No Grocery Dinner

I generally pick up groceries at least 3 times a week. On a week such as this one between the amazing weather, a school trip and a sick little boy I only have made it once. . .along rolls Thursday night and I have nothing to make for dinner!

I threw this dinner together using thawed chicken breasts, broccoli (but you could use any veggie you have on hand) lentils and rice. These or a variation of these are pretty much kitchen staples, so this meal is perfect when you haven't made it to the market.

Lentil Rice with Chicken

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
• 1 cup dried lentils or canned
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into dice sized pieces
• 1 cup broccoli, cut into bite seized pieces
• 1 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp Piri Piri sauce, any type of BBQ/hot sauce would work (optional)
• 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon

* Cook rice as you normally would, but add 1/2 a bouillon cube and a splash of hot sauce (optional)
* Rinse lentils (if canned or dry), if dry place in 2 cups water with some salt, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer, cooking until lentils are soft but not mushy,  about 12-15 minutes
* Saute garlic in olive oil add in chicken and lemon pepper and cook on medium high until thoroughly cooked, about 6-8 minutes. Add in broccoli at 4 minute mark
* Add in cooked rice, drained lentils, cinnamon, salt and pepper and stir
* Let rice cook for 2 minutes, slightly 'crisping' then stir and 'crisp' for another 2 minutes then repeat one more time (you may need to add a little water to ensure the rice doesn't dry to the bottom of the pan)

Easy, Tasty, Healthy...and no groceries needed!

Black Pasta

Depending on where you purchase your groceries from you may have seen black pasta and kept on walking. Would it taste different? What makes it black, chemicals? I took the plunge and purchased it a while back and was totally delighted with the taste, texture and look of it in the below recipe. My husband faved about this dish.

What makes it black you ask? Well rest assured it isn't chemicals but it actually gets its colour from squid ink. This isn't nearly as gross as it sounds, to any squid haters out there. The ink merely lends colour without much, if any flavour. The brand I bought was called Rigoletto Squid Ink Fettuccine, made by Helen's Homestyle Foods Ltd.. This pasta was so good I am tempted to try the other varieties made by this company. It was slightly chewy, but not mushy or flimsy. The below picture (not great quality) shows how it holds its colour. Some coloured pasta I have previously tried faded when cooked.

Black Pasta with Zucchini and Seared Chicken

• Pan Sear 2 chicken breasts (skip this if you are a vegetarian, it is still great)
• 3-4 zucchini, cut up into dice size cubes
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• salt and pepper
• evoo
• black pasta

* Pan sear chicken breast, as shown here. Set aside on plate, use the same pan to make the following;
* Brown onions then add garlic and saute in olive oil
* Stir in zucchini add salt and pepper and allow to slightly wilt and brown, still firm and not mushy approx 5 mins. 
* Boil pasta as usually would, drain
* Add 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil to pasta and stir then add zucchini and chicken mixture

Serve and Enjoy! May be don't mention how the pasta gets its colour until it is all gobbled up!

Phyllio Pizza

So last night I wanted something a little different for dinner. I feel like we have dinner based around the same 'template' almost every night. . . protein, veggies, salad and a starch. This was a nice break away from that cycle, but not terrible for you.

For the sauce I put pesto on one half and traditional tomato sauce on the other. I preferred the pesto side but the tomato one was my husbands preference.

Phyllio Pizza Crust

• 8 sheets of Phyllio pastry
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup pesto (if only doing half, 1 cup if doing whole pizza)
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce (1cup for whole pizza)
• 1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded (I used 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup marble)

* 'roast' olive oil and garlic in microwave till warm, about 20 seconds
* lightly grease cookie sheet, then place 2 Phyllio sheets on cookie sheet, coat with light layer of oil mixture
* layer another 2 Phyllio sheets, then layer with oil mixture then top with remaining 4 sheets, top with oil
* there will be a little overhang of Phyllio over the cookie sheet, so after putting on all the toppings roll the sides back onto the sheet and coat with reaming oil, this will form the 'crust'
* bake for 12-15 minutes at 425


Toppings
For the toppings you can use pretty much anything, broccoli, chicken, feta, roasted peppers, etc. I used. . .

• sliced turkey pepperettes (Try the Hayter ones, they are the best!)
• mushrooms (I used canned ones. It sounds gross but fresh mushrooms on pizza release moisture making the crust mushy. Once cooked the difference between the canned and fresh is marginal)
• sliced olives
• sliced banana peppers