Dirty Rice

Follow the instructions on the box. Summary: bring water and oil to a boil, add cooked meat and contents of rice/seasoning package.  Stir, bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover the pot.  Simmer until done (about 20 minutes).

This is a great dish to fix with weekend leftovers.  Did your parents take you out to dinner?  Did you grill outside the commons?  Did you eat Chinese food on Saturday?  Take any leftover meat and if it is covered with sauce, wash off the sauce by pouring water over the meat in a colander (big bowl with holes in it) until your meat is naked.  Chop your leftover meat into bite-sized pieces and add into the dish as directed in the directions on the box.

Browning meat: place meat directly into a non-stick skillet and fry on high, stirring with a wooden or plastic spoon until all pieces are light brown in color.  Pour off excess fat, although there shouldn’t be much if you are purchasing at least 95% fat-free ground beef.  Add your browned meat into the dish as instructed in the notes on the box.

Vegetarians: Saute 2 cups of chopped celery, onion, and bell pepper to replace the meat.

OR if you’ve been cooking for a while, try replacing the bell pepper and celery with 2 Japanese eggplants (long and thin, like a cucumber, but still has the traditional purple-black colored skin).  Japanese eggplant has a very thin outer skin, so you don’t have to peel it.  Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch wide pieces and saute with chunks of onion.  When both vegetables are tender, chop into very small pieces with food processor or hand chopper.  Return to the skillet to continue “browning.”  When your vegetables are medium to dark brown, use them in place of the meat in the dirty rice.  Follow the rest of the instructions on the box.