Things we love ...

I love pineapple. If I could, I'd live in a pineapple under the sea (and now the theme song is stuck in your head too).

This probably wouldn't work. I'd eat my home and then what would happen to me and my pet snail? I could move to a pineapple plantation, but I don't think there are any within driving distance of school. Oh well, for now I'll have to be satisfied with a weekly grocery trip for "fresh" pineapple.

For Valentine's Day Dinner, we made Thai Chicken and Pineapple Stir Fry. You'll need to assemble:

1 cup brown rice
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp oil, divided
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger (another favorite ingredient!)
2 cups cubed bell peppers (red and yellow this time)
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (see Appendix for cutting instructions)
1/2 cup dipping sauce (The original recipe called for Thai Kitchen Pineapple and Chili dipping sauce. I couldn't find it at our local stores, so I bought a generic spring roll dipping sauce instead)

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add the brown rice, cover, and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until water is gone.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the chicken and cornstarch. Toss together to evenly coat the chicken. I wasn't sure about this step, but it helped the chicken brown nicely.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; stir fry for 30 seconds and enjoy the wonderful aroma in your kitchen. Add bell peppers and pineapple; stir fry 3 to 5 minutes. The peppers should be tender-crisp at this point. Add the dipping sauce; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from skillet. I put it in the glass container that I planned to use for leftovers. I don't like to dirty any extra dishes.

Yummy pineapple and bell peppers!

Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add chicken; stir fry 5 minutes or until cooked through. The chicken pieces were a little larger, so it took more than 5 minutes. Return pineapple mixture to skillet; stir fry until well blended. Serve over brown rice.

Happy Valentine's Day!

How to prepare a fresh pineapple (pretend it is an apple and it is a lot less intimidating)
1. Remove green leaves by twisting at the base. You'd be surprised how easily they come off when ripe.
2. Place pineapple on a cookie sheet that you don't mind scratching a little bit. You could use a cutting board, but pineapples tend to be juicy, so I'd rather catch the mess before the juice is all over my counter top.
3. Cut of the base and top of the pineapple.
4. Cut off the rind. You'll need to take off about 1/4 inch around the entire pineapple to make sure you get rid of all of the seeds.
5. Cut into quarters, as if you were cutting an apple.
6. Cut out the inner core from each quarter. You should be able to tell the difference between the edible fruit and the tough, fibrous core.
7. Slice into bite size pieces. 
8. Refrigerate in an air-tight container.