Hawaiian Chicken & Coconut Rice

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Hawaiian Chicken & Coconut Rice

I’ve definitely been in a mood to grill the past few weeks, with all the warm weather we’ve been blessed with. This recipe was one I had bookmarked for a few months before I finally got around to giving it a try. It turned out absolutely delicious, so moist and flavorful!

It’s best when marinated overnight, but if you put it in before you went to work for the day – then grilled it when you got home, I think 8 hours would probably do a pretty good job as well. Some of my favorite ingredients go into the marinade – soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and pineapple juice meld together to create a perfect harmony of flavors for the chicken.

Then, there’s the coconut rice…which, couldn’t be easier. You’re basic recipe for rice, but you substitute 1 cup of coconut milk for 1 cup of the water. The coconut flavor isn’t overwhelming, but just enough to really set off the tropical flavors in the chicken.

We all really loved this one. I went ahead and grilled more chicken than we needed for dinner that night, as I knew the leftovers would be absolutely divine in some chicken salad. Which, they were. Instead of my usual dried cranberries I added a little bit of fresh diced pineapple for a Hawaiian spin. So delish, and perfect for summer!

Hawaiian Chicken & Coconut Rice

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 2 lbs of boneless thighs)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp of sesame oil

For the coconut rice:
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cup water

Combine soy sauce, pineapple juice, water, brown sugar, scallions, garlic, and sesame oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces to the bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal. Squish around to coat the chicken in the marinade well. Place in the refrigerator and marinade for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill for about 5-7 minutes per-side, watching to make sure chicken doesn’t get too charred. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan.

To prepare the rice, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice, and cook for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Carefully pour in the coconut milk and water, stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir once more and re-cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 18 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice with fork.

Serve the chicken on a bed of the coconut rice. Garnish with additional scallions if desired.

Source: adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Cheese Manicotti

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Cheese Manicotti

I’ve been making this version of cheese manicotti for so many years, it’s hard to believe I haven’t gotten around to sharing it with you guys! While many baked pasta dishes can take all day long to prepare – between making the sauce, cooking the pasta, and layering the pasta before baking – this one only takes a few minutes. And the flavor is unparalleled.

The key is using no-bake lasagna noodles to make the manicotti. No stuffing tubes required! The cheese mixture is simply spread on some lasagna noodles that have been softened using a bit of boiling water, rolled up and placed in the baking dish, then topped with a simple tomato sauce that takes just a few moments to bring together. With the addition of fresh basil, the sauce is really delicious too – light and bright in flavor.

This was the first time I’d made it using homemade ricotta, and it really took it to the next level. So, if you have an extra few minutes – I’d highly recommend taking the time to make your own, but it’s certainly not required. I like to serve with a nice green salad and some crunchy garlic bread for a traditional Italian meal that the whole family loves. It’s a favorite in our home, and I know it will be in yours as well!

Cheese Manicotti

For the sauce:
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes (in juice)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

For the manicotti:
3 cups ricotta cheese
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
10 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp kosher table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves (or 2½ teaspoons dried parsley)
2 tsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (I like Barilla)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Add tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 5 times, until tomatoes are broken down but still slightly chunky.

Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using a spoon or small rubber spatula, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, January 2007

Country Fried Pork Chops

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Country Fried Pork Chops

Pork chops are one of the things that Jon always gives me gruff that I don’t cook enough. I prefer to cook something like one of my many favorite versions of a pork tenderloin, but once in a while I give in and make him one of his favorite meals of all time – these fried pork chops. It’s one of those manly, stick-to-your-ribs meals that all guys love…

Basically a pork chop is coated with a mixture of egg wash and seasoned flour, much like fried chicken is. Then pan fried. Afterwards, a milk gravy is made from the pan drippings and served over the pork chops. While it’s not the most figure-friendly thing on the planet, it really is delicious and totally worth a splurge every now and again.

I always serve with mashed potatoes, because they are equally as good topped with the gravy. This time around I also served roasted Brussels sprouts on the side, and they were really delicious with them too. If you’ve not had the pleasure of trying these, you should – as it’s “country cooking” to the core!

Country Fried Pork Chops

8 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4-inch thick)
2 eggs, beaten
few shakes hot sauce
1 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the gravy:
3 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Set oven to the warm setting. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place in the oven.

Mix eggs and hot sauce together in a shallow dish. Combine flour with paprika, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a large resealable plastic bag – mix to combine. Set both mixtures on counter and prepare pork chops for breading.

Season both sides of pork chops with the remaining salt and pepper. Dip each chop into the egg wash first, letting the excess drip back into the dish. Then place chop into the flour mixture, shaking the bag to cover each chop with flour well. Remove and set on plate. Repeat with other chops.

Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Place 4 pork chops (or however many will fit comfortably) in the hot skillet, frying until well browned on each side – about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and place onto the baking sheet in the warmed oven. Repeat with remaining pork chops.

Once chops are fried, prepare the gravy by adding the flour to the pan drippings in the skillet. Whisk to combine, and let cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, and whisk constantly until mixture has thickened – about 3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, and season to taste with more if desired.

Remove chops from oven and plate, serving the gravy on top of the chops. Pour remaining gravy into a serving dish and serve alongside with the chops on the table.

Souvlaki Gyros

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Souvlaki Gyros

Chicken gyros have long been one of my favorite meals to make at home – not to mention one of my most popular posts here on the site. Last summer, at a friend’s cookout, our good friend Pete (who happens to be Greek) make some delicious soulvaki kabobs to throw on the grill and share with everyone. I was completely blown away with the flavor, and couldn’t wait to try them out for myself in place of the chicken in my gyro recipe.

I used a boneless pork butt that I trimmed and cut down into bite-sized pieces, but a tenderloin would be fine as well – if you wanted a little less prep work. It’s a very basic marinade of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, plenty of garlic and oregano, and olive oil. It requires a longer soak time than the chicken, but the tenderness of the meat and flavor you get in the end product are well worth it in the long run!

It’s skewered then thrown on the grill. Once the meat was cooked we piled it into warm homemade pita bread, topped with a cool and creamy tzatziki sauce, and topped with lots of fresh veggies. We all agreed that we liked it as much, if not more, than the chicken version. It’s something fun and different for cookouts this summer, and one that I know we’ll be making again and again. Opa!

Souvlaki Gyros

3 lb boneless pork shoulder or butt
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 batch tzatziki sauce
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
sliced cucumbers
lettuce
Pocketless pita bread (whole wheat version found here)

Trim the pork of most of the visible fat, and cut down into 1-inch chunks. Place in a gallon-sized reasealable plastic bag.

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and pour over the pork. Seal up and squeeze the bag to distribute the marinade and coat the pork. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinade at least 6 hours, or up to overnight.

Preheat the grill (or pan, or broiler) to medium-high heat. Place pork onto skewers (metal or wooden skewers that have been soaked) and place on hot grill. Cook for about about 10 minutes per side, until nicely charred on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from grill to a serving platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm your pita bread on the grill or in the oven. Top the pita with the pork, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and lettuce.