Asian Inspired Tilapia Fish Pockets

Prior to the days of me watching the Food Network I would have never thought of placing fish filets in parchment paper and making a fish pocket. After watching Rachel Ray do this to countless filets over the years, I’ve tried my hand at several of my own creations and loved every one of them. I’ve made fish pockets with various types of fish, fresh veggies and white wine (instead of the oil and soy sauce), and I’ve made pockets with just fish, salt, pepper and garlic. This Asian-inspired version is probably my favorite though. I am a HUGE fan of fresh ginger, so anything that requires it is a winner in my mind. Plus, the tender shitake mushrooms and cooked scallions add to the yummy Asian flavor.

If you’ve never tried making a fish pocket before, this recipe is definitely the one to try; tilapia is super mild, so the veggies keep their own flavor and also soak up the flavors of the oils, ginger, and soy sauce. As a bonus, it only takes 30 minutes to make. EASY!

By the way – I convinced my husband to try the shitakes at least once (he is an avid mushroom hater) and this was the first time I’ve ever seen him continue to eat the mushrooms!!! That is a huge victory for me…

Time from Prep to Eating: 30 minutes

What You Need:
Cookie sheet
2 large pieces of parchment paper, folded in half then cut into a heart shape

The Stuff:
2 tilapia filets
4 scallion, cut in half
Ginger root – you’ll need about a 2 inch piece – peeled and cut into 8 thin slices
1 package shitake mushrooms, sliced
4 slices of a lemon
Canola Oil
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil (you don’t absolutely need this ingredient, but it’s a bonus if you do!!)
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes

Here’s What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 375. Place the parchment paper on the cookie sheet and place one of the filets on one half of one of the paper cut outs. Then layer the rest of the ingredients as follows: 4 scallion halves, 4 slices of ginger, handful of shitake mushrooms, 2 slices of lemon, sprinkle of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, then drizzle the top with the canola oil, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Once the filet and toppings are in place, place the other half of the paper over the fish and fold the edges all the way around, creating a pouch.

Place the closed pouches on the cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 14 to 17 minutes.

Open the cooked pouches with care!!!!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Let’s establish some expectations here – I’m not a baker. I don’t bake. In fact, nothing will get me out of the kitchen faster than baking. I love baked goods though. No meal is ever complete without dessert and most of the time that includes baking something. My solution? Find others to bake for me! While that has worked for me for as long as I’ve been alive, I realize that no food blog would be complete without a baked good recipe. Below is my first attempt…a compromise…pre-packaged cake mix with my own twist.  Sandra Lee would be proud.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp air, fall colors, pumpkin patches, apple cider, hot cocoa and all things that come with autumn. Spiced desserts are no exception. I LOVE anything pumpkin or spiced!! For this recipe I took major help from the store and decided to spice up some pre-made items. To do this, I took a box of cake mix and added/substituted some ingredients here and there to make them spicy, pumpkinny and a little bit all my own.

So while I know these are nowhere near Barefoot Contessa caliber, I am really proud of my pumpkin spice cupcakes. I think you’ll find that my baking method amplifies the standard vanilla cupcake box mix and makes them something you can call your own – and it was easier than making it from scratch! I’ll start working on real baking…

Time from Prep to Eating: 40 minutes

What You Need:
Cupcake baking pan
Mixer (stand or hand)

The Stuff for the Cupcakes:
1 box of vanilla cake mix
1 15oz can of pumpkin (you’re only going to use ½ of the can, so if your store carries 7.5oz cans, get that instead)
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger

Here’s What You Do:

Follow the instructions on the cake box, replacing the oil with the applesauce and pumpkin. For example, my cake box called for 1/3 cup canola oil. I substituted the oil with 3 Tbsp applesauce and 3 Tbsp pumpkin (this should equal 1/3 cup total). As the batter is mixing add in the cinnamon and ginger. Bake as directed, checking to see if they’re cooked through at the lowest end of the cooking time frame.

The Stuff for the Frosting:

1 tub of pre-made butter cream frosting

The remaining portion of the pumpkin (remember we’re only using half of the 15oz can for both the cupcake batter and frosting!)

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Here’s What You Do:

Transfer the frosting to a mixing bowl and add the remaining pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg, and fold in with a spatula until the frosting is light a fluffy.

Top the cooled cupcakes with the frosting and enjoy!