be happy for this moment.

Kissing don't last: cookery do.

George Meredith

Here's that yummy and easy dinner I made the other night. It was easy and really was the best thing I've cooked in a while. I used chicken, the barbecue flavoring, sliced bell peppers and cooked them in the oven.

Dinner in a Foil Pocket

Serves 4

Adjust the oven rack to its lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Or heat a gas grill, igniting all burners onhigh for at least 10 minutes. Or build a hot firein a charcoal grill.

Pick and prepare a protein (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds of one of the following):

Pork tenderloin, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 1/2-inch slices
Extra large (21 to 25 count) peeled, deveined shrimp
"Dry" sea scallops (untreated with additives and water)
Center-cut salmon fillets

Pick and mix a flavoring combo:

Lemon Dill
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large garic cloves chopped
4 large green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. each salt and pepper

Barbeque
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large garic cloves chopped
4 large green onions thinly sliced
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 tsp. each salt and pepper

Italian
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large garic cloves chopped
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 tsps. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup capers
1 tsp. each salt and pepper

Pick and prepare a vegetable:
Asparagus cut into 1-inch lengths
Bell peppers (2 large, 1 red and 1 yellow), stemmed, cored and cut into 1/4 inch strips
Bok choy, halved, cored and thinly sliced
Sliced mushrooms
Bean sprouts
Zucchini or yellow squash, trimmed and thinly sliced (halve lengthwise, if large)
Eggplant, trimmed and thinly sliced (halve lengthwise, if large)
Sugar snap or snow peas
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Fennel, trimmed, halved, cored and thinly sliced

Mix protein, flavoring and vegetable in a bowl. Tear off 3 12-by18 inch sheets and heavy-duty foil; divide mixture among them, arranging protein atop vegetables, each in a single layer.

For each packet, bring long sides of foil together and fold over about 1/2 inch, crimp to seal. Repeat folding and crimping, lengthwise, twice more. Fold ends twice to seal.

Set packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Make for 15 minutes. If grilling, set packets on rot rack; cover and grill for 8 minutes.

Let packets stand for 3 minutes. Serve with a little rice or couscous to absorb all the flavor.