Pineapple Fried Rice (Serves 4)

I’ve written before about one option for what to do leftover rice. Well, here is another tasty recipe that our family loves for using up extra rice. This pineapple fried rice is an easy one-dish meal

This recipe is Henry-approved.

Ingredients

1 cup broccoli

½ cup bell pepper

½ cup carrot

½ cup red onion

2 Tablespoons oil (coconut or olive oil work well)

½ cup frozen peas

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ pound boneless chicken thighs

1 small can (8-oz) pineapple chunks in juice

3 cups cooked rice

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 Tablespoons chicken broth

Pineapple Fried Rice cooking in the wok.

Directions

Rinse and chop the broccoli, bell pepper, carrot and red onion into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.

Cut chicken into ½-inch pieces.

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil on medium-high in a large skillet or wok pan. Saute chopped vegetables and frozen peas for approximately 6-8 minutes. Stir frequently until vegetables soften. Set vegetables aside in a medium bowl.

Use the same pan to heat 1 Tablespoon oil on medium-high. Saute chicken, garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, drain pineapple and set aside the juice. Add pineapple to the chicken in the wok, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken and pineapple start to brown. Set aside the chicken and pineapple by adding them to the bowl of cooked vegetables.

Add rice to the wok on medium-high. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add soy sauce, broth and 2 Tablespoons reserved pineapple juice to the wok. Add vegetables and chicken to the wok. Cook for 3-5 minutes stirring frequently. Serve warm.

We like to top the fried rice with a drizzle of Thai sweet chili sauce for a touch of spice.

Pineapple Fried Rice ready to eat!

How your kids can help

2-year old: Measuring out ½ cup of frozen peas.
3-year old: Draining the pineapple juice from the can.
4-year old: Measuring and pouring the soy sauce, broth and pineapple juice over the rice.
5-year old: Helping to cut the vegetables into ½-inch pieces.

Henry alternates between using his hands and eating with a fork.

He's still practicing how to keep the plate on the table.

Comments

The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook

UPDATE (10/2/12): Unfortunately, I did not hear back from our original winner. Congratulations to our alternate winner for "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook" -- Robin Pfefer. UPDATE (9/29/12): I am happy to announce that Kashia Clopper is the winner of "The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook". When I was first thinking about using the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) model for Henry, I was unsure about whether it would really work. I was excited about BLW’s claims of less stressful meals that the whole family could share together. Plus, I was all for encouraging Henry to gain new skills by learning about the shapes, textures, colors, smells and flavors of food. This sounded ideal in theory, but would it work in practice? After some fun but ineffective attempts at letting Henry feed himself, I went in search of resources to learn more about BLW. I needed to learn how to prepare meals for our family in which Henry could participate. That’s when I found “ The Baby-Led ...

Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example

This week’s Tuesday Tip for Picky Eaters: Set a good example. As parents, we are the first role models for Henry. He will learn from our example, so Daddy and I need to eat our fruits and vegetables too. I am not a big fan of mango, but I let Henry watch me eat it with a smile on my face. Then he wants to try some mango too. Henry is more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when he sees Mommy and Daddy eat them too. A recent study confirmed that when parents lead by example their children have a more nutritious diet. The best way to inspire healthy eating habits is to demonstrate them first-hand to your children. Another study found that when parents ate an extra serving of fruit or vegetables each day, their child ate an additional half serving. Yes, it is important to talk with kids about food. But don’t just tell your child to eat their vegetables, let them see you eating a balanced meal that includes plenty of fruits and veggies. It may not always seem like it,...

Five-Spice Salmon with Zucchini Spears (Serves 2 + baby)

As I mentioned yesterday, fish can be an outstanding choice for babies. It is a very healthy option. Plus, it melts into small pieces that are easy for Henry to chew and swallow. This recipe is Henry-approved. I've heard some people are intimidated by cooking fish, but there's no reason to be anxious. Grilling fish gives it a smoky flavor. Just be sure to oil the barbecue so the fish doesn't stick to the grate. The fish is ready when it easily flakes apart with a fork. This is likely to be our last grilling recipe for a while, since the weather is cooling down for autumn. Five-spice salmon and zucchini on the grill Ingredients 1 Tablespoon sesame oil 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 Tablespoon Chinese five-spice 1/3 cup orange or pineapple juice 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced 1 10-ounce salmon fillet 1 medium zucchini Henry enjoying a salmon dinner. Directions Whisk together the first five ingredients in a small bowl to create the ma...

How to Feed a Henry

Search This Blog