I'd originally planned on making grilled chicken and arugula. But when the star ingredient was missing from my fridge, and the weather wasn't cooperating for grilling, this is the alternative I came up with. If you are intimidated by working with parchment, you can use aluminum foil instead.

1 head fennel, thinly sliced
2 carrots, sliced into matchsticks
2 tablespoons white wine or vermouth
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper
additional olive oil for drizzling
2 tilapia fillets, about 6 ounces each
Lemon wedges, optional

Special equipment: two pieces of parchment, about 12 inches square each

Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a bowl, toss fennel and carrots with white wine or vermouth, olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Fold each piece of parchment in half and crease. Open parchment. Along one side of the crease on each piece of parchment, mound half of the fennel-carrot mixture. Place the fillets on top of the mound of vegetables. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper, drizzle with about 1 teaspoon olive oil. Fold the other side of the parchment over the fish and seal by folding under the edge of parchment, working from one corner and making overlapping folds along the food.

Bake at 400˚F for 12 to 14 minutes or until parchment is puffy and starting to brown. If you wan to test the tilapia for doneness, open one of the packets and check to see if fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve in the parchment, with lemon wedges to squeeze over fish, if desired.

Serves 2.

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