basmati rice Archives - Spice Up Your Life

Caribbean jerk chicken with pineapple-coconut rice is a great combination of a little sweetness, some spice and a whole lot of flavors.

Over a decade ago, when my sister and brother-in-law returned from their honeymoon in Jamaica, we sat down to view their vacation photos, only to discover that at least half of them were just shots of the food they ate.

While I have spent a good amount of time teasing her about this over the years, I can’t disagree that Caribbean food is phenomenal, and this week, I decided to try a new recipe with Jamaican-inspired flavors myself. (As a side note, this is the promised recipe to use some of that basmati rice from the Puerto Rican dish I shared with you earlier.)

I found this recipe on the blog “Ambitious Kitchen.” You can find the original at https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/one-pan-caribbean-jerk-chicken-with-pineapple-coconut-rice/. I added extra seasoning in my version.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Pineapple-Coconut Rice

Caribbean jerk chicken with pineapple-coconut rice is a great combination of a little sweetness, some spice and a whole lot of flavors.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Caribbean

Keyword basmati rice, coconut, green onion, Jamaican, jerk chicken, pineapple, red bell pepper

Ingredients

Chicken Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Rice Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch green onions cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 large red bell pepper cut into one-inch pieces
15 ounces lite coconut milk
1 cup fresh frozen or canned pineapple chunks
1 cup basmati rice

Instructions

Before chopping your vegetables, you’ll want to let your chicken start marinating. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, honey, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, thyme, cayenne, sea salt and black pepper and whisk until everything is well combined. Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat them completely.
Set the bowl aside and let the chicken marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
For the rice, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven with a lid.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken thighs and saute for about five minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Add the green onion and bell pepper to the pan and saute for several minutes until they’re both soft.
Pour in the coconut milk and the rice and stir to combine. Bring the temperature up to medium-high heat and add in the pineapple, stirring again.
Place the browned chicken, any juices, and the remainder of the marinade on top, and cover with the lid.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through. Serve immediately.

Joey was majorly skeptical about the use of pineapple in this dish, but he was pleasantly surprised by the final outcome. It wasn’t overly sweet, and the little pops of sweetness from the fruit was actually a nice offset to the spiciness of this dish.

He did say that he wouldn’t have minded if the pineapple was in smaller pieces, though, so if you’re worried, you might cut your pineapple chunks in half.

This also reheated famously as leftovers.

And despite all of the grief I gave my sister, I guess it’s obvious I took a photo of my plate of Caribbean food, too. I’ll just need to take about 100 more for us to be even.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 28, 2021.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Puerto Rican rice and beans are full of rich flavors, and while they may use some ingredients not standard in a stereotypical Kansas kitchen, they are definitely worth a try.

Often, I launch this column by telling you a story that ties into whatever the week’s recipe is going to be. This week, however, I wanted to talk ingredients, because if you’re like me, this recipe is going to be a bit of a scavenger hunt through your local grocery store.

My sister-in-law makes amazing Puerto Rican dishes for us when she comes to visit, and after eyeballing this recipe for Puerto Rican rice and beans, I decided I had to take the plunge.

The first ingredient that might stump some but is actually a staple in my pantry is Sazon Culantro y Achiote packets. Sazon is the brand, and the “Culantro y Achiote” means coriander and annatto in Spanish. I use a packet in with my taco seasoning regularly, so if you buy some for this recipe, I highly recommend using the remaining packets for that.

The next is adobo seasoning, which is just a seasoning mix that generally has a mix of spices from black pepper and paprika to oregano and onion powder. If you can’t find it, try looking for a homemade recipe online. It would be pretty simple to replicate.

One that did leave me scratching my head is pigeon peas. I was only able to find them at a larger grocery store in the “Hispanic Foods” section. They are a legume and are definitely more bean-like than green-pea-like. If you can’t find them, substitute a can of black-eyed peas instead.

The final ingredient that might be different for some is basmati white rice. It’s more expensive than traditional white rice, but it cooks differently, so substituting one for the other would likely mess up cooking times and liquid ratios. I have another recipe I’ll share with you soon that uses basmati rice, so if you’re worried about having a bag of it sitting in your pantry gathering dust, stay tuned.

So, now that we’ve covered the bases, it’s time to jump into this delicious dish that, honestly, I wish I would have doubled. It was great.

I found this recipe on the blog “Ambitious Kitchen.” You can find the original post at https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/video-moms-authentic-puerto-rican-rice-and-beans/. I changed the ingredients just a bit but also tried to clarify the directions in my version below.

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

Puerto Rican rice and beans are full of rich flavors, and while they may use some ingredients not standard in a stereotypical Kansas kitchen, they are definitely worth a try.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Puerto Rican

Keyword adobo, basmati rice, cilantro, garlic, green bell pepper, onions, pigeon peas, pinto beans, tomato sauce

Ingredients

Beans Ingredients

2 cups dry pinto beans
8 cups vegetarian broth
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 of a large yellow onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced
6 cloves garlic minced
15 ounces tomato sauce divided
2 packets Sazon Culantro y Achiote
salt to taste

Rice Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 of a large yellow onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
6 cloves garlic minced
Reserved tomato sauce about 1/2 cup
2 packets Sazon Culantro y Achiote
1/4 teaspoon adobo seasoning
15 ounces pigeon peas undrained
3 cups water
2 cups basmati white rice
salt to taste

Instructions

The night before you make this (or about eight hours before), combine the dried beans, vegetable broth and bay leaves in a Dutch oven with a lid. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, place the lid on top, and let the beans soak at least eight hours.
When you’re ready to start cooking, bring the beans back to a boil and then reduce to a low boil, leaving the lid on the pot. You’ll let them simmer for one to two hours or until they are tender. When they are tender, remove the bay leaves but do not drain the liquid.
While the beans are cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and green pepper, sauteing until both are soft. Add in the garlic and cilantro and saute for a few minutes until the garlic just starts to brown. Add one cup of the tomato sauce and the Sazon packets, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture cook for a couple minutes. If the beans are not tender yet, remove the mixture from heat. If they are, go ahead and add it to the beans.
Once the tomato mixture is added to the beans, cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the rice, while the beans simmer, in a medium-sized pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and green pepper, sauteing until both are soft. Add in the garlic and cilantro and saute for a few minutes until the garlic just starts to brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the rest of the tomato sauce, Sazon packets and adobo seasoning and let cook for about two minutes. Stir in the undrained pigeon peas and three cups of water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the rice, place the lid on the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.
Once the beans and rice are finished cooking, add salt if desired, and then serve the beans and rice together in a bowl. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if you want to.

This was amazing, and it reheated famously as leftovers. The flavor profile was great. We ended up pairing it with some smoked pork loin that Joey whipped up, and it was a fabulous meal.

Plus, I learned about some new ingredients and got a chance to explore my grocery store a little bit more. It’s always easier to be adventurous when adventure tastes this good.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 21, 2021.