There are times when I plan out my grocery list for the week that I have no idea what I’m going to cook. I’m sure you have experienced this as well. You’ve hit all the favorites too many times, don’t have the energy to tackle some new and involved recipe, or nothing sounds good.
This recipe was born out of the doldrums of one such week. Instead of a specific grocery list, I replenished my staples and then left it to fate to decide what I would concoct from the chaos.
I had some fresh veggies, some other veggies roasted and jarred for me, some lean protein choices, and some options for a sauce. My only guardrails were the rules I live by: it has to be healthy, no crazy ingredients I can’t spell, pronounce, or recognize as a substance I would stuff in my gob.
Come to think of it, if you haven’t yet decided if it’s worth it to read the ingredients label on processed pre-packaged foods, this is an excellent way to frame it. Pick just one of the words off the list with more than three syllables, google it, and ask yourself if you would be willing to suck down a 32 oz drink of it. I’m betting there are a million poor little lab mice across the country right now screaming “Don’t do it!” out of the third mouth they have grown on their back.
What emerged from the randomness of my pantry was a colorful dish full of vitamins, protein, and complex carbs. It was also fairly simple to make. I don’t know what to call it because I didn’t think of a name.
Call it the Chaos dish, which is ironic because it will bring peace and order to your insides. I’m calling Alanis Morrisette to see if she needs a new line for her song. In the meantime, enjoy.
The Dish with no name:
Ingredients:
1 package free range slow growth chicken breasts
1 package cajun chicken sausage
1 32 oz package frozen cauliflower rice
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 yellow onion, diced
1 package organic shiitake mushrooms
Fresh baby spinach leaves
4 oz grass fed cream cheese
4 oz shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt, fresh ground pepper, onion and garlic powder
3 slices cooked nitrate and sugar free bacon, crumbled
2 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions:
Dice the onion, and wash and dry the mushrooms:
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and brown until cooked through in a skillet with all the spices. Slice the sausage and air fry for 10 – 15 minutes:
Place the cooked chicken and sausage in a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the avocado oil to a large pan and heat, then cook the cauliflower rice until it starts to brown and the moisture has evaporated. You can hit it with a pinch of salt and pepper as well. While that is cooking, get another skillet going with the mushrooms, onions, and red peppers. Once the veggies have softened, add all the baby spinach you can fit in the pan and cook down:
Drain the veggies and add back to the skillet with the cream cheese. Stir until melted and then add the shredded parmesan and stir again, then add the chicken to heat through:
I served with a side of roasted Brussels Sprouts and red onions with some cheddar cheese melted on top:
Crumble the bacon on top of the chicken mixture, then spoon out some cauliflower rice and a helping of the mixture on top:
See the list of all the Shirtless Chef recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.