Spinach Rice with a Sweet Kick 

As a snack or a side dish, treat yourself to some Spinach Rice with a Sweet Kick. You'll be glad you did! With a rice cooker, this luxurious treat is ready in no more than 10 minutes. Stove top, it's ready in no more than 30 minutes. 

INGREDIENTS:

8oz white rice

8oz frozen spinach

1/2 jar (7oz) Sharwood's Pineapple & Coconut Milk cooking sauce

Serves 2

Need more? Just increase all ingredients proportionately

METHOD:

In rice cooker or stove top pan, cook rice according to package directions. 

Add frozen spinach and stir to combine 

Add sauce and stir to combine 

Heat to bring mixture up to serving temperature. (@ 3 minutes in rice cooker, 5-10 minutes on medium heat stove top.) 

Stir, serve and enjoy! 

Sharwood's Pineapple and Coconut Milk sauce has a rich sweetness, elevated by mild spicy hints. This is just one way to take advantage of it's stand-out flavor profile. 

Fresh Onion Dip 

With an extra 1/2 onion left behind from making Rice & Beans, Belezian Style, plus a few other ingredients, I made some fresh onion dip.

INGREDIENTS
4 oz chopped onion (red onion used here)
1Tbsp cornstarch
4 oz shredded cheese (Cheddar & Monterey Jack blend used here)
4 oz. broth (beef broth used here)
Note: Have more onion? Just multiply quantities accordingly.

METHOD
(Microwave or stove top options)

Combine ingredients:
Put chopped onions into microwave-safe bowl.
Add cornstarch. Mix to coat onions in cornstarch.
Add cheese and stir to distribute evenly.
Pour broth into mixture and stir.

Heat in microwave: 
Heat mixture in microwave for 5 minutes and stir.
Heat for 5 minutes and stir 2 more times.
Cool for at least 5 minutes.
Serve & enjoy.

OR

Heat stove top:
Transfer mixture into saucepan.
Heat stove top on medium heat for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring regularly.
When dip reaches desired consistency, remove from heat.
Cool for at least 5 minutes.
Serve & enjoy.

Note: Make this ahead and keep in the fridge for later. Just cool for about 30 minutes before storing in the fridge.

Rice & Beans, Belizean Style

Thinking about Belize, I thumbed through my copy of the Moon Handbook Belize (2013 pp. 360) and noticed the description of Belizean food, which I’ve enjoyed, first hand. Inspired, off I went to get ingredients for rice & beans. Here’s my version of this simple and delightful snack or side-dish, Belizean style.  A rice cooker was used to make this batch, which serves 4 – 8. That all depends on if served as a snack or a side dish.  Need more? Just multiply quantities accordingly. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dry kidney beans

1 cup white rice

1 cup coconut milk

Half a red onion, chopped

Salt & pepper (as desired)

Thyme (as desired)

4 cups water

EQUIPMENT: Rice Cooker

COOKING TIME: 90  minutes (may vary by rice-cooker or quantities) 

METHOD:

Put beans into the rice cooker. Add 3 cups of water.

Cover and cook in rice cooker. (Cooking times vary, by rice cooker. Mine takes @30 minutes.)

When cooked, stir.

Turn off rice cooker and let beans sit for 30 minutes.

Add rice. Stir.

Add coconut milk. Stir.

Add 1 cup of water. Stir.  

Add onion, thyme, salt & pepper and stir.  

Cover and cook in rice cooker. (Cooking times may vary. Mine takes @30 minutes.)

When cooked, stir, serve and enjoy!

Makes 32 oz. (4 – 8 servings)