As dark clouds blanketed the evening skies, I hastily made my way to my humble kitchen. Mother Nature was at work on this first day of autumn (well, that’s what the calendar states). However, the elements screamed summer conditions within my midst. With thunder roaring and the skies lighting up, I knew it was quite risky stirring up a pot. However, tell that to my waiting stomach. It didn’t care.
Time was of the essence. I kept my fingers crossed hoping there wouldn’t be an interruption in the electric power. With that in mind, I knew that I wasn’t going to cook from scratch. Moreover, I was exhausted and required much-needed slumber.
I smiled as I made my way to my faithful freezer. Most times, it doesn’t disappoint me. As such, I made a quick rummage through the contents, and my eyes lit up as I spotted the container of curried chicken. I cooked that almost a week ago.Who knows? My foggy brain was trying to focus. So far, so good. All I needed was some carbohydrates and vegetables.
My trek further led me to discover some left-over Jasmine rice. As a matter of fact, there were two small containers which turned out to be just the right amount. I grabbed hold of the frozen spinach at the side of the freezer door. I love to keep a couple of them on hand for times as this.
Thanks to my microwave oven, it produced a quick thawing of my frozen spinach. After about five minutes, I drained the water content and placed spinach in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, softened onions and crushed garlic. I warmed through same and seasoned with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Within a few minutes, my dear microwave yielded quite a feast. No one would have surmised that my supper was left-overs. My curried chicken thighs were piping hot and released mouth-watering aromas. I served same on a fluffy bed of Jasmine rice with a ring of garlic spinach. And, like a true Jamaican, I topped with a serving of fried plantains and a slice of nature’s butter (avocado). I was in heaven.
So funny how Mother Nature works. After all that hoopla of thundering and lightning, no precipitation followed. The sun began to shine.