Tilapia en Papillote (fish in a bag)

This just means 'tilapia in paper' in French. It's an incredibly easy, healthy way to prepare your fish and veggies. There is little in the way of preparation or clean up, and the food is wonderful!

2 fillets of white fish (I used tilapia, but other common fishes to use are sole, hake, halibut, or flounder)
2 Tbs. dry white wine like Chardonnay
red onion, chopped
fennel bulb, chopped
red bell pepper, sliced
zucchini, sliced into discs
juice of half a lemon
fresh thyme, chopped (you'll use ~ 1 leveled Tbs. on each fillet)
fresh oregano, chopped (you'll use ~ 1 leveled Tbs. on each fillet)
fresh parsley, chopped (you'll use ~ 1 leveled Tbs. on each fillet)
fresh basil, chopped (you'll use ~ 1 leveled Tbs. on each fillet)
salt and ground pepper to taste
Mrs. Dash tomato basil seasoning (1/8 tsp. on each fillet)
parchment paper

Cut two pieces of parchment paper, each ~30x30 inches. Fold each in half and cut the edges to made a folded half-moon. Open each piece back up and place a fillet on each paper at the fold. Spoon 1 Tbs. of wine over each one of the fillets.
Evenly divide all of the veggies, herbs, and seasoning between the two fillets, placing the veggies around the fillets first, then sprinkling the herbs on the fish and veggies, followed by the seasonings.
Now fold the paper over and tightly roll the edges up to seal the 'bag'. Fold, roll, and crease the edges as tightly as possible in order to keep all of the steam inside the bag.
Bake at 375 for ~25 minutes. The paper will turn brown, and the bag, if tightly sealed, will puff up.
Once you take it out, cut the center of the bag right on the top and gently tear open. Watch out for the rising steam. You can eat it straight out of the bag or you can transfer it to a plate with a spatula.

I served this dish with a homemade Caesar salad and sun-dried tomato Florentine long grain and wild rice (Uncle Ben's), which went very nicely with the flavors of the fish, herbs, and veggies.

You can prepare this dish using whichever kinds of veggies you like. Just make sure that they are all going to be able to cook at the same speed. Those veggies that take longer to soften need to be thinly cut. There are many, many versions of this dish all over the Internet. Check them out and, as always, make it your own and have fun!

Tilapia en Papillote served with sun-dried tomato Florentine long grain and wild rice and a homemade Caesar salad.

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