Friday, March 25, 2011

E: Tilapia & Veggie Packets

As always, Happy Friday! I hope you week has been treating you well. Things have been a little rough at my house. Josh had to travel for the majority of the week (he comes home today- hooray!), so Frank and I slept downstairs in a big chair (since his knee is still preventing him from going up and down the stairs and I can’t carry him). His ulcer has been bothering him off an on and often kept us both up all night. I will be very grateful to sleep in a bed tonight! On a more positive note, my Mom came down last night and we took an Italian cooking class together- I can’t wait to share the details/pictures with you!!

I’m trying to clean out our freezer a bit. I feel like foods have a tendency to enter the freezer and never exit. When I was last in there searching, I found a few tilapia filets that needed to be used up. I thought of this recipe and just adjusted it a bit use up the vegetables I had on hand.

Ingredients:

  • tilapia filets, defrosted (1 per person)
  • chopped vegetables (I used parsnips, yellow summer squash, corn, peas and jalapenos)
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • chili powder
  • parchment paper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add desired quantity of olive oil to a frying pan. Add chopped veggies and cook until slightly soft.

Layout parchment paper. Place tilapia filet in center of paper and top with a sprinkling of chili powder and lemon juice. Place slightly cooked veggies on top and fold parchment paper into a sealed envelop. Place envelops on baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove and let sit 5 minutes. As Jenna noted in the original recipe: Use caution when opening; hot steam will escape.

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This is a light, healthy & flavorful meal. You can serve it with a side of rice, pasta, fruit, whatever!

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Weekend plans? Josh and I have a date night planned. Other than that??

37 comments:

KatiePerk said...

ooh. that looks good. I hope Frank is feeling better. Enjoy your date night. I am heading to TN for a wedding!

Megan D said...

Oh my goodness- just realized I can probably make these in my little toaster oven!! YAY! The Italian cooking class sounds great; can't wait to hear about L(

The Purple Carrot said...

Poor Frank ... what I nice doggy mom you are for sleeping downstairs with him! (You're going to be a great real mommy!! ;)

An Italian cooking class sounds like tons of fun!! Can't wait to hear more about it.

Yay for Josh coming home! :)

Averie said...

i always used to cook tilapia and salmon in parchment! i layered the bottom with fennel and potatoes, herbs, EVOO, and wrapped them up and baked...foolproof and tastes way more complicated than one would think.

GREAT job on these!

Heather said...

Awww....your such a great pup mommy!!! Frank is a lucky guy.
Enjoy date night! I'll be enjoying my last day of teaching tomorrow morning. :)

Heather (Where's the Beach) said...

Oh I haven't done veggie packets in ages. Started doing them for the grill last year. Enjoy your date night!!

Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg said...

I love cooking in packets! So impressive, but simple!

Tiffany @ The Chi-Athlete said...

Oh this is PERFECT! I needed to find something like this! Thank you, heart! Yummy yummy!

I can't wait to see the pics of you and Mommy at the cooking class! I bet my Mom would love to do that. Hmmmm...

Kayla's sending puppy prayers that Frank that he's 100% soon!

Naomi(Onefitfoodie) said...

haha I totally forget about food that is in my freezer for too long too! sometimes Ill buy a HUGE bag of brocolli or frozen blueberries, go home, start rummaging around the freezer and realize I had them already they were just hidden! I actually had tilapia last night too! (from the freezer!) it was light and delicious!

Glad Josh is back! date night sounds fun! yay

Amelia said...

Yay for date night! I have 3 projects to work on this weekend, one of which is a group project that requires a bit of outside research around the city. I'll most likely be glued to my computer, with Body Pump thrown in today and Sunday for good measure. :)

Anonymous said...

Yum! Parchment paper is my favorite way to cook fish. Your combination of seasonings sound perfect. I think I have some in my freezer that might benefit from this recipe.

Unknown said...

aw man, frank really needs to get better! i was up in the middle of the night too with the pup i'm sitting... poor tummy :(

have a great weekend, i might have a date too ;)

Unknown said...

date nights are the best nights!!

love how easy that recipe is, bet it soaked up fantastic flavor

have a great weekend!

rebecca
http://fromheretothereinpurple.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/rlustig

Beth @ DiningAndDishing said...

Poor Frank! It's so nice of you to stay downstairs with him :). Enjoy your cooking class, can't WAIT to see these pics!

Katie said...

Poor Frank! I'm so sorry he's still suffering, but so nice of you to spend the night with him. When Charley was sick last winter, I slept with him in the hallway because he couldn't move. Thinking of him (and you!).

Those fish packets sound really good! I've always been sort of afraid to cook fish, and rarely do, but I know the packet method works really well and is relatively easy. Thanks for the inspiration!

This weekend I'm working, hopefully getting to a yoga class, and going out to pizza with my girlfriends!

Nutmeg Nanny said...

Sadly I'm not a fish fan BUT my boyfriend loves it. I could easily make tilapia for him and chicken for me :)

Corey said...

Aw, I hope once Josh gets home things are a little easier for you and Frank. In a way dogs are a lot like kids - they require so much attention and love, especially when they're not doing well! You're doing a great job :) Italian cooking class with mom sounds SO fun, can't wait to hear about it!

Paige said...

Aw glad Josh gets back today! I know I never sleep as well when Shane's away for work. No bueno!
Poor Frank :( I hope he feels better soon.

Laural (bhealthier) said...

hurray for date night! jeff gets back to town tonight too- hurray again!

great recipe! I just made tilapia the other day and I have to say I really like it even though it is farm-raised and plain white fish- I think its yummy!

weekend plans?! tailgating for the NHL game/ Jeff's dad's game after (old man hockey) and celebrating his neice's bday and my brother's gf's birthday... and hoping to finish painting room #2 !

Anonymous said...

oooooh yum! I loove tilapia! :D
Hope you have an awesome weekend!

Lauren said...

These look fantastic!! I love doing fish packets on the grill. It reminds me of summer. Oh how i can't wait to fire that baby up. :)

Lisa said...

Yay for our men coming home tonight!!!

Hope you have a fab weekend with Josh and Frank :)

Renee Paj said...

awe...you are such a good mommy to your doggy...you are going to be an excellent mommy to your baby! :) These are the sacrifices moms make! lol

Anyway...tilapia in the oven for dinner tonight. found some flavored panko at whole foods I am trying out. Almond Lemon panko...sound really good, right? Hope so anyway.

My freezers...yes, plural, have that same problem. lol You are not alone!

Enjoy date night! I really need one of those!

Hannah said...

I love cooking fish like this! I've never put vegetables in though, only aromatics. Love your version!

P.S. Happy date night!

Simply Life said...

have fun on your date night!

Stephanie @cookinfanatic said...

I'm sorry that Frank has been feeling bad and that you have had a tough week hun... glad that Josh will be back and hopefully you guys have a wonderful weekend!

BroccoliHut said...

Now that I'm eating fish, I can't wait to try this recipe!

The Blonde Duck said...

So pregnant ladies can eat tilapia? SCORE! I don't have to give up my fish tacos!

Krista said...

Your tilapia looks wonderful, Erica! Sorry to hear you've had a rough week, though. Poor Frank must be feeling so out of sorts. Hugs to you both!!!

Priyanka said...

You are so sweet to sleep with Frank downstairs. I feel so bad for Frank, hope he feels better soon.

I have a lot of catching up to do this weekend, so nothing fun on the cards. Have a great weekend girl.

Anonymous said...

An ulcer!? Frank does not look like he is very stressed out in his pics :)

fittingbackin said...

I hope you guys have a wonderful date night - so glad he's back! And OMG hate that you had to sleep downstairs but of course Mr. Frank couldn't be left alone. Poor buddy. These tilapia packs are genius - I need to buy parchment parper!

MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College said...

What a gorgeous meal!

Kitchen Belleicious said...

Do you know what! I have done fish in packets but never veggie and it is genius! Perfect way to steam them! This dish looks so good- can you come make it for me tonight? thanks! see you soon! LOL!

Julie said...

ughhhh you are seriously an AMAZING mom. frank owes you big time so once he's better he better not do any bad dog things like go to the bathroom in the house or eat your shoes.

i'm glad josh is home!! now you can totally have time to REST!!!

can't wait to hear/see about your cooking class with mama :) i think it's the perfect way to end a crazed week! love you girl!

Anonymous said...

Frankie bun! He is helping prepare you for the changing sleep patterns when baby comes, huh! :) Thinking of you sweet Erica <3

Holly said...

I hope poor Frank is feeling more like his normal self. :-( Poor guy! But I'm glad Josh is back and that Italian cooking class with your mama? Sounds like a blast!!!