yet another "door knock"

When you are creating a dinner from your own pantry/fridge/freezer, it is important to think in terms of what flavors go well together.  I had some chicken thighs in the freezer.  Jim loves them cooked skin-side down to crispy perfection.  All that is required there is to plop them in a pan, on medium low heat, and let the skin crisp while the meat cooks.  Leave them skin side down in a nonstick skillet, and you won't be disappointed.

The next order of business was to get after some veggies that would taste good with chicken.  I had mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and arugula.  I had thyme in the garden.  All in all, a great combo of veggies, so I chopped the shallots, garlic, and shrooms, and when the chicken was crispy and cooked through and seasoned with salt and pepper, I drained the fat, and let the veggies deglaze the pan.

it's quick work to chop the veggies

tossing veggies into the chicken pan, once the fat is drained, 

does a great job of deglazing

At the same time, I started some pasta water.  Once it was boiling, I added some little shells I had on hand.  Once the veggies were soft and starting to brown, I added some demi glace (stock would work, too) a cup of Madeira, and some sprigs of thyme.  When the shells were al dente, I tossed them with the veggies, and some arugula left over in the fridge.  That, topped with the crispy chicken, made a tasty and attractive dinner.

the finished dish

With an open mind, and a good look in the fridge, a good meal is on the way...