Tasty Chicken and Veggie Packets

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast (boneless and skinless)
• salt (to taste, optional)
• pepper (to taste, optional)
• ¼ red onion (julienned)
• 1 carrot (julienned)
• 1 red pepper (julienned)
• 1 celery stalk (julienned)
• ½ zucchini (julienned)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp basil (fresh, chopped)
• thyme (fresh sprigs, optional)
• parsley (chopped, optional)
• ginger (minced, optional)
• 2 tsp olive oil (or oil of your choice - divided)
• 4 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon, divided))

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F.
2. Cut four large rectangles of parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold in half to create a crease. Unfold.
3. Place each chicken breast in the middle of the foil or parchment paper and season with salt and pepper (if desired).
4. Top chicken with your choice of vegetables and seasonings.
5. Drizzle each packet with 1/2 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
6. Fold the parchment paper or foil in half and then crimp around the edges tightly in 1/4-inch folds to create a half moon shape.
7. Using a spatula, transfer the packets to a baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 °F, about 20 minutes, depending the thickness of the chicken breast.

For a video demonstration of the preparation of this recipe, see Nutrition.gov. Optional ingredients are not included in the nutrient or cost analysis. Learn more about: Onions Carrots Bell Peppers Celery Zucchini Garlic Herbs Ginger Lemons