Foil Parcels
Softer-textured vegetables cook very well on the barbecue in a parcel of foil, which seals in all the flavours and helps them blend together while cooking. Make larger parcels for convenience – and cook them for a little longer – or wrap the foods in individual portions for your guests to unwrap on their plates.
Italian-style Artichokes
Serves 4
Can of artichoke hearts, drained 400 g/14 oz/1 large
White wine vinegar 15 ml/1 tbsp
Chopped fresh basil 15 ml/1 tbsp
Garlic clove, crushed 1
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated 100 g/4 oz/1 cup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Thickly slice the artichokes and arrange them in four squares of foil, shiny side up. Sprinkle with vinegar, basil, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper.
2 Seal the parcels and barbecue for about 15 minutes until the vegetables have heated through.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Cheese Courgettes
Serves 4
Courgettes (zucchini), thinly sliced 4
Garlic cloves, crushed 2
Olive oil 30 ml/2 tbsp
Dried oregano 5 ml/1 tsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Emmenthal (Swiss) cheese, sliced 100 g/4 oz/¼ lb
1 Arrange the courgettes on four pieces of foil, shiny side up. Sprinkle with garlic and olive oil, then with oregano, salt and pepper.
2 Arrange the cheese on top.
3 Seal the parcels and barbecue for about 15 minutes until the courgettes are tender and the cheese has melted.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Roasted Garlic
Serves 4
Garlic bulbs 4
Oil 60 ml/4 tbsp
Butter or margarine 40 g/1½ oz/3 tbsp
Chopped fresh oregano 30 ml/2 tbsp
To serve:
French bread
1 Leave the garlic bulbs unpeeled. Slice off the tops to expose the cloves inside the skins. Place each one on a piece of foil, shiny side up, drizzle with oil and dot with butter or margarine, then sprinkle with oregano.
2 Close the foil parcels and place on the side of the barbecue for about 40 minutes, opening the parcels to baste once during cooking with the flavoured oil and butter.
3 To serve, remove the garlic from the parcels, squeeze the cloves out of their skins and spread over French bread.
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 40 minutes
Chestnut Mushroom Parcels
Serves 4
Chestnut mushrooms, sliced 450 g/1 lb
Spring onions (scallions), chopped 2
Garlic cloves, crushed 2
Olive oil 60 ml/4 tbsp
Balsamic vinegar 15 ml/1 tbsp
Chopped fresh parsley 15 ml/1 tbsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomatoes, halved 4
Chopped fresh basil 15 ml/1 tbsp
1 Place the mushrooms in four squares of foil, shiny side up. Sprinkle with spring onions and garlic.
2 Whisk together 45 ml/3 tbsp of the oil with the vinegar, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the mushroom parcels and twist the foil at the top to seal.
3 Barbecue for about 20 minutes until cooked through.
4 Meanwhile, brush the tomatoes with the remaining oil, season with salt and pepper and barbecue for about 5 minutes until cooked.
5 Serve sprinkled with chopped basil.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Mixed Vegetable Parcels
Serves 4
Small aubergine (eggplant), sliced 1
Small courgette (zucchini), sliced 1
Red (bell) pepper, sliced 1
Green pepper, sliced 1
Button mushrooms, sliced 100 g/4 oz/¼ lb
Shallots, sliced 2
Cherry tomatoes 4
Garlic cloves, crushed 2
Olive oil 45 ml/3 tbsp
Chopped fresh thyme 10 ml/2 tsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Prepare all the vegetables and divide them between four pieces of foil, shiny side up. Sprinkle with crushed garlic, oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Seal the foil parcels.
2 Barbecue for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
Marinated Pecans
Serves 4
Pecan halves 225 g/8 oz/2 cups
Orange juice 90 ml/6 tbsp
Curry powder 10 ml/2 tsp
Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce 10 ml/2 tsp
Light brown sugar 5 ml/1 tsp
Garlic clove, crushed 1
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and leave to stand for at least 1 hour.
2 Drain the nuts and divide them between four pieces of foil, shiny side up.
3 Seal the parcels and barbecue the nuts at the side of the barbecue for about 1 hour.
Preparation time 5 minutes
Marinating time 1 hour
Cooking time 1 hour
Warm Italian Salad Parcels
Serves 4
Cucumber, thinly sliced ½
Plum tomatoes, thinly sliced 4
Red onion, thinly sliced 1
Black olives, stoned (pitted) and halved 8
A handful of fresh basil leaves
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place the cucumber, tomatoes and onion rings in a thin layer on four pieces of foil, shiny side up.
2 Scatter with the olives and tuck in a basil leaf here and there.
3 Drizzle with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of wine vinegar. Season with a very little salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
4 Seal the parcels. Barbecue for 2–3 minutes until warmed through but still with lots of texture. Serve straight away.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 2–3 minutes
Chilli-stuffed Peppers
Serves 4
Green or red (bell) peppers 4
Cheddar cheese, grated 75 g/3 oz/¾ cup
Mushrooms, finely chopped 50 g/2 oz/½ cup
Can of red kidney beans, drained 425 g/15 oz/1 large
Tomato chilli salsa (ready-made) 60 ml/4 tbsp
Ground cumin 2.5 ml/½ tsp
Dried oregano 5 ml/1 tsp
Garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Cut a slice off the top of each pepper and remove the seeds. Boil the peppers and lids in lightly salted water for 6 minutes until just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Dry on kitchen paper.
2 Mix 50 g/2 oz/½ cup of the cheese with the remaining ingredients and spoon into the peppers. Top with the remaining cheese, then the ‘lids’.
3 Place on four pieces of foil, shiny side up. Seal the parcels. Barbecue for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until piping hot and cooked through.
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Nutty-stuffed Mushrooms
Serves 4
Large flat mushrooms, peeled 4
Butter or margarine 50 g/2 oz/¼ cup
Spring onions (scallions), finely chopped 2
Hazelnuts, chopped 50 g/2 oz/½ cup
Soy sauce 10 ml/2 tsp
Dry white wine 15 ml/1 tbsp
Garlic clove, crushed 1
Fresh breadcrumbs 25 g/1 oz/½ cup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dried thyme 2.5 ml/½ tsp
Mozzarella cheese, grated 50 g/2 oz/½ cup
1 Remove the mushroom stalks and chop finely.
2 Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan and use a little to brush over four squares of foil, shiny side up. Put a mushroom gill-side up on each piece of foil.
3 Add the spring onions and chopped mushroom stalks to the saucepan and fry (sauté), stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in all the remaining ingredients except the cheese.
4 Pile on to the mushrooms and press firmly in place. Seal the parcels and barbecue for 4 minutes, stuffing-side down, then turn over and continue cooking for a further 4–6 minutes.
5 Open the foil, sprinkle with the cheese and cook for a few minutes until the cheese melts. Serve straight away.
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Herby Potato Parcels
Serves 4
Butter or margarine 50 g/2 oz/¼ cup
Potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced 4
Chopped fresh parsley 15 ml/1 tbsp
Snipped fresh chives 15 ml/1 tbsp
Chopped fresh sage 5 ml/1 tsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan. Remove from the heat.
2 Add the sliced potatoes, herbs and a little salt and pepper and toss until each slice is coated.
3 Divide in a thin, even layer on four pieces of foil, shiny side up. Seal the parcels and barbecue for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the potato is tender.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Minted New Potato Parcels
Serves 4
Butter or margarine, melted 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp
Small new potatoes, washed 16
Chopped fresh mint 20 ml/4 tsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Brush the shiny side of four pieces of foil with a little of the melted butter or margarine. Top each with four potatoes.
2 Sprinkle with mint and a little salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining melted fat.
3 Seal the parcels and barbecue directly on the hot coals for about 20–30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 20–30 minutes
Potatoes with Edam, Onion and Basil
Serves 4
Medium potatoes, scrubbed 4
Onions, thinly sliced 2
Butter or margarine 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp
Edam cheese, grated 100 g/4 oz/¼ lb
Fresh basil leaves 16
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Boil the potatoes in their skins until just tender. Drain.
2 When cold enough to handle, cut into five thick slices, not quite right through the base, and place on four squares of greased foil.
3 Meanwhile, fry (sauté) the onions in the butter or margarine for 2 minutes to soften.
4 Push the onions in between each slice of potato with a basil leaf and some cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Seal the parcels and barbecue for about 15–20 minutes, turning occasionally, until piping hot and the cheese has melted.
Preparation time 30 minutes
Cooking time 15–20 minutes
Grilled Baby Squash with Cheese and Chives
Courgettes (zucchini) make a good alternative to the baby squash if you prefer.
Serves 4
Baby squash 4
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cheddar cheese, grated 75 g/3 oz/¾ cup
Snipped fresh chives 30 ml/2 tbsp
Butter or margarine 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp
1 Cut the squash in halves and scoop out the seeds (pits). Season the flesh lightly.
2 Mash the cheese, chives, butter or margarine and a little salt and pepper together and spoon into the cavities in the squash.
3 Put the two halves of each squash back together again, encasing the cheese mixture. Place on four squares of foil, shiny side up. Seal the parcels.
4 Barbecue for about 20 minutes, turning frequently until the flesh is tender. Let the guests open the parcels on their plates.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Creamy Garlic Mushrooms
Serves 4
Large flat mushrooms 8
Butter or margarine, melted 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp
Garlic cloves, finely chopped 2
Chopped fresh parsley 30 ml/2 tbsp
White wine 60 ml/4 tbsp
Double (heavy) cream 60 ml/4 tbsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Peel the mushrooms and remove any stalks. Chop the stalks and scatter over the gills of the mushrooms.
2 Butter four large pieces of foil and lay two mushrooms on each. Scatter over the garlic and parsley.
3 Blend the wine and cream together and spoon over. Season well.
4 Seal the parcels and barbecue for about 10–15 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 10–15 minutes