Parchment Paper Cooking

photo by me!

I've got to pass on my new love for parchment paper cooking. This method is SO easy and allows you to prepare food without the use of oil or butter (thanks to Mom for passing it on).

Another name for this method is 'en papillote' but that's quite a fancy description for this simplistic way of bundling your food ingredients into one, loving package of goodness. What you put in your bundle is up to you: chicken, lemon and rosemary? Or perhaps salmon, dill and lime. Be creative!



Parchment paper can be found in your grocery store right alongside the foil and saran wrap. This is very different than waxed paper, but they look quite similar so don't make the mistake of swapping the two - catastrophic! I speak from experience :/

They say to cut the paper into a heart shape but I like to keep things as basic as possible. So I just tear a large square, place my object of choice on the sheet (chicken or salmon) and season with herbs and citrus fruits. I find the taste can be quite bland if you don't go heavy on the seasonings so don't be skimpy!

To watch a demonstration on working with parchment paper, go to:
http://allrecipes.com/howto/cooking-in-parchment-paper-video/detail.aspx

Orange Dill Chicken Breasts

Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast
Fresh Dill
Orange; sliced in rounds
Salt to taste

Tear off large, square sheet of parchment paper. Place chicken on top - a little off from the center. Lay sprigs of fresh dill atop chicken. Add slice of orange. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Fold parchment paper over chicken and start gathering the edges together; folding and pinching as you work along the edge. Once you've made your paper bundle, place in oven on cookie sheet.

For Fish: 450 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes
For Chicken: 375 for 30 minutes

Careful when opening packages as steam is quite hot. Garnish with more fresh dill or fruit juice if desired. This method works well with veggies too.


ready for the oven