Vegetarian Tacos With Yellow Rice.

So, tonight’s meal was a bit of an ordeal – not because of the ingredients or the prep work, but because by the time I actually got home, I was in No Mood to cook.  For on my walk home, not seven blocks away from the front door, I was nearly run down by a woman in a red Hyundai who looked me squarely in the eye, waited for me to begin walking across the crosswalk, and then hit the gas, swerving at the last minute to barely miss my right shin by mere inches.

Needless to say, I was Displeased.  And, to be perfectly honest, not feeling the love of the kitchen by the time I neared the house.

But I didn’t want to order out, certainly.  And I couldn’t think of anything any easier than tacos and rice to make, so I forged on ahead with the plan.  And you know what?  By the time everything was cooked, my blood pressure had settled back down to normal and I was laughing along with an episode of “The Golden Girls” that I’d been listening to while I worked.  So I definitely made the right decision.

Now, the details on the meal itself!

When I got home, I put the rice (and a packet of Goya seasoning) into the rice cooker with two cups of water and turned the cooker on.  While it steamed, I chopped up an onion, a Roma tomato, and some lettuce for garnish and put them on a plate to wait (I also opened up a can of sliced black olives and, well, just left them in the can, because I’d just been nearly hit by a car and who had the time for presentation?).  As the rice began to firm up and the water evaporated, I brought out a small pan and opened a bag of Morningstar Farms ground “beef” into it, garnishing it with a little adobo seasoning for good measure.  While the “beef” heated up, I opened a can of refried beans and heated them in a pot over low heat.  Then, with five or so minutes to go until everything was heated through and ready to roll, I put four taco shells in the oven to bake; when they were done, the Taco Bar was ready for service!

(That reminds me: Did any of you have a Taco Bar in the school cafeteria?  I loved the Taco Bar.  It allowed for some lunchtime individualism during what was a highly scheduled, largely conformist schoolday.  Plus, the ingredients tasted good.)

LeeLee and I bellied up to the bar and piled our plates high with tacos, rice, and all the fixins.  We liked everything so much that we each went back sans shells for additional fillings – an instant (and hearty) side salad! ;)

The downside is that nothing was left for tomorrow’s lunch, but that’s OK.  After the way my evening started, just having a healthy dinner on the table was victory enough!

:)