I don’t know about you guys but the beginning of the school year plus all the Jewish holidays together is really catching up with me! Add a few trips to see family and enjoy the last days of summer and I already feel exhausted and behind.
Instead of letting myself continue down the road of self-pity, I decided to re-direct my thoughts. Yes, things are busy but this is also my life! I am going to enjoy the ride instead of thinking so many negative things. Most importantly, I reminded my brain to be kind to me 🙂
I will keep it short and sweet for this blog post. If you are not familiar with foil pack dinners, keep reading! They are absolute winners when it comes to making quick and healthy meals. The best part is that you also avoid having to wash a lot of dishes.
I have only tried foil pack dinners with fish and I wanted to share my two favorite recipes for more ideas of quick meals during the week if you did not prep or plan.
- Pesto Salmon with Veggies (recipe and pic from cookingclassy.com)
The original recipe is for 4 people but my children will not eat salmon yet, so I only do it for 2. Double all ingredients if you need.
Ingredients:
- 2 skinless salmon fillets (about 6 oz)
- 10 oz green beans, ends trimmed
- 1.5 tsp olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons of pesto (homemade or storebought)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 0.5 pint grape tomatoes, halved
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 400 degrees and meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil
- Cut two pieces of aluminum foil into 14 inch lengths
- Boil green beans for 3 minutes and drain, toss them with 1 tsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste, divide into two servings and layer in center of each piece of foil
- Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper and place on top of green beans, then spread 1 tbsp pesto on top and drizzle 1 tsp of lemon juice over each filet
- Toss tomatoes with remaining olive oil and season with salt, spread over each salmon filet
- Wrap sides of foil in and roll and crimp edge to seal, then wrap ends upward to seal (not too tight)
- Place side by side on baking sheet for about 20-28 minutes
Bonus tip: you can make big batches of pesto, then freeze it in baby food trays that look like ice cube trays. Then, you can pop them out and freeze in zip lock bags. Whenever you are ready to use them, defrost them in the fridge in a little bowl or defrost in microwave.
2. Garlic Herb Salmon and Zucchini Foil Packets (inspiration and pic from sweetcsdesigns.com)
Ingredients:
- 1 lbs salmon (2 filets)
- 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1/2 white small onion (all veggies thinly sliced)
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
- dill, handful, fresh is possible
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
- Lay strip of foil on baking sheet and place salmon on top
- Add zucchini, squash, and onions on top
- Top with herbs and olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Fold foil into pouch, cook 20-25 minutes or until fish is cooked to desired doneness and veggies are soft
Hope these two easy and healthy foil pack meals can be an inspiration to stay focused and keep moving!