Scavenging Breakfast

     Okay, it's not from nothing and random weeds; but I haven't been able to go the the grocery as much as I'd prefer.

     I had microwave brown Basmati rice, a "half-sized" can of Spam, eggs and some carrots.  Dried soybeans intended for snacking.  Some wasabi peas, likewise.  Dried minced onion, chives, cilantro, parsley. A takeout-sized packet of soy sauce.  It's plenty.

     Diced the Spam and started it browning.  Put a heaping teaspoon or a bit more of the soybeans in a glass custard cup of water and gave it thirty seconds in the microwave while minding the Spam.  (I find a small, non-stick-friendly spatula makes an excellent Spam-minder.)  Added a half-dozen dried wasabi peas, a half-teaspoon of minced onion and gave it another thirty, let it cool enough to handle, then parked it on the back of the stove and added some chives, cilantro, parsley and a little more minced onion.  The goal is to not have much water left over.

     While that was going on, I diced a handful of baby carrots into pea-and-bean-sized sections and added them to the Spam, giving it a good stir.  I zapped the rice for a minute and a half and checked the fringe for stuff.  One last Piparra pepper in the jar, so I sat it and a par of kitchen shears handy to the stove.  Pushed the Spam and carrots to the side, added the rice, snipped the pepper over it, poured the packet of soy sauce over that, turned the heat up and stirred the rice vigorously until it was all the same color, then added in the rehydrated soybeans, peas and onion, and mixed it all in, bringing in the Spam and carrots.  I went after it for a minute or so, then pushed it to the sides, broke a couple of eggs into it and scrambled them in the center with a bamboo skewer.  When the eggs were done, I mixed the remainder of the contents in, and there you have it.

     Made myself a bowl and took it back to the office.  "Got some breakfast stuff out there, if you want any.  Spam-fried rice."
     Tam: "H'mm."
     A few minutes later, she went out to take a look.
     "Whattaya think?"
     "It's got beans in it.  I'm not all that hungry."
     They're no more than grace notes, but I will never get her to liking most legumes.  Not even good Hoosier soybeans packed with protein, or wasabi peas with a lingering mild zing.  I won't kid you; my definition of "freedom from want" is being able to make a meal with a whole lot of different things in it.  You live on ramen, hot dogs and the occasional egg long enough and you might be a little that way, too.