Usually I give my oven dirty looks and spit on my stove with disdain whenever they attempt to entice me into warming their metal racks or caressing them with pots and pans. This part of the kitchen and I are mortal enemies, fighting daily with flame and fist and spit. The oven beckons, I slam its door; the stove hollers, I sinisterly turn on the sink. On the other hand, the microwave and I have a tight bond that goes back decades. We’ve banded together against the stove and oven and tell jokes about their lack of convenience, snickering within hearing distance. Having been a long-time member of the Instant Meal Gang (Our colors? Orange like EasyMac, baby), you can imagine what a tremendous ordeal it was to finally put this feud to rest, all for the sake of a homework assignment. I brought the stove and oven a peace offering of new pans. “What’s the catch?” They asked warily. “No catch, I just want to use you. Be friends again. I swear.” They didn’t believe me, so I showed them my homework assignment and they hesitantly accepted, cockeyed all along. We were fortunate enough that everyone got out of this situation alive. Now on relatively good terms, I searched for a recipe. I landed on a dish that seemed like a fail-safe for a beginner: Southwestern Fried Rice.
Constantly afraid that the stove would devour my food in flames as revenge, I remained at least 2 feet away at all times, which, as you might imagine, is very difficult to do while cooking. My boyfriend, peering from afar in the living room (he is also a member of the Instant Meal Gang), cringed as I added the corn. “Hey babe, it’s part of the recipe,” I replied like a true chef. By the time the meal was done, I laid my fears to rest. The dish actually tasted good, thanks to the stove and I finally burying the hatchet. My boyfriend and I discarded our EasyMac and shook hands/handles with the oven, preparing for the long, non-instant food journey that awaits us.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Clove Garlic Minced
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Cup Uncooked Instant Whole Grain Brown Rice
1 Can Whole Kernel Corn With Peppers
1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Dried Oregano
Cooking Directions:
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook and stir until onion is tender. Add Broth, Bring to a boil. Stir in remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low, Cover and simmer cook 10 additional minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with fork or rice spatula before serving.
Excursion Cookbook 