Tag Archives: Weeknight Meals

Parker Wallace’s Cod with Mediterranean Tapenade in Parchment Paper Wrap—Episode 8

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I like fish but it’s not really a staple in my kitchen because Kevin’s not a huge fan, and it can be a bit high maintenance (a.k.a. messy and stinky). But as I recently learned, cooking fish can be simplified! In this episode my friend Parker Wallace shows us how to cook a delicious cod with Mediterranean style tapenade, using the famed parchment paper wrap technique, or “en papillote” if we want to be fancy. Parker is a

Debra Shigley and Parker Wallace in Deb's Kitchen

Me and my girl Parker Wallace.

CBS Atlanta lifestyle reporter by day who is an amazing cook by night; she’s known to prepare a gourmet meal for her man every night (and has the Facebook pics to prove it!). She has even dabbled as a personal chef and is working on a book about man-catching recipes. I’ve read a preview and it’s quite juicy.

The parchment paper trick is definitely a keeper to create rich, flaky fish, and to reduce the fish “smell” that can linger during and after cooking. I’ll also say the smell factor really depends on both 1) freshness and 2) type of fish you cook. Any0ne whose ever had great sushi knows that super fresh fish has barely any smell. As for what type you choose to cook, oilier fish like salmon tends to have a stronger odor, while less oily fish does not. I’d stick with very flaky white fish such as halibut and tilapia if you’re a newbie or might be preparing fish in, say, a small city apartment.

Cod with Mediterranean Style Tapenade

Buttery cod goes well with an olive and roasted red pepper tapenade.

Baked Cod with Mediterranean-Style Tapenade 

Serves 2-4

For each 4-oz cod fillet you’ll need

A pat of butter

Sprig of Fresh Thyme

Slice of lemon

White wine

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Parchment Paper

1 Egg, beaten (to seal parchment paper)

For the tapenade:

2 fresh garlic cloves
1 roasted red pepper (jarred)
2 Tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes in oil

handful of green olives
handful of kalamata olives
1 Tablespoon capers

Crumbled goat or feta cheese

I recommend just watching the episode to get the technique for the parchment paper down— it’s kinda hard to explain but I’ll do my best!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place your piece of parchment paper (about 9 X 12 in.) on the counter or cutting board. Arrange one cod fillet in the top center of the paper. Add a pat of butter, sprig of thyme, splash of white wine and lemon slice on top of the fish and season with sea salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush, paint a line of egg wash around the perimeter of the paper, about 1/2-inch from the edge. Fold paper in half to seal in the fish like an envelope. Starting from the bottom left corner, fold and roll the paper over itself in 1/4 inch sections, continuing along the edge toward the bottom right corner until you’ve sealed the fish in its little parchment paper pocket. Transfer each parchment packet to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

For the tapenade, place all ingredients except the goat cheese into a mini-processor. Pulse about 15-30 seconds, until blended but still very chunky (if you pulse too long the tapenade will get soupy). Transfer tapenade mixture to another bowl and top with a handful of crumbled goat cheese. Remove fish from its parchment packet when ready and plate. Spoon a few tablespoons of tapenade on top of baked fillet.

Enjoy!

My top: Michael Stars Shine Maternity V-Neck Henley (I think the shine one is sold out, but this one on their site is similar!)

Photos: Kofi Oliver

Egg and Vegetable Fried Rice (with a Trader Joe’s Cheat!) – Episode 4

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It’s easy to make fried rice a meal when you add a little extra protein, either meat or eggs, and a heaping of fresh veggies. In this episode, I’m going for a vegetarian option, so we’ll be adding eggs, scallion, and other crisp-tender goodness. Oh, by the way, yeah, I start with a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen vegetable fried rice. But believe me, the few little tweaks you see here take the meal from “Okay, that was easy and tasted good” to “Okay! I could even serve that for guests!”

If you’d like to make this recipe from scratch and ditch the prepared rice, just use 4 cups of day-old COLD rice from the fridge, and add about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, mixed with a few teaspoons water for your sauce at the end.

Egg and Vegetable Fried Rice (with Trader Joe’s Cheat)

Chunky vegetables makes fried rice so much more delish.

Chunky vegetables make fried rice so much more delish.

One bag frozen, prepared veggie fried rice, like Trader Joe’s brand

Two cups fresh broccoli florets

one bunch scallions, roughly chopped

2 eggs, beaten

Two medium-sized chopped carrots

1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil, divided

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, divided

  1. Heat 1 ½ teaspoons of vegetable oil in wok, over medium-high heat.
  2. Add eggs and scallions, breaking up as it cooks. When egg is light golden brown, push mixture to one side of pan.
  3. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of sesame oil to wok.
  4. Add Broccoli and carrots to wok. Cook over medium-high heat until still crisp (about 3 minutes), combining with egg and scallions.
  5. Add remaining oils and bag of frozen Trader Joe’s vegetable Fried Rice, or 4 cups cold rice. Cook until heated through (and rice is a bit crispy), about 5 minutes.
  6. Just before removing from heat, add soy sauce and stir well.
  7. Serve with Sriracha Sauce, if you’re so inclined. Yum!