Grilled Chicken and Veggies with Thai Pineapple Rice

I love grilling, especially on a day like yesterday when it was so hot we didn't want to cook indoors. I had planned this meal for the weekend, but when our plans changed I just pushed it back to Monday.

Grilled vegetables are nice and simple, but they taste fantastic. I skewered the vegetables so it would be easier to handle them on the grill:


Just a little salt, pepper and oil went on the vegetables, but I marinated the chicken in pineapple juice, soy sauce, oil, and pepper for about 2 hours before I skewered the pieces.


This was the first time I can remember the chicken actually tasting like the marinade. It was perfectly cooked, juicy but with a slight char, and the pineapple and soy sauce flavors really came through. The vegetables were also perfectly cooked. We both really like grilled zucchini.


To go along with the skewers I made the Thai Pineapple Rice I first tried last summer:


I'm not sure what makes it Thai, but this is some seriously addictive rice. Even SP, who isn't a huge fan of rice, ate a few helpings. I had to use red pepper flakes instead of the jalapeno because of the salmonella scare, but it ended up working just fine.

Thai Pineapple Rice

1 1/2 cups basmati rice, cooked according to package directions
1 large onion, red or white, cut into large dice
1/2 jalapeno pepper, or 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large can pineapple chunks, cut into smaller pieces
Soy sauce and cilantro to taste

Heat a few tablespoons oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and the jalapeno or red pepper flakes and cook until softened. Add the cooked rice and pineapple and stir to heat through. Add a few splashes of soy sauce and a handful of chopped cilantro, stir and then taste. Add more soy or cilantro until it tastes good to you. The rice can be served hot, but it's also great at room temperature.