Experimentation

Reality check time:  I cook mostly from recipe.  I don't mean stuff on the Food Network website or from cookbooks; I mean my mom and grandma's handwritten (or emailed) recipes, the ones I loved when I was growing up (who's to say I'm not still, though?).  However, tonight, I felt ambitious.  I planned my photo poorly because it just looks like a mess, but it all came together very nicely.

It looks like a bowl of dirty rice, which I guess it is.  It all started when Aimee brought me several cans of Goya black beans in soup.  Now I didn't want to just heat them up and eat them.  I wanted to turn them into a soup or stew or something cool, so I did.  I baked some chicken breast just seasoned with garlic salt and pepper, and I cooked up some bell peppers, onions, and garlic.  Once the chicken was done, I shredded it, threw it in with the veggies, and threw the beans/soup in.  It was a little low on liquid, so I also threw in some chicken stock.  Then I added some cumin (thanks, Brianna) to give it that south of the border flavor.  Then I simmered it to cook off some of the liquid and concentrate the flavors.  I hate to pat myself on the back, but it was really good.  I first tried eating it in a tortilla, but it was a little too soupy for that, so I put it on top of  some white rice that I had frozen and mixed it all together.

I should have taken a photo of all the soupy goodness while it was still in the pot, but I was really interested to find out the best way to eat it.  The photo was sacrificed so I could eat, and I'm mostly okay with that.