Sunday, June 20, 2010

Who says you have to eat like a Hobo?

What is better in the summer then cooking a hobo dinner? (I believe the politically correct title is "Tin Foil Dinner") Its easy, no clean up and fun! When we would co camping as youngsters we used to put carrots, ground beef, potatoes and some salt and pepper and throw it on the fire. It was always a bit bland for my refined palate :) Just because you are roughing it, doesn't mean you can't glam it up a bit! I got this recipe from my favorite celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver! Every recipe of his I have made had been a hit! He gives a few variety of tin foil dinners to try, check them out!

Roast Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus
Roast Chicken with Butternut Squash & chilies
Roast Chicken with Lemony Bombay Potatoes
Roast Chicken with Pancetta, Leeks and Thyme

I modified the recipe for Roast Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes & Asparagus. I added red potatoes and replaced the asparagus for artichoke hearts. It was yum! Don't be a baby, use the white wine, it gives it a nice flavor. Your bishop won't get mad. :) Also, I cooked mine in the oven, but you could easily throw the foil pouch on the grill or in the camp fire.

10/12/10 Modification:

Here's the text version for all four recipe links given above:

Roasted Chicken Breast with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus

main courses | serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Add 8 trimmed sticks of asparagus, 6 halved cherry tomatoes and the leaves from 1 sprig of fresh rosemary plus a whole sprig of rosemary as well. Toss everything together with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Put the veg into a tinfoil tray and place the chicken and rosemary sprig on top. Season well. Add some white wine and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Creamy Butternut Squash and Chilli

main courses | serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Deseed and slice up half a fresh red chilli and add to the bowl with the leaves from a couple of sprigs of fresh marjoram or oregano and a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss together. Very carefully cut a medium butternut squash into quarters. Remove the seeds and slice one quarter of the squash as finely as you can. Place the chicken breast and flavourings from the bowl into the tray and snugly fit your squash slices around the chicken. Carefully pour a little double cream around the squash (not on the chicken). Season with grated nutmeg and salt and pepper then drizzle with some olive oil and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemony Bombay Potatoes

main courses | serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Peel a large handful of potatoes, cut them into 2.5cm/1 inch cubes and put them into a pan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, simmer for a few minutes, drain and allow to steam in a colander. Put a heaped teaspoon of turmeric into a bowl and add the zest of 1 lemon, half a teaspoon of ground cumin, 5 sprigs of chopped fresh coriander, a quarter of a red pepper, roughly chopped, and a 2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced into matchsticks. Cut 3 slices off the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the remainder of the lemon into the bowl. Shake the potatoes up in the colander and add them to the bowl with 1 chicken breast, skin left on. Toss everything around with a splash of olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the chicken, put the potatoes into the tray in one layer, and top with the lemon slices and the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Pancetta, Leeks and Thyme

main courses | serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, skin removed, in a bowl. Trim and wash a large leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice it into 0.5cm/¼ inch pieces. Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good glug of olive oil, small knob of butter, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a small swig of white wine and toss together. Place your leek and flavourings from the bowl into the tray, then wrap the chicken breast in 6 or 7 slices of pancetta. This will not only flavour the chicken but also protect it while it cooks. Try and bend the sides of the tray in towards the chicken so the leeks don't burn during cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, place a couple of whole thyme sprigs on top and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

4 comments:

  1. Or, if you don't want to cook with alcohol, you can use any of the following substitutions for the white wine:

    Non-alcoholic wine, chicken broth or stock, diluted white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid, or water. For marinades, substitute 1/4 cup vinegar plus 1 Tbsp sugar plus 1/4 cup water.

    Fantastic picture, by the way. It sure looks yummy. Good thought on adding artichoke hearts. Mmmmm mmmm good!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Also, here's the text version of the recipe above (with the original asparagus instead of artichoke hearts):

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Add 8 trimmed sticks of asparagus, 6 halved cherry tomatoes and the leaves from 1 sprig of fresh rosemary plus a whole sprig of rosemary as well. Toss everything together with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Put the veg into a tinfoil tray and place the chicken and rosemary sprig on top. Season well. Add some white wine and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Here's the text version for all four recipe links given above:

    Roasted Chicken Breast with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus

    main courses | serves 1

    Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Add 8 trimmed sticks of asparagus, 6 halved cherry tomatoes and the leaves from 1 sprig of fresh rosemary plus a whole sprig of rosemary as well. Toss everything together with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Put the veg into a tinfoil tray and place the chicken and rosemary sprig on top. Season well. Add some white wine and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

    Roasted Chicken Breast with Creamy butternut Squash and Chilli

    main courses | serves 1

    Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Deseed and slice up half a fresh red chilli and add to the bowl with the leaves from a couple of sprigs of fresh marjoram or oregano and a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss together. Very carefully cut a medium butternut squash into quarters. Remove the seeds and slice one quarter of the squash as finely as you can. Place the chicken breast and flavourings from the bowl into the tray and snugly fit your squash slices around the chicken. Carefully pour a little double cream around the squash (not on the chicken). Season with grated nutmeg and salt and pepper then drizzle with some olive oil and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

    Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemony Bombay Potatoes

    main courses | serves 1

    Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Peel a large handful of potatoes, cut them into 2.5cm/1 inch cubes and put them into a pan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, simmer for a few minutes, drain and allow to steam in a colander. Put a heaped teaspoon of turmeric into a bowl and add the zest of 1 lemon, half a teaspoon of ground cumin, 5 sprigs of chopped fresh coriander, a quarter of a red pepper, roughly chopped, and a 2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced into matchsticks. Cut 3 slices off the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the remainder of the lemon into the bowl. Shake the potatoes up in the colander and add them to the bowl with 1 chicken breast, skin left on. Toss everything around with a splash of olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the chicken, put the potatoes into the tray in one layer, and top with the lemon slices and the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

    Roasted Chicken Breast with Pancetta, Leeks and Thyme

    main courses | serves 1

    Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, skin removed, in a bowl. Trim and wash a large leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice it into 0.5cm/¼ inch pieces. Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good glug of olive oil, small knob of butter, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a small swig of white wine and toss together. Place your leek and flavourings from the bowl into the tray, then wrap the chicken breast in 6 or 7 slices of pancetta. This will not only flavour the chicken but also protect it while it cooks. Try and bend the sides of the tray in towards the chicken so the leeks don't burn during cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, place a couple of whole thyme sprigs on top and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

    ReplyDelete