Mediterranean Fish Packets

I’ve been on a Mediterranean food kick this summer. Honestly, I have to say I feel SO healthy and well. That’s what it’s all about, right? I found this fish recipe that I love, and I changed it up a bit to make it work for me. I am excited to share it with you. I have even made a batch of this fish when no one else was home, just so that I could have leftovers. And here’s a secret *whispers*, one day I ate it for lunch AND dinner. That’s how much I love it.

I like to use Mahi-Mahi for this recipe. Costco sells a bag of frozen Mahi that is individually vacuum sealed. Get it. You need 4 of the fillets for this recipe. You’ll need to unwrap each the day before, put them in a dish in the fridge, and let them thaw.

You’ll take the next ingredients and mix them together in a bowl:

  • 1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes, drained well. *I recommend Publix brand. They taste fresh and not like tomato soup.
  • 1 zucchini, chopped. *I like zucchini, so I add more.
  • 1 medium onion, chopped. I prefer less. Adjust to your taste.
  • 1 garlic clove, minced.
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1/4 tsp pepper, divided (I like more).
  • 3/4 tsp salt, divided
  • 4 Mahi-Mahi fillets (6-8 oz each)
  • 1 lemon, cut into 8 thin slices.
  • Optional add-ins: 2 tbs. capers OR small, tender artichoke hearts OR mushrooms OR green olives

Take a piece of aluminum foil 12″ by 18″ or so. Spray it lightly with cooking spray. Rinse and pat dry the fish. Place it on the foil. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture on top. Place 2 lemon slices on top. Fold the foil and crimp the edges so that nothing will leak out.

Now, you can either cook this on the grill or in the oven. You want to cook it at 400* for 15-20 minutes. The fish is done with it flakes easily with a fork and the vegetables are tender.

I served this with fresh watermelon and cantaloupe. I also have a cocktail that pairs perfectly with this. I’ll be sharing that soon! Finally, for dessert, lime sherbet and lemon cookies. This whole meal is refreshing and satisfying. I’ll put a printable below in case you want to try it.

Mediterranean Fish Packets

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A fresh, light, Mediterranean-inspired fish recipe perfect for a quick summer dinner.

Credit: BelleAntiquarian.com

Ingredients

  • 1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
  • 4 Mahi-Mahi fillets
  • 1 lemon, cut into 8 thin slices
  • Optional Add-Ins: 2 Tbs. of capers OR small, artichoke hearts OR mushrooms OR chopped green olives

Directions

  1. Preheat grill or oven to 400*. In a bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, garlic, wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper. If you are adding optional add-ins, mix them in at this time, too.
  2. Rinse fish and pat dry. Lightly spray a 12×18 inch piece of foil. Place the fillet on top of the foil; season with remaining salt and pepper. Spoon bean mixture over fish; top with lemon slices. Fold foil around fish and crimp edges to seal. (Repeat for each fillet.) Transfer packets to grill or baking sheet in oven.
  3. Bake until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork and vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes.

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment

The Southern New Year’s Day Menu

Now that Christmas has come and gone, the pine needles are meeting the vacuum. The trashcan is overflowing. Thoughts of last minute tax write offs are dancing through our heads. With New Year’s Day just a few days away, we are preparing for a fresh start ahead of us.

In the South, our holiday traditions continue on to New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Day we prepare a traditional meal for our families to welcome a new year of health and prosperity. What a perfect way to begin the new year together, gathered around the table enjoying good food with the people you love.

However, our southern New Year’s Day meal isn’t a random, ordinary meal. Each dish on the menu symbolizes something different that we hope the new year will bring us.

Our menu begins with collard greens.

Collard greens (or any kind of greens) represent money for the coming year. If you have never cooked collard greens, don’t be intimidated. The recipe can be as simple or complex as you like.

Next come the black eyed peas.

The lovely cream colored peas with a black “eye” spot symbolize coins. On New Year’s we mostly eat black eyed peas served warm, but I also use THIS recipe that my family really enjoys.

Along with the peas and collards we have corn bread.

Corn bread is a staple of the southern dinner table. However, on the New Year’s Day table corn bread represents gold. In the South, everybody’s momma puts a different pinch of this or that into their recipe. Mostly I use a corn bread mix from a box. (Hush your mouth! I’m a busy person.) Krusteez makes a gluten free cornbread that we like.

Last of the symbolic foods for the southern New Year’s Day menu is pork or ham.

The pork represents moving forward. A pig roots forward in the earth, unlike a cow that stands still or a chicken that scratches backwards. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what kind of pork is served. It could be a roast, pork chops, or a baked ham. I will admit that once in a hurry I even went to the deli and got some sliced ham. Most years we have a baked ham with a maple glaze.

Update: If you’d like to check out my Southern New Year’s Menu with a Twist, click here.
Happy New Year!

Abby

Abby Smolarsky4 Comments