Who here throws stuff into a pot and it always comes out good

[Tektonik]

For lunch I wanted to make something cheap but filling, so I brought out some cans, and made this stew/chili:

1 of the big cans of hominy
1 small can of Ro*Tel
1 can of pinto beans
1/4 of peanut butter
1 cup of frozen diced mango
2 tablespoons of spicy mustard
celery seed, sriracha, salt and pepper to taste (which you'll need a lot since hominy is so bland)

[eleny]

1. Was the peanut butter a "what the heck, I'll try it" kind of thing?

Just curious. Or maybe you routinely add it. I'd like to know how strong its flavor comes through. Do tell!

[Tektonik]

2. I add PB to lots of stews and soups

It adds creaminess without me having to add dairy or meat products.

Oh and I added some canola oil into the mix, which I omitted above.

[eleny]

3. Thanks - that's good to know

Do those dishes have a strong peanut flavor? Does it dominate?

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Peanuts or peanut butter are common ingredients in some Asian food

Notably Thai.

It really adds a nice .... well ..... nutty taste. It is not something our western sensibilities allow us to routinely consider, but when you try it you say, "Hey ... that's pretty good'.

[Warpy]

5. PB is a great addition to a lot of vegetarian fare

and I used to add it to a sort of steamed bread thing I did that came out tasting remarkably like bologna.

I usually add a blob or so to chilis for the thickening, extra protein, and more depth of flavor.

I add it to a lot of Chinese barbecue sauces and marinades.

What I think was the stroke of genius in this one was the frozen mango.

[Phentex]

4. I won't say always good but

the problem is when I feed it to others who want the recipe. I usually tweak other people's recipes. Then I find myself typing up a recipe with notes like (but I add more than this; I also add such & such; I don't do this.) When you cook from scratch, it can be a pain to re-create!

[Arkansas Granny]

6. I had to get good at that kind of thing when I was raising 4 kids as a single mom.

My sister once told me that she thought I could make a meal out of a can of tuna and a package of kool-aid.

[Tab]

7. Throw in some pot?

Sure, that'll ... oh, wait. That's not what you said.

Well, I can't always pull it off, but at least you can never go wrong with Ro-Tel.

[kestrel91316]

9. Oh, dear. You lost me there with the PB and mango, lol.

Not with hominy and tomatoes and beans. That's just WRONG.

[Tektonik]

10. It was DELICIOUS

Nutty, sweet, n tangy all fought off the evil blandness of the hominy.

[hippywife]

11. I cannot eat hominy.

I tried it once and spit it right back out without chewing it. What nasty chemically tasting stuff that was. Blech!

I usually can throw things together in a pot and make it taste good but I think most of us who love to cook, read lots of recipes, and watch lots of cooking shows can. After a while, it's like osmosis. You automatically know what flavors are going to compliment each other and work well together. That's mytake on it anyway.