HouseHonning: After the Weekend

I don't know about you, but I am the type of person who just doesn't want to clean during the weekend.  At all.  Especially when I'm teaching two classes and trying to have fun in between.  So maybe take-out containers don't quite make it into the trash.  So the laundry piles up.  So nobody plans the meals for the next week.  I can do it tomorrow, right?

Oh, look.  It's Monday.  Oops.

Well, today I have been very good and tried to catch up.  I'm on my second load of laundry, I've done dishes and cleaned the kitchen.  I also put together my lunches for this week.  I made curried chicken salad, a perennial favorite - mayo, Greek yogurt, hot curry powder, ginger, honey, onion, and diced chicken.  I enjoyed a scoop of that, a banana smoothie, and a few chapters of an Anita Blake book.

I'll be cooking chicken tonight, as well.  It's the simplest recipe on earth, actually, but makes quite a lot and can be used for burritos or quesadillas for G's lunches.  I invented it when I had a lot of miscellaneous things in the pantry and some truly boring chicken in the fridge.  (It's very semi-homemade.  Don't judge.)

3 pounds chicken tenders
1 can black bean jalapeno soup
1 can kidney beans
1 box Spanish rice
1 medium onion, diced
blend of Mexican cheeses

Marinade:

Habanero pepper
Paprika
Chili pepper
Minced garlic
Oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar


1.  In a large bowl, mix marinade ingredients.  This is all really to your taste, but make sure you have enough liquid for your chicken.  Place chicken in the bowl, coating it with marinade.  Cover and refrigerate (less than 4 hours, otherwise the vinegar will break down the chicken and make it mushy).

2.  Pour yourself a refreshing beverage, such as chilled coconut water.  Pick out your favorite CD, such as the Buena Vista Social Club, and play it at maximum volume.

3.  In the mean time, prepare rice as per the directions on the back of the box.  Do not over cook.

4.  Preheat oven to 350.  Place chicken in a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes.

5.  This is the really easy part.  Pour rice, beans, and onion over the chicken.  Cover the mixture with the can of soup, then sprinkle cheese on top.  Bake for additional 15 minutes.  And you're done.


This is a good recipe for the, "what the heck am I going to make for dinner?" days.  And so many leftovers!

Ok, back to the grindstone...