Heavy Metal Jazz

So my girlfriend is out of the state, along with nearly every one of my Minneapolis friends; my evening is dictated by cooking and listening to music.

And drinking.

But not too heavily.

Anyway - I've perfected my age-old recipe. This dish currently does not have a name. There's nothing too startling about it to necessitate some sort of fancy moniker. I have nothing to prove to Emeril Lagasse. Besides, the poor man has enough to worry about down in New Orleans. Hell, I could probably sell him the recipe and make some money.

Uh-oh: now I'm thinking like the TEA Party. Or something.

Anyway, the recipe is as follows:

2 cup(s) of long grain rice (rinsed)
3/4 cup(s) water
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can of green chilies
1 packet of chili seasoning (severity of spice is subject to taste - I prefer 'hot')
1/2 tomato (diced)
1/2 yellow onion (diced...Side Note: I used two green onions for the mix tonight. Common sense points toward a yellow onion, however. Discrepancy is the name of the game, people.)

In a big fucking skillet (this is important since the mix makes a whole lot of finished product; capacity of said skillet I couldn't tell you; just make sure it's fucking big), add: rice, water, chicken broth, tomato sauce, corn, green chilies, and chili seasoning. Mix all of these ingredient together well, keeping the stove between medium and medium-high heat. Once ambient heat is felt, increase the temperature to high and bring the whole concoction to a boil.

Once we've come to boiling, cover the skillet and reduce the heat to simmering. Check back and stir every few minutes as the rice will be prone to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Upon your second visit to Easy-Mass-Quantity-Dish-Which-Happens-to-Be-Simmering, add the diced tomato and onion. Stir everything together and let simmer for another five minutes, checking back periodically to stir.

Upon reduction of sauce, the dish is ready to serve! I highly advise serving spoonfuls over corn tortillas; perhaps making chimichangas (sort of) would be another way to serve Easy-Mass-Quantity-Dish-Which-Happens-to-Be-Done-Simmering.

Side Note: Protein is recommended but not essential. Slicing up and cooking a chicken breast beforehand, then adding the rest of the ingredients once the chicken is fully cooked is the 'classic' way to enjoy this dish. Tofu can be used as well.

For tonight, I'm enjoying some La Preferida Mexican Homestyle Beans (Zesty!) over the top of Easy-Mass-Quantity-Dish-Which-Happens-to-Be-Delicious. Again, this is all subject to taste.


What isn't so subject to taste, however, is good music. Here are a few albums to chew on:

You Lost Me At Hello -
Jitterbug - Bushman's Revenge

The Bride Screamed Murder - The Melvins

Lights Out Zoltar - Gemma Ray

History From Below - Delta Spirit

Mind Made Up - A Certain Ratio

Brothers - The Black Keys

Ethnic Expressions - Roy Brooks and the Artistic Truth

Revolutions per Minute - Reflections Eternal

The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monae