Italian-Teriyaki Tin Foil Dinners

2 Boneless Chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced

1/2  medium red bell pepper,diced

1/2  onion, diced (I used a red/purple onion)

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut up

4 medium red potatoes or 3 small russet potatoes

2 cloves of garlic

Teriyaki sauce (about a cup)

Italian dressing ( I used Zesty Italian) (about 1-1.5 cups)

Aluminum Foil

Cut raw chicken breasts into cubes.  Marinate the chicken in the Teriyaki sauce in a ziploc bag.  Cut all the vegetables up.  Place in a separate ziploc bag and marinate in the italian dressing.  Marinate both meat and vegetables in the fridge for several hours or overnight. When you are ready to cook.  Add minced garlic to the vegetables.  Take out pieces of aluminum foil and place desired amount of vegetables and chicken in each one. It should make about 4-5 foil packets.  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Or start grill.  Cook in oven or on a grill for 2-3 hours or until done.

Suzanne's Note: This is probably the most delicious tin foil dinners I have had.  There is so much flavor that I didn't feel the need to add salt and pepper or load it down with ketchup(like I do with other tin foil dinners) Joe was skeptical about combining the teriyaki and italian, but he loved it and couldn't stop eating it. 

 I didn't have a red bell pepper on hand as you will see from my picture.  I also used a different brand of teriyaki sauce (not kikkoman).  I also cooked ours in the oven.

Fresh Lemonade

courtesy of The Sisters' Cafe

5 Lemons

5 Limes

5 Oranges

5-6 cups cold water

1.5-3 cups sugar, to taste(depends on how tart your fruit is)

Juice all of the fruit.  Pour into pitcher.  Then add the water and sugar. Mix

Suzanne's Note: Wow! This is delicious.  It really hits the spot on a hot day.  You definitely want some kind of juicer though, even if it is a cheap hand one like mine.  I wouldn't recommend trying to juice these with your hands.

Sweet Potato, Chipotle, and Apple Soup

courtesy of  "Food and Wine" cookbook

2 Tb vegetable or Canola oil

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. dried ground ginger)

2 gala apples, peeled, seeded and coarsley chopped

1 celery rib,chopped

1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and sliced

1 quart chicken stock

3 cups water

1 small canned chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced (I hate adobo sauce, so I used 1 dried chipotle pepper, in the mexican food section)

1. In a soup pot, heat oil until shimmering.  Add the onion, garlic, and ginger.  Cook until softened, about 7 minutes.  

2. Add the apples and celery and cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

4.  Add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.  Cover partially and simmer over low heat  until the vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.

5.  Stir in the chipotle.

6.Working in batches puree the soup in a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot).

7. Season with salt and pepper and return to the pot.