Quick “No Husband” Dinner

Am I the only one who doesn’t really bother cooking when her husband isn’t home at dinner time? Jonas is usually just as happy to sit down to cereal or cheese & crackers as he would be to have a real meal… and I just can’t slave over a big elaborate dinner, just to offer it to a finicky 3 year old who might take one bite and announce he’s done! So the last few weeks of Chris on night float have been interesting. Lots of canned soups, cereal, sandwiches, and leftovers for dinner. Tonight I was hungry for something substantial – but it had to be easy, and it had to come out of my existing pantry/freezer stuff, and it couldn’t use up something I’d need for one of my “real” menus planned for the next couple of weekends (when Chris is home and I really cook). Here’s what I came up with:

Brown one boneless, skinless chicken breast in a skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder. Cook on both sides until it feels done (you know, that trick where you press it and feel how firm it is?) and then transfer to a cutting board.

Open a can of Bush’s Pinto Beans. (So yummy, I have been known to just heat up a can of these beans and eat them solo.) Add the contents to your still-hot skillet and use the liquid to scrape up the yummy chicken bits stuck to the bottom. Salt and pepper to taste.

Now that your chicken has rested, cut it into bite sized pieces and toss it back into the skillet with your beans. Mine was not-quite-cooked through, so it hung out until it was finished. If yours is well cooked, just let the beans heat up.

Pile the whole skillet’s worth into your favorite cozy bowl (I have a bumblebee mug/soup crock that fits just perfectly!) and scatter a sliced scallion across the top. Super quick, very satisfying, rather healthy, and EASY! Gotta love it.

(BTW, still working on the Jonas post….)