Pork, Corn, Rice & Chillie

Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise. – Anonymous

Risky refrigerator raiding? No. Quick and healthy? Yes.

This is my 1,000th post. Wow. I seem to have a lot to say, eh?  :-)  – Docaitta

Sometimes you just don’t have time to fuss over dinner, right? So wouldn’t it be nice to have a recipe that you can just stick on the stove and let go – all within less than 1/2 hour?

This one’s it. Stir, cover and go do something else important. Not that dinner isn’t important. You still have to put something nutritious on the table. But what if your dinner problem is compounded by having leftovers to deal with? No problem there either.

We barbecued some boneless pork chops a few days ago and made too many. It’s difficult to buy chops on sale for two. Luckily there are many uses for pre-cooked pork. And barbecued adds a nice, smokey flavour.

I have to admit, I took a risk and made this recipe up on the spot. I had the chops, an opened jar of tomato sauce, and some local corn I had purchased a few days previously. Things had to be dealt with.

This one’s a good recipe. It has all the flavours of Tex-Mex food, with the addition of rice right in it to extend it to a one-pot meal.

If you know what you’re doing you can steer almost any dish towards a certain region’s cuisine. I’ve mentioned this before – what makes something Italian, Greek, French, etc. All it takes is sone chutzpa.

The lesson I learned from all this? Don’t let “leftover” bits in your fridge deter you from culinary bravery, or a good dinner your family will enjoy.

This could just as easily have used beef or chicken. So if you have barbecued leftovers, perhaps think about bringing them in and putting them in a pot with some rice and corn. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good, and filling, "leftovers" can be!

I love one pot meals. I'm dishwashing averse.

Pork, Corn, Rice & Chillie

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook 20-25 min  |  Serves 4

300 g pre-cooked cubed pork (2-3 chops)

3 ears corn kernels

1 cup long grain rice

1 cup tomato sauce (or thin salsa)

3 cups water

1 med onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 or 2 jalapeños, diced

1 tsp cumin seed

1/2 tsp thyme, ground

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

sour cream and hot sauce, optional at table

Combine all ingredients (except for the sour cream) in a large pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Let cook for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes more.

Serve with sour cream and hot sauce at the table.

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