Monday, September 12, 2011

Halibut in Parchment

I went out an got some new clothes on my last day off, nothing big 3 pair of pants and 4 shirts.   The stuff in my closet is getting beat up by my life, I work around food all day then usually cook when I get home so my clothes go through a lot.  Here is a little side bar about me, I usually shop for clothes at the second hand store, I like the feeling that if I spill a gallon of curry sauce down my front I can just throw my outfit away and only be out about 5 bucks.  Anyway when I told Kris that I was going shopping for clothes she asked me to please get rid of some stuff.  We are out of hangers plus I am have more clothes than any 2 normal men and there is no more room in the closet.   So this morning I had to open the closet and come to terms with why I don't wear some of the clothes in there...

Is it really because I don't like to iron those linen shirts?  Is it because I can't wear tan pants to work?  Is it because I don't like to wear some of the bold colors that I used to?  Well, to be honest none of those reasons apply...

OK I am going tell you a game that isn't any fun...  Open up the closet and try on clothes that you haven't worn in say 4 or 5 years.  I say to myself, "I look the same as I did in my wedding picture," but deep down I know that the suit didn't shrink and there is another reason that I can't get my pants to zip.  I just don't like to think about it.  Some of the clothes in my closet aren't exactly things that I don't want to wear they are things that I avoid wearing because...


Well it just makes me think that my stupid Doctor was right when she called me FAT,  I am working on it and here is another winner to prove it!  I hesitate to call it a recipe because really I am putting a bunch of junk willy nilly into an envelope and tossing those into the oven.  This is how it goes:

Cut parchment into 14 inch squares
spray parchment with cooking spray
line each square with Julienned fennel bulbs enough to hold up your fish
Place a filet of halibut on top of the fennel
add salt, pepper, a smashed garlic clove and the grated zest of one lime
Top all that with julienned zucchini then squeeze the juice from half a lime on top

Wrap these guys up in a happy little parchment envelope and put into an oven preheated to 425 for 10 minutes.

There really isn't anything that compares to opening something like this up!  Compare it to opening a little present for dinner, just set the little packages up on each plate with any side dishes that you choose, when you open them you get the smell of all of the steamed vegetables floating up from your plate, The fish is perfectly light and flaky, the zucchini is still crisp and everything is permeated with the flavors of anise and garlic.

4 comments:

  1. I HATE going through my closet. But halibut? Can I say Yum!?!? This looks so tempting...especially since it is growing close to my afternoon snack time. I hope you are having a great start to your week, sweet friend. Hugs and love from the great state of Texas!

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  2. We have to move, so I am doing the dreaded closet clean in everyone's closet. It is so depressing. I have 6 garbage bags to take to GoodWill, my kids will flip when they come home (wherever that will be) from college on break. Come check out Secret Recipe Club, it is an interesting way to hit on a new blog, snoop about and make something! As for your fish....I love any dish that eliminates the need for washing pots and pans!

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  3. My mother always said: if you haven't worn it in two years, get it out of the closet. I hate that chore...try to do it twice a year when seasons change.
    I love simple dinners like this one...fennel is divine, isn't it? I've been eating it a couple times a week lately.

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  4. Good on you Bryan, you are embracing the healthy side of cooking. I love cooking in paper, especially fish! As for sorting through the clothes- I hope you had a martini standing by :0) I only seem to wear black pants and black tees (the life of a caterer!)

    Hang in there and we want to see pics of the new wardrobe!!

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