Make Shift Meal Monday

Monday nights are always rushed for us because we leave for the desert the next morning. Last night was especially hectic because I had some errands to tie up after work before I came home to cook dinner. After running to Home Goods and Target, the last place I wanted to go was the grocery store. I usually do all my grocery shopping on Sundays for the week, but on our Palm Desert weeks...I try to use every last thing in the refrigerator so as not to waste.

I came home and decided to throw together something from what we had in the kitchen. This is one of my favorite ways to cook and the dinner usually ends up being unexpectedly good! My sister can attest that when I was young I would go into the kitchen and pick out the most random ingredients and try to make something from them. I was a cooking chemist!

I vaguely remembered this recipe I saw a while ago with orzo, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, spinach and red onion, but I never printed it out. I had all the ingredients I could remember and just kind of made my own rendition from memory. It was fabulous. We couldn't stop eating it. The only changes I made to the Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta was I used more red onion, only about 1/3 of the oil from the artichokes and fat free feta. I have a hard time pouring all that oil over such a healthy salad! It was extremely tasty with the amount I put on and less calories!

I had some beautiful chicken breasts and just seasoned them with salt, pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, oregano, basil and some tarragon. Just sprinkled away...lots of flavor and after Brian (the new professional BBQ man) grilled it; it was juicy and perfect!

I also made some vegetable packets for him to throw on the grill with some "I can Believe its Not Butter" spray and pepper. I sadly ran out of olive oil the day before so I had to use the less healthy (but secretly good tasting) butter spray. My BFF Bridget and I both use this stuff and enjoy the taste and lack of calories, but I limit it's uses to corn, toast and I guess when I run out of olive oil! I don't normally like chemical experiments in my food!

Chopped Ingredients waiting for the orzo to be ready!

Mmm...Orzo was so colorful and delish!

Grilled Vegetables...easy and tasty!

Spiced Grilled Chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy

For some reason, this week Brian has been obsessed with making guacamole and buying TONS of potato chips! Our pantry has bags and bags of chips...it is so funny! Look at him so intense eating that! Can you believe he ate that whole bowl of dip?? That takes "healthy fat" to a whole knew level...