Tin Can Gourmet #1

OK, it's time for what I hope will be at least a two-part series over the course of... well.. whenever I have something to share.

The scenario: You have no access to fresh vegetables, and store-bought meat is pretty expensive (although you have some). Plan some home-made meals. Basically, bush teachers, tundra-dwellers, assorted other creative culinary peeps, give me your best. The rules are as follows: None of this "I was in Bethel last weekend and picked up a boatload of fresh veggies" crap. We're talking frozen, canned, dried. Give me a good recipe. Onions and potatoes are OK to include in recipes because they can occasionally be found in village stores.

Tip #1: When using canned vegetables, your faucet is your friend. throw them in the strainer or colander and rinse off the icky juice they come in.

Recipe #1: Tomato-Corn-Black Bean soup
(Sorry, I'm not a "measurement" cooker. It's soup, anyway... it's not rocket science)

Ingredients:
Oil (really... you're in the bush... use what you have. I'm not going to specify)
1 onion, chopped
Some garlic from a jar
4 cans tomatoes, rinsed and chopped
1 or 2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 can corn, rinsed like there's no tomorrow
chicken or vegetable broth... more than you think; the rice will soak up a bunch
rice/quinoa/noodles (for the uninspired only)/other grain item

Directions:
1. Put oil in a pan. When the oil's hot, add the onions and garlic. Don't go nuts on the garlic. I know it's good, but you don't need to put that much garlic in EVERYTHING. Cook 'em 'til they're clear, not brown.
2. Add the onion/garlic mixture, broth, beans, tomatoes, and corn
3. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down and cover it to simmer. Cook it for a while.
4. If you're, you know, a GOOD cook (unlike my lazy-ass self), cook the rice separately and add it. If you're me, bring the whole mess back up to a boil and add the rice.
5. Cook it some more.
6. Stop cooking it.
7. Eat it.
8. This makes what can only be referred to as a buttload of soup, especially for one person. Invite your neighbors over. Or freeze it. Or, invite your friends over, then freeze the leftovers.

I also added some red hot sauce, just cuz I like it SPICY, but I can't imagine that most would like it.

ETA: I forgot... add dried cilantro and a couple bay leaves. Also, I made a very embarrassing grammatical error, so I fixed it.