Tag Archives: pineapple

Tequila-Glazed Grilled Chicken

I’ve experimented with different kinds of rubs to put on chicken over the years and have managed to accumulate a pretty big pile of rub recipes.  I’ve decided that any kind of spice-rubbed chicken is probably my favorite way of eating chicken any given time – more so than chicken parmesan or fried chicken.  I have a healthy collection of spices in my cabinet so I’m always prepared for anything.  So, what’s better than spice-rubbed chicken?  Glazed spice-rubbed chicken! 

This Tequila-Glazed Grilled Chicken not only has a rub of cumin, chili powder, and chipotle chili powder (one of my favorites!) but it’s also glazed with a sauce reduction of tequila, pineapple juice, honey, lime, and red pepper flake.  The rub provides a ton of flavor and a little bit of heat which pairs wonderfully with the slight sweetness of the glaze.  I used regular chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs but use whatever you like and cook accordingly.  And don’t worry if you don’t like tequila – it provides a subtle background flavor without making this taste like a drunken chicken dish.  I’m going out on a limb here and calling this one of my favorite chicken dishes so far so please, give it a try!

The ingredients:

Combine the cumin, chili powder, salt, and chipotle chili powder and rub evenly over the chicken.

In a small pan, bring the pineapple juice, tequila, and honey to a boil and cook until reduced (about 10 minutes).  Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add to the juice mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, and stir in lime rind, lime juice, and crushed red pepper.

Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray and grill, basting each side occasionally with juice mixture, until chicken is cooked thoroughly (approximately 8-10 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF internally.)

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Chicken breasts

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Piña Colada Smoothie

When I was in Clearwater, Florida two weeks ago, I went to the beach one day with my friend Lori while my other two friends went golfing.  The beach had a little tiki bar which we ponied up to while we contemplated lunch. After seeing the bartender hand a piña colada to the guy next to us, sinfully rimmed in honey and shredded coconut, we decided to forget our diets and forgo lunch for one of those decadent drinks. As we slowly enjoyed the high-caloried rum cocktail and licked the honey off our fingers, we talked about how a low-caloried Piña Colada Smoothie could easily be made at home, even as a cocktail with a shot of rum. With today being Lori’s birthday, it seemed only fitting that I post this in honor of her and our memories of the tiki bar that sunny day.

I’m weird about my smoothies and prefer them made with frozen fruit instead of ice. Frozen fruit tends to blend easier whereas with ice, I can never get it as smooth as I like.  I already had frozen pineapple in my freezer and also had leftover coconut milk from the mahi mahi dish I made last week so all I had to add was a banana.  The coconut milk adds the slightest coconut flavor without adding sweetness but if you like more coconut, consider adding in a little shredded coconut (but keep in mind, it will add more calories).  A shot of white or coconut rum will make this a low-fat piña colada that you don’t have to feel guilty about.

Piña Colada Smoothie (makes 1 smoothie):

  • 1/2 cup frozen chunk pineapple
  • 1/2 small banana, sliced
  • 1/2 cup light coconut milk

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry. To get even more decadent, rim your glass with honey and dip in shredded coconut for a fun presentation (like they did at the tiki hut – it was worth the sticky fingers!).

The ingredients:

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender.

Garnish with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry (or honey and shredded coconut).

Source: Me! 🙂

Hawaiian Chicken

Is everyone as happy as me that it’s spring? I was in Florida on vacation this past weekend and even though I took a few days off from my diet, I think I must have eaten pineapple nearly everyday. There is something about spring that makes me want to eat tons of fresh fruits and veggies as well as eat better! (Maybe it’s the impending bathing suit season?) When I came home, I went to the grocery store and nearly went crazy with all of the produce on sale for only $1! Mangos, nectarines, carrots, peppers, avocado, broccoli! It got me in the mood to stay in a “tropical” state of mind with my eating so I made Hawaiian Chicken and ate it with a homemade fruit salad of mangos, nectarines, cilantro and lime juice. Yum! The glaze for this chicken is super easy – soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger, and pineapple juice. The chicken marinates in the refrigerator for a few hours and is grilled. I’m sure this would be a million times better on an outdoor grill but I’m not complaining with how mine turned out. This especially tasted great with mango. I think I mmm-ed with every bite. This delicious chicken dish puts me right in the mood for springtime!

The ingredients:

Combine the ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic and ginger in a small bowl.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and pour remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add the chicken and chill for 4 hours.

Place chicken on a grill or grill pan coated with non-stick spray. Discard marinade. Using reserved marinade to baste the chicken as it cooks over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 minutes on each side or until completely cooked through.

Serve with fresh fruit and brown rice.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

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