Cod and Couscous en Papillote

The finished dish -- Right after opening.

I've been meaning to try to cook fish en papillote (in parchment paper) for a while.  I bought some cod at the grocery store yesterday so I decided to try it today.  It was really simple and turned out really well.  This was more food than the two of us needed... although it's all gone now.  :)

The fish stayed really moist in the packet.  It was flavorful from the veggies and herbs in the packet and was nice and flaky when done.  I will definitely make fish this way again.

The couscous cooked up well although some of the bottom was a little crunchy.  I think this may have been caused by not enough rinsing of the couscous before putting it in the packet or the need to get more of the wine to the middle of the packet.

The veggies cooked up really well.  I would have liked the onions cooked more (so I gave them to Jeremy) and he dislikes tomatoes so he gave me his slices of tomato.  Worked out well in the end. :)  Next time I might try making separate packets so each of us gets just the veggies we want.

Overall this was a really healthy and easy meal.  It was simple because all I really had to do was assemble everything in the packet and bake it.  No tending anything on the stove.  And it was quite healthy since it was just steamed together in the packet.  Definitely something I will make again.

You can certainly change up the veggies and fish you use in this.  It would be delicious with other herbs and seasonings as well.  The whole meal tasted really fresh without a lot of other flavors covering up the goodness of the veggies and fish.  Delicious. :)

Before baking.

Served up. Not the prettiest gal at the ball...

Recipe:
1 lb. fresh cod (or other firm white fish)
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 c. couscous (uncooked)
1/2 c. white wine (I had chardonnay on hand)
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. pepper, divided
1 tbs. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place a piece of parchment paper about 20 inches long on a baking sheet.
3. Rinse couscous under cold water and spread into an even layer about the size of the fish on the parchment paper. Sprinkle1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. black pepper over the couscous.
4. Lay the fish on top of the couscous and top evenly with the lemons and tomatoes. Season with the remaining salt and pepper and sprinkle the parsley and thyme evenly over the fish. Spread the onions and peppers around the fish.  Pour the wine over the fish and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Fold the edges of the parchment paper together and secure using a stapler.  Make sure it's as sealed as possible to trap the steam.
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the veggies are tender.  (The package will puff slightly from the steam.)
7. Cut open the parchment paper and serve.