This is the enthralling tale of one resourceful man overcoming his hunger by combining the contents of his refrigerator into sweet and sultry sustenance. This man is me.
Let me start off by saying that this is your typical “look-in-the-fridge-and-throw-what-you’ve-got-in-a-pot” recipe. Now, with that being said, the absolute key to doing this is to make sure you have some good stuff in your fridge. This makes it a lot easier to let your culinary creativity run unrestricted. If you’re not the creative type, feel free to check out my quirky recipe below.
Ingredients:
Roasted garlic olive oil
Chopped onion
Chicken (the feathered, flightless friend of foodies everywhere)
A splash of Merlot wine
Eggplant
Broccolini
Yellow Summer squash
Heirloom tomatoes (Purple Cherokee to be specific)
Salt
Pepper
Dill
Parsley flakes
(For best results, have everything chopped and ready before you begin cooking)
Instructions:
Start by splashing some olive oil in your cooking pot or a mini-wok, and then add your chopped onion. Let the onion simmer until translucent and then add your chicken. Let it cook on low until you’re done chopping up the eggplant. Take the wine and give your chicken (and maybe yourself) a little drink. I mean, you don’t have to, but I did. The chicken didn’t mind either.
After the bird is pretty cooked, make sure you get that eggplant in there because it takes a while to cook down. It goes from a white to a brownish-gray color.
The next ingredient from the list is, you guessed it, broccolini! What’s the difference between broccoli and broccolini, you ask? Well legend has it that in the 1980s in Yokohama, Japan, the Sakata Seed Company cross-pollenated normal broccoli with Chinese broccoli, creating its tasty cousin who can grow in hotter climates. Nevertheless, whatever you have (be it broccoli, broccolini, broccolette, anything green really) chop it up and add it in.
There is still time to get your hands on some local produce at the Capitol Mall Farmer’s Market, which is actually where I got several of the ingredients for this improvised meal, including the next ingredient. Slice the sSummer squash thin or thick, however you like it. I prefer thin because it takes less time to cook. Once the greens are cooked, toss your squash into the mix.
Yes, I know my stove top is dirty. Give me a break, I’m a just a hungry guy making stuff in the kitchen.
Time for the tomatoes. I love tomatoes, especially heirloom tomatoes. Oh, I can eat them like an apple. So juicy. So good. Cut up your tomatoes and if you really want to take it up a notch, throw your squash and tomatoes in at the same time. The juiciness of the tomatoes will provide enough moisture to steam the squash. Bam. Boom. Science.
Give your grub a helping dose of all the spices and seasonings (however much your taste buds prefer). I don’t go by teaspoons and tablespoons; I just let the flavor fly freely. Let it all cook and simmer until you think it’s ready to eat. Make sure the broccoli and eggplant are soft and the squash is translucent.
And there you have it! Chicken-Veggie-Whatever In a Dish!
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