Piña Colada Chicken (aka Spring Break in food form)

I apologize for the food hiatus! It has been rough on me too, trust me. But I spent the last week lounging on the back of a boat in the sun, so don't feel too bad for me. 

At the moment, I'm hiding from the rain and reminiscing about warm weather, wishing I could go back. But... school. So, the next best thing I can do is make Piña Colada chicken. It won't prolong my tan, but it sure does bring back good memories of Spring Break and delicious cocktails in the sun.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! It's a repeat recipe fo sho. 

What you'll need: 

(The ingredient list looks a bit daunting, but it's totally worth it)

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 Tbs. coconut oil
• 1 medium onion (1 cup when diced)
• 1 medium red bell pepper (1 cup when diced)
• 1 medium green pepper (1 cup when diced)
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, packed in its own juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning
• here's the link to the seasoning recipe by a cute grandma with a blog. Use the leftover spice on chicken or to make shrimp scampi! 
• 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut milk 

This isn't a food ingredient, but you'll also need a big pan with high sides... it gets a little messy and you don't want all your food jumping overboard. 

What you need to do:

1. Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, then add it to a pre-heated non-stick skillet over medium high heat with a 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil. Cook the chicken in batches if need be, but make sure it's browned on all sides. When you're done, just put the chicken in a bowl to the side. 

2. Time to get saucy. Add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the pan and sauté the onions, peppers, and arrowroot powder for about five minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. 

3. Add the pineapple (with or without the juice, your choice) and stir-fry them until they begin to brown, 3ish minutes. 

4. Add the garlic and Jerk seasoning, then the lime juice, then the vanilla and coconut. Keep stirring. 

5. Add the chicken to the sauce and bring to a boil, then let it simmer uncovered until your desired consistency- I let it sit for about 10 minutes, then I couldn't wait any longer- the smell was too much to resist. 

I enjoyed my piña colada chicken atop a pile of zoodles, which I highly recommend (check out my post on zoodles here)! The crunchy cool zoodles provided a nice contrast to the spicy/sweet chicken. It was gone in minutes.

Source: This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Well-Fed 2 by Melissa Joulwan. It's my go-to for whenever I want to make something that's guaranteed to be both healthy and packed with flavor. It's written in an interesting, unique style that makes it easy and fun for people of all skill levels to cook meals that are sure to please. I recommend that everyone check it out! Here's the Amazon link... I think $16 is a steal for a book that is so informative, entertaining, and full of deliciousness. 

Video goodie of the day: If you enjoy Jimmy Fallon or Tiny Fey, you'll like them even more when they switch mouths. Check it out for a good laugh!