Pesto-topped Flounder & Green Beans Packets

This meal was so tasty, quick, easy, refreshing & healthy! I enjoyed it so much. With the bountiful amounts of fresh basil blessing our garden (thanks Pop-in-law), this was a natural choice. If you are looking for a fish dish, try this. If you do not want to turn on the oven, fine, throw the packets off-heat onto the grill!!!!  OMGoodness... Delish.
<3 Lishie

Pesto-topped Flounder & Green Beans Packets

• fresh green beans, cleaned/ends clipped
• 2 oz fresh flounder, 1/2" thick
• 2-4 slices lemon + lemon juice
• 1/4 c basil pesto
• pinch black pepper

Place a handful of green beans 12" square of heavy foil, sprayed with a little cooking oil. Lay one fillet onto the green beans.

Squirt the fillet with lemon juice, spread evenly with the pesto, pinch with pepper & place 1-2 lemon slices on top. Bring together two opposite edges of foil & seal with a double fold. Fold remaining ends to completely enclose food, allowing space for steam to build. Place foil packets on a  baking pan.

Bake @ 400 degree F about 15 minutes or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Open packets carefully to allow steam to escape. Transfer packet contents to plates.

Lemon & Garlic Tilapia with Zucchini & Pepper "en papillote"

So, as I've been blogging about (because nothing makes me happier), my sister is visiting overnight. She is a vegetarian & I decided to prepare her a very "meaty" veggie dinner that she & my hubby love. The catch? I, the cook, do not like it so I made this for me. Funny, my sister said it looked delish :) It was!  Simply defined, "en papillote" is the French phrase for "in parchment". 

Lemon & Garlic Tilapia with Zucchini & Pepper "en papillote"

2 tilapia fillets

1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced1 small zucchini, julienned
1 small red bell pepper, julienned2 lemons- I juiced, 1 sliced 
Fresh Parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For each fillet, cut a sheet of parchment paper (you can also use aluminum foil) twice the size of the fish fillet. 

Lay one fish fillet in the middle of the parchment paper. Layer the 1/2 the onion slices, 1/2 the garlic slices, 1/2 of the zucchini, 1/2 of the red bell pepper, & 1-2 lemon slices on top of the fillet.  Juice 1/2 lemon & drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil & salt & pepper over the fillet & veg. 


For the "FOLD"- Take one side of the parchment paper LENGTH-WISE & half it (fold it) over the other side. WIDTH-WISE- Fold in the sides to create a little "package". 


Bake "en papillote" on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Remove the fish from the oven. Remove or serve in the packet but be careful to avoid the steam when opening.

"en papillote"