We got home Friday evening and, after feeding the cats, doing the insulin injections, putting away the groceries, and taking a deep breath, we almost opted for leftovers.

Instead, we raided the freezer and came up with a few chicken thighs that should have been used a couple of months ago. While they were thawing in the microwave, I heated one of our cast iron pans, and dropped in some olive oil and a handful of chopped onion, stirring until the onion started to brown. Then I added garlic and the chicken, until the chicken was browned on both sides.

Then came a couple of chopped hot peppers, those little skinny peppers that require a bit of care, along with a splash of Penzeys Cajun spice mix, a little extra black pepper and a pinch of cumin. Then I added a bit of water, maybe a half cup, covered the pan, and let the chicken simmer while a small pot of rice cooked and Meda did one of her quick Caesar salads with anchovies.

Meda likes Cardini’s fat free Caesar dressing, then modifies it a bit with F/F sour cream, F/F yogurt, a splash (or two) of chili pepper water, and of course those anchovies.

Finally, I took a handful of small sweet peppers (I buy the bag of them at Costco), cut them in half or thirds, and dropped them in to steam for about 7-8 minutes. Then it was ready to serve.

And here it is, plated and on the table, with the salad and a bottle of inexpensive, Alice White red wine from somewhere in Australia.

And just one more thing. The cat! That’s Ms. Harry (also known as Harriet) taking up her position.

Leftover chicken will go into sandwiches or burritos later in the weekend.