Pineapple “Fried” Rice

Leftover pineapple inspired me to create this dish. It has a great balance of flavors and textures. I served it with teriyaki-marinated roasted chicken thighs.

Time: 25 minutes              Serves: 4

Ingredients

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• cooking spray
• 2 eggs, whisked in a bowl with s+p to taste
• 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used Canola)s
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• pinch crushed red pepper (or to taste)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup snow peas, trimmed & halved
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts, roughly chopped
• 2 cups cooked rice (I used Basmati) – leftover 1-2 days is best
• 1 cup chopped pineapple
• sesame oil, to taste
• soy sauce, to taste
• rice vinegar, to taste
• ground sea salt & black pepper, to taste
• 1 green onion, trimmed & sliced thinly on an angle

How to make it

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• Prepare a small skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium. Add eggs and cook until set, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 minute, or until done through. Set on cutting board to cool. Once cool, roll up and slice in thin strips.
• Heat veg oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add carrots and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms, peas, and sprouts. Cook about another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender crisp.
• Add rice, egg, and pineapple. Season with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a bit of s&p (less is more to start). Mix to incorporate, cook to heat through – about 3-5 minutes. Add more seasoning if needed.
• Garnish with sliced green onion to serve.

Zucchini Risotto

Another great use for those fresh, abundant summer zucchini.

Time: 30 minutes                 Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

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• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
  
• 2 small shallots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped basil (optional)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

How to make it

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• Bring broth to a boil in a small saucepan, then reduce heat to low & keep warm.
• Squeeze excess moisture out of shredded zucchini using a clean dish towel or paper towels.
• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan/skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and saute 2-3 minutes – until softened – stirring occasionally.
• Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Saute for another minute.
• Add rice. Stir to coat & toast for 1-3 minutes.
• Carefully add vermouth/wine and cook, stirring, until no liquid remains, about 2-3 minutes.
• Begin adding stock 1/4 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding more.*
• Fold in zucchini with last 1/4 cup of stock.
• Stir in basil and Parmesan, mix well and remove from heat.
• *This process takes about 20 minutes in total. Rice should be creamy (not mushy) and slightly firm in the center. If your rice hasn’t become tender enough by this point, add more liquid by 1/4 cup measures using same technique – may use more stock or water.

Fiesta Rice

This recipe is based on one I found from “Gina’s Skinny Recipes” at skinnytaste.com. I altered it just to suit our tastes as the original looked great as it was! This reminded me of the rice Chipotle serves.

Time: 10min prep, 20min cook                Serves: 6

ngredients

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• 2 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice (about 1 1/4 cups uncooked + 2 1/2 cups water, cooked for about 15 minutes or until moisture is just absorbed)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (about 1 15 oz. can, drained & rinsed or about half cup dried black beans, soaked & cooked)
• 1 1/2 cups corn (about 1 15 oz. can, drained)
• 2 tbsp lime juice (fresh squeezed)
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1-2 large scallions, trimmed & sliced
• 2-4 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro (amount according to your taste)
• salt to taste

How to make it

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• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix to incorporate.

Greek Inspired Rice

My spin on Greek rice using what I had on hand.

Time: 30 minutes                Serves: 4

Ingredients

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• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 2 oz tomato puree
• 2 cups chicken stock + (as needed)
• 1/2 cup basmati rice, uncooked
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt & pepper to taste

How to make it

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• Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet.
• Add onions and saute until just beginning to brown.
• Add spinach and give a quick stir.
• Then, add tomato puree & chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
• Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir in rice. Cover & reduce heat to low.
• Cook for about 20-25 minutes until rice is tender. Check every now & then, stirring to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom (this is how rice burns!). Add more chicken stock as necessary throughout cooking process. Also, add more salt & pepper when doing so.

Serve with my Grecian Goddess Pork Chops and Jimmy’s Special Salad.

Shiitake “Fried” Rice

This is a recipe adaptation from one I found on wholeliving.com. A nice, healthy side dish.

Time: 25 minutes            Serves: 4

Ingredients

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• 1 cup basmati rice (may use brown rice)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• non-stick cooking spray
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3.5 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed if possible
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 scallions, green & white parts sliced thin

How to make it

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• Cook rice according to directions on package (I used 1tbsp butter with mine).
• Spray medium skillet & heat over medium. Add egg, season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, until set. Flip and cook for about another minute. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Once cool, roll up and slice in thin strips.
• Add oil to skillet. Once heated, add mushrooms and cook for 2-4 minutes until tender – stirring often. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, salt & cook for another minute. Then, add cooked egg, rice, soy sauce and lime juice. Mix thoroughly. If rice has cooled since cooking, make sure heated thoroughly. Top with scallions & serve.

*Note: I served this with my Asian-Spiced Chicken & More.