Tackling the great tinfoil debate - TEAM Resources

Each year I make my cottage list. One of the first items on this list is aluminum foil, my summertime cookware. It is a lovely accompaniment to the paper plates.

We use foil for so many things along with cooking. It can be a window and cupboard liner, a pot scrubber and even a patch for holes in our tent trailer.

On a beautiful summer evening, after a day at the beach, the ultimate foil debate began on my deck. Do you cook with the shiny side in or out? Each person had their own opinion so I decided to answer the question once and for all and contacted the home economists at Reynolds Kitchen. Believe it or not, it makes absolutely no difference which side is facing in while cooking. The foil looks different on each side because of the way the metal is rolled out. Reynolds Kitchen offered these recipes to share. You can look at dinnerunplugged.com or call 804-281-2000.

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Grilled veggie packets

Wrap a combination of your favourite fresh vegetables and one or two ice cubes in aluminum foil. Cook in a covered grill 20 to 25 minutes. The ice cubes provide moisture to steam the vegetables.

Chicken and Vegetable Dinner

1/4 cup water 50 mL

1 tablespoon flour 15 mL

1/2 cup grated 125 mL parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons 10 mL

garlic salt

1 teaspoon 5 mL paprika

1/2 teaspoon 2 mL

pepper, optional

9 bone-in, skinless

chicken pieces

3 ears fresh corn-on-the cob, halved

1/2 pound fresh 227 g green beans, cut in pieces

1 onion, cut in eighths

Preheat grill to medium-high or oven to 450 F (230 C). Buy a large foil bag or create one from aluminum foil sheets. Place bag in a one-inch (2.5 cm) deep pan.

Mix water and flour; add to bag. Mix cheese and spices and sprinkle half over chicken. Place in bag in an even layer. Mix vegetables with remaining spice mixture and arrange on top of chicken.

Seal the bag. To cook, slide bag onto grill or leave in pan and place in oven. Grill 30 to 35 minutes in covered grill or bake 55 to 60 minutes in oven.

Use oven mitts and a knife to cut bag open. Fold back top for steam to escape. Serves five or six.

Beef and Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy

4 sheets, 12 x 18 inches

(30 x 45 cm) heavy duty foil

1 pound boneless 454 g

beef sirloin steak,

half inch thick

1/2 teaspoon garlic 2 mL

powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper 1-2 mL

4 medium red potatoes,

cut in bite-size pieces

1 small red or green bell

pepper, cut in strips

1 10-ounce can 284 mL

cream of mushroom soup

4 teaspoons 20 mL

Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C) or grill to medium-high.

Cut steak lengthwise in half and then crosswise into 1/8 inch thick strips. Sprinkle beef with garlic powder and pepper. Combine beef, potatoes, red pepper, soup and Worcestershire sauce.

Centre half of mixture on each sheet of aluminum foil. Bring up foil sides.

Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven or grill 15 to 18 minutes in covered grill. Makes four.

Tortillas to warm on grill

Wrap tortillas to heat on the grill in aluminum foil.

Tortillas stay moist and can be rewrapped in foil to keep hot.

For fajitas, wrap onions and green peppers in a foil packet to grill just until tender while steak grills on rack.

No mess grill stir-fry

For an easy way to get great stir-fry results on the grill with no cleanup, make a foil pan. Shape two layers of aluminum foil over the outside of a 13 x 9 inch (22 x 34 cm) baking pan.

Remove the baking pan and place the foil pan on a hot grill. Add strips of meat tossed with stir-fry seasonings and grill until meat is no longer pink.

Add vegetables and stir until they are crisp tender.