pineapple Archives - The Midnight Baker

Hawaiian Fried Rice

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 23:00:49 +0000

Hawaiian fried rice will get the family to the table promptly.

Hawaiian Fried Rice Is Versatile

So versatile since you can make it with many meats–not just shrimp!

This fried rice recipe works very well with chicken or pork. Beef is good too because pineapple does go well with it. If you’ve ever eaten in a Mandarin restaurant, you probably saw pineapple beef on the menu.

Because I have quite a bit of shrimp in my freezer, I used up some of them in this dish. And since I always make too much of anything, a couple of friends who are on limited budgets appreciate the leftovers.

Speaking Of Leftovers…

Have any rice left over from a takeout earlier in the week? That’s perfect for this fried rice recipe since it’ll be cold already and a bit drier for sitting in the fridge. Plus rice from a restaurant always seems to taste better than the rice you make at home so it’s a great way to use it up.

Same goes for any leftover store-bought rotisserie chicken. Again, perfect for this. The only way I’d say no to that is if you got a chicken that was had a seasoning that just won’t go with these flavors. For me, that’d be one with barbeque sauce. But hey, if it appeals to you, then go right ahead.

Similarly, any leftover roast pork or beef is nice too, as I said before.

Substitutions

Lots of us have that can of pineapple in the pantry. However, it may not be tidbits. Rings or chunks can be cut up into small bits so there’s no reason to run out and buy the tidbits. I’d shy away from the crushed variety though–too mushy and almost impossible to drain.

No red bell pepper? Use green if you have it. The red just makes a nice pop of color but they basically taste the same.

No green onions? Just use more regular onion.

This meal is quite economical when you consider the substitutions and the leftovers.

The Recipe

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Hawaiian Fried Rice

Fried rice Polynesian style

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Polynesian

Keyword: fried rice, fried rice that's not chinese, polynesian rice

Servings: 4

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbs oil divided
1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined
2 tsp fresh ginger minced
1 clove garlic finely minced
1 medium red bell pepper diced
1 medium carrot finely diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large can pineapple tidbits 20 oz/567 g, drained
2 cups cooked rice room temperature
6 green onions chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix soy sauce, curry powder and sugar in a small bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat.
Add shrimp and stir fry until they turn pink--about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook just until fragrant--about 10 seconds.
Add the pepper, carrot and onion and stir fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple and shrimp.
Add the rice and soy sauce mixture. Heat through tossing to combine and breaking up any lumps of rice. Stir in the onions.

Nutrition

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Hawaiian Meatballs

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 00:00:05 +0000

Chase away the late winter blues with these Hawaiian meatballs. It’s a luau on a plate.

Hawaiian Meatballs: Appetizer Or Dinner

Is there any dish as versatile as Hawaiian meatballs?

It’s one of the top 10 appetizers on a buffet since they’re pretty easy yet very tasty too. The meatballs, pineapple and pepper are easy to skewer on a toothpick so they’re portable as well.

But you can always make a dinner out of them. Served over some rice, this all-in-one dish is the perfect supper to chase away the winter blues.

Making Your Own Is Better

Making your own anything is generally better than store bought.

When it comes to these meatballs, I believe making your own is almost essential. Since most ready-made ones are Italian flavored and probably won’t blend well with the flavors in the sauce. Of course if you can find ready-made meatballs that have a more generic flavoring, that would probably work, however, I’ve never tried it so I can’t say for sure.

I’m very sure you’ll love this recipe so much that you’ll want to make it again, so why not double or even triple the meatball recipe? Then you can brown them and freeze the excess for future use.

Pineapples And Peppers

The amounts I give in the recipe are what I use. However, since the success is not connected to specific amounts with either the bell peppers or the pineapple, feel free to use more or less of either. So if you want to “beef it up” and extend it, I’d add more pineapple so the meat and pineapple are about equal. So in that instance, a 20 ounce can of pineapple chunks would be about right. Since there’ll be more liquid, use an additional tablespoon of cornstarch and water to thicken (if you desire the thicker sauce).

The Recipe

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Hawaiian Meatballs

Easy meatballs with a Hawaiian flair.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: foods with tropical flavors, hawaiian meatballs, polynesian dinners, quick meatball dinners

Servings: 4

Calories: 559kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 eggs
2 tbs milk or cream
1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce:

8 oz can pineapple chunks including juice
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tbs soy sauce
1 medium green pepper cut in chunks
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Mix all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into balls about 1-inch/2.5-cm in diameter. Place on prepared sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until there is no pink in the center of the meatballs. Remove from oven and set aside and keep warm.
Drain juice from pineapple into a small bowl. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, except the pineapple chunks and green pepper. Stir well.
Add the sauce to a large skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to boil. Mix the cornstarch and water and stir into the boiling sauce; stir until thickened.
Add the pineapple and the green pepper. Boil for 1 minute.
Add the meatballs to the skillet; stir to coat with the sauce and heat through.

Nutrition

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Pineapple Glazed Ribs

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 00:00:45 +0000

Baby back ribs glazed with a tangy pineapple sauce is the perfect snack for the big game.

Pineapple And Pork Ribs

Pineapple and pork are a super combination. There’s just something about the sweet-tart flavor of pineapple to complement the taste of pork.

The method I tend to use in cooler weather is oven roasting. It seems to bring out very good flavor in ribs. Of course in the summer I don’t want to heat up the house. Grilling them is actually the preferred method. The original recipe from Andrew Zimmern grills them over indirect heat. Grilling over indirect heat produces a wonderful flavor that an oven closely duplicates but doesn’t quite match. So if you want these for Super Bowl snacking, go with your oven, but do remember to make these ribs once the BBQ season starts.

To Marinate Or Not

I’ve made these both ways–marinating them and just baking and basting with the glaze.

Sure, there’s a whole new depth of flavor when you marinate these ribs for 24 hours, but they are surprisingly good if you don’t.

If you choose to speed up the process by eliminating the marination, make sure you have extra glaze for a dipping sauce. Your guests and your family will wolf the ribs down either way. But I do encourage you to take the extra step to marinate as it will add more flavor.

I will add at this point that by itself, I am not keen on the flavor of cilantro. However, combined with pineapple it works…I can’t explain that but it does. Usually I use half the amount of cilantro called for in a recipe. In this I don’t as it pairs excellently with the taste of pineapple.

Using The Instant Pot

If you want to skip marinating and cook the ribs in the Instant Pot, instead of water, use pineapple juice as the liquid. It will infuse more flavor. Use about 1-1 1/2 cups (around 400 ml) and cook at high pressure for 15-18 minutes. I always cook for the lowest time so the ribs stay together. Release the pressure immediately too so they do not overcook.

Then all you do is glaze them and pop them under the broiler until they begin to crisp.

The Recipe

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Pineapple Glazed Ribs

Pork and pineapple are a perfect combo for ribs

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Marinate1

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baby back rib recipes, glazed pork ribs, Instant Pot recipes, super bowl

Servings: 8

Calories: 620kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 lb pork baby back ribs about 2 racks

Marinade:

2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs kosher salt
1 tbs garlic finely minced
1 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tbs cider vinegar
1/2 cup cilantro
1 chili pepper finely minced

Glaze:

3 cups pineapple juice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup mirin
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs rice vinegar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times. Rub the mixture onto the ribs. Place ribs in a covered dish or large freezer bags and marinate overnight.
You can make the glaze ahead of time as well (recommended). Place all glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so you have a medium simmer (some bubbles on top of the liquid) and reduce until it’s a syrupy consistency—this will take about 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and you may like a splash (about 1 tsp) of fresh lemon juice added.
Line a baking sheet with either parchment or aluminum foil. Place ribs on the sheet and roast in a 350F/180C oven for about 2 hours. Basting with glaze during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Brush with additional glaze then cut into individual rubs. Serve remaining glaze as a dip if you desire.

Notes

Mirin is a sweet sake-like condiment. You will find it in the Asian section of the store.

Nutrition

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Orange Jello Salad

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 23:00:00 +0000

Take a mid-century trip to the 60s with this delicious orange and pineapple jello salad.

A Blast From The Past

This is one of those oldies but goodies everyone ate as a kid; especially if you grew up in the late 1950s or early 1960s. And I have to admit I’m a sucker for mid-century food.

The “in thing” during that era was everything in aspic. Some of these gelatin concoctions were pretty gross. However, there was some really good stuff in that group and this orange jello salad was one of them. I hadn’t thought about this recipe in ages–like maybe 50 years (not kidding). I was reminded of it, funny enough, when I binge-watched “The Astronaut’s Wives Club” just recently. What appeared to be this salad was on the Grissom’s dinner table. I forgot about it again until Cydnee aka Tampa Cake Girl reposted her mom’s recipe for this. That’s when I realized I had to make this!!!

Loaded With Fruit

The reason this salad is so good–and probably good for you too–is the amount of fruit it contains. Yes, it does use the canned stuff, but none of that is in heavy sugary syrups. The canned crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges you use comes packed in juice so there is no extra sugar involved. The flavor also gets a boost from using orange juice as part of the liquids added.

Cydnee makes this right in the pan she used to refrigerate it and serve from. I was a little timid since I wasn’t sure if would stir it enough with the large surface area involved to dissolve the gelatin. So I wimped out and used a bowl to mix it. But if you don’t want to dirty another dish, try Cydnee’s method.

Use Cream For The Crowning Glory

The typical serving suggestion is to top this with whipped topping or whipped cream. Eating it just plain is great too.

However, if you want to serve this British style, which I grew up with, put out a container of heavy (double) cream and pour just a little on the top. Yep, liquid cream. It’s awesome, so do try it that way.

The Recipe

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Orange Jello Salad

This citrusy molded salad is loaded with fruit

Prep Time10

Refrigerate4

Total Time10

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fruit salad

Servings: 8

Calories: 189kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 oz box of orange gelatin large-size box
2 cups boiling water
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
20 oz can crushed pineapple undrained
2 15 oz cans mandarin oranges drained

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix gelatin and boiling water, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved.
Add the frozen orange juice concentrate and stir until it’s all dissolved. Then add the entire can of pineapple and it’s juice and stir until it’s well mixed.
Finally, add the drained mandarin oranges and mix well.
Pour into a 13 x 9-inch non-metallic pan, cover and refrigerate until set—about 4-5 hours.

Notes

*Recipe adapted from Tampa Cake Girl

Video

Nutrition

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Cinnamon Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 05 Aug 2017 23:00:10 +0000

You’ll love this tangy pineapple grilled with a delicious cinnamon brown sugar glaze. Easy to make too.

Grilling Fruit

Summertime fruits are great on the grill!

Grilling adds flavor because the natural sugars will caramelize. That adds tons of flavor just by itself, but when you add a delicious glaze, it kicks that flavor up a few notches.

Pineapple Is Perfect

While other summer fruits are great for the grill, nothing tops pineapple.

Pineapples are available year round and are not specific to summer. But I bet a lot of people associate pineapple with summer simply because it’s tropical.

Using canned is fine, provided you stick to the rings as they are large enough not to fall through the grill grates. However, it’s much better to use fresh whole pineapple.

Most stores sell it peeled and cored for the same price as the whole. That eliminates the mess of peeling and coring yourself.

Peeling A Pineapple

Prepping a whole pineapple is pretty easy.

What I do is use my 8-inch chef’s knife. First, I cut off about 1/2-inch of the base so it sits stable on my work surface. Then cut off about 1/2-inch below the leaves.

Then just follow the curve of the fruit with the knife. When you’re all done, if there are any “eyes” just use a paring knife to cut them out.

Lastly, to make “sticks” just cut the fruit in slabs off the core. Make sure when you cut serving sizes from the slabs that they are at least 1/2-inch thick.

The Inspiration

The original recipe comes from my friend Jen who is the genius behind Carlsbad Cravings. Literally everything on Jen’s site makes my mouth water and this grilled pineapple was no exception.

The only things I changed was the spice as I’m not overly fond of cloves since I find them a bit overpowering no matter how little is used, and I added some cilantro because it’s nice with pineapple. That’s just my personal tastes.

Prep The Grill

Always make sure to oil your grill grates before cooking. This is something I do all the time, not just for this recipe.

Simply saturate a paper towel with vegetable or canola oil and wipe the grates. Simple as that!

The Recipe

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Cinnamon Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple

You’ll love this tangy pineapple grilled with a delicious cinnamon brown sugar glaze. Easy to make too.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: desserts, GRILLING

Cuisine: American

Keyword: grilled pineapple

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 whole pineapple
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

GLAZE

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Cut off top, rind and bottom of pineapple; cut in quarters lengthwise and remove core. Slice each quarter into strips about 1/2 inch thick. Set aside.
To make glaze, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and stir until melted.
Raise the heat to medium and stir in the orange juice and cinnamon. Let this reduce by 1/2—this should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let this cool about 10 minutes.
Place the pineapple strips in a baking dish—I used a jellyroll pan. Pour half of the cooled glaze on top of the pineapple and turn to coat. Reserve the remaining glaze for basting.
Heat your BBQ grill to medium heat. Grill pineapple on both sides making sure you have grill marks on both sides.
Baste with the reserved glaze and grill until the glaze is caramelized (do this on both sides).
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Nutrition

*Adapted from Carlsbad Cravings

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Hawaiian Chicken Dogs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 29 Jul 2017 23:00:55 +0000

Invite these Hawaiian dogs to your next cookout and watch your guest flip over them! Great taste and easy too.

These Hawaiian Dogs Don’t Bite

Here’s some “dogs” that are full of flavor!

First you have the tanginess of sweet grilled pineapple. Then top that all of with some insanely delicious marinated then grilled red onions!

Your Choice Of Dogs

While the original recipe calls for good old hot dogs, a suggestion for a substitution was apple or mango flavored chicken sausage.

I chose to use the chicken sausage because I felt the relish paired a whole lot better with chicken than traditional franks, mainly because I prefer chicken. As luck would have it, chicken sausage was on sale the week I made these.

Grilling Fruits And Veggies

Fruits and veggies taste fantastic when they are grilled.

For larger pieces of fruit–such as the pineapple rings I used here–your regular grill grates are all the equipment you need.

However, for smaller pieces you’d do better with a grill wok or frying pan. That way, smaller pieces won’t fall through the grates. That type of pan is pretty much a necessity for grilling the marinated onions.

I bought one of these pans years ago, and it’s one of the best investments I made when it comes to BBQ accessories. Fortunately, they are inexpensive and last for years. I got mine at Amazon.

They Disappeared Quickly

I brought the whole lot I made of these over to a friend’s auto repair shop to see how well they went over with the guys who work for him. These dogs disappeared very quickly and everyone said they tasted great. One employee happens to have a culinary education so I consider his opinion solid gold.

The Recipe

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Hawaiian "Dogs"

Invite these Hawaiian dogs to your next cookout and watch your guest flip over them! Great taste and easy too.

Prep Time35

Cook Time10

Total Time45

Course: Chicken, GRILLING

Cuisine: Polynesian

Keyword: chicken sausage, Hawaiian, hot dogs

Servings: 8

Calories: 381kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 fully cooked apple or mango flavored chicken sausage
8 hot dog buns
2 cups grilled pineapple I used rings
1 medium red onion sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup sliced green onion
2 tbsp sesame seeds

MARINADE

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp red Thai chili paste
1 tbsp oil

Instructions

Mix all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the sliced red onion and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes; remove the onions and discard marinade.
Heat a gas grill to medium heat (about 350℉). Place the onions on a grill pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until onions begin to get soft and have some grill marks. Remove and set aside.
Place the pineapple rings on the grill and cook on both sides making sure to get grill marks on each side. Remove from the grill and dice when cool enough to handle.
Toast the hot dog buns on the grill. Remove and set aside.
Grill the chicken sausage on all sides until heated through.
Put a grilled chicken sausage in each bun, then top the sausage with about 2 tbs of the grilled diced pineapple. Divide the onions evenly between all the sausages.
Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds.

Nutrition

*Adapted from BHG
*Post may contain affiliate links

The post Hawaiian Chicken Dogs appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

No-Bake Pineapple Cream Dessert

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 22 Jul 2017 23:00:57 +0000

This creamy no-bake pineapple cream dessert is an oldie but a goodie.

Pineapple Cream Dessert: Perfect For Summer

Pineapple just seems to scream summer! OK I know it’s available year round, but it’s tropical origins put it squarely in the summer category–at least for me.

Another reason this is a perfect dessert for summer is that it’s totally no bake!

If You Love Cheesecake…

Then you’ll love this dessert!

The filling is a creamy pineapple-flavored cheesecake and it’s mounded on top of a buttery graham cracker crust. It’s just totally yummy.

Keep in mind that the cheesecake layer may also be used as a sweet dip. Of course it goes well with graham crackers, but it’s also nice with vanilla or chocolate wafers.

Watching Your Weight?

Then you’ll really love this recipe.

Why? Because you can substitute low-fat and low-sugar products for the regular. In fact, I made this for a friend who wanted to lose a few pounds but not skimp on his beloved cheesecake.

I made the filling with Neufchatel cheese (aka “low-fat cream cheese”) and light whipped topping. The sugar was omitted in the crust because grahams are pretty sweet anyway, plus I used low-fat grahams. Not that it made any difference in calories, but I used unrefined coconut oil to bind the crumbs. Now THAT is yummy no matter what version you make because it adds a subtle coconut flavor which enhances the coconut in the filling.

There was absolutely no flavor or texture loss using the reduced-fat products. My friend has eaten this dessert made the standard way so he knows what it tastes like. He said he couldn’t tell the difference and this fellow is a “foodie” who knows his food!

If You Make No-Bake Cookies….

Here’s an excellent resource from Recipe Lion! Read their article, “No Bake Cookies Too Dry or Gooey? See Why.”

Watch The Video

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No-Bake Pineapple Cream Dessert

This creamy no-bake pineapple cream dessert is an oldie but a goodie.

Prep Time20

Cook Time4

Total Time4 20

Course: cakes, desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy desserts, no bake recipe, pineapple cream

Servings: 9

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

FILLING

8 oz softened cream cheese
8 oz tub whipped topping
14-16 oz large can crushed pineapple, drained
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup shredded coconut for topping.

CRUST

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter melted

Instructions

For crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and stir to combine well. Press into a 8 x 8- or 9 x 9-inch pan.
Filling: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar until very smooth.
Beat in the tub of whipped topping. Then fold in the drained pineapple.
Spread filling on top of crust. Top with pineapple chunks and sprinkle with coconut.
Chill very well—at least 4 hours, preferably overnight

Nutrition

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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 00:00:52 +0000

This Hawaiian-style chicken is slow cooked with pineapple and peppers all in a sweet and tangy sauce. Add some rice and you have a luau!

Taste Of The Tropics

Chicken goes Hawaiian in this easy crock pot recipe.

Hawaiian chicken gets it’s exotic flavor from every-day ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and freezer.

All you need is some chicken, a can of pineapple chunks, some bell peppers and common condiments.

Chicken Parts Or Chicken Breast

I have tons of chicken thighs and drumsticks on hand since I took advantage of a fantastic sale one of my local stores had going, so I used those parts to make this.

You could also use boneless skinless breasts in this, but I’d advise cutting them up into chunks rather than cooking them whole. That way they’d cook faster and there’d be no “work” involved in eating them. Also rather than serve the rice and the resultant sauce as a side, you could serve the chicken over rice, almost like a stir fry. And speaking of stir fry, this recipe is easily converted to a stovetop skillet dinner!

Browning Is Optional

When I use whole chicken parts with skin on, I tend to always brown them first.

The caramelization adds a lot of flavor not to mention color. To me, it looks better and tastes better, but if you don’t want to bother with this step, then it can be eliminated. If you are using the cut up breasts, then definitely skip the browning.

The Recipe

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Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken

This Hawaiian-style chicken is slow cooked with pineapple and peppers all in a sweet and tangy sauce. Add some rice and you have a luau!

Prep Time10

Cook Time6

Total Time6 10

Course: Chicken, Everyday Meals, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: slow cooker chicken

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 534kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

20 oz can pineapple chunks drain but reserve juice
1 tbsp olive oil use only if browning first
2 lbs bone-in chicken parts see NOTES
1 green bell pepper cut in 1-inch chunks
1 red bell pepper cut in 1-inch chunks

SAUCE

Reserved pineapple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic minced
1-2 tsp salt

THICKENING

2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Instructions

If you choose to brown the chicken parts, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on all sides. Place in crock pot. If not browning the parts or you are using cut up chicken breast (see NOTES) place the raw chicken in the slow cooker.
Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 3-5 hours or high 2-4 hours.
Add the pineapple chunks and the bell peppers and cook an additional 2 hours on low, 1 hour on high, or until chicken is cooked through.
To thicken sauce, remove chicken parts (if you used the cut-up breasts it’s not necessary to remove it). Mix he cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Turn the cooker to HIGH and stir in the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir until juice begins to thicken. Add the chicken parts back to the pot and cook for 15 additional minutes.
Serve over rice.

Notes

You can use cut up boneless skinless breasts. Reduce total cooking time to 2-3 hours on high or 3-5 hours low--COOKING TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE. SOME COOKERS COOK HOTTER AND FASTER. LET YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR COOKER BE YOUR GUIDE.

Nutrition

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Tropical Pineapple Bars

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 00:00:49 +0000

Tropical pineapple bars are so incredibly easy to make, you’ll make them year round!

Easiest Cookies Ever

When you need a batch of cookies on the double, these tropical pineapple bars might be the answer to your prayers!

Believe it or not, there is no preparation at all because it uses refrigerated cookie dough. The remaining ingredients are added right out of the box.

Tropical Pineapple Bars: The South Seas In A Cookie

These pineapple bars are loaded with all things tropical. Close your eyes and take a bite. Then imagine you’re on a south seas cruise! This is why they are a good snack for the winter.

These bar cookies are a tad on the sweet side since they use candied pineapple, but if you want more of a “bite” to them, substitute dehydrated pineapple for the candied.

The flavors blend very well together and the thing that ties it all together are the macadamia nuts. They get slightly toasted when they bake and are just magnificent. I used macadamias that had no seasoning or salt, but if you cannot find natural nuts, the ones with the bit of salt will do just fine.

The Recipe

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Tropical Pineapple Bars

Tropical pineapple bars are so incredibly easy to make, you’ll make them year round!

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: cookies, desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bar cookies, coconut, macadamia nuts, pineapple

Servings: 48

Calories: 132kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1- can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz candied pineapple
1 1/2 cups white chocolate morsels
1 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cups macadamia nuts coarsely chopped
18 oz. package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 15×10″ baking pan with nonstick spray.
Press cookie dough onto bottom of pan, top evenly with the sweetened condensed milk, candied pineapple, white chocolate pieces, coconut and macadamia nuts, press firmly into cookie dough. Bake 18-25 minutes or until lightly brown.
Cool in pan, cut into bars.

Nutrition

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Pineapple Glazed Wings

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 00:00:29 +0000

Pineapple gives a taste of the topics in these delicious wings. Makes a great holiday appetizer too!

Who Doesn’t Love Wings?

I don’t know too many people who don’t flip over chicken wings.

Any way you can make them, I love them. I’m a chicken freak to the core, but I love wings twice as much as I love chicken!

This wing sauce is very special. It takes a bit of time to reduce the sauce, but it is well worth it for the fabulous flavor!

It’s Winter So Go Tropical

I just love to serve things with a tropical flavor in the winter. It seems to warm the soul.

Pineapple juice is the base of this sauce. Pineapple and chicken are a wonderful combination! In fact, I would serve these wings with some pineapple chunks and even some maraschino cherries!

Serving these wings along with the pineapple chunks or other tropical fruits on a buffet for a party, not only makes a stunning presentation, but it will probably be the most popular food on that buffet!

Fresh Or Frozen, Whole Or Cut

There’s a choice here when it comes to the wings.

You can buy them fresh and either leave them whole or cut them up. You can buy them flash frozen too, and they are already cut. The frozen ones don’t include the wing tip.

If I buy wings fresh and want to cut them up, I don’t discard the wing tip. I freeze them and save them for making stock!

When I made these, I chose to leave them whole–and I rarely do. However, if you plan to put these out on a buffet, I’d suggest cutting them up or using the pre-cut frozen wings. They’ll be much easier to grab-and-go that way.

The Recipe

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Pineapple Glazed Wings

Pineapple gives a taste of the topics in these delicious wings. Makes a great holiday appetizer too!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Appetizers, Chicken

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken wings, pineapple

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 438kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3-4 lb chicken wings fresh or frozen

SEASONING RUB

1 cup brown sugar dark brown preferred
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar white may be substituted
1/4 tspp ground ginger
1 cup pineapple juice
1 clove garlic crushed

Instructions

You can leave fresh wings whole or cut them up at the joint. Don't discard tips if you do cut them up; save them for making stock. Frozen wing portions must be defrosted.
Pat wings dry with paper towels and rub with seasoning rub.
Cook wings in the way you prefer--bake, deep fry or use the slow cooker. For approximate times for each method, see NOTES.
Meanwhile, to make sauce, place all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan; stir well to combine.
Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced 50%--it should look like a thin syrup when it's done. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
Place cooked wings in a large bowl, add the sauce and toss to coat.

Notes

Seasoning Rub: 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir to combine. You can make this in bulk if you wish.

Cooking Methods:
Bake at 375 degrees F about 45 minutes. Make sure to spray the baking sheet because wings stick. I always use a sheet of non-stick parchment and spray that too
Deep Fry for about 8 minutes; drain.
Slow Cook Cook on high approximately 5 hours. Drain ALL liquid from crock, add sauce and toss to coat (your cooker may cook differently. This is the time and temp I use so your times may vary)

Nutrition

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