All Blogs: Food Blog | Healthy Cooking Blog | Diet Blog | Health Blog | Food News Blog

4 delicious no-fuss dinners

By Hilary Meyer, August 10, 2009 - 11:00am

I recently rediscovered a cooking method that I just love—Cooking in Packets or what the French call cooking “en papillote.” It may sound fancy, but the concept is simple—the ingredients are cooked inside a parchment or aluminum-foil pouch. The steam created inside the pouch locks in the flavor while keeping the ingredients juicy and tender. Since you’re using steam to cook your dinner, you don’t need to use much oil, making cooking in packets a great option for folks who are looking for an über-healthy dinner.

But my favorite part about cooking in packets? It’s virtually mess free. You can cook and even eat out of the packets you create without ever dirtying a pan.

Want to get started? Check out our 8 Steps to Folding Packets.

Here are 4 of my favorite dinner-in-a-packet recipes:

Tilapia and Summer Vegetable Packets – Tilapia and summer vegetables pair with olives and capers for a Mediterranean flair.

Adobo Pork & Potato Packets – Well-spiced pork pairs with thinly sliced potatoes in this delicious packet.

Catfish with Tomatillo Salsa in Packets – Tomatillos provide a distinctive tart flavor to a super-easy salsa that cooks with the catfish. Try it with tomatoes too.

Packet-Roasted Balsamic Green Beans & Peppers – We love to grill these green-bean-and-bell-pepper packets alongside chicken, steak or pork chops.

TAGS: Hilary Meyer, Food Blog

Hilary Meyer is assistant editor for EatingWell Media Group. Hilary spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.