a bag of rice, a can of rotel, and a can of beans

That was dinner tonight. A bag of Uncle Ben's brown and wild rice blend ready to eat, a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles, and a can of cannellini beans drained. Dump in a pot on the stove and heat to a boil. Stir and serve.

Just because I can, doesn't mean I need to eat salmon and/or ribeye every night off the grill. Being able to appreciate a bowl of beans and rice just as much is a handy talent. The wife doesn't share my enthusiasm so much. But she is hooked on her banana chocolate protein shakes. She'll do two of those a day instead of real food. Go figure.

I think you'd like the book "The 100-Day Pantry" and after reading a few recipes realize you (Ben) already know everything in it.
http://www.amazon.com/100-day-Pantry-Quick-Gourmet-Meals/dp/088290969X

-Blast

I occasionally enjoy rice with canned tuna or rice with baked beans in tomato sause. Simple and tasty food.

Funny thing is, I can do the "mise en place" routine with a basket full of fresh ingredients and spend an hour or more doing a meal, or I can just go to the cupboard and grab a couple boxes, bags and cans, and the meal is almost as appealing.

I really appreciate learning how to go from field to pantry. Being able to pick something fresh from the back yard, the back porch, or out at a campsite, process it myself, and be able to eat and enjoy it a year or so later is more satisfying sometimes than the great taste of the food itself. Whether it is salmon, elk, mushrooms, wheat, or zucchini, it is a great blessing to take God's bounty and feed myself and others. There is no effort more directly gratifying than harvesting, processing, and preparing good food.

But even so, if all I have is what I got at the grocery store shelf, it is still pretty handy to synergize it into something better than just warm and eat. There's lots you can do to make commercially processed food more appealing.

To that end, the book you suggest is a great tool for folks to work with. Thanks for the link.