tofu veggie burger

Cutting out meat, and eating a mostly fish/veggie diet has been great so far, but I find it more challenging to come up with quick, healthy meals to whip up at home. Finding this tofu veggie burger at Trader Joe's has been one of the best finds I've made in a long time. It makes for a quick, easy, and yummy meal especially when doctored up by adding sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, micro greens, cheese, and of course, avocado. Because avocado makes anything better. This discovery also led me to try out other veggie patties and while there are some good ones at Whole Foods, this one takes the cake for best overall in price, taste, and texture.

loungin' around town

BCBG pants and cardigan, Wilfred Free tee, Madewell sandals and bag, Makeup Forever lipstick

I purchased these pants a while back on sale, but never got around to wearing them. I finally dug them out of my closet and am not sure what took me so long to wear them. They are by far the most comfortable pant I own and are really great for lounging around in, but since they're made of silk they easily feel more dressed up and less like you're in a pair of sweats. It's not always easy to find pants that you can feel super comfortable in (without looking like a slob) and also having the versatility of being able to dress it up or down depending on what you're wearing. On top of all that, it's a bonus that they are in a neutral gray color, making them an easy piece to pair with just about anything.

music mondays

I can feel it. This week is going to be.

I've always liked Keri Hilson, but I especially love this song she does with Chris Brown.

fish in parchment paper

This fish recipe is simple, easy, healthy, and not to mention delicious. Over the past few weeks my diet's mainly been pescetarian (I'll admit it, with an occasional late night slice of salami or bite of meat here and there) so I've had to come up with various ways to cook seafood. It's by no means a normal protein I cook at home, so I've definitely been forced to think out of the box when it comes to preparing dinners. This way of preparing fish is healthy and super easy, with little to clean up because you can eat right out of what you cooked it in!

I used snapper and an assortment of veggies that were in the fridge, but you can use whatever you prefer. The best thing about this is that you can put anything in it and experiment with different flavors and ingredients, making this a perfect meal to use up whatever is in your arsenal (fridge). Since becoming (mainly) pescetarian I've felt much healthier, lighter, and less lethargic after meals. It's definitely something I'm going to continue with so I'll hopefully be sharing more meals like these in the future.

Cooked Fish in Parchment Paper

About 6 oz. of fish (your choice, I used snapper)
Two generous handfuls of spinach
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
Crimini mushrooms
Ginger (either slices or grated, whatever you prefer)
Lemon
Green onion
Salt & pepper
Parchment paper

Sauce

Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Oyster sauce
Vinegar
Lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
(Optional: a splash of white wine)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take large piece of parchment paper and lay flat onto baking sheet or pan. Place spinach in the middle of parchment paper. Add other veggies on top and slices (or grated) ginger. Place fish on top and add a slice of lemon and more ginger on fish, salt and pepper everything. Combine all sauce ingredients until desired taste and pour over fish (you don't need a lot, about a shot glass size of liquid will be fine). Take opposite ends of parchment paper so ends meet and fold over, then take sides and fold over a few times. You should basically have made a pocket so no steam or liquid escapes. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. Take out of oven to rest for 5 minutes, unwrap (careful, it's really hot!), and enjoy!

Feel free to try variations of this and let me know what recipes are your favorite! Also, if you're looking for more recipes with fish try this long-time homemade favorite, or this super good whole steamed fish.