Invention

Sometimes you just have to make something up.  It's a popular concept on "Ready Steady Cook" and even "Masterchef" has it's invention test.

See what you have in the cupboard and the fridge and concoct something for tea.

One example is the Miriani on this blog.  A kind of Biryani but using mexican flavours like chipotle paste.

Here's another one:

Cosotto

This is a bit of a mishmash.  I made a tomato sauce with added chorizo and Mattesons pork sausage and then instead of cooking pasta to serve it with, I added giant couscous.

So, here's how I made it.

Fry up a chopped onion and a clove of garlic with some chopped chorizo.  I had about 100g chorizo left in my fridge.

Add whatever veg you fancy, eg peppers, courgettes, mushrooms, frozen peas or sweetcorn.  Hey, it's your meal, add what you like. Add herbs eg oregano and thyme or spices like chilli flakes or smoked paprika.

Add a tin of chopped tomatoes or passata and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

At this point, I added chunks of Mattesons smoked pork sausage, but you could add chunks of ham or cooked chicken. (If you want to use raw chicken add it with the chorizo). Prawns would be nice too.

Now add the couscous.  I used the giant couscous which needs about 10 minutes cooking.  If you wanted to use the small grained one, add it and it'll take a couple of minutes to soak up the juices. Add extra water or stock if your mixture is too dry.

Once the couscous is cooked, it's ready.  

It's good cold for lunch the next day as well!

You could use orzo pasta instead of couscous, or some small pasta shapes.  Your tea, your choice.