By Dody

CELEBRATING IN CAYMAN

In a twenty seven day period, Mike and I celebrate both our birthdays and wedding anniversary. We decided to celebrate in Grand Cayman this year and have been on Seven Mile Beach since Saturday. Really good decision. Mike is known to often say that holidays mean different things to different people. Some people want lots of activity and people around them. Others want great adventures that challenge you physically and mentally. Then there are those like us who want seclusion, privacy, quiet and clear, Caribbean water.

We found that serenity in a complex with just a few units. There is only one other couple here. Mike questioned, :”Why are there so few people here?” I remind him that school is starting and most families have more prevalent things to do at the moment. So we share our home for two weeks with chickens. roosters. lizards. iguanas and one other couple.

Said couple is close to our age. They come out each morning and have breakfast outside. Afterwards he disappears inside while she lays on a lounge chair and reads all day. Later, they have dinner at the outside table. Now here is the part that is baffling us. They never, ever, ever go in the water. Why? Why go to the Caribbean and not take advantage of the ocean? Why stay on an island that is totally surrounded by water and not take a plunge?

Honestly I don’t care, but Mike is fascinated with them. As I said, people want different things, but he is fascinated by this phenomenon. Are they afraid of the water? Can they not swim? Fear of “Jaws”? Avoiding their neighbors? Aversion to salt? Allergic to fish??? While he ponders the conspiracy theories I swim. feed the animals scraps of vegetables and gently sway in a hammock stretched between two palm trees. Life is good in spite of the mysterious neighbors.

Groceries are quite expensive in Cayman running 2 to 4 times the cost at home. So I try to be frugal in my purchases and not waste anything. When we were eating jerk pork a few nights ago Mike said it was a little hot for him. (He tries, bless his heart, but he is a Yankee.) He stated that it would be better if it was “cut with something. Maybe a stir fry” As the self proclaimed “Queen of the Leftovers”, I say, “Challenge Accepted!!!”

I didn’t want to purchase a long list of ingredients, spices and sauces to complete this meal. It would get quite expensive and only a small portion would be used. I had the leftover jerk pork, I purchased vegetables from the salad bar, and now had to figure out what to do for the rice and seasonings. Mission accomplished….Rice A Roni! I know we aren’t in San Francisco, but I thought this could possibly work. Here is what I did…

JERK PORK STIR FRY ON A BUDGET

8 oz. Jerk Pork cut into bite size pieces
3 T butter
2-3 cups assorted vegetables…I used red and green bell pepper, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, thinly sliced)
1 box beef flavored Rice A Roni
2 3/4 cups water

Melt butter over medium high heat. Add vegetables and rice/vermicelli mixture from box. Sauté until rice mixture has turned a golden brown. Add jerk pork and stir well to incorporate the flavor through the vegetables and rice. Add flavor packet from Rice A Roni and water. (Note there is a little more water than called for on box instructions.) Finish by following instruction on back of box.

This turned out rather well. It was quite flavorful, filling and frugal….three of my favorite “f’s”. I talk often about “taking what’s left and making it over” and this is a great example. This could have been leftover chicken, beef roast, or pork chops. Change the vegetables to your favorites. Asparagus, green beans, cauliflower would all be great. Leftover rice? Even better with soy sauce and sesame oil. Pork that may not have been eaten lived to serve another day…or be served. Plated with salad and garlic bread this made a lovely dinner. Moral of the story is use what you have. Get creative in the kitchen. If you put good and tasty ingredients in a pan you will have a dish that is good and tasty. Only problem now is it made such a large quantity we have leftovers! Perhaps soup?