Paper Fish

I'm noticing a trend in my posts-the trend of falling short of my promises to blog more. Well, here's to a post with no promises or any strings attached. Just simply a delicious summertime meal (that I actually made back in the springtime...oops).

This is a meal called "Tilapia en Papillote", which sounds much more appetizing than its literal translation- "Tilapia in Paper." I recently helped lead a healthy cooking class at Whole Foods with some chefs from my hospital, and this is what they made! (And by helped "lead" I mean, they cooked, I watched, and threw out a random nutrition fact every 10 minutes.) This dish can be made with any vegetables or fish of your choice. Let me walk you through the steps.

Step One: 
For this demo, I used asparagus and shredded carrots as my vegetables. Cook your veggies in boiling water for a couple minutes until crisp-tender, then drain and let cool. Preheat oven to 375F.


Step Two: 
Grab a baking sheet and cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Brush some olive oil on top of the paper. Arrange veggies into a little pile on one half of the paper. It should look something like this:

Step Three: 

Set your fish filet on top of the veggies. Season to your liking. For this I used salt and lemon pepper. 

Step Four: 

Fold the other half of the parchment paper over the mound of fish and veggies. Start folding and crinkling the sides together to seal. It should start to form a "bubble" over the food, which will act as a steamer to cook the fish. Add a small amount (2 Tbsp-ish) chicken stock inside the paper before you crinkle it completely shut. Continue crinkling and seal. It will look like this before entering the oven.

Step Five:

Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the fish is cooked thoroughly. Open the bubble packet and transfer to plate. 

Enjoy! (Shown with brown rice, and fish so tender it fell apart when picking it up out of the parchment packet!)

A Little Tease Before the Posts Start Flowing!

Word on the street is you have missed me. Ok, 1 of you has missed me. A lot has happened while I've been gone. I moved (just across town). I became an avid fan of Arrested Development (and George Michael Bluth). I broke out the flip flops again (hello, Rainbows). But those events are un-blogworthy. A nice pair of sandals and a new location isn't going transform your diet. So what will? My decision to start eating better myself.

I can't take full credit for this decision. One night while chowing down on some blackberry pie, my boyfriend decided we should "go low-carb". However, his version of low-carb is more like no-carb. As a dietitian, I'm a strong believer in including all food groups (carbohydrate, protein, and fat). By foregoing all carbs, you're missing out on the dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals found in fruits, whole grains, and even milk. And if you know me at all, I am a fiber advocate so eliminating carbs completely was just not going to happen. Plus, not getting enough carbs can also cause the body to go into ketosis, which I'll let you Google if you are really that curious to learn about it. But I did like the challenge of going lowER carb with my diet, like trying to reduce processed foods and sugar, and help me eat more protein. I've been cooking some lowER carb gems lately, and I want to share them with you! I've got some great pictures but a misplaced camera cord I intend to find in the next day or two. So brace yourself, I'm back and I've brought some nutritious meals with me. Get excited.

Raising the Fruit Bar

I received my copy of the ADA Times today, and it proved to be just what I needed to get this blog rolling. Right there on Page 1 was the article "Ten Rules for Better Blogging". In the 12 days since my last entry I already broke Rule #2: Update early and often.

Now would be a great time to offer an excuse for my absence. "I'm in the process of moving." "I'm still getting into the groove of my new job." "I have to wash my hair." (All true, by the way.) It's so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life that we forget our goals. I've heard it from patients, friends, even myself. "I'll eat better when I have more time to cook." "I'll cut back after the holidays." One of my goals as a dietitian is to find quick and easy ways to eat right. This post is dedicated to one of my favorite fruity treats... the LÄRABAR!

It's hard to carry fresh fruit on the run. Larabars count for at least 1/2 a serving of fruit, and some are even a full serving! They are made with real fruits and natural spices. The apple pie flavor is one of my favorites because it tastes just like apple pie. But unlike apple pie, it offers 5 grams of fiber, no added sugar, and mostly unsaturated fats- the kind of fat you should be eating. While I would always encourage whole fruits first, these bars can be a healthy dessert alternative or tasty snack. Check them out in your supermarket's health supplement section or Larabar's website linked above.

New Year, New Blog

December 2009 was only last month. If you're like me, a few weeks ago you were twiddling your thumbs waiting for that perfect New Year's Resolution to enter your mind. I must admit I've had some pretty good ones in my day. Last year I resolved to wear more rings. (Yes, rings). The only problem with wearing more rings is its association with having to buy more rings, thereby conflicting with 2008's goal to save more money. In 2006, I was going to become a real self-sufficient female. Now I do credit 2006 for my fine car washing skills, but ask me for help with a flat tire and the best I can do is lend you my AAA card.

By now you are probably sensing the sarcasm behind all those "good" resolutions I've come up with. But for 2010, I think I finally found a good one. A real and true, GOOD resolution. Yep, I'm starting a blog. While I may not be the Perez Hilton of nutrition blogs (yet), I hope you will turn to "RD For Me" as a one-stop for all your burning food and nutrition questions. I'll debunk the myths of fad diets, propose healthy meal ideas, and spotlight unusual foods. Anything else you would like to see, let me know! Comments encouraged :)