I really love to cook, but coming up with two vegetables a night gets to be a drag. Sometimes I just feel burned out by vegetables. Giving myself permission to come up with different no pot vegetables has made it all more interesting lately though. Last night I put together this bright and tasty veggie dish that we loved:

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 tbsp chopped parsley
7 drops sesame oil
3/4 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

Five ingredients in an easy no mess parchment paper packet! I put it all on the parchment then tossed with my hands. I folded it up and baked at 400 for about 15 minutes. It had tons of great flavor and was something completely different (no more carrots and peas, please!). This was enough for two adults. Mr. NoPot even had seconds (which you don’t see him doing with veggies – ever!).

I really love to cook, but coming up with two vegetables a night gets to be a drag. Sometimes I just feel burned out by vegetables. Giving myself permission to come up with different no pot vegetables has made it all more interesting lately though. Last night I put together this bright and tasty veggie … Read more →

I’m still trying to get back on schedule after the holidays. The daily grind, exercising more, and trying to get back to healthy eating is always a challenge at this time of year! However, I still have holiday foods hanging around. For a recent party, I made a spinach artichoke dip. It was delicious, but there was lots left. I don’t think it will freeze well due to the cheese and cream, so I decided to have one last hurrah with it before dumping it. I used it as a sauce for chicken. This is the easiest recipe in the entire world. Put one chicken breast on parchment. Spread 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup spinach artichoke dip on top. Fold it up, bake for 20 min at 400 and enjoy. Spinach artichoke dip is readily available pre-made in the freezer section of the grocery store, or you might have brought some home as leftovers from your favorite restaurant (I did that recently too).

I’m still trying to get back on schedule after the holidays. The daily grind, exercising more, and trying to get back to healthy eating is always a challenge at this time of year! However, I still have holiday foods hanging around. For a recent party, I made a spinach artichoke dip. It was delicious, but … Read more →

You would swear my husband is Greek. He could happily eat at a Greek restaurant every night I think. He even puts feta cheese on his hamburgers. So he was quite happy to devour my Greek chicken in a packet dish.

Here’s the recipe for making just one. Repeat as necessary for as many portions as you would like to make:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper (use more than you think you need)
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 whole canned tomato (from a can of “whole tomatoes)
4 artichoke heart quarters from a can or freezer bag
1/8 tsp Greek seasoning
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
spring of parsley and oregano (optional)

Place the chicken breast on your parchment. Drizzle olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper and onion powder. Top with tomato and artichoke. Sprinkle Greek seasoning on top then drizzle with lemon juice. Top with fresh herbs if you have them. Fold parchment and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Let it rest 3-4 minutes before serving.

You would swear my husband is Greek. He could happily eat at a Greek restaurant every night I think. He even puts feta cheese on his hamburgers. So he was quite happy to devour my Greek chicken in a packet dish. Here’s the recipe for making just one. Repeat as necessary for as many portions … Read more →

I can’t get enough of Hawaii. We visited a few years ago and I’m just not over it. So, I created this little “Hawaii in a packet” to console myself. It’s sweet and brings back the flavors of the islands to me. It’s also easy to make with no mess!

4 boneless pork chops
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 individual serving containers of tropical fruit (or pineapple)
4 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
salt and pepper

Place one chop in the center of a piece of parchment (see Techniques page for info on using and folding parchment). Rub with 1/2 tsp olive oil. Sprinkle 1/4 of the garlic powder on top. Dump one container of fruit on top. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold parchment. Repeat with other 3 chops. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Allow to rest about 5 minutes before opening and enjoying!

I can’t get enough of Hawaii. We visited a few years ago and I’m just not over it. So, I created this little “Hawaii in a packet” to console myself. It’s sweet and brings back the flavors of the islands to me. It’s also easy to make with no mess! 4 boneless pork chops 2 … Read more →

I had such a great response to my post about doing rice noodles in parchment, I decided to take the leap and see if I could do more traditional pastas this way also. The answer? YES! I actually made this dish two ways – the traditional way and the parchment paper method. They are identical in taste, flavor, and texture (except some of the manicotti noodles ripped when I boiled them and when I used the parchment method they did not and turned out perfectly shaped). The difference? No manicotti pan to scrub afterwards.

Line your baking sheet with foil then place your parchment on top (see Technique page for info about how to use and fold the parchment). Soak 8 manicotti shells in your sink, covered in hot water for 20 minutes.  In a large plastic zip bag, mix 1 container of cottage cheese or 1 container of ricotta (or a mix of half and half of each), 1 package of frozen spinach (defrosted and squeezed dry), 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp Italian herb mix, and salt and pepper to taste. Seal the bag and squish it up till it’s mixed. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag and use it to pipe the mix into the shells.

Place 1/8 cup spaghetti sauce at the bottom of each parchment packet in the shape of 2 manicotti. Place 2 stuffed manicotti on top. Top with 1/2 cup sauce. Repeat for other 3 packets. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Allow to rest about 3 minutes before cutting open the packets.

It turns out perfectly. It’s moist and delicious and full of flavor. Definitely my new favorite way of making pasta!

I had such a great response to my post about doing rice noodles in parchment, I decided to take the leap and see if I could do more traditional pastas this way also. The answer? YES! I actually made this dish two ways – the traditional way and the parchment paper method. They are identical … Read more →

We went to Alaska this past summer. It was an amazing trip. Mr. NoPot and son caught salmon we’ve been eating. They didn’t catch any halibut, but we did have the opportunity to have fresh halibut while we were there and it was wonderful. I’m back to frozen halibut now from the grocery store, but I have a great little cookbook I picked up in Alaska called Fishes and Dishes, which inspired this recipe.

4 4 oz halibut filets
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp dried dill
4 ounces frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
salt and pepper to taste

Place one filet on each piece of parchment (and remember, you can find folding instructions and other tips on the “Technique” page of this blog). In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients. Spoon 1/4 of the sauce on top of each filet. Fold the packet and bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes. Serve with some wedges of lemon to squeeze.

I love the light creaminess of this sauce and I am also a big fan of spinach. The flavors go so well with the light flaky halibut. I loved this quick, no mess, delicious dish!

We went to Alaska this past summer. It was an amazing trip. Mr. NoPot and son caught salmon we’ve been eating. They didn’t catch any halibut, but we did have the opportunity to have fresh halibut while we were there and it was wonderful. I’m back to frozen halibut now from the grocery store, but … Read more →

If you’ve been following my blog, you know it’s all about no mess, no pot cooking. So how on earth could I make noodles? Oh, I’m excited to share this one! I was so thrilled with this method!

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 single serving container (4 oz) of mandarin oranges

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 medium garlic clove, chopped

1/4 of a broccoli head, cut into tiny florets

6 oz rice noodles

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

Clean out your sink and place the rice noodles in it. Cover with cold water and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Remove the noodles and place in the center of a piece of parchment (I made this family style). Make a nest in the middle and place the shrimp. Top with scallions, garlic and broccoli. Pour the oranges on top, juice and all. Then drizzle the teriyaki and soy sauces, being sure you get it on the shrimp and as much of the noodles as possible.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Wow! I surprised even myself with this one! No pots, no mess and a delicious Asian shrimp dish with noodles. It has a nice citrus taste and the green of the vegetables give it color and flavor. I’ll be making this one again!

*Reader favorite: Appears in The Parchment Paper Cookbook

If you’ve been following my blog, you know it’s all about no mess, no pot cooking. So how on earth could I make noodles? Oh, I’m excited to share this one! I was so thrilled with this method! 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 single serving container (4 oz) of mandarin oranges 1 … Read more →

We don’t eat a lot of red meat, so turkey is definitely something I use a lot. It’s a nice change from chicken and fish. The key to turkey cutlets is keeping them moist and making sure they don’t get overdone. This recipe gives the turkey an interesting flavor and does it with no mess!

4 turkey cutlets
8 tbsp apricot preserves
4 tsp soy sauce
pepper
dry mustard
4 parsley sprigs (optional)

Place one cutlet in the middle of a piece of parchment. Spread 2 tbsp apricot preserves on top and drizzle with 1 tsp soy sauce. Add a pinch of pepper and a pinch of dry mustard to each packet. Top with a sprig of fresh parsley if you have any. Seal them up and bake at 400 for 15 minute. Allow them rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.

This is one of my favorite turkey cutlet recipes!

We don’t eat a lot of red meat, so turkey is definitely something I use a lot. It’s a nice change from chicken and fish. The key to turkey cutlets is keeping them moist and making sure they don’t get overdone. This recipe gives the turkey an interesting flavor and does it with no mess! … Read more →

My father has an asparagus patch, so in the spring, we have lots of asparagus to use. And I am always looking for news ways to make it. Recently I decided to make it with a sesame flavor and was thrilled with my no-mess, no-pot results

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

1/4 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Place the asparagus in the center of a sheet of parchment. Drizzle oils and soy sauce. Sprinkle with the seeds. Seal and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Allow it to rest for about 5 minutes.

The asparagus comes out nicely cooked with a light sesame flavor that really livens it up. My kids liked this a lot because to them it tasted more like Chinese food and less like vegetables!

My father has an asparagus patch, so in the spring, we have lots of asparagus to use. And I am always looking for news ways to make it. Recently I decided to make it with a sesame flavor and was thrilled with my no-mess, no-pot results 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed 1/4 tsp toasted sesame seeds … Read more →

I love the flavor of apple with chicken. There’s something warm and homey about it. So I created this recipe so I could enjoy the tastes with no mess!

4 boneless breasts of chicken
2 apples, grated (peeled or unpeeled, whatever you prefer)
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp olive oil
8 tbsp cider or apple juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Place the breasts on individual pieces of parchment. Salt and pepper them. Divide the apple among the packets. Sprinkle 1/8 tsp of onion powder and 1/8 tsp of cinnamon on each packet. Drizzle each with 1 tsp olive oil, 2 tbsp cider and 1/2 tsp vinegar. Seal the packets and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

The apple roasts to softness and all of the flavors meld with the chicken to create a lovely fall dish.

I love the flavor of apple with chicken. There’s something warm and homey about it. So I created this recipe so I could enjoy the tastes with no mess! 4 boneless breasts of chicken 2 apples, grated (peeled or unpeeled, whatever you prefer) salt and pepper 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon 4 tsp … Read more →