Stepping on the scale for the first time in six weeks and discovering I'd gained ten pounds in that period of time was not a great way to start the day. I was already in something of a funk; I'm not sure why. So when it came time to figure out what to make for dinner, I tried to find that fine line between comfort food and low-fat, fresh cooking. I did a quick scan of the fridge -- I didn't feel like going to the grocery store -- and decided to go with a stir-fry. I cooked some brown rice (the most time-consuming aspect of the recipe), chopped leftover chicken, cut up half a sweet onion and half a bell pepper, and got to work. I browned the onion and pepper with a little minced garlic in juices from the leftover chicken -- I had marinated it and then cooked it in a tahini sesame dressing -- and threw in the chicken. When all of that was hot, I added the rice and some leftover peas. I love peas. I stirred until everything was warm. It was delicious.
I don't have an actual recipe. Any leftover meat and vegetables will work. If you're not worried about gluten, you can use pasta instead of rice. I used only about half of the rice I cooked, making the dish more meaty -- or chickeny, in this case -- and mixed in the remaining rice after I had eaten. I'll use those leftovers another night, with an egg or two scrambled in to increase the protein.
Probably anyone who has faced an empty cabinet (or who has kids to feed on a low budget) has learned to make all kinds of stir-fries and casseroles. This just happens to be one of my favorites, and it's filling and warm on a chilly day.
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