Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets

From EatingWell: July/August 2007, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook — Subscribe Now!

Wrapping vegetables and fish in a foil packet for grilling or baking is a foolproof way to get moist, tender results. Tilapia and summer vegetables pair with olives and capers for a Mediterranean flair.

READER'S COMMENT:

"A little bland, but healthy, so I would recommend adding a light Italian dressing (~3 tbsp) to the vegetable mix before cooking on the tilapia....I used the Light Red Wine Vinaigrette by Wishbone, and this was a nice to blend with the...

Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets Recipe

4 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 cup quartered cherry, or grape tomatoes
1 cup diced summer squash
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
12 green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped black olives
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 4 equal portions

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium. (No grill? See Oven Variation, below.)
Combine tomatoes, squash, onion, green beans, olives, lemon juice, oregano, oil, capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
To make a packet, lay two 20-inch sheets of foil on top of each other (the double layers will help protect the contents from burning); generously coat the top piece with cooking spray. Place one portion of tilapia in the center of the foil. Sprinkle with some of the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, then top with about 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture.
Bring the short ends of the foil together, leaving enough room in the packet for steam to gather and cook the food. Fold the foil over and pinch to seal. Pinch seams together along the sides. Make sure all the seams are tightly sealed to keep steam from escaping. Repeat with more foil, cooking spray and the remaining fish, salt, pepper and vegetables.
Grill the packets until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. To serve, carefully open both ends of the packets and allow the steam to escape. Use a spatula to slide the contents onto plates. Oven Variation: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place green beans in a microwavable bowl with 1 tablespoon water. Cover and microwave on High until the beans are just beginning to cook, about 30 seconds. Drain and add to the other vegetables (Step 2). Assemble packets (Steps 3-4). Bake the packets directly on an oven rack until the tilapia is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 181 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 57 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 2 g fiber; 435 mg sodium; 591 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (68% daily value), Vitamin C (30% dv), Potassium (17% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetables, 3 very lean meat, 1 fat