Crock Pot Barbecue Pineapple Chicken

I have to admit a little secret right now... I LOVE Sweet Baby Ray's. Seriously, I could drink the stuff. I've yet to find a barbecue sauce that comes even remotely close to this heavenly stuff. Have I scared you off yet? I hope not because this barbecue pineapple chicken, made with our Sweet Baby Ray's, is amazing. Not only is it one of the easiest recipes I've ever tried, it is chuck full of flavor! Perfect to put over rice, or you could even made a shredded chicken sandwich out of it. My husband loved it and I know we will be making it many more times on those days we need a quick, easy recipe.

Crock Pot Barbecue Pineapple Chicken
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 4 hours            READY IN: 4 hours 5 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 3 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 20 oz can pineapple tidbits
• 18 oz. BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's - all the way!!)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Spray nonstick cooking spray on crock pot. Put chicken breast in bottom of crock pot
2. In a separate bowl, mix pineapple and BBQ sauce. 
3. Pour over chicken.
4. Cook on high for 3 - 4 hours. (Depending on your crock pot. Ours was finished in 4 hours, but some may take a little longer)
5. Shred chicken and enjoy over rice, or make a BBQ sandwich. Either way would be delicious!

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    372 calories   0.9 g fat   64.3 g carbs   23.6 g protein    46.5 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Sweet Little Bluebird

Teriyaki Rice Bowls (Rumbi Copycat)

For awhile now I've been on the lookout for a good rice bowl recipe. We've tried a few - and none have really done it for us. They were all missing that "spark." That was until we found this recipe.

These rice bowls, meant to taste like the Rumbi Hawaiian Restaurant rice bowls here in Utah, definitely have that spark we've been on the search for! Not only did I have most of the ingredients on-hand, but it was an easy recipe that everyone loved. Don't be scared away by the list of ingredients. Once you have all the vegetables cut up and the chicken cooked, the rest is a breeze. (Oh and I dare you not to eat all the rice before it's meal time. Best rice I've had in a long, long time!)

Teriyaki Rice Bowls (Rumbi Copycat)

6 SERVINGS 

PREP: 30 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 50 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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Vegetables & Chicken

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 carrots, peeled and grated
• 3 celery stalks, washed and sliced
• 1 zucchini, chopped into cubes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
• 2 cups chicken, cut into bite sized cubes and grilled 

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables (carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli). Sauté for a few minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over Rumbi rice with chicken. Top with teriyaki sauce. (Recipe for rice and teriyaki sauce below).

Rumbi Rice

• 2 cups white rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

To make in rice cooker, combine all ingredients and gently stir together so beans are evenly distributed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. To make in saucepan, combine water, milk, and sugar. Stir in rice and beans and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 18 to 20 minutes (or until rice is cooked). 

Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce 

• 3/4 cup Mr. Yoshida's teriyaki sauce (found in grocery store by BBQ sauce)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

In a small saucepan combine teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, ginger, salt, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and water. Slowly add to sauce (for thickening). Simmer for another minute or two. Serve over rice bowls. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    2 cup serving    614 calories  20.5 g fat   81 g carbs   28 g protein    7 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

Dairy-Free Rice Pudding

Around the holidays, our family has a favorite traditional dessert. My dad started making it several years ago when he learned about the Danish tradition of eating rice pudding for Christmas. Apparently the tradition is to hide an almond inside the pudding, and then whoever finds the almond in their serving gets a special surprise gift. We haven't adopted the tradition to include the almond surprise, but we have all gotten hooked on this creamy, rich dessert. Every year, we continually ask our dad in the weeks leading up to our holiday visits when he's going to make his famous rice pudding so that we are sure not to miss out.

The original recipe is made by boiling the rice in whole milk, and then folding in with whipped cream. Unfortunately, in recent years my sister, mom, and I have developed an intolerance for dairy (insert sad face). But, instead of missing out on this favorite dessert, I decided this year that we needed to come up with a dairy-free alternative that we could enjoy along with everybody else. I figured that substituting any non-dairy milk to cook the rice in was an easy fix, but the challenge was what to do about the whipped cream. Then I discovered this awesome trick of making whipped cream using coconut milk, and knew that we were in business! The coconut cream is very similar to real whipped cream, and in this recipe it adds in a perfect kiss of coconut flavor. I'm looking forward to adding to our holiday tradition, and making this alongside my dad's version from now on!

Dairy-Free Rice Pudding
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 1 1/2 - 2 hours            READY IN: 2 1/2 - 3 hours

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 3/4 cup short or medium-grain white rice (such as Jasmine or Calrose)
• 3 cups non-dairy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk (to make whipped cream, see directions below)
•  2 cups frozen berries (thawed)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Combine the rice, milk, and white sugar in the top of a double boiler, with water in a saucepan underneath. Heat over medium-low heat on the stove top for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, keeping the rice and milk covered. Stir occasionally, and remove from heat once the rice is soft and the milk is mostly absorbed.
2. When the rice is cooked, stir in the almond extract and set aside to cool. In the meantime, prepare the whipped coconut cream (directions below). When the rice has cooled, fold in the whipped cream. Serve in individual bowls topped with berries.

To make whipped cream with coconut milk:

• Refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight. (The coconut milk should be very cold in order to whip it.)
• Open the chilled can, and drain off the liquid (you can save this to make smoothies, etc.). Put the more solid part of the coconut milk can in a small mixing bowl. Using a hand blender, whip the coconut cream for 3-5 minutes, until it starts to become fluffy (like whipped cream) and peaks form when you lift the beaters out.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup serving    297 calories   11.6 g fat   43.4 g carbs    6.4 g protein    20.7 g sugar   

Enjoy!

Costa Rican Tilapia and Pineapple Rice

I have to admit that one of the kitchen appliances that I couldn't live without is my rice cooker. Cooking rice terrified me, until I tried it in a rice cooker - which makes it so easy and fool-proof! I must say, though, that even though cooking rice is, of course, the primary function of a rice cooker, I probably use ours more often for other functions besides just cooking simple rice. I steam in it all the time (example here), and I've found that it doubles really nicely as a pseudo slow cooker. I love that I can throw things into it to cook up, without having to turn on the stove or messy a bunch of pots and pans. This recipe is a perfect example. The original recipe came from my latest favorite cookbook, and the instructions are to cook the rice first, followed by baking it all in the oven with the fish. I'm sure that method works well, but in the interest of simplicity I decided to try it out all in the rice cooker and found that it works out fabulously well! I put the rice "fixins" all together to cook up, and at the very end throw in the fish with its flavorful marinade to finish it off. (Note: I did try this in my crockpot on high to see if it would work, but it didn't cook up as well as with the rice cooker.)

The end product here turns out to be a sweet and spicy rice and beans, accompanied by a light and citrusy fish fillet. I usually cook up the entire batch of rice (because it's the part the kids eat the most of), but only cook the amount of fish we'll eat with the meal (which is usually two fillets that we split between two adults and two kids). This means we usually have leftovers of the rice, which is something my husband loves about this recipe - he says it goes really well the next day with canned tuna mixed in for a healthy lunch.

Costa Rican Tilapia and Pineapple Rice
6 SERVINGS (of rice - amounts of fish depend on how much you put in)
PREP: 25 minutes           COOK: 25 minutes            READY IN: 35 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups if using alternate instructions)
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup tomato salsa
• 1 can black beans
• 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple, diced
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-4 tilapia fillets (5-7 ounces each), depending on number of fish servings desired
• 2 limes, cut into thin rounds
• salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a large rice cooker (fits 8-10 cups uncooked rice), combine rice, broth, tomatoes, salsa, and beans. Set cooker on white rice setting. (*See alternate instructions if not using a rice cooker.)
2. At the same time, combine orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and mix well. Place tilapia fillets in the mixture, covering both sides. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. 
3. After the rice has been cooking for approximately 15 minutes in the rice cooker, open and mix in the pineapple. Then place the tilapia fillets on top of the rice. Pour the remaining marinade over the rice and fish, and place 2-3 lime rounds on top of each fillet. Close the rice cooker and let it continue cooking for the remaining time until the rice and fish are both completely cooked (should be approximately 5-10 more minutes). (*See alternate instructions if not using a rice cooker.)
4. Serve rice topped with fish (a whole or partial fillet, depending), with lime rounds and additional cilantro for garnish.

*Alternatively, if you don't have a rice cooker: Cook the rice over the stovetop in 3 cups of chicken broth. (Link here if you're not familiar or comfortable with cooking rice - no worries, I know it can feel daunting if you don't do it often ... this is why I love my rice cooker!) Once the rice is cooked, mix it with the tomatoes, salsa, beans, and pineapple and place in a 2- to 3-quart casserole dish. Cover with the marinated tilapia fillets, followed by the remaining marinade and lime rounds. Bake in an oven preheated to 400ºF for 7-10 minutes, or until the fish is white all the way through.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup rice with 4 oz. fish    408 calories   6.9 g fat   57.5 g carbs    30.6 g protein    6.9 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Latin D'Lite by Ingrid Hoffmann.

Green Risotto

Confession time: A couple weeks ago my husband went out of town for several days, leaving me alone  (over a weekend even!) with the kids. In order to maintain my sanity, I resorted to my usual coping method of sugar, sugar, and more sugar. Needless to say, by the end of the weekend, I had way overdone it and was feeling pretty yucky. My junk food overload had left me craving healthy, green food to try to rid myself of the yuck. I started pulling out everything green I had in my fridge, and trying to come up with a way to combine it into something that would counterbalance the artificial reds, blues, pinks, and yellows of all the candy and sweets I'd been having. One catch, though, was that it still had to be simple, because I was still playing the single parent and absolutely didn't have the time or energy for something new and exotic.

So, I turned to a basic risotto recipe - one of my tried and true simple recipes. I tweaked it just enough to add in all my green stuff - pureeing peas, parsley, kale, and spinach into a very green "smoothie" mush that would give it a strong green color, as well as also adding in chopped kale, spinach, peas, and dill at the end to add even more green color and texture. It turned out beautifully green, as well as being a delicious hit with adults and children alike. I was especially amazed at how kid-friendly it ended up being - I served it at a potluck dinner with several families with young children, and from what I could tell, most of the kids there (including my own!) ate it up without any apparent questioning of the distinct greenness of it.

Note: If you've never made risotto, and think it sounds complicated and exotic - it's not! I promise you, it is quite simple. Make sure you read all the directions before you jump in, but really the hardest thing about it is that you do have to pay attention to it throughout cooking because the broth needs to be added one cup at a time as the rice cooks. Also, risotto turns out best if you use Arborio rice (which can be found at most any supermarket). I usually don't have Arborio on hand, though, and have found that it turns out reasonably well with plain old short-grain white rice.

Green Risotto 
6-8 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 35 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 6-7 cups chicken or vegetable broth (preferably low sodium)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cups rice (preferably Arborio rice)
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 cups frozen peas, defrosted (divided)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups chopped kale (divided)
• 2 cups chopped spinach (divided)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
• 1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoons butter (optional)

DIRECTIONS

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1. Separate one cup of your broth, and place it in a blender (or in a container that you can use an immersion blender). Blend it with one cup each of the peas, parsley, kale, and spinach, - making a very green "smoothie." Set aside this cup of green broth until step 5.
2. In a large skillet or medium-sized pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, add the onion and saute it until it is soft and translucent. 
3. Add the rice and garlic, and stir well for about 3-4 minutes.
4. Turn heat down to medium. Add broth, one cup at a time (adding a small amount at a time is an important part of making risotto) to the rice. Stir frequently until the liquid is absorbed by the rice, then add the next cup of broth. Continue stirring and adding more broth (again, only one cup at a time), until the rice reaches a point that it is uniformly soft, but not mushy. 
5. When you see that the rice is almost cooked, add the set aside cup of green broth that you prepped earlier. Stir it in as you did with all of the other broth, and let the liquid absorb. 
6. Finally, when the rice is cooked, fold in the other cup of peas, chopped kale, chopped spinach, and dried dill. Fold in the Parmesan cheese and butter, if desired (these will give the risotto a more creamy, smooth texture). 
7. Serve warm and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup serving    260 calories   4.0 g fat   46.9 g carbs    8.1 g protein    2.3 g sugar   

We enjoyed this with a simple tilapia filet on the side for more protein. The recipe makes quite a bit, and my kids loved having the leftovers for several days afterward. Just reheat a small amount in the microwave - it gets a little more mushy once it has sat and been reheated, but nobody seemed to mind. I found that this made a really great baby meal, and I've never seen my 1-year-old eat so much green stuff so happily. You could also freeze small baby-size amounts (for example, in ice cube trays) to warm and serve to kids as an easy lunch or even dinner.

Linking up here.