Sesame Chicken Salad with Pineapple

So...what to do with the pineapple left over from the other night? Well...let's make a salad fit for summer!

Ingredients: 1/2 medium pineapple (diced), 1/2 orange bell pepper (diced), 1/4 cabbage (shredded), 1 head of lettuce - shredded (my favorite is the hydroponic butter lettuce...but other types would do), 6 pieces boneless skinless chicken thighs, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons tamari, 2 tablespoons almond butter, 2 tablespoons tahini, 1/4 juice from pineapple, juice from 1 lemon, 1/4 cup sesame oil, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, salt to taste

1. Cube and cook chicken thighs.
2. In a bowl, mix the vinegar, tamari, almond butter, tahini, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds together. Add sesame oil and blend well.
3. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, lettuce, pineapple, and bell pepper. Toss with dressing and top with chicken pieces. Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds and serve.

Alternatively, you can add 1 cup of diced mango as well to the salad. Afterall, this is summer!!

Roasted Pork Loin with stuffed spinach and mushroom

The recipe originally came from Whole Foods and I modified it a slight bit to add some asian flare :)

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork loin, 1 package of baby spinach, 1 king mushroom, 1 glove of garlic (chopped), 2 teaspoon Lee Kum Kee Chinese BBQ (Char Siu) Sauce

1. Split king mushroom in half length wise, then cut into thin slices. Cook in a little bit of olive oil for ~3-5 minutes until tender. Add spinach and chopped garlic and cook until soft.
2. Butterfly the pork loin. Spoon spinach and mushroom mix on top. Roll the pork loin closed and tie with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals.
3. Brush the outside with Chinese BBQ sauce and let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Brown all sides the stuffed pork loin in a pan with olive oil for a few minutes.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 1hr 20 mins.
6. Cut into thick slices and serve.

Seafood Rice Bake with Pineapple

So...it has been a long while since I cook something interesting (well, I guess that's what happens when you have a baby?). Anyway...so here it is...an improvised version of one of my favorite dishes.

Ingredients: 1/2 pound shrimp (deveined and peeled), 1/4 pound scallop, 4 squid tubes, 1 cup of uncooked jasmine rice, 1 can coconut milk (unsweetened), 1/3 medium fresh pineapple, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, chopped green onions

1. Cut squid tubes into rings.
2. Sautee seafood and chopped green onion in pan.
3. Cut pineapple into chunks and add to seafood sautee; cook for additional 5 minutes.
4. In separate pot, mix coconut milk and rice. Cook in medium heat for 20 minutes and stir often. Lower the heat and cook for additional 10-20 minutes.
5. Mix seafood and rice in casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 F for 30 minutes.
(Alternatively, you can bake in the pineapple shell for more flavor)

Enjoy!