Day 153: Not Feelin' It

I just wasn't in the mood to cook up a big involved dinner tonight.  Luckily for me, we had a fridge full of veggies that I knew would roast up nicely.  This is a very easy preparation for a work night.  It takes awhile to cook, especially if you use dense firm veggies like carrots, but it's tasty, healthy, and goes with whatever protein you want to eat with it.

Our mix included cauliflower, broccoli, bell pepper, zucchini, pear tomatoes, onion, and carrots.  Everything was cut into large pieces and mixed with olive oil, chopped garlic, lots of fresh thyme, and S&P.  This mixture roasted in a large glass baking dish at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Once it's done, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the whole thing.  If you want it perfect, put the carrots in alone first for 5-10 extra minutes and then add everything else.  If you do it this way, you can cook everything else for less time.

I chose an equally easy protein to have the roasted veggie side dish.  I purchased a couple of skinless, boneless chicken breasts and pounded them thin between two layers of plastic wrap.  You can skip this step, but it helps the chicken cook MUCH faster, so I recommend you at least give it a try.  Then I seasoned the chicken on both sides with S&P and browned it in an olive oil coated pan that I had pre-heated.  Just a couple of minutes on each side, and it was done, so you'll want to cook the chicken once your veggies are done to everything is nice and hot at the same time.

If you want to add just a little flair to this otherwise extremely simple meal, you can then sprinkle one side of the chicken breast with some freshly grated parm and stick it under the broiler for a couple of minutes.

I've noticed that as the week goes on, my cooking enthusiasm wanes and wanes until Friday, when all I want to do is go out and have someone cook for and serve me.  Hey, tomorrow's Friday!  TGIF!!