I love a challenge in the kitchen.
Give me an almost empty fridge and a handful of things in the cupboard and challenge me to cook a meal – I’ll heartily accept. I love the feeling of making something wonderful from seemingly nothing, because unless there literally is nothing in your fridge, with a little imagination you can cook up a great meal from whats in the fridge and feel damn proud doing it.
As a child I would bury my face in the fridge looking for something to eat then yell to mum upstairs in the loudest voice (and rather dramatically) that there was nothing to eat in the fridge. Now, bear in mind this was an Italian family fridge, so it was always bursting with great food. It would frustrate her to no end and she would come down the stairs just before dinner time, open the fridge and in 30 minutes lay out a multi course meal of the tastiest food you could imagine. She seemed like a food wizard, and I was always in awe.
Now, this skill didn’t always come naturally and when I moved to Sydney from Perth away from my family, I would still stare into my fridge and wonder what the hell I was going to have for dinner. But a few years of experimentation later and trusting my instincts with regard to flavour matching, and I finally feel I might actually equal my mother in a kitchen fridge challenge – perhaps I should challenge her to a cook off next time I’m in Perth… she’ll probably win.
Recently I was sent a care package of goodies from Lilydale Free Range Chicken which included chicken (of course) some goodies from Salts Meats Cheese and lovely fresh produce. It came with a challenge to create a tasty weeknight meal – challenge accepted and my turn to try and become a food wizard like my mother.
Here is my weeknight chicken dish with elements from the care package and a few things I had in the fridge – Harissa Chicken with Herbed Quinoa.
Harissa Chicken with Herbed Quinoa
Serves 2
CHICKEN MARINADE
1 tablespoon harissa paste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 lilydale freerange chicken breasts
HERBED QUINOA
1 cup quinoa
600ml water
1 bunch continental parsley, finely chopped
1/2 bunch coriander, finely chopped
1/2 bulb fennel, shaved and finely diced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
2 tablespoons greek yoghurt, to serve
CHICKEN MARINADE
In a bowl combine harissa, paprika, lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper and mix till well combined. Add chicken breasts to the marinade and ensure it is coated with the marinade. Then leave in the fridge for 20 minutes turning the chicken over after 10 minutes.
HERBED QUINOA
Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa by placing it and the water in a saucepan over medium high heat until it comes to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until quinoa is tender. Then remove from heat, drain water and leave to cool.
Once cool, add parsley, coriander, fennel and spring onion to the quinoa and stir well. In a small bowl mix olive oil, lemon, paprika, cumin and caster sugar till well combined and then stir through the quinoa. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Heat a frypan (or grill) over medium heat then add marinated chicken breasts and cook for 7 to 8 minutes each side until cooked through. Slice and serve with herbed quinoa and a tablespoon of yoghurt on each plate.
Chew Town would like to thank Lilydale Free Range Chicken for providing the care package of Lilydale and Salt Meats Cheese products for the development of this recipe.
Nice little meal you’ve created. Can’t say no to a care package!
Recent Post: Italian Market, PA
I am exactly the same way! I was just saying to my husband yesterday that I would much rather get creative in the kitchen with some imposed restraints (limited pantry, specific set of ingredients, etc.) than be able to create anything I want. Probably why I like to watch all of the culinary challenge shows!
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It’s always fun to make up dishes from what’s on hand, isn’t it? I love doing that! Great looking chicken (anything with harissa is wonderful, IMO), but it’s the quinoa that’s the real star of this meal, IMO. Really great flavors in that dish. Good post — thanks.
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It seems the Polish and Italians have much in common when it comes to having a full fridge that to kids seems “empty”. I shake my head when the kids say that too! As for the challenge, I think you’ve done really well. I am yet to cook with Harissa, loving the paste in dips, mayo and added to olives and haloumi.
If you and your mum have a cook off I want front row seats! So I can be the first to eat it all! lol
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I neeed to get my hands on some of that harissa paste. And that herbed quinoa looks amazing! Impressive.
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I could eat a kilo of that herbed quinoa.
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I also love challenge in the Kitchen… Were alike! I also love traveling and eating..
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If that is what you can come up with, with not much in the kitchen you can come over to my place the days leading up to shopping day. What a stunning meal, looks really good and of course super simple to make too. Yum
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We are alike I also love challenges at the Kitchen.. Most of all I love eating..LOL
The apple doesnt fall far from the tree – compliments, Ms Foodwizard 🙂
Both the boys have that same syndrome of looking in the fridge and not being able to find anything to eat. I’ve worked out with my two that it is shear laziness. Awesome chook recipe and I adore the herbed quinoa, will be a must try for me.
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Definitely trying this one with my harissa. That herbed quinoa looks delicious.
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Guess what I just had for dinner?! This really is a great weeknight dish – simple, quick and tasty!! I served it with some broccoli – will certainly be making this again. Thank you for the inspiration!
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