Light and bright fish and couscous recipes

Today I bring you two easy and delicious recipes as part of Michelle's (Pretty Mommy) Beat the Winter Blues Recipe Exchange. The theme for this exchange is light and fresh recipes to get us through the last of winter (although there seems to be no end in sight!).

I immediately thought of my favorite Fish in a Sack recipe. It seems pretty appropriate considering I was inspired to hunt down a recipe for this dish after having it a couple of years ago at Quattro in Sunny Miami.

Spanish Fish in a Sack (Adapted from Rachel Ray, serves 4)

Parchment paper  

2 pounds cod fillets, cut into 4 portions (you can also use mahi mahi, halibut or red snapper) 

1/2 pound green beans (sometimes I use zucchini instead)  

1/2 asparagus  

4 large garlic cloves, minced  

Strips of thinly sliced roasted red pepper 

Cherry tomatoes, halved  

1/2 cup pitted chopped kalamata olives  

4 scallions, chopped  

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, a generous handful, chopped  

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for generous drizzling  

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Salt and pepper  

(Great with bread or a green salad)

Pre heat oven to 400°F.

1. Rip off 4 sheets of parchment paper, each a little over a foot long. 
2. Place 1/4 of the green beans and asparagus in the center of each sheet then top with 1/4 of the garlic, 1/4 of the roasted pepper strips, 1/4 of the tomatoes, chopped olives and cod portions. 
3. Season the fish with salt and pepper and top with equal amounts of the scallions and parsley. Drizzle EVOO liberally and equally along with lemon zest and juice evenly over the fish portions. Fold the top and bottom edges together and crease several times then crease up the ends of the packets, making a sack for each fish to cook in. Arrange the sacks on the baking sheet and place in the center of the hot oven. 
4. Bake packets 20 minutes. Serve a packet per dinner plate and cut open at table.

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes. It's quick, easy and delicious! Tomato, cucumber, feta and couscous...you can't go wrong! Jules and I have this at least once a week. And I always whip it up when friends are over. It's from Weelicous -- a great resource for easy, healthy and delicious recipes for the entire family. I've loved every single recipe I've made from the site!

Greek Israeli Couscous Salad (serves 4)

1 1/2 Cups Israeli Couscous

3 Tbsp Olive Oil, divided

2 Cups Water

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

2 Persian Cucumbers, seeded & diced (or 1 cucumber)

1 Large Tomato, seeded & diced

1 Tbsp Parsley, chopped

1. Place the couscous and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pot and toast for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add water and bring to a boil then simmer for 12 minutes.
3. Remove to a bowl and cool.
4. Pour in the remaining ingredients plus the 2 remaining tbsps of olive oil and stir to combine.

first image (for a different recipe) here