Ahhh, it's a glorious Thursday and there's actual sunshine! :)
For today's lunch, I tried a new method of cooking: oven-roasting veggies in a foil packet!
I was inspired by an old issue of a Vegetarian Times magazine that featured a bunch of recipes where you just wrap them up in some foil and pop them in the oven. 20 minutes later, you have an easy, flavorful, juicy, mess-free meal!
Tada~ I didn't follow any set recipe, but just sort of threw in all the veggies I had in my fridge and improvised with the seasonings. There are infinite variations that you could make, but here's what went into my veggie packet:
1 potato, sliced into long sticks
1/4 onion, sliced thinly
1/2 red bell pepper
1/4 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup zucchini, diced
1/4 cup green peas (I used canned)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400F. Chop and then toss all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Tear off a sheet of foil, about 12 inches long. Carefully transfer the mixed veggies onto one half of the foil sheet. Fold the other half over the top and pinch the edges together to seal the packet. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
The best part is (carefully) unwrapping the package right before you dig in and seeing all the hot steam escaping. Although... I have to say, I felt guilty about the waste that came from the foil wrapper. It was fun eating out of a foil bowl and I appreciated having one less dirty plate to wash up, but this probably won't become a regular cooking method for me. :) Back to my standard one-bowl meals!
Oh, and thank you for the feedback on my new sticker design! :) Here are some more shots of them in action:
