Foodblogging: Sunday, 3/18/07

Okay, so today was one of those days where I sort of had to fend for myself for lunch, and I didn't feel like having a sandwich or anything like that. And so, I went into cooking experiment mode. I didn't want to use up stuff that we might use for supper sometime, so I was forced to work with stuff that we had on hand that we either had a ton of, or that we probably weren't going to use right away. I threw something together, and it didn't turn out half bad. It's not something I would want to eat all the time, but if I had to make a lunch or dinner with these ingredients, I could rest assured of making something edible and filling.

Here's the recipe, if you want to see for yourself whether I veered closer to madness or genius:

PM's Artichoke & Carrot Skillet

Ingredients:
1 12 oz jar artichoke quarters
1 can sliced carrots
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup w/ roasted garlic
Milk with which to fill the soup can
1 cup instant rice
1/4 stick of margarine or butter (4 tablespoons)
1 pinch minced garlic
1 or 2 dashes Paula Deen's Silly Salt (if you don't have Silly Salt, you can substitute a dash of garlic salt combined with a dash of pepper and a pinch of thyme and savory. Or, just salt and season to taste.)

Procedure:
Put a large saucepan on high heat and melt the margarine. Once it's well melted, drain the artichokes and dump them in the saucepan. When the artichoke pieces start to caramelize, flip them and then drain and add the carrots. Add the minced garlic and the Silly Salt and stir the veggies until they're all heated through. Add the cream of mushroom soup and the can of milk. Stir well until it all comes together. Let the mixture come to a boil, then turn down heat to low and allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Add the rice and mix it in well. Allow the mixture to simmer for five more minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve. Serves two, unless you're a p-i-g hog like me and you're hungry, in which case you might eat the whole thing yourself.

Like I said, it's not grand cuisine, but it tasted pretty good and I'm very full. Time to roll myself into the kitchen again and clean the saucepan I dirtied. :o)