pineapple – Page 3 – The Pajama Chef

Salsas for Cinco de Mayo

May 5, 2011May 8, 2011 Sarah

It’s no secret based on my meal plans that Mexican is my absolute favorite cuisine. There’s just something so refreshing and inviting about the flavors. I just love the ooey gooey cheese, fresh tomatoes, spice, cilantro, tortillas, and more! In fact, for my birthday lunch last week Ben took me to my favorite Mexican place in town. It was absolutely divine.

Since today is Cinco de Mayo, I thought I’d jump on the blogger bandwagon and share two of my favorite salsas. I love salsa because it is so versatile. It’s great for dipping or topping Mexican food [nachos, anyone?] but also is very complementary to other dishes, like sandwiches, burgers, and fries. Seriously. I am salsa obsessed and I do not discriminate! All my foods are equal acceess for salsa. 🙂

Okay, enough of that. I’m weird. I’m sorry.

There are two salsa recipes to share with you today, in honor of Cinco de Mayo. The first is Simple Tomato Salsa. With just a little bit of kick and some distinct, pure tomato taste, this salsa is fabulous for any authentic Mexican fiesta. [well…. authentic… not sure I’m qualified for that but any fiesta will do!]. The second is Pineapple Salsa. This stuff is awesome! I experimented around with this recipe the first summer we were married and I’ve made it several times since then. Sometimes I add some mango into the mix, but other times I keep it simple. This time, I kept it simple by choice as my Indiana grocery store was fresh outta mangoes. Sad day. But what I love about this salsa is the contrast between sweet pineapple, cool corn, crunchy peppers, and just the right amount of spice from my friend Mr. Serrano Pepper. Fabulous. I could go on and on all day about these babies but I gotta run… going shopping today! The semester is over and I’m taking a break today before my summer schedule begins next week. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Simple Tomato Salsa [from Simply Recipes]

Ingredients:

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained
2 14-ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
2 7-ounce cans green chiles, drained
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Pour the whole tomatoes into a large non-reactive mixing bowl. Break them up into small, bite-size pieces with a fork and sharp knife or your fingers. Mix in fire roasted tomatoes and green chiles.

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and oregano. Pour over tomato mixture and fold in gently. Add cilantro and stir gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make 4-6 cups.

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped fresh pineapple [or 1 cup pineapple and 1 cup finely chopped mango]
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 serrano chili pepper, finely chopped [control the spice by adding/discarding seeds and membranes]
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-4 tablespoons lime juice
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Stir together pineapple, bell peppers, corn, black beans, onions, and chili peppers. Add in cilantro and cumin. Add lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Makes 3-4 cups. Delicious with lime tortilla chips. 🙂

Click here for the printable version: Salsas for Cinco de Mayo

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes, Rice, Sides

A Tropical Dinner

April 5, 2011June 11, 2011 Sarah

So, I know this dinner doesn’t look like much. But it tastes like a million bucks… like a trip to the tropics! Except much, much cheaper, albiet not as relaxing or as fun considering the recent springtime rain we’ve been experiencing here. 🙂

Succulent pork topped with a sweet and tangy pineapple glaze, paired with the nutty, refreshing flavor of toasted coconut-infused rice…. incredible! This dinner whips up in a flash and is great for a quick weeknight. It definitely satisfied our desire for vacation, and hope it does the same for you too! [Well, maybe not our need for vacation, but our need to get away for a moment… even if just for dinner!

**Don’t forget to enter my Chobani giveaway before Saturday!

Sweet and Tangy Pork Chops with Pineapple [from Robin to the Rescue by Robin Miller]

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 pork chops
freshly ground black pepper
8 ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
2/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with pepper, then sear each side in hot skillet for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.

In a medium bowl, whisk together pineapple, orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch, stirring until cornstarch dissolves. Add mixture to pan with pork chops. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes more, until pork is fully cooked and sauce has thickened.

Coconut Toasted Rice [from Robin to the Rescue by Robin Miller]

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup white or brown rice, uncooked
one 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

Directions:

Toast coconut in a dry medium saucepan set over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until coconut is golden brown. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Add the rice, honey, and coconut milk, then bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes for white rice or 45 minutes for brown rice, until rice is soft and fluffy. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Click here for the printable version: A Tropical Dinner

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

African Peanut Pineapple Stew

February 23, 2011September 26, 2016 Sarah

So, once upon a time [actually, two once upon a times], I studied abroad in Africa. Specifically, in Cameroon and Lesotho. This is NOT a recipe from either country. No sirree. In fact, I didn’t have any peanut-based stew in either country. And being an Africana Studies major in undergrad and an African Studies graduate student, I have some beef with people who just label things “African,” because Africa is not one monoculture! But this blog is not my place to rant about the politics of names or culture or geography… it is the place to share and celebrate delicious food! As such, I can look past the unfortunate name for this delicious dish and rejoice in its tasty splendor.

In all honesty, I don’t re-make recipes very often. Classics of my mom’s get made over and over again, as do a few hits I’ve found on my own, but I love experimenting and trying new recipes. This stew is an exception: I have made it several times in the past year and enjoy every single bite. We love how the flavors melt together–everything, from the onions to the peanut butter to the ginger to the hot sauce to the kale and beyond, mixes into one filling, flavorful stew. It’s comforting and unique at the same time… familiar enough to be family-friendly, exotic enough to be interesting. And vegetarians–just leave out the chicken… I did at first, but added it to satisfy my husband. 🙂 Enjoy!

African Peanut Pineapple Stew

Servings: 4-6
Time: 40 minutes
Print

adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow or white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch kale or Swiss chard, chopped coarsely with large stems discarded
1 pound chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch cubes
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in its own juice, undrained
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup peanuts, regular salted or honey roasted
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
rice prepared with chicken broth

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper as desired. Stir constantly until chicken is fully cooked, then add onions and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant. Add pineapple to the pot and bring to a simmer, then add the greens and cover. Simmer for about 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the peanut butter, ginger, and hot sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes or until flavors are blended. Fold in cilantro just before serving. Serve over rice and top with peanuts.

Notes:

I usually serve this dish on top of brown rice cooked in chicken broth, but feel free to be creative! Also, feel free to omit the chicken–my meat-lover of a husband requested that addition! 🙂

Question of the Day: [And I realize this is a long shot…] Have you ever been to Africa? If so, what kind of food did you eat there? If you haven’t been… have you been to any “African” restaurants? What did you eat?

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Hawaiian Chicken

November 9, 2010June 11, 2011 Sarah

When my husband and I first got married about a year and a half ago, I wasn’t a bad cook. I grew up cooking and baking a lot at home with my family, and living on my own for two years post-college gave me time to experiment with new recipes and figure out things in a grown-up kitchen. Problem was, I married a meat-lover and so in the early days of our marriage, I quickly realized I needed to expand my cooking repertoire to make Ben happy. Because I did want to make him happy… and I still do. 🙂

That first summer of marriage, I wasn’t yet working or in school so I had a lot of spare time [after all the wedding gifts were unpacked, I was settled into our new apartment, thank you notes written, etc.]. One day, I was flipping through one of my new cookbooks looking for some recipes I could try out. I knew Ben liked meat and Asian food, and when I saw the recipe for Hawaiian Baked Chicken, I was sold. It wasn’t exactly Chinese food, but it had a bit of Asian undertones, if only in the fact that it was chicken and veggies with a sauce served with rice. We didn’t have all the ingredients, but I improvised and by the time Ben arrived home that night, had dinner prepared.

wedding day — 5/23/09--I love you, Benny.

This sweet and savory chicken dinner was a winner and was quickly proclaimed a keeper. There’s some mustard and spice for a savory, tangy kick, and honey and pineapple for sweetness. Served atop a bed of rice, this will make any hungry man happy. Now, it was what I make for my husband when I know he’s had a hard week or to celebrate an accomplishment at work. I like to make it for him when we haven’t had it in awhile just so he knows I remember how much he enjoyed it. I look forward to making it for my Ben in the years to come, so we can be in our 60s and look back to remember our early days of marriage in our tiny apartment in Bloomington, Indiana.

Hawaiian Chicken [from The Taste of Home Cookbook]

Ingredients:

1 pound raw chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
16 ounces pineapple chunks in pineapple juice, undrained
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
cooked rice prepared with chicken broth instead of water
cooking spray

Directions:

Grease a shallow baking dish with cooking spray and then place chicken in dish. Pour green pepper and pineapple [and its juice] over chicken. In a large measuring cup, whisk together chicken broth, mustard, honey, olive oil, and paprika. Pour mixture over chicken and pineapple, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours for best results. Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over rice.

Notes:

I’ve also used Dijon mustard and chili powder in lieu of brown mustard and paprika with excellent results. I’ve also added carrots before, but would recommend very small pieces so they cook and/or pre-cooking the carrots prior to baking. Also, this dish doesn’t have to marinate over a long period of time but it does get more flavorful the longer it sits. I like to prepare this the night before or morning of, but do what works best for you.

Click here for the printable version: Hawaiian Chicken

Question of the Day: What dish do you like to make for a special person in your life?