I recently bought a package of Paper Chef Parchment Bags to try. These are bags made out of parchment designed for cooking. I loved the concept – just put the food in the bag and fold one end.

I decided to try a new recipe for kale (serves 4)

3 cups packed kale leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

2 ounces cooked chopped pancetta or bacon

I preheated the oven to 400, placed my ingredients in the bag and shook them up a bit. I placed it on a baking sheet and baked for 15 minutes. I lifted the bag, about to give it another little shake, and it ripped. It had soaked through (something that has never happened to me with parchment paper).

The kale, however, was delicious. I would make this again in a parchment paper packet (kale on the bottom, other ingredients on the top). The cheese gave it a nice bit of creaminess and the pancetta gave it a little smokiness. In the past I’ve been puzzled by kale – it wasn’t a veggie I ate as a kid and so I have been looking for ways to make it. This one is a winner.

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the bags. It ripped immediately. I also felt it did not create as nice of a presentation. The bag was not flat on the bottom, so you would need to lay it on its side, put your food in from the side, fold it and then cut it open to have a dish you could take from bag to plate easily. With parchment you just unfold and there your dish is sitting.

Maybe if you double bagged the food it would work. I use Wilton parchment and I have never had it rip.

I recently bought a package of Paper Chef Parchment Bags to try. These are bags made out of parchment designed for cooking. I loved the concept – just put the food in the bag and fold one end. I decided to try a new recipe for kale (serves 4) 3 cups packed kale leaves salt … 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

It was one of those dinners where there wasn’t much to choose from, so I sort of chose everything. And the results were pretty amazing.

2 salmon fillets

1 cup snap peas

1/4 cup light sour cream

1 tbsp honey mustard

1 tbsp lime juice

4 baby carrots, minced

salt and pepper

1/4 tsp dill

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the salmon on the parchment and place the peas on top and around it. Mix the other ingredients in a bowl then pour over the top. Fold the parchment and bake for 20 minutes.

It has a very interesting sweet/sour taste and is loaded with veggies so you can have a nice portion and know you’re getting lots of the good stuff.

It was one of those dinners where there wasn’t much to choose from, so I sort of chose everything. And the results were pretty amazing. 2 salmon fillets 1 cup snap peas 1/4 cup light sour cream 1 tbsp honey mustard 1 tbsp lime juice 4 baby carrots, minced salt and pepper 1/4 tsp dill … 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

No Pot Grills

Posted by Brette in Fish

It’s that time of year, when turning on the oven seems like a bad, bad idea and cooking on the grill sounds great. There are still no pots involved, so here’s what I made for dinner last night:

Grilled Cod and Green Beans with Cilantro Sauce

1 piece of cod (about 1/2 lb)

2 cups green beans

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1/8 of a sweet onion

juice of 1/2 a lime

1/2 tsp honey

2 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt

Season the cod and beans with salt and pepper then grill them (use a grill tray for the beans to keep them from falling through the grates. The beans take about 12 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill (you want them to look slightly soft and browned). The cod will cook in about 10 minutes, if it is about an inch thick. Look for it to become opaque. Add all other ingredients to a mini food processor and chop. Remove food from grill and use the sauce on top.

It’s that time of year, when turning on the oven seems like a bad, bad idea and cooking on the grill sounds great. There are still no pots involved, so here’s what I made for dinner last night: Grilled Cod and Green Beans with Cilantro Sauce 1 piece of cod (about 1/2 lb) 2 cups … Read more

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