Tilapia en Papillote

If you're looking for simple meals that impress the masses, this is a recipe and technique for you!

I stock up on fish, poultry, and meat at Costco. For my family of two, I don't have to go more than every 3-4 weeks. I buy in bulk, and freeze everything in 3-serving portions (one for me, one for my husband, and a little extra for leftovers), so that it's ready to defrost on the night before I want to cook it. I like to buy some red meat (like flank steak or stew meat), chicken breasts, ground turkey, and some sort of fish.

This month, I bought tilapia filets. It is an inexpensive fish that holds up well when cooked. So, the method is called fish en papillote or "in paper." The fish is steamed in parchment paper pockets and all of the flavors you add soak up into the meat and tastes delicate and delicious.

I always season fish with a little salt and pepper before anything else. Here, it's already laid out on a piece of parchment paper. You can make these in individual little pouches or do them all in one. This time I made all three filets in one because I was hungry. Just trying to save some time...

To my lightly seasoned tilapia, I added slices of lemon and ginger (seen above), then after looking in the fridge, I found white wine (about 1/4 cup) and capers. Other yummy things to add are garlic, lemon grass and fresh herbs or even a little mustard. You can also steam veggies in with the fish, like broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, etc.



After all the flavors are added in, fold over the parchment. My parchment paper actually has foil on the other side, which reminds me to tell you that you can also just use aluminum foil if you don't have parchment! Fold the edges all the way around to form a half circle/oval. Make sure it's completely sealed so that no steam escapes!

Bake it on a cookie sheet at 375F for 12-15 minutes or until the fish is just done all the way - you can peek inside the packet and close it back up if it's not done...I did. The thicker the filet, the longer time you'll need.

And voila!

When you open it , this is what you will see. Flaky fish in it's juices, ready to plate and serve! It's still amazing to me how much flavor it has, just from topping it with good ingredients. Mmm..good.

Happy cookin'!

Hawaiian Ahi Poke

If you like sashimi or sushi, and you haven't tried it before, Hawaiian Ahi Poke is the dish you need to make. It's a raw fish salad that originated in Hawaii. The work poke means "slice or cut" and that's all that is required for making this dish. No cooking required. Most commonly made with Ahi, or yellowfin tuna, it is cut into cubes and marinated or dressed in wonderful Asian flavors.

I find my tuna at Costco in a package of 1.5-2lbs and dice both steaks up into inch-sized cubes.

All the recipes I've found vary a little bit, but mine includes soy sauce, sesame oil, red chili flakes, sea salt, green onions, shallots, seaweed, and toasted sesame seeds.

I buy my seaweed at the Japanese market down the road from where I live, but any Asian market would probably have something like it. It comes dehydrated, so I take a half a cup of water and soak the seaweed until it is soft, mabe 10 minutes.

Then you just add all of the ingredients into the bowl, mix it up and let is chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, to let all of the flavors soak in to the fish.

It serves as a great appetizer or salad course. I've also eaten it by itself as a meal with a green salad at lunch time. Tuna can be expensive, so this is a treat that I like to make once or twice a year. It is super easy to do and is an impressive dish for guests as well. That is, if you feel like sharing. :)

So, try it out next time you're feeling a little bit of aloha spirit!

Here's my recipe:
Hawaiian Ahi Poke
1.5-2lbs ahi tuna steak, cut in 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup soy sauce (I use lite soy)
2 T sesame oil
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1-2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup seaweed, rehydrated in water
1tsp sea salt or kosher salt
1tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Mix all the ingredients together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Keeps well in fridge for 2-3 days.

Take a bite, close your eyes, and imagine you're on a Hawaiian beach at sunset...until next time,  aloha!