BOOK WITH A DIETITIAN

MEDITERRANEAN FOIL PACKS >> the perfect summer meal

Jun 29, 2020

Foil packets can be prepared on a BBQ, the campfire, or an oven making them the perfect summer meal. A mix of veggies, potatoes, lean chicken sausages, and simple herbs and spices make these pouches flavour packed and nutrient dense!

I love foil packets for a simple summer meal because they:

  • offer a blend of hunger satisfying nutrients to end energize you through summer adventuring
  • can be prepared on a BBQ or campfire so you can avoid turning on the oven during the hot summer months or cook 'em up on your snack camping adventure
  • are easy to clean up which means more time to socialize, soak up the sun, or tackle your summer bucket list

 

While chicken sausages are a more processed protein selection, they are a convenient choice to level up the classic summer meals we all know and love. Costco has a great selection of lean turkey or chicken sausages with the Feta & Spinach Sausages from Connie's Kitchen being the perfect choice for these Mediterranean inspired foil packets.

 

When choosing a sausage, opt for a lean protein. A lean protein choice is one with >15g of protein and <10g of fat per serving. The brand Connie's Kitchen and Freybe from Costco are amongst my favorite lean sausage selections.

Most grocery stores carry a variety of sausages so you can mix it up with different flavour combos for your foil packets. For example, make it Ukrainian with a pairing of cabbage, onions, potatoes, and lean turkey sausage with a dollop of sour cream after grilling.

 


MEDITERRANEAN FOIL PACKETS



INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Connie's Kitchen Feta & Spinach sausage, diced
  • 1/4 (100g) large sweet potato, diced
  • 1/2 (75g) bell pepper, sliced
  • 10 (50g) cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 (100g) small zucchini, diced
  • 1/4 (50g) red onion, diced
  • 1/4 lemon, juiced
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • sprinkle of salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil*

* alternatively, spritz the mixture with some non-stick olive oil or canola oil spray


DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the BBQ to medium. Alternatively preheat an oven to 400F or start your campfire!
  2. In a large bowl, combine the sausage, sweet potatoes, pepper, cherry tomato, and zucchini. Add the oregano, basil, garlic, and salt & pepper. add the olive oil or alternatively spritz the mixture with non-stick spray. Toss until vegetables and sausage are well coated. Then add a squeeze of lemon juice!
  3. Cut 2 sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the mixture in the centre of the foil sheet and top with the second foil sheet. 
  4. Fold the seams of the foil together twice to ensure the heat is locked in. Place the packets on hot grill.
  5. Close the grill and cook for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  6. Carefully remove the packets from the grill and serve warm.
  7. Top with tztaziki, chives, extra lemon wedges, or fresh basil if desired.

Note: this recipe makes one serving so adjust the recipe accordingly or let guests assemble their own!


VARIATIONS

FATS. I relied on the fats in the sausage and olive oil. Other fat choices might include adding a dollop of hummus or spinkle of feta after baking

FIBRE-FILLED CARBS: I used sweet potatoes for this recipe but you could substitute for any potato you have on hand or leave the potatoes out for a lower carbohydrate option.

PROTEIN: The chicken sausage supplied the protein in this recipe. If you are looking for extra protein try adding a dollop of homemade Greek yogurt tzatziki after baking!

VOLUME: I used classic Greek vegetables include purple onion, cherry tomatoes, pepper, and zucchini. You could try eggplant or purple cabbage!


I WANNA KNOW!

What's your favorite campfire food? Comment below! If you enjoyed this recipe, tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!

 

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