The Parchment Paper Cookbook

Wait until you hear about The Parchment Paper Cookbook.
I do a significant amount of cooking, so I am always looking for ways to reduce cleanup. Can you imagine how excited I was when I came across a cookbook that claimed you could cook with no pots, no pan, and no mess. Everything is cooked in parchment paper to eliminate or cut down on clean up! When I saw it, I thought the idea was ingenious, so I invited Brette Sember, the author, to be a guest blogger today to tell you about her new book, give you some ideas, and share a delicious root vegetable recipe which is perfect for this time of year.  Thanks Brette.

Parchment Paper Means No Clean Up! by Brette Sember

I love cooking, but sometimes the clean up gets to me. I set out to find a way to make dinner without having to do a sink full of dishes—and I found it in parchment paper! Parchment paper packet cooking is a wonderful, revolutionary method that decreases the amount of fat needed for cooking and locks in flavor and nutrients. Best of all, with parchment paper cooking, there is no mess to clean up– no pots and pans to scrub. The food cooks in a parchment paper packet in the oven, making this perfect for busy moms, people with small kitchens, and anyone tired of doing a sink full of dishes after dinner.

Parchment paper is recyclable and compostable. Cooking with parchment also means you can cook your entire meal in one oven without turning any burners or using lots of hot water to scrub pots and pans.

You can buy parchment paper in your grocery store next to the foil and plastic wrap, or online from sellers like Amazon. Wilton and Reynolds both make parchment. The secret of parchment paper is that it is coated with silicone, which keeps moisture and flavors in, and keeps food from sticking. You layer your food onto the paper (no pots, pans, or big mixing bowls needed), fold it and bake. It’s that simple!

Parchment paper packets are a snap to cook with. Cut off an 18-20 inch piece of parchment and place your food in the center. Leave at least 4 inches on the sides. Now, grab the long ends of the paper and have them meet in the air in the middle, then just fold them down until you get to the food. You’ll end up with a long package. Now all you have to do is simply twist each end. (You can see illustrations at: http://nopotcooking.com/index.php/technique/). Place the packets on a baking sheet or toaster oven tray for easy in moving them around.

Enjoy this simple and tasty root vegetable dish on a cold night. The recipe is designed to highlight the flavors of the vegetables, and not be a heavy, creamy dish.

Root Vegetable Tian

Serves 4
1 parsnip, peeled, thinly sliced
1/8 large sweet onion thinly sliced
15 baby carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 rutabaga, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Thyme (about ¾-1 teaspoon total)
Olive oil (about 4 tablespoons)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a 24 inch piece of parchment. Make about a 9 inch circle with the parsnips, layering them over each other around the circle and in the middle. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle ¼ of the the onions on top. Layer carrots on top of this and repeat salt, pepper, thyme, oil, onion. Then layer rutabaga, repeating seasonings and toppings. Layer potato slices on top, repeating toppings again. Pour cream over the entire thing. Fold the parchment  - for this one I used the folded ends instead of the twisted ends. Bake at 350 for an hour.
For some variation, you could add 2 cloves chopped garlic to this, ½ cup grated cheese (Parmesan would be my pick, included in the layers), or 1/4 cup milk to boost the creaminess. You could also drizzle with melted butter instead of olive oil for a deeper flavor.

Judee's comments: Please note that The Parchment Paper Cookbook is not intended to be gluten free nor vegetarian. However, I felt it was such a great idea that it can be applied to any kind of cooking. Personally, I frequently use regular cookbooks for ideas and just adapt and substitute!

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