Hey foodies. Half way through another week and the moon is now in Libra! To be honest, I don’t know that this would necessarily influence my life to the point where I stop and point it out to myself, but it’s nice to think about. I like to think that, similar to my actual birthday month, that this is my own little dedicated “me!” time, or that I should meditate or do more yoga during this time.

I made a really fun dinner this past Sunday — I was inspired by the super bright and sunny day we had on Saturday and decided to make a Caribbean themed dinner. All I wanted was bright colors, spicy and earthy flavors, and… pineapple.

I have a love/hate relationship with pineapple. It really does have a great flavor, but the texture is enough to make me gag and immediately spit it out. I think this stems back to my older sister force-feeding me pineapples after a stomach bug as a child. I’ll never fully recover.

That doesn’t stop me from enjoying little bits of it every now and again though. While I used the majority of the pineapple in the rest of my recipes, I added a little dash to this dish. I saw a jerk spiced rice recipe with beans in it, but I wanted this to be a bit more fun and colorful. 

Caribbean Party Rice (Vegan, Gluten-Free!)

prep time: 30 min

cook time: 30 min

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

• 1 13oz can of coconut milk

• 1 cup pineapple juice

• 1 cup water

• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped, seeds and ribs removed

• 1 small yellow bell pepper, finely chopped, seeds and ribs removed

• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

• 1 large jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and ribs removed

• 3 stalks of scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts added

• 1.5 to 2 tsp of sea salt (to taste – I love salt but tend to intentionally under salt)

• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, add your coconut milk, cloves, cayenne pepper, pineapple juice, water and rice. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cover. allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, checking to ensure rice is not stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir, check that it’s cooked (should be soft, no al dente rice!) and allow to air out, fluffing as it dries.

1. Meanwhile, as you’re waiting for the rice to cook, add your bell pepper, red onion and garlic to a large frying pan with your preferred cooking fat, over medium heat. Sauté until onion stars to become translucent, about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add your garlic and continue to sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat until you’re able to add your rice (if it isn’t finished cooking).

1. Once your rice has finished cooking, add it to your skillet, over a medium low heat. Add your fresh jalapenos and stir, adding additional seasoning if desired. Don’t be afraid to kick up the spices in this one — if you want flavorful rice, you must be generous with your spices!

1. Continue sautéing until rice is thoroughly mixed, brought back to temperature and browned in some spots. Once finished, remove from heat and stir in your cilantro. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

-S