This morning I finally assembled the layered spinach salad I mentioned a few days ago, and left it to chill. My husband and I then went grocery shopping and on impulse I bought a 24.2-ounce bag of Chef’s Choice Chicken Stir Fry. The prepared meal came with three packets – one with vegetables, one with pre-cooked sliced chicken and another with the “gourmet” sauce. Since I’ve never used the brand – and rarely make dinner from a “bag” – I decided to add some extra chicken because what came with the meal seemed a bit paltry. I slow-boiled six drumsticks and later pulled the meat off in medium-sized chunks.

 

When it came time to throw the stir fry together, I added the drumstick meat with the packaged offering along with the rest of the ingredients. I have to say the meal turned out rather well. Even the vegetables were crisp-tender (just the way I like them), and the “gourmet” sauce had a sweet tang that lasted well into the next bite.

 

However, the best part of the meal was the layered spinach salad. When dinner was almost ready, I took the salad out of the refrigerator (which had been chilling all day), and added the last of the ingredients: crumbled bacon and Spanish peanuts (both of which acted as a “crust” of sorts). My husband is not a big fan of radishes or Ranch dressing, but he raved about the salad combination and even packed up a portion to take to work. When I initially assembled the salad I cut the ingredients in half, and the result was plenty for two people with more than half left over. I also used fresh baby spinach (pre-stemmed and cleaned), and the leaves were tender and manageable.

 

That’s my bit of cooking for the weekend – I have some writing to tend to. Ever grateful for a meal from his webmaster-recipe-hound-author wife, my husband took care of the dishes without one grumble of protest.