FREEZER FINDS ON A PRECIPITOUS DAY

Maybe, the scientific community can explain the odd reason for me and others who crave a comforting meal when it precipitates. You see, on my way home to my abode the previous evening it began to rain cats and dogs. Clearly, it wasn’t one of those summer showers, because there was a weather system in the area that brought on continuous rain. And boy, it came down in buckets.

I was home. I was safe; and guess what? I had food on my mind, real food. Okay, I love my green and crispy salads, but for some reason whenever it’s raining on the outskirts, I’ve to indulge in something comforting and filling.

Of course, it didn’t take me long to hatch a plan.I was tired and ravenous. My dear beloved freezer is not just there for making ice and storing uncooked meats/poultry and other foods. You see, whenever I have time on my hands or when I want to unwind, I always cook extra batches of dishes and store in the freezer. Oh,  it seems like I’m a hoarder of cooked grub. You go into my freezer and you’ll never know what you will discover. Call me a little nutty, but often times, I try to date and name the food on the container. One thing hate to do is to pry open a container and have to decipher the contents. That drives me ‘bananas’ especially when I’m hungry.

Anyway, so with a few steps I ventured to my freezer and retrieved a serving of rice and pigeon peas along with braised oxtails. I cooked this over the past week end. The wonderful thing about oxtails is that although it takes quite sometime to tenderize, I can just stick in the oven or on top of the stove and allow it to do its thing until its falling from the bones.

In conjunction with my oxtails, I bought a bag of pigeon peas from the frozen aisle that required just a few minutes of cooking time. This I cooked with an infusion of coconut milk, thyme,garlic, minced onion and green onions. I seasoned with salt and pepper and then added my rice and allowed it to cook to a fluffy finish.

All I needed to do was to defrost my beautiful oxtails and heated it through. I proceeded to steam a quick serving of baby spinach along with left-over carrots/beans. And, for us in Jamaica, no dish is ever complete without a serving of sweet goodness. Therefore, I decided on a few slices of plantain. I finished off my dish with a piece of ‘nature’s butter’, crushed avocado.

Rain, no problem. As I watched the rain formed puddles on my patio, I knew for sure that my stomach was happy and satiated. I smiled and watched the ducks waddled their behinds. Ah, I was happy. Guys, that was a winner of a dish.

And, as always be good to your loved ones as well as your beautiful palates.