I Am Like, In Total Solidarity

With Laura of Fetch My Flying Monkeys. She called for “National Irritate a Food Pic Hater Food Pic Posting Week” or NIAFPHFPPW for short.

The minor fact that she called for pics of food a week ago last Friday, and the week of posting food pics was supposed to take place last week has no bearing on my complete solidarity in this matter. Plus I'm just posting on this one day. Shaddup.

At any rate, I really haven't made anything that made me want to take a pic til tonite, when I made my version of Spanish Rice.

That gold stuff at the edge of the salsa verde and the rice is some sort of camera artifact

I rarely measure, so here goes:

1 lb hamburger
1/2 green bell pepper finely chopped
1/4 yellow onion finely chopped
Couple handfuls of sliced jalapenos from the glass jar variety
1 regular can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
2 cans WallyWorld generic Rotel style diced tomatoes and green chilis
1 1/2 cup instant rice
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Basil
Cumin
Chili powder
Cilantro
And a healthy dollop of this:

 I don't add very much because of the sodium, but if you want a tad more tomato flavor and some chicken stock, which adds to almost any kind of dish quite well no matter the meat used, this is the stuff. I get the granulated version. Easier to measure more finely and mix in.

So, brown the meat and veggies until they are just about done, then add all the other stuff. I never measure the spices - just open the top and sprinkle across the top until it looks right. Not so much with the black pepper, there are limits ya know. It will for sure take some added water as well - the rice will soak up all the liquid present and need more to cook out.

I also add about fifteen or twenty shakes of this:

I tell ya what, IMHO this is the best hot sauce there is. Far better flavor than any of Tabasco's offerings at about a fifth of the price. We're not paying for all the fancy tv ads with this stuff. Tapatio is another that has a great flavor. It's different, and maybe slightly hotter than the Louisiana brand. Still freaking tasty, AFAIC.

Sooo, ya let this simmer and cook until the rice absorbs all the water and is cooked and soft. You have to keep stirring and gradually adding small amounts of water - when the sauce starts blowing out big ol' gloopy sounds from large bubbles popping - turn the heat down and add a little water to thin it out.

I usually make this as a copycat version of Rice-A-Roni by using vermicelli noodles broken very short, and sauteing them and regular rice with the meat and veggies to brown them. Takes longer to cook, but it's a different texture. That was actually my Dad's idea - he spent a ton of time puttering in the kitchen to good effect, as most of the old neighbors and relatives can attest. Another pasta alternative that gives the same results is acini di pepe, which also works well sucking up moisture in stews. I also use barley for that as well, but I'd bet barley in this stuff would probably be a fail!

So, when it's done and ready to eat, I'll put it in a bowl and mix in some grated cheddar and then top it all with some of this:

World Table is WalMart's attempt at making some of their brands more upmarket than just generic stuff. I've kinda developed a taste for salsa verde over the years, and this stuff has just the right acidic but not sweet taste I've found. Basically it kicks ass.

Sooo, this is just a down and dirty quick and easy to prepare meal, or rather for me, several meals since I ate two bowls and have two snap lid containers full in the fridge right now.

And also for Laura - I made a smart alec comment on her blog about how I could parallel park my semi on a post where she admitted she hated and avoided parking like that. Well, just for her, I have visual proof that I (or I got someone else to do it, but that ain't what happened - I did it) actually had to use parallel parking techniques to fit into this spot.

This is at the Comfort Inn in Colby KS and that pillar is one of two that hold up a huge sign that can be seen for miles. I have to pull beside them and then back into that spot. There is also a T/A truck stop there, and a Village Inn, and it's all called The Oasis - thus the palm trees in the background. That particular Comfort Inn has the Jeffro seal of approval, by the way. Finest kind.