Items from the free food shelf

Takes place in a hostel in (of all places) outback Australia.

The free food shelf is a familiar thing to frequent hostel dwellers and can add spice (literally) to potentially otherwise bland sustenance. That is, if you can get your head around a communal and constantly rotating kitchen full of the competing smells of foreign foods and meals that often contain items of a donated variety. You don't need to miss condiments when you travel.

The free food shelf held, among other things, kejap manis (a sweet Indonesian soy sauce), cucumber salad dressing, sweet thai chili sauce, a tin of sliced pineapple (in juice) and a bottle of olive oil.

We bought pita bread for 79 cents, a tomato for 50 cents, cucumber was $1.99 and chicken for $2.89.

Heat a little oil in a skillet, sear chicken pieces on all sides. I use skinless, boneless chicken breast, although the thighs were good.
Add the juice from the tinned pineapple.
Add sweet chili sauce and kejap manis to taste.
Cover and simmer (medium heat) until chicken is nearly done.
Remove the lid and reduce the sauce. (We sliced the chicken and added it back to coat with the sliced pineapple.)

An invention of Epicurean proportions, maybe not. But it filled the gap. And my former travel mate (we still keep in touch) also makes it from time to time.

Served in a pita, with the sliced vegetables, pineapple and a little of the dressing, lettuce would have filled it out nicely.

I'll add some when I make it tonight.

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