Beware the Spicy Thumb

I was making up a quick dinner last night....one of my longtime favorites: Spanish rice. In fact, I like this so much, that for my birthday at least a couple of years as a kid, I asked mom to make me Spanish rice with Lima beans. My siblings hated me. But it was my favorite.

So anyway, I have tried different variations on this dish, all with some success, but I think last nights version was one of my favorites. It goes like this...

In a large skillet-shaped pan (not necessarily a non-stick pan) brown your meat of choice....traditionally hamburger, but last night, I used canned chicken, which was awesome.

add chopped peppers and onions: with hamburger, bell peppers are good. Last night, however, I used a sweet yellow pepper and one small jalapeno. More on that later.

when these have sufficiently carmelized, add two cups of tomato juice or if you like it a bit thicker, tomato sauce. I like the tomato juice and that is what I used last night.

At this point, you will want to add spices. I used a taco seasoning packet, but sometimes I just use chili pepper, cumin, salt and pepper and whatever else looks good.

When I have them and I'm in the mood, I throw in a can of beans. Last night I used a can of black beans that I had drained. I liked the colors with the yellow pepper and the black beans and the red sauce.

Getting hungry? I also throw in corn if I have it. I didn't have any last night, so I didn't.

Lastly, 2 cups of instant rice. Leave it on the burner, but turn it off, stir in the rice, and put the lid on. Leave it for about 10 minutes to let the rice absorb the tomato juice.

And then, if you are feeling really decadent, throw on some shredded cheese...I used sharp cheddar and it was good stuff.

I think this chicken version would be delicious in a tortilla...which is probably going to be lunch today.

It takes about a 1/2 hour to make, and is totally customizable depending on what you have on hand. My mom used hamburger and never added beans or corn. Just use what you've got.

But, one note of caution: apparently, jalapenos will cause your skin to burn. For hours. Or in my case, overnight. I noticed my thumb burning away last night...just under the nail, where I had dragged the seeds out of the pepper. I found it curious and I chased Robb around the house until he agreed to taste it. He was not excited about this at all, but I called him a woosie and he didn't like that much, so he agreed to taste it. It's still hot this morning. So just beware the burning thumb.