntie Di's Chicken Thighs

This recipe was  first introduced to my family by my sister-in-law, Diane. My kids called it Auntie Di's Chicken Thighs, and the name has stuck. I modified the original recipe to suit my family. It is a perennial favourite. My family prefers chicken thighs to chicken breasts, but the recipe works well with either. When barbeque season arrives, you can bet this is on the menu. I always make extra so we can have chicken caesar wraps during the week. See the Salads and dressings tab for my no raw egg, no fish caesar salad dressing.

1/2 cup soy sauce
!/2 cup thawed lime juice concentrate(can substitute orange juice concentrate or lemon juice concentrate)
2 tsp chicken seasoning (like Mrs. Dash 'chicken grilling blends')
zest from one lemon
1 tsp minced garlic
16-20 chicken thighs (or 6-8 chicken breast)


Combine the first six ingredients, Stir to combine. Unroll the chicken thigh and place into a ziplock plastic bag. Refrigerate for about 5 hours.

Bring the chicken out of the fridge for one hour before grilling. Preheat barbecue and cook for 15-20 min, until juices run clear and there is no more pink inside the chicken.







Just the best, easiest marinated chicken ever. This is a great one to have in your summertime arsenal.

 

Spin-off weekday meal- Don't forget to save some for chicken caesar wraps. Place  sliced, cold chicken and romaine lettuce on to flour tortillas. Top with caesar  salad dressing. Wrap and go. Presto! Supper on the go.

Check out the video on You Tube

Jambalaya

I call this Roses Jambalaya. Named for a former co-worker that shared the basic recipe with me. I'm not sure how authentic it is, but I do know it is very tasty.

1/2 pound Italian Sausage, removed from the casing and broken into bite sized pieces
1-2 chicken breasts or 3-4 chicken thighs
1/2 pound uncooked, peeled, de-viened shrimp
2 cups white, long grained rice
2 cups pureed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by browning the chicken and sausage in a large Dutch oven. Add some oil if you need.

Remove browned meat from the pot. Add the chopped onion, celery and green pepper. This is known as the holy trinity in the New Orleans area. Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Add 2  tbsp oil and 2 tbsp flour. Cook, stirring often, until flour has browned slightly.

Add rice, broth and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Place shrimp into the pot and simmer, covered on low for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir and check to see if rice is done. It will take longer than normal to cook the rice due to the acid in the tomatoes. If rice is not done. Stir the pot, cover and cook another 10 minutes. Repeat the process until the rice has softened.

A great one pot meal. My family loves it. Makes a large pot and reheats well. Season well, rice absorbs salt. It will need a bit of salt.

 Great for a quick weekday meal.

Weekend Tacos

No need to buy pre-packaged taco mix.

 One of my families favourites. I double or triple the recipe. Freeze some or save some for later in the week. I don't know why but if I serve the same thing the next day, I often have resistance. My kids say "I don't like leftovers". If I wait a few days and serve it again, say like on Wednesday or Thursday they seem to forget that they had the same thing on the weekend. Never say the 'L' word.

Hope this works for your family

Taco Spice Mix

Use a glass container that holds approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups

4 tbsp dried minced dried onion
4 tbsp chili powder
4 tsp cornstarch
3 tsp cumin
2 tsp sugar or xylitol(optional)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
3 tsp beef bouillon
2 tsp dried oregano


Layer ingredients in jar in order. Seal jar and shake well. Sprinkle 3 tbsp over 1 1/2 pounds of browned ground beef or chicken. Add 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.



















Serve with chopped green/red peppers, chopped green onions, sour cream, salsa, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, chopped jalapeño peppers, lime slices, cilantro, or whatever your family likes.

Pile the stuff onto flour or corn tortillas. Yum. Happy family!

Keep jar of taco mix in sealed jar in cupboard. Print a copy of the ingredients and tape it to the jar so its easy to fill it as you need to. I'v added the directions as well, so that my older children can make this too.

Spin-off Week day Supper
Double or tripple the amount of beef and taco seasoning. Save a couple of cups for later in the week. Remember, don't call them leftovers. The seasoned meat also freezes well. No need to order in.

Slow-cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spin-off week day meal following recipe

This is a great make ahead meal. I make it often as it is requested often. It is a very kid friendly kind of dish. This sauce is complex and balanced. The sauce is a basic marinara sauce that is adaptable to many other dishes. Sometimes we have it with pasta with no meatballs for a satisfying vegetarian supper. I also make biscuit pizza rolls as a quick lunch (recipe and video coming soon).

1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2-26 oz cans plum tomatoes, purried
2-19 oz cans tomato sauce
1-6oz can tomato paste
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
20-30 small pre-cooked meatballs


Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes until onions are translucent.Add tomato paste to onions and cook until paste deepens in colour.  Add wine to onions and garlic. If you want, you can omit the wine but it does add to the depth of flavour. Combine everything into a large slow cooker. You can do this the night before you are planning to serve this(refrigerate overnight). In the morning, before you go to work, turn the slow cooker on low. It will be perfect when you get home from work. Just cook some pasta and presto, an awesome, nutritious, not pre packaged supper.

 My family likes to top their bowls with freshly ground pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese.


Alternately you can cook this on high for 4-5 hours. It makes a ton and freezes well.  I recommend freezing the sauce and meatballs separately as the meatballs tend to break when frozen with the sauce.

Pin the recipe  on pinterest
Watch the video on you tube. See my knife sharpening demonstration and the secret to make your pasta taste awesome.

Spin-off weekday supper

Just save about 2 cups of sauce to have with pasta later in the week. Have it with or without meatballs. Or if you prefer add browned ground beef or chicken.
Freeze the sauce in 2 cup containers for suppers in a pinch. No need to order out. Stay tuned for pizza biscuit roll in the lunch section.