My favorite fruit (and one of my favorite foods ever) is the apple. I eat one daily. But in my top five list of favorite fruits is the pineapple. I know it has no relation to the actual apple, but the name is similar so no wonder I love it so much! Fresh pineapple is not easy to come by in the grocery store, so when I see it, or a recipe with it, I jump on it. And then usually I polish off a whole pineapple by myself in two sittings. It’s so good! So naturally this Hawaiian style recipe of Roasted Pineapple and Bell Peppers from Vegetarian Times tickled my tastebuds.
I made a few tweaks and here is what I came up with:
1 block tempeh, cubed
1 cubed fresh pineapple
2 medium red bell peppers, cubed
1 large white or yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1 Tbs. canola oil
2 Tbs. brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce, or another sweet and sour type sauce
1 cup brown rice – I used short grain
1. Cook the rice according to package directions. I set-and-forget (forgot) mine in the rice cooker. Meanwhile, steam tempeh cubes to get the bitter bite out. I steamed them in the steamer basket that comes with our rice cooker.
2. In a large baking sheet, combine the pineapple, bell peppers and onions, tempeh, drizzle on oil, sprinkle on brown sugar, salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.
3. When the rice is done cooking, mix it together with the sweet chili sauce. Add more if necessary. The first time I ate this meal I didn’t use the sauce, as the original recipe didn’t call for any. But it was too bland. When we had leftovers, adding the sauce totally sealed the deal.
4. Portion rice out into bowls and then top with pineapple and pepper mixture. Imagine you’re in Hawaii.
