Dinner With What's On Hand

      Sunday night, I was a little tired from yard work (and had made scant progress on a wild area of maple saplings and some tree-like weeds).  I didn't want to reheat leftovers, but what did I have?

     Let's see, the tail end of a batch of Canadian bacon, a couple of slices; part of a bag of fresh Shishito peppers; eggs; part of a jar of chunky salsa; a little can of green chilies and, in a corner of the cupboard, a microwave-in-bag of Puerto Rican Rice & Gandules Sofrito.  Gandules are pigeon peas, a delightful legume with a distinctive flavor.

     I heated up the rice and beans per the package while lightly frying the ham.  Then I added the rice to the skillet and cooked it a bit before pouring in the can of chilies (with a healthy sprinkle of dried onion flakes; chopped green onions would have been better, but I didn't have any) and snipping in three large Shishitos.  I gave that a stir, pushed it to the sides and scrambled a couple of eggs in the center.  When the eggs were cooked, I mixed it all back together and gave it just a little more time.  Served in a bowl with a large dollop of chunky salsa on top, it was warm and filling.

     While it was cooking, I remembered I had fresh mushrooms, too, but it was too late.  I had some of them in an omelet this morning, along with bacon, another Shishito pepper, Swiss cheese, a little feta cheese and an olive.

     Some people look down on beans and rice as "poverty food."  You're missing out.  There are remarkably many distinct combinations and most of them are delicious.  Your fellow humans are a clever bunch and you should probably go try what they're having for dinner, if you have the chance.