Tilapia en Papillote

This is one of my roommate and I's favorite things to make for dinner. We usually make a different version but I was craving some capers and everything else just fell into place. I like this version even better!

This dish is easy to customize for any number of guests and has a beautiful presentation. Plus, it is simple and quick.

You will need: 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 sprig of basil, 2 Tbsp capers, 1 clove of garlic, 2 Tbsp white wine, 1 Tbsp olive oil, half of an onion, and 1 filet of tilapia.

Mince up your garlic.

Halve or quarter your tomatoes, depending on how large they are.

Toss the garlic and tomatoes into a small bowl.

Dump in 2 Tbsp of capers with some juice.

I could eat this on toast.

Pour 1 Tbsp of olive oil in the bowl.

Thinly slice 1/2 the onion and put them in the bowl as well.

Now toss it all together and set aside.

Place half the filet on one side of a sheet of parchment paper.

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, to taste.

Top the fish with half the onion and tomato mixture and a few basil leaves.

Now splash on some white wine.

Now fold the parchment paper over the fish (hamburger style) and make small folds starting at one corner and go all the way around to the other side. You want to seal the package so the fish will steam. Make sure your folds are tight!

Boom.

Now repeat with the other half of the tilapia filet. Place both on a baking sheet.

Bake the packages at 375 for 12 minutes.

Serve in the package with some green beans.

They're really fun to rip open!

Yum! Such a great presentation.

Enjoy!

Tilapia en Papillote

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 sprig of basil, stem removed
• 2 Tbsp capers
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp white wine
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Half of an onion, thinly sliced
• 1 filet of tilapia, cut in half

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Combine olive oil, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and capers in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Place each half of the fish filet on a rectangle of parchment paper. Top with some salt and pepper, to taste. Then top each with half of the tomato mixture and a splash of wine. Make small folds all around the parchment paper to seal the package.
4. Place the packages on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

Spinach and Artichoke White Bean Hummus

I've been meaning to make this hummus for quite some time and last night I finally got around to doing it!

It's amazing what I can get done when I'm trying to avoid thinking about the upcoming semester. I think it's going to be a doozy.

You will need: 1 can of great northern beans, 1 Tbsp tahini, 1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 jar of artichoke hearts, 1 Tbsp of artichoke heart oil, 5 oz of thawed frozen spinach, and 1 Tbsp of olive oil (not pictured).

Pictured that I didn't use: onion powder. After all was said and done, I just didn't think it was needed.

Drain and thoroughly rinse your can of beans and throw it in the food processor.

Stir up your tahini; it tends to settle.

And add 1 Tbsp to the food processor.

Next add in 1 clove of garlic. I threw in two because I love garlic. However, this makes for a super garlic-y hummus, so proceed with caution.

Now add in about 10 artichoke hearts.

Now, artichokes are, in my opinion, one of the greatest foods on the planet. So, 10 artichokes didn't produce the intense artichoke flavor I wanted. Next time I think I will add in the whole jar. If you love artichokes as much as I do, try it and let me know how it went in the comment section!

Now slap on the top and give everything a whir until it reaches a smooth consistency.

See? Smooth and super thick.

Now pour in 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of oil from the artichoke jar. It adds lots of flavor. Whir it all up again.

Next add in about 1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper and 1 Tbsp of dried parsley. Fresh would be great, but I forgot to buy some.

Than, squeeze all the water out of the thawed spinach and add it to the food processor. If you want the spinach to be completely pureed into the hummus, you can do this step earlier.

I still wanted some chunks of spinach so I just pulsed it a little until it was combined.

Tada! Hummus. This is great served with tortilla chips, pita chips...

Or with fresh bell peppers and cucumbers, which is how I'm enjoying mine right now!

Enjoy!

 Spinach and Artichoke White Bean Hummus

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 15.5 oz can of great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp tahini
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• 1/2 jar of artichoke hearts
• 1 Tbsp of artichoke heart oil
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 5 oz frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients except for spinach in a food processor until smooth.
2. Add in the spinach and pulse until combined. For a completely smooth texture, add all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Black Bean, Corn, and Quinoa Chili

Georgia has forgotten what month it is and it is cold! So, I decided to make some soup in the crock pot yesterday. I wasn't in the mood to babysit something on the stove. (I'm enjoying my last weekend of relaxation before my final semester of grad school starts up on Monday.)

Originally, I thought this would turn out like a soup, but after all the vegetables, beans, and quinoa had cooked, it was more like a chili. And it. Was. AWESOME.

Let's cook!

You will need: 1 zucchini, 3 ears of corn, 2 carrots, 1 sweet bell pepper, 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 cup of quinoa, 1/4 cup of tomato paste, 3 Tbsp of chili power, 2 bay leaves, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 small can of diced jalapenos, and 1 bag of black beans (that have been soaked overnight).

Dump the soaked beans in your crock pot.

Add 1 cup of quinoa.

Is anyone else on a quinoa kick? No? Just me? Ok.

Now dice up that onion!

Toss it in the crock pot.

Dice up the zucchini and throw it in as well.

Now dice up both carrots...

And you guessed it! Throw those in too.

Do the same with the bell pepper.

Now cut the kernels off of the cob.

After you have cut off all of the kernels, scrape the back of the knife down the cob to release all of the "corn juice". It's better than it sounds.

See? That's yummy stuff!

Now toss all the corn stuff into the crock pot.

Now add in the bay leaves.

Then the small can of jalapenos...

3 Tbsp of chili powder...

1 Tbsp of cumin...

1 Tbsp of salt (you may need to add more later)...

1/4 cup of tomato paste (this is homemade after I neglected to watch my marinara closely)...

Now add in 4 cloves of minced garlic...

Finally, grind up some fresh pepper in there.

Now pour in 8 cups of water.

It's so full!

Now turn the crock pot on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.

Now go about your day and let your dinner cook!

Now 6 hours, some cheese, sour cream, and chives later, this is one super tasty meal.

Enjoy guys! My roommate is enjoying some right now!

Black Bean, Corn, and Quinoa Chili

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini, diced
• 3 ears of corn, kernels cut off from cob
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 sweet bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1/4 cup of tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp of chili power
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 small can of diced jalapenos
• 1 bag of black beans (that have been soaked overnight)
• 8 cups of water
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1.  Throw everything in the crock pot, put the lid on, and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 10 hours.
2. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, chives, or anything else you want!