We’re hot and heavy into local corn season here in Western NY. I’ll hate to see it end because then it will really be fall. Until then though, I keep coming home with bagfuls of corn and then must think of ways to use them! I love corn on the cob, but sometimes I am so over boiling that big ole pot of water to cook it. Corn cooks beautifully in parchment, so that’s my go-to.

Today’s recipe includes a fun little ingredient I’ve fallen in love with called Chutter. I bought it in the cheese section of my grocery store and it says it is Herkimer Chutter and is a cross between cheese and butter. To me it takes like a smooth, mild cheese spread. I’m putting it on everything, so of course I had to try it on corn. Enjoy!

2 ears of corn on the cob

3.5 ounces Chutter

1/8 cup fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1 tablespoon melted butter

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Place chutter, chives, salt, pepper, and butter in a food processor and pulse until smooth and the chives are chopped. Place corn on parchment and smear with chutter mixture. Drop tomatoes over and around it. Fold parchment (see Technique page) and bake at 400 for 22 minutes, flipping the package over halfway through.

The corn is rich and delicious with this spread on it and the tomatoes not only add some color but are a yummy accompaniment.

We’re hot and heavy into local corn season here in Western NY. I’ll hate to see it end because then it will really be fall. Until then though, I keep coming home with bagfuls of corn and then must think of ways to use them! I love corn on the cob, but sometimes I am … Read more

I’m back to regular posting on this blog, so look for a new recipe at least once a week!

Today’s is inspired by the bounty of stone fruits that are everywhere this time of year.

1/2 cup cooked couscous

1 chicken breast

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1 plum, pit removed, cut into eighths

Place the couscous on the bottom of the parchment paper, roughly in the shape of the chicken breast. Top with chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on thyme and onion powder. Place the plum pieces on top of and around the chicken. Fold parchment (see Technique page of this blog) and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

The plum melds into the chicken and couscous and the entire package is simply beautiful to see and taste. And there’s no clean up of pots and pans (I usually make couscous in the microwave or in my rice cooker in big batches and freeze it, using it as needed).

I’m back to regular posting on this blog, so look for a new recipe at least once a week! Today’s is inspired by the bounty of stone fruits that are everywhere this time of year. 1/2 cup cooked couscous 1 chicken breast salt and pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon olive oil 1/8 teaspoon onion powder … Read more

I was unmotivated to cook an actual dinner involving pots and pans, so I made everything on the grill. I marinated 6 ounces of Canadian bacon in 6 oz pineapple juice and 1 tbsp soy sauce for an hour. I put those on the grill and also grilled one zucchini (cut lengthwise into 4 pieces and rubbed with oil) and a bunch of asparagus that I rubbed with oil. The bacon cooked within 2 minutes – just a minute a side on a hot grill and it was ready. The zucchini and asparagus took about 10 minutes over a medium heat.

So easy and I didn’t have to wash a thing except our plates. I served this with the fingerling potatoes from my previous post.

I was unmotivated to cook an actual dinner involving pots and pans, so I made everything on the grill. I marinated 6 ounces of Canadian bacon in 6 oz pineapple juice and 1 tbsp soy sauce for an hour. I put those on the grill and also grilled one zucchini (cut lengthwise into 4 pieces … Read more

I had a lovely bag of multicolored fingerling potatoes and needed a way to cook them. I also had some vinaigrette leftover. Why not use them together? This one was a big winner in my house, with people fighting over the cheese!

1 lb fingerling potatoes, pricked with a fork

Make this vinaigrette:
4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp Italian herb mix

1/8 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

1/4 tsp Worchestershire

Shake this up in a jar and let it sit for about 10 minutes so the herbs soften.

Place the potatoes on the parchment. Pour half the vinaigrette over them (save the rest for a salad the next night). Fold the parchment and bake at 400 for 1 hour. About halfway through, take it out of the oven, grab the bag with potholders and give it a shake to distribute the oil. Put it back in for the rest of the hour. After one hour, remove from the oven, open the parchment and shave several tablespoons of Parmesan cheese over it (don’t grate it, use a cheese slicer to shave it). Leave the packet open and return to the oven until the cheese melts.

OMG. It was soooo good.

I had a lovely bag of multicolored fingerling potatoes and needed a way to cook them. I also had some vinaigrette leftover. Why not use them together? This one was a big winner in my house, with people fighting over the cheese! 1 lb fingerling potatoes, pricked with a fork Make this vinaigrette: 4 tbsp … Read more

I can’t often get fresh grouper here in Buffalo, so when I spot it, I jump on it! We got to Florida every spring and I make it when we’re there and also order it in restaurants (fried grouper sandwiches…yum). I happened upon some grouper recently and snapped it up. I decided to make a simple preparation with brown butter, macadamias and a few cracker crumbs and cream. It was so delicious.

1 grouper filet

salt and pepper

1/4 tsp dried dill

2 tbsp butter

1/3 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped macadamias

6 wheat thins or similar crackers (I used an all bran version)

1 tbsp cream

parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the grouper in the center of the parchment and season with salt and pepper and dill. Place the butter in a covered bowl in the microwave and cook until brown. Stir in lemon juice and chopped macadamias. Pour over the fish. Fold the parchment (see Technique page) and bake for 10 minutes. Open the packet and sprinkle the cracker crumbs on top and drizzle with the cream. Spray the top lightly with cooking spray. Return to the oven, with the packet open for 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.

I can’t often get fresh grouper here in Buffalo, so when I spot it, I jump on it! We got to Florida every spring and I make it when we’re there and also order it in restaurants (fried grouper sandwiches…yum). I happened upon some grouper recently and snapped it up. I decided to make a … Read more

Here in my hometown of Buffalo, in addition to being known for chicken wings, we have a local sandwich that is important, called beef on weck. It’s thin sliced roast beef that is cooked in au jus and then put on a special hard roll called a kimmelweck (the roll has caraway seeds and rock salt on top of it). The sandwich is usually topped with ketchup and horseradish. I like the flavors of the sandwich, but I find the roll almost unmanageable. It’s too big and bulky to bite into and there’s just too much of it for my tastes. So, I came up with a parchment paper solution that has all the flavors of beef on weck with none of the things I don’t like.

1 tortilla

1 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tsp horseradish

3 slices deli roast beef

1/4 tsp caraway seeds plus a pinch

1/4 tsp sea salt, plus a pinch

Preheat the oven to 400. Spread ketchup and horseradish on the tortilla, to about an inch of the edge. Place the roast beef on the tortilla and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of salt and caraway seeds. Roll up and place seam side down on the parchment. Spray the top with cooking spray and sprinkle the remaining pinches of salt and caraway on top. Fold the parchment and bake for 12 minutes. You can also add cheese to this if you like.

Here in my hometown of Buffalo, in addition to being known for chicken wings, we have a local sandwich that is important, called beef on weck. It’s thin sliced roast beef that is cooked in au jus and then put on a special hard roll called a kimmelweck (the roll has caraway seeds and rock … Read more

I’m always looking for ways to make vegetables more exciting, hoping to entice my kids and husband into not only eating them, but enjoying them. My latest attempt was to dress up asparagus and it was quite successful.

1 bunch asparagus

1/4 cup light sour cream

1 1/2 tsp mustard (I used a ground mustard, but a Dijon would also work)

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Place asparagus on parchment (see Technique page for instructions). Mix other ingredients in a small bowl or custard cup and spread over asparagus. Fold the parchment and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

I really liked this. It was light but had lots of flavor and made the asparagus taste like something new and exciting!

I’m always looking for ways to make vegetables more exciting, hoping to entice my kids and husband into not only eating them, but enjoying them. My latest attempt was to dress up asparagus and it was quite successful. 1 bunch asparagus 1/4 cup light sour cream 1 1/2 tsp mustard (I used a ground mustard, … Read more

I love surprising my readers with what can be made in parchment. So today I have another fun idea for you – tortellini. And I made this one in my toaster oven since my oven is broken and waiting for a part. This recipe feeds two.

9 oz refrigerated fresh tortellini

1/4 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper to taste

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1/4 tsp Italian seasonings or basil

1/4 cup pesto sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chicken broth

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Place the tortellini on a piece of parchment (see Technique page for instructions). Spread the peas on top. Add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Drop dollops of the pesto over the food. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, chicken broth, and olive oil. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Using a fork, gently mix and toss the ingredients together a bit so you no longer see large clumps of pesto. Fold the parchment and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

This was delicious and super cute in the packet. You can swap out lots of different ingredients in this one – try ham or cooked Italian sausage instead of the chicken. Instead of the peas, you could use spinach, broccoli, or mushrooms.

The tortellini cooks perfectly and all the flavors are sealed in, making this dish fresh tasting and vibrant.

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I love surprising my readers with what can be made in parchment. So today I have another fun idea for you – tortellini. And I made this one in my toaster oven since my oven is broken and waiting for a part. This recipe feeds two. 9 oz refrigerated fresh tortellini 1/4 cup frozen peas … Read more

The first time I had Swedish meatballs was in NYC. My husband and I were there on a business trip and decided to just walk until we found a place to have lunch. We ended up sitting outside at a cute little Swedish place and enjoying the meatballs. A few years later, we went back to NYC with the kids for a long weekend. I picked a restaurant out of a guidebook for dinner. It ended up being the same Swedish place,, which we didn’t realize until we were there. It was just as good the second time. After that trip, I learned how to make them myself. But can they be made in parchment? That was the challenge I set for myself and the answer is a resounding yes.

For the meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp carraway seeds

1 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

1 tbsp skim milk

6 cups whole wheat noodles, cooked so they are very al dente

First, a word about the noodles. I tried this recipe several ways. It is possible to soak uncooked egg noodles in hot water for 5 minutes then use them in the packets, but the results are just a bit gummy. It is also possible to boil noodles in the microwave if you use a big enough bowl. That’s the best method if you want to do this without a pot. Or you can just cook them on the stovetop if you want. If you have leftover noodles from something else you’re good to go!

Mix turkey and all ingredients except the noodles in a bowl. Set up 4 pieces of parchment and place 1/4 of the noodles on each. Make the turkey mixture into 12 meatballs and place 3 on each pile of noodles. It’s possible to freeze the meatballs at this stage if you place them on a baking sheet until they’re solid, then transfer to a ziploc bag. This is great if you only want to make one or two packets at a time.

For each packet, add 1/4 cup light sour cream, 4 tbsp chicken broth, 1 tbsp lingonberry jelly (which is available in the jelly section of your grocery store), 1 tsp cornstarch, and salt and pepper. Gently mix everything together. It does not have to be perfectly combined. Fold the parchment (see Technique page) and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Open each packet and top with a dollop (about 1 tsp of lingonberry jelly).

This smelled so good while it was baking that the entire family came to see what was cooking! I love the flavor of the lingonberry. Using turkey, whole wheat egg noodles, and light sour cream makes this a healthy alternative to more traditional dishes.

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The first time I had Swedish meatballs was in NYC. My husband and I were there on a business trip and decided to just walk until we found a place to have lunch. We ended up sitting outside at a cute little Swedish place and enjoying the meatballs. A few years later, we went back … Read more

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve got a freezer full of salmon from our recent Alaska trip, so coming up with new recipes for it is a must! I recently read a great cookbook called Cooking in the South by Johnnie Gabriel, who is Paula Deen’s cousin. One recipe in there is for a salmon dish with a BBQ-like sauce. I actually intended to just make that recipe, but I realized I was missing a key ingredient – ketchup! So I improvised, and here’s the result:

1 pound salmon

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp garlic powder

4 tbsp condensed tomato soup

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

salt and pepper

Place the salmon on parchment paper (I was using one large piece, but if you have individual fillets, you can cook them together or separately). Place all the other ingredients in a glass bowl or measuring cup and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir it well. Pour half of the mixture over the salmon (reserving half). Fold up the parchment and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Serve with the reserved BBQ sauce on the side.

This fed two hungry people at my house, but could definitely feed 2 adults and 2 kids who were not famished. The sauce has a great tang and sweetness to it which really complements the salmon. Serving the reserved sauce on the side allows you to add more if you like yours heavily coated in sauce.

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As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve got a freezer full of salmon from our recent Alaska trip, so coming up with new recipes for it is a must! I recently read a great cookbook called Cooking in the South by Johnnie Gabriel, who is Paula Deen’s cousin. One recipe in there is for a salmon dish … Read more

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