Desperation Dinner

We’ve all got them—those recipes or dinner ideas that are mindless, perfect for evenings when the last thing you want to do is stop at the grocery on the way home from work.

My current favorite is Brown Basmati Rice and Black Beans. As soon as I get home, I start the rice, which takes about 45 minutes to cook. Then, after feeding the pets and pouring a glass of wine, I start the beans. This is where whatever is in my refrigerator comes into play. If I’ve got garlic and green onions, I chop them and sauté them in a little olive oil. If I’ve got a jalapeno pepper, I seed and chop it and add it to the sauté. Then I add a can of black beans (rinsed and drained). In last night’s version, I warmed the beans in about a half cup of vegetable broth and added about a tablespoon of Sriracha sauce, a bottled sauce made from ground chilies and garlic. Once the rice is done, I spoon it into soup bowls, add the beans, top them with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheese, and voilà, dinner is served.

Do you have any standby dinners you make with whatever is on hand? I’d be really glad to see some (and I bet my husband would be glad, too).