Quick & Easy Tonight...

...I'm all for slow food, in fact I just love slow braised meats in rich sauces that you can pop in the oven for a couple of hours and pretty much forget about...but there is also a time for fast, simple, speedy suppers...you know, the kind that can go from raw ingredients to delicious platefuls in about 30-40 minutes...

...and believe me, I am well aware that there are times when corner cutting is a necessity...the odd chilled or bottled sauce here and there are fine, we Mum's can't be superhuman all the time! I know I'm not!!! It's all very well me sharing all these nice home-cooked meals, but I do cheat too...at least once or twice a week I serve up a recipe that has a "cheat's ingredient" or two in there!! However when there are so many quick supper recipes out there, you do have to make an effort some times!!


This is one of those recipes...I got it from a magazine originally, possibly whilst in a doctors waiting room or at the hairdressers...as it was scribbled onto a scrap of paper until I typed it up at some point and now I just make it without looking at any recipe!! But for the life of me I have no idea which magazine it came from, so apologies for not crediting it to anyone!!! What I do know though is that it has only 12 ingredients and is very tasty!!


Fast and Simple Chicken with Orzo...


Time: 30-40 minutes (raw to table...)
Serves: 4 - but I freeze without the orzo and it's fine for about a month!
Ingredients:
* smallest amount of olive oil - about 1/2 tablespoon will be fine...
* 4 chicken breasts, skinless and sliced thinly
* 2 large cloves garlic - crushed
* 1 large onion - sliced into thin half moons
*  pinch of chilli flakes - I have used a sprinkle of cayenne when no chilli can be found in my cupboard
* fresh rosemary - chopped finely - I often use dried oregano if the fridge is bare of fresh rosemary - but rosemary is better!
* a glass of white wine - my glasses are about 250ml!!
* tin chopped tomatoes
* handful black olives - pitted and halved
* tsp sugar
* salt and pepper to season
* orzo to serve - if you've never come across orzo before this is it...

Method:
* Heat half the oil in large non-stick pan (over the years I've changed the pan I use, and now find my Le Crueset best).
* Fry the sliced chicken until browned all over. Usually takes about 10 mins. Season. remove from the pan and put to one side.

* If needed, add rest of oil and fry onion slices, garlic, chilli flakes and rosemary. Takes about 7 mins.

* Add the chicken, tomatoes, wine and sugar (the reason for the sugar is that tomatoes are very acidic and the sugar balances this and enhances the flavour), check seasoning and simmer (low heat) for 10 mins or until sauce has thickened slightly and chicken is cooked through.
* Cook the orzo whilst the chicken simmers...

* Add olives, stir and serve with the orzo...I've also served mine with smaller pasta shapes if no orzo is in my drawer...but try to get it, as it just seems so right with this sauce...

That really is all there is to this recipe...it couldn't be simpler...who needs ready meals when tasty, fresh fast food like this can be made from scratch?!?