Cooking with Rod

By Rod Cohenour

The calendar keeps rolling round, as we approach the 4th of July!

My sweet mate keeps creating recipes for me to cook up. This one's a real winner! A bottle of this, a can of that, some lovely fresh veggies, a bit of spice and boneless, skinless white meat of chicken served atop fresh steamed white rice. This cuts the salt and fat while amping up the FLAVOR!

Bon appetit~!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs chicken tenders
• 4 stalks celery, sliced in moons
• 3 carrots, sliced or baby carrots
• Medium onion, cut in wedges
• Green bell pepper, cubed
• Red bell pepper, cubed
• Bottle Heinz 57
• 1 cup Honey
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 15 oz. can pineapple chunks and juice

• Rice, steamed

Instructions:
1. Rinse chicken pieces, place in single layer.
2. Season chicken with garlic powder and 1 tsp. chili powder.
3. Whisk together Heinz 57 and honey with remaining chili powder.
4. Place chicken in large (electric, preferred) skillet.
5. Top with vegetables.
6. Prepare rice while chicken and veggies cook.
7. Steam chicken and veggies until crisp tender, turning from time to time.
8. Add Heinz 57-Honey mixture and stir well.
9. Add pineapple chunks and juice.
10. Continue cooking until pineapple is heated through.

Serve over steamed rice.

A nice little twist on this dish, by the way, would be some optional additions: some fresh sprigs of cilantro, a sprinkle of unsalted dry roasted peanuts, and a sideboard with sliced jicama and lime juice.

Look for us here again in August!