Do you ever look into your cupboards or refrigerator and think you should do something about the items that keep staring you in the face?The ones I mean are the jars of exotic sauces you bought on a whim, the ethnic cuisine items that looked so intriguing on the shelf, the frozen entrees you stockpiled away for the time you felt like eating them?

Well, maybe that time is now. I have plenty of those items, and I have decided to eat from my stores of food.  I took some frozen pork tenderloin that had been prepared in a spicy manner and chopped like carnita meat, and microwaved it per instructions. Looked around, added some brown rice from a previous meal, some leftover winter vegetables that had roasted with garlic and Hawaiian sea salt.  Perfect filling for some soft tacos  I put it all together, topped with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped olives, and went back to the pantry for a medium hot salsa I bought last summer but never opened. There was a can of chipotle chiles --- only add a tiny bit since they're so hot -- baked until everything melted together, and voila!  Instant, quick meal, served with sour cream and some guacamole. 

I'm from the waste not-want not school, and it feels good to use what I already have.  Naturally, I am picking up fresh produce and other perishable foods to supplement the frozen-canned contingent. If you let your imagination run a bit, you can come up with all sorts of interesting combinations, satisfying in the manner of using what you have, adding new and fresh items and maybe creating a meal that deserves to be featured again and again.