Mmmm, fish!

This recipe is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook but I modified it (I used chopped shallots instead of grated onion and red bell pepper instead of grated carrots). We both love fish and really enjoyed this recipe.

Fish Fillets Baked in Packets

4 pieces parchment paper or aluminum foil about 12 x 18 inches each
Olive oil or butter
1/2 c finely chopped red bell pepper (most of one bell pepper)
1/2 c finely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
1/4 c finely chopped shallot
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Four to five ounce fish fillets such as cod, bass, red snapper, sole or tilapia
Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Fold each piece of parchment paper in half and then open and lay flat. Oil or butter both sides of the inside surface of the paper. Combine veggies. Put some veggies on each piece of paper, to the side of the crease, then lay a salted and peppered fillet on top and add more veggies on top of each fillet. Roll edges of paper to form packets. Put on cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve with lemon.

Yummy Veggie Chili

When our dining out plans were scratched last night, rather than scrounge up cereal or sandwiches, I decided to create something using what I had in the fridge and pantry. I started with a simple chili recipe that I found on the web but I modified it quite a bit. Fair warning: it's sweet for a chili and if you like chili spicier, you probably need to add jalapeno pepper or green chilies. The kids didn't eat it (oh well, no surprise), opting instead for the popovers I made to accompany it.

Sweet Vegetable Bean Chili

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
  
• 1 cup corn kernels
  
• 2 small sweet potatoes, or one large, about 1 1/2 cup, cooked (about 5 minutes in the microwave), peeled and diced
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or water)
  
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until the onions are translucent.
2. Lower heat and add tomatoes, corn and seasonings.
3. Stir in the beans, cooked and diced sweet potatoes and chicken broth. (If you want the chili to be thicker, you can mash some sweet potatoes before adding them or mash some with a fork after you add them or you can puree some of the beans before adding them.)
4. Simmer until hot and eat.