Root vegetables, poached in cider, make a delicately flavored companion for delicate fish fillets. Plus, cleanup's a snap, thanks to the foil packets the fish is baked in.

½ cup apple cider
1 leeks, both white and pale green parts, trimmed, rinsed well and thinly sliced
1 medium-size carrot, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, outer layer removed and discarded, thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Olive oil cooking spray
2 flounder, sole or halibut fillets (each about 6 ounces)
2 lime or lemon wedges

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 F
  2. Place the apple cider in a small saucepan, and let it come to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, carrot, fennel and thyme and cook just until the vegetables soften, about 3 minutes.
  3. Tear off 2 pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each 12 inches long. Place the pieces of foil on a work surface and coat them with olive oil spray.
  4. Place a fish fillet in the center of each piece of foil. To hold in the cooking juices of the vegetables, fold up the edges of the foil slightly. Spoon half of the poached vegetables and their juices over each fillet
  5. Seal a packet by bringing together the two longest edges of foil and double folding them, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Crimp the edges to make a tight seal. Double fold and crimp the remaining 2 edges to finish sealing the packet (there should be no gaps where juices can leak out). Repeat with the remaining piece of aluminum foil.
  6. Transfer the foil packets to a rimmed baking sheet and bake them until the fish is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes , depending on the thickness of the fillets. To test for doneness, carefully open a packet; when the fish is cooked through, it will flake easily when pierced with a fork.
  7. To serve, place the packets on serving plates and open them at the table, taking care to avoid the escaping hot steam. Serve lime or lemon wedges alongside.

Serves 2

Nutrition Info:
1 portion provides:

Protein: 1 ½ serving
Green Leafy and yellow vegetables and fruits: 1 serving
Other vegetables and fruits: 1 ½ serving