Orange marinated Chicken and roasted Veg with Orzo

 

We live with a vegetarian who is allergic to oranges. She is in Cape Town at the moment, and we miss her every day. However, I jumped at the chance of making a meal to this tune while I had the chance.

Since exams started, we have turned our sitting room into a Zone of Higher Intelligence. Files and notes are littered around a massive table, millions of tea cups and coloured kokis are dotted around a box of tissues for our winter sniffles. Glorious. We really needed a wholesome dinner, and a good dose of orange healthy goodness.

Easy pasta with sweetcorn, cottage cheese, basil and cherry tomatoes

The first time I made this recipe was when I lived in residence last year, during November exams. I couldn't stand res food any longer. The inedible grey vegetables, deep fried everything, and fatty meat were giving me scurvy, I believed.  So I started cooking in my sardine-sized room with the help of the res microwave. The recipe is simple, easy, comforting and nutritious. Just what my lazy brain needed last night.

If you do live in res, and need to cook the pasta in the microwave- just place boiling water in a microwavable bowl and nuke until boiling, then add the pasta, cover in cling wrap, poke a few holes in and cook until done.

Feeds four

• 2 fresh cobs of sweetcorn, husks removed
• 250g pasta shells (the packet says gnocchi but who are they trying to kid?)
• 3 tablespoons chunky cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• Handful cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Dash of good olive oil
• Salt and fresh black pepper
• Few leaves fresh basil, chopped

1. Break the corn cobs in half and place in a microwavable bowl. Add about 50ml boiling water and cover in cling wrap. Poke a few holes in and microwave on high for about 10 minutes, or until the corn is cooked.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water with a dash of oil until just done.
3. Remove the corn from the microwave, and holding it up vertically, cut the nibs off with a knife. Add to the cooked pasta along with the remaining ingredients and voilá, so quick, so satisfying.