Dinner by the seat of my pants!

So I wanted to try a new recipe for dinner and got a few of the ingredients at the store. Everything else I usually have on hand. Tonight I thought it would be fun to try that new recipe out. Then I realized that I ran out of my staple pantry ingredients that the recipe called for and had to get creative. I just figured this would be one of those dinners we would not want to remember. But Hubby really liked it so here it is...

Dinner by the seat of my pants!
1 cup uncooked orzo
1 cup uncooked veggie orzo
2 poached chicken breast cut in LARGE chunks
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 can black beans.
2 roasted red peppers (canned)
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp ginger
salt and pepper


Poach the chicken and save the "stock". Cook orzo and strain and set aside.
Put oil, garlic, chicken and half of all seasonings in skillet to season the chicken. Add a cup of the reserved chicken "stock" and the dried fruit, pepper and beans. Keep moist with more "stock" as needed. Once all is coated well and flavors have blended some add the orzo and remaining seasoning. Add more "stock" to prevent from getting dry. Once all the seasoning is blended and hot. Taste add salt pepper, or more seasonings as desired. ( I added some additional, but wasn't measuring, just did it to our taste).
(I didn't have onions, but I think it really would be better with onion).

I think it looks pretty, but while those first seasonings are cooking, it sure smells weird! The smell gets better once everything blends. I really thought there were going to be too many flavors going on, but Hubby really liked it ;0) Then again, he has eaten raw horse and rotten squid while in Japan, so maybe you should think again before trying this ;0)