There is a thing about pineapple. It goes with everything. I’ve never been able to come up with something that pineapple doesn’t pair with. The flavor is just too good and too complimentary with everything. I challenge you to find something that it doesn’t pair with.
I originally made this rice without the pineapple and then I noticed I had a can of pineapple in my cupboard. I decided that the next time I made it I would give it a try and twist it up a bit. It worked really well and so here my recipe is born! I think texture variations are great too, so to add a little crunch, I added in the 1 cup of cashews. It really takes it up a notch and adds a little extra plant-powered protein.
This recipe is:
tangy
slightly sweet
a little spicy
flavor packed
Broccoli Pineapple & Cashew Rice (V + GF)
Yield: 4-5 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked long-grain rice, preferably cooked in vegetable broth
1 cup raw cashew splits
3 c. broccoli (about 1 ½ stalks)
½ purple onion
5 cloves garlic
1 (14 oz. can) diced pineapple in juice
½ cup vegetable broth
1 T neutral oil (I use grapeseed or you can use sesame)
sea salt
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Dressing:
3 T pineapple juice
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 T toasted sesame oil
3 T tamari
¼-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I like mine spicier, so I use ½ tsp)
1 heaping tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
Directions:
In a large pot (I use a soup pot), toast your cashews. Set stove top to medium heat and use a spatula to stir cashews until slightly tanned and fragrant. Watch close because they can burn easily. Set them aside in a bowl. You can keep this pan out to use for the rest of this recipe.
Dice onion and mince your garlic. Set to side.
Next, chop broccoli into fairly small, bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Make your dressing. Open the can of pineapple and collect the 3 tablespoons of juice into a small bowl. Drain the remainder of the juice and set the pineapple chunks to the side. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the dressing and mix together. Set it to the side.
Bring your large pot to medium heat and add one tablespoon of oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute for 4 minutes, stirring often.
Turn heat up to medium-high. Add ½ cup veggie broth and your broccoli and cook/boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with some sea salt.
Add diced pineapple, cooked rice and your dressing. Continue to stir over medium-high heat until all liquid is evaporated.
Stir in toasted cashews.
Serve garnished with fresh cilantro.
Keeps in fridge for up to 5 days and makes great leftovers.
Notes:
I like using Jasmine rice and the cook time is usually around 20 minutes. Make sure to not overcook or use too much water. When I cook rice, I typically use ¼ less water or vegetable stock than what the package says and it always turns out perfect.