Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I think the only thing possible better than pulled chicken barbecue is pulled chicken barbecue that cooks by itself all day long in the slow cooker with pineapple and onion and a jar of spicy barbecue sauce that you forget about until you walk in the door at the end of the day and smell pulled chicken barbecue that is already cooked and ready to eat.

Did you get all that?

Good, because every word is true.  But don't take MY word for it...haul out that slow cooker that I know you have somewhere and try it for yourself.  As I write this I am keeping an eye on the thermometer, which is inching its way up towards 90 degrees.  And when it is THAT hot out, there is nothing and nobody who can make me turn on my stove or my oven.  But the slow cooker...that's another story.  Because it cooks low and slow, whatever you pop into it is tender and wonderful, and your kitchen stays cool.   Summer is for salads and slow cookers...and this recipe is as easy as it gets.  Toss some nice big boneless chicken breasts into the cooker, along with a can of drained chopped pineapple, some onion, and a jar of your favorite bbq sauce.  (For this recipe, I like a sauce that is more on the tangy spicy side, since you have a sweet flavor coming from the pineapple.)  Now go away and frolic in the 90 degree weather for a while.

When you come back, your chicken will be tender enough to shred into delicious bite size pieces...shred it all up, then return it to the liquid left in the slow cooker and mix it all up.  Now what I usually do next is this: put a pile of soft hamburger rolls in a basket by the slow cooker, along with a pitcher of warm bbq sauce for anyone who likes a little extra on their sandwich.  Then stand back and let the hungry crowds build their own.

Summertime!!

Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, from Tasty Kitchen

• 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 bottle bbq sauce, 18-20 ounces.
• Hamburger rolls
• Extra bbq sauce for topping

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.  Top with onions, then pineapple, then pour the whole bottle of bbq sauce over the whole thing.

2. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.  About an hour before it is done, carefully remove chicken from crockpot, shred it, and then return it to the cooker and stir so it can absorb some of the sauce as it finishes.

3. Serve on hamburger rolls with extra bbq sauce on the side.

Print this!

Shrimp and Pineapple Kebabs with Lime Viniagriette

Okay, so I will once again admit it: I am a complete sucker for shrimp cocktail.  There's something about chilled shrimp in a glass that just has me at hello, so it is pretty much a done deal that I will be working this into the Southern husband and my Friday Night Lights approach to Friday dinners in any way I can, and I have to say that so far....this may be my favorite.

It's got shrimp.  It's got pineapple.  It's got cherry tomatoes.  It's got a light lime vinaigrette.  It's served on skewers, which makes it oh-so-easy to eat when you are on the couch watching a movie while your teenager is out gallivanting.

I love the word gallivating.  Somehow I never look like this when I do it.

Anyway.

This is one of those ecipes that looks like you spent all day creating a wonderful seafood concoction when you really only spent about 15 minutes cooking up some shrimp, chopping up some tomatoes and pineapple and whisking together a super-simple line dressing.  You mix the whole thing together and skewer the pieces together,  Then chop up a little lettuce (I used Bibb lettuce for this and it was just about perfect.)  Now comes the fun part: choose whatever glasses you have that have a wide opening.  Margarita glasses would actually be perfect, and if I had any that's what I would have used.  Make a nice soft bed of lettuce in the glass and arrange a few skewer inside.  Drizzle the whole thing with the leftover lime dressing from the mixing bowl, and then hand them out.

Now comes the REALLY fun part.  The eating.  Because this is one of those dishes with just the right amount of tangy and sweet and wonderful.  We had these for our light supper, but I can totally picture them as the perfect summertime appetizer before you grill whatever it is you are going to grill.  And I'm beginning to believe that grilling season might just get here one day.

In the meantime, cuddle up inside on the sofa with some of these and March won't seem so March-like.

Shrimp and Pineapple Kebabs with Lime Vinaigrette, adapted from a WeightWatchers recipe.  (5 points, if anyone's counting!)

	8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
	1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
	2 tsp honey
	1 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin
	1 tsp apple cider vinegar
	1 tsp Dijon mustard, coarse-grained
	1 tsp cilantro, chopped
	1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
	8 chunks fresh pineapple
	4 medium cherry tomato(es), halved
	1 1/2 cup(s) mixed baby greens
	2 Tbsp red onion(s), finely chopped

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; add the shrimp. Reduce the heat and simmer until the shrimp are just opaque in the center, 3–4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
  
• Stir together the lime juice, honey, oil, vinegar, mustard, cilantro, and crushed red pepper in a bowl until blended. Stir in the shrimp, pineapple, and tomatoes; gently toss to coat.
  
• Alternately thread the shrimp, pineapple, and tomatoes on 4 (6-inch) wooden skewers; reserve any vinaigrette remaining in the bowl. Divide the greens between 2 glasses; place 2 kebabs in each glass. Sprinkle with the onion and drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette. 

Click here for printable recipe

Ham and Pineapple Quesadillas, and Organizing Your Dinner!

Okay, so I admit it, I am a Type A, compulsive, inflexibly organized person. It's the only way I can keep the various parts of my life all (mostly!) heading in the right direction, and by parts I mean the care and feeding of one Southern husband, one picky but adorable teenager, one constantly hungry dog, one full-time job, and one obsession with photographing my dinner. In terms of the last one, my usual approach is to plan the menu for the week all in one fell swoop on Saturday morning by spreading cookbooks and clippings and scribbled notes all over the kitchen counter, picking out some good-sounding ones, making a giant list and hitting the local farmer's market and supermarket on Sunday morning. That way I know what I am making when I walk in the door each evening, and all the fixings are already there and waiting for me.



Now, I have gotten more than a little bit of teasing for this over the years, so I felt extremely vindicated when I heard about this new website that pretty much does EXACTLY this same thing, without the added complication of having to collect the recipes.

Relish

Relish is a service that collects a great variety of recipes, including lunches, desserts, kid-friendly dishes, vegetarian stuff -- you name it. The recipes change up every week, although the old ones are archived so if there is one you love you can go back to it. You pick out the recipes you want to make for the week, and it organizes them into a grocery list for you -- all the stuff you need to make them. When you print out the list, it prints out all the recipes too, so at the end you have a weekly menu, a grocery list with all the stuff you need to make everything, and all the recipes. It costs $7 per month, and less if you sign up in increments of 6 months or more.

Gee, what a great, organized IDEA!

The folks at Relish were nice enough to give me a gift voucher to road test this service, and so I took it out for a spin. It worked exactly as described, and the recipes were right at my level -- creative but not too fussy or elaborate for weeknight cooking. For example, the dinner pictured above, which is a ham and pineapple quesadilla with a lovely little side salad of sugar snap peas, mango, avocado, coconut and other nice things. (This was one of the things I liked best about Relish -- they don't give you the main course and then leave you to your own devices on the side dish. Each meal comes with both.) The recipe was quick and pretty easy, and delish.

So for those of you who don't get your kicks out of figuring out the weekly menu, you might want to give Relish a try. And in the meantime, try out their ham and pineapple quesadillas. I'm going to clean up my kitchen counter now.

Ham and Pineapple Quesadillas, adapted from Relish

• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 8 inch whole wheat tortillas
• 4 slices ham
• 1 8 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1. Spray frying pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat over high heat.

2. Divide apricot preserves over half of each tortilla. Top evenly with ham, cheese and onions. Fold tortillas in half.

3. Place tortillas in heated frying pan and reduce heat to meidum high. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until cheese is melted and tortilla is golden.

4. Cut tortilla into wedges and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Coconut Fusilli with Pineapple, Cranberries and Shredded Chicken

The Southern husband and I have this thing going on called "The Restaurant Project." At least I call it that -- I think he calls it going out to dinner to a new place that involves the GPS every Saturday night. Actually, he doesn't call it anything at all, but he is a great sport about letting me call the shots on the Saturday night restaurant every week, and at some point I decided that we needed to start experimenting with someplace other than our beloved barbecue joint...and thus The Restaurant Project was born, and it goes like this.

I started looking through local blogs and websites for restaurant ratings, and handily enough I was doing this at the exact right time of the year, because I started this little project in January when lots of place were doing their yearly round-ups and top ten ratings and so on. (For those of you in the northern New Jersey area, there are some links at very end of this post.)

Anyway, as part of the project we have been to a different place almost every Saturday night, and so this past Saturday we went to RoCCA in Glen Rock, New Jersey. Where they had this amazing dish on the menu that was, yep, Coconut Fusilli with Pineapple, Cranberries and Shredded Chicken. And so I went home with a mission: Recreate That Recipe!

So I took some grilled chicken...

Sprinkled on some dried cranberries...



And some chopped fresh pineapple.



At this point I realized that I had forgotten to get red onion, which made me hop up and down in frustration for a minute or two, but then I pulled myself together. (If I had a red onion, I would have sliced it and sauteed it really slowly in olive oil until it was soft, so let's just pretend I did.) Then I put some coconut milk and cream of coconut into the skillet where the imaginary red onion was and heated it to simmering.

Next I added a slurry of one tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water to the simmering coconut sauce and simmered it until it was thick and creamy. I added the chicken mixture to the coconut sauce, added some flaked coconut, gave the whole thing a stir and voila! Pretty much good as the original -- although I may have to go back a few times and test it. So with thanks to RoCCA, here's my version.

Coconut Fusilli with Pineapple, Cranberries and Shredded Chicken

1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pineapple
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup cream of coconut
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
8 ounces cooked fusilli
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Fresh ground pepper

1. Combine chicken, cranberries and pineapple in bowl, set aside.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat, add onion and cook until soft. Add coconut milk and cream of coconut and heat until simmering.

3. Add dissolved cornstarch and stir until slightly thickened.

4. Add pasta and chicken mixture to skillet and heat through

5. Stir in flaked coconut and fresh ground pepper.

6. Divide among plates and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

"Best Of" Links:

201.net 2009 Best Of Bergen.

tommy:eats Best Of List

Asian Shrimp, Pineapple and Peanut Salad

Here's the back story on this one. (You know I love the backstory).

Here are the main loves of my life.



Aren't they the sweetest?

And this, God help me, is the other love of my life.

And I was pretty much living happily ever after with all three of them, thinking life couldn't be much better.

Until this came along.

Yes, I know it is not right to fall in love with inanimate objects. But it plays all my favorite songs. It plays all my favorite movies. It lets me read all my favorite books...with a backlight!!! It shows off all my nine million pictures of chocolate chip cookies. And you can jazz it up with apps that tell you everything from where you parked your car at the mall to what to make for dinner when you have shrimp, pineapple and peanuts on hand and you just KNOW there's a good recipe in there somewhere.

For those of you who have one of these babies, there is an app called EPICURIOUS that is in the App Store for the low, low price of $Free. And for those of you who don't have one, as far as I can tell all the recipes are also available on www.epicurious.com. Anyway, one of the first delectable recipes that caught my eye was this one for a salad of shrimp, pineapple, avocado and peanuts, with a jalepeno lime mint dressing. Yes please, and thank you. It was quick and easy and delicious in a fun, tropical, summer-is-almost-here kind of way.

Asian Shrimp, Pineapple, and Peanut Salad, from Epicurious

Dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 large)
1 small jalapeño chile, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons (packed) fresh mint leaves

Salad:
16 peeled deveined cooked large shrimp with tails intact
6 ounces fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 2x1/4-inch spears (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons salted peanuts
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges (for garnish)

For dressing:
Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, oil, and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir in shallots, chile, and mint.

For salad:
Toss shrimp with salt and pepper in bowl. Add pineapple, avocado, and dressing; toss to coat. Divide among plates, top with nuts, and garnish with lime wedges.

Click here for printable recipe

Pineapple Chicken

Today I need to give a shout-out to one of my favorite cooking magazines, and that is Taste of Home. I do love my share of the fancy ones, like Saveur and Bon Appetit, and I get tons of recipes and ideas from fancy cooking experts like Mark Bittman and all the fabulous blogs that I read. But Taste of Home is kind of in its own category. It is a collection of recipes and cooking tips and ideas from home cooks across the country, and while you won't find too much fancy stuff in there, you will find recipe after recipe for good old-fashioned home-cooked dishes.

This pineapple chicken is one of my favorites. Like most of the Taste of Home recipes, it is pretty fast and simple, and the mix of pineapple and mustard and honey and herbs...YUM. I did swap out fresh thyme for the dried thyme called for in the recipe just because I had some hanging around, and it worked just wonderfully. I also threw on some chopped cashews because I also had those hanging around, and they added a nice salty crunch. (I am trying to get better about completely using up whatever ingredients I happen to buy. I have two unused leeks lurking in the refrigerator right this second waiting for inspiration to strike. Send suggestions.)

Anyway, if you, like me, are always looking for a new spin on chicken, give this recipe and try, and check out Taste of Home when you get a second, too.

PINEAPPLE CHICKEN, from Taste of Home

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened sliced pineapple
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Hot cooked rice

1. Sprinkle chicken with the thyme, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil. Meanwhile, drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Cut pineapple rings in half and set aside.
2. Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons juice until smooth; set aside. Combine the mustard, honey, garlic and remaining pineapple juice. Add to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm.
3. Stir cornstarch mixture. Gradually add to pan; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return chicken to pan. Top with pineapple; heat through. Serve with rice. Yield: 4 servings.

Click here for printable recipe

Edible Arrangements

Okay, so please forgive me in advance if this post falls into the "more information than I really wanted to get on a recipe blog" category, but there's a story behind this one, and I do think it's worth it. So here goes.

Maybe it is the fact that I haul around my 7 pound camera everywhere I go. Maybe it's because I spend a ridiculous amount of time bent over my computer. Maybe it's because I never...quite...got into the daily exercise program that the buff Southern husband follows. Maybe it is all three...but one day a few weeks ago I woke up and OUCH. My back finally said enough is enough. I followed my usual route of doing nothing and hoping it would go away. Nope. Then I switched to my back-up plan of taking way more Advil than any one person should take. Nope. Finally my practical and all-knowing friend T took me under her wing and brought me here:

Midtown Chiropractic Heath and Wellness

Where I met a group of folks that are unlike any other medical practice I have ever come across. Now don't get me wrong, I have a great doctor who takes terrific care of me, but you know I mean when it comes to dealing with the doctor's office. You negotiate for appointment times. You wait and wait and wait in the WAITING room. And if you have a question for the doctor after you leave the office...good luck to you, my friend.

Hang in there, I promise there is a food-related point to all this.

At this wonderful place, however, everyone from the lovely women who are at the front desk, to the terrific and patient physical therapists, to my two awesome doctors - they all bend over backwards (sorry, couldn't resist THAT pun) to listen to every crazy question you have. They make sure you have their email address and they email you back right away. They call you on the weekend to see how you are doing. They never, ever make you wait. I thought to myself, patient care just couldn't get any better than this. Then I came home last weekend and saw this:

And went in search of the Southern husband so I could thank him. After I finished thanking him, he admitted it wasn't from him.

Nope, it was from Dr. Sinett at Midtown Chiropractic. A get well soon gorgeous edible fruit arrangement. From my doctor, who also emails me back and calls to check on me on the weekends.

!!!!!!

So let's unwrap this baby and check it out.

It really DOES look like a flower arrangement, only in this case the flowers are strawberries and grapes and pineapple, all fresh as fresh can be and gorgeously assembled and DELICIOUS!! I felt a little bad dismantling the first strawberry to take a bite, but once I tasted it I got over that very quickly.

And just to keep the story going, I loved it so much that I sent one to my sweet Italian friend, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. And she loved hers so much that she got one for her sister-in-law, who is also on the mend.

So if you know someone who needs a little cheering up, here's the link to Edible Arrangements. They have over 900 stores so there is bound to be one near you. They deliver, and if you live near one of the stores you can also go there and buy one.

Edible Arrangements

And if you live in the New York City area and you wake up one morning and your back is complaining to you...Midtown Chiropractic Health and Wellness. (Thank you, you guys! You are the BEST!!)