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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Hawaiian-Style Vegetables-Improv Cooking Challenge




Today is the day to post our recipes for this month’s Improv Cooking Challenge hosted by Kristen over at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.  (Note, Kristen’s is in the process of changing servers so I will be back with a link as soon as I know the blog is back up.)

The ingredients Kristen chose this month were peas and carrots, a pretty common combination.  I chose to go a somewhat traditional route with these, but used snow peas in my recipe.

Many, many years ago Birdseye made a frozen vegetable and pineapple combination called Hawaiian Vegetables.  It had carrots, green peppers, onions, water chestnuts and pineapple with little cubes of frozen sauce that melted and glazed the vegetables as they cooked.  Although I don’t really like green peppers, I did love this particular dish.

I decided this was a good time to try to replicate that recipe.  The only brand I can find that makes 8-oz. cans of pineapple tidbits is Dole.  Pineapple chunks may be used, but they will need to be quartered.  They carrots need to be very thinly sliced, no thicker than the snow peas.  I like to slice them on the diagonal.  Since I didn't use them, I have listed the water chestnuts as optional.

Hawaiian-Style Vegetables
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple tidbits in their own juice
1 T. butter
2 t. brown sugar
1 c. very thinly sliced carrots
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. snow peas
1/2 to 3/4 c. very thinly sliced red pepper (I used about 1/4 of a very large pepper)
1/8 t. salt
1/3 c. thinly sliced canned water chestnuts
1 T. cornstarch
1/3 c. water

Drain pineapple, reserving juice (there should be about 1/3 c.)  Melt butter in a 1 1/2-qt. saucepan and add brown sugar.  Stir in carrots, onion,  and snow peas.  Cook, uncovered, over medium heat 4 minutes, stirring often.  Add red pepper, pineapple juice and salt.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add reserved pineapple chunks and water chestnuts, if using.  Cook about 1 minutes longer until vegetables are not quite as tender as you like.  Add cornstarch to water and mix well.  Add to vegetable mixture, stirring constantly.  Cook over medium heat until sauce is clear, thickened, and boiling.  Remove from heat, turn into a serving bowl and serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings.

9 comments:

  1. This looks like it would be good on top of a pile of rice. Great choice for the challenge!

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  2. What a good idea. Add some cooked chicken, pork, or beef and it would be a complete meal. I have some roast pork in my fridge. I will have to make up some rice and take this for my lunch.

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  3. Another yummy recipe using snow peas...yum! Love this Hawaiian veggie dish...so glad you added pineapple!!!

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  4. What a wonderful looking and sounding dish, I could easily see me pairing this with some stir fried pork, chicken or shrimp for one complete and delicious meal.

    My Improv Cooking Challenge entry this month: Mom's Beef Vegetable Soup, hope that you'll stop over and check the recipe out.

    Lisa~~

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  5. This dish could go with so many things. It would seem that this recreation was a definite success.

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  6. mmmmmmmm -- I'm pretty sure snow peas are my very favorite from the pea family. They are always so perfect with any kind of stir fry or mixed veggie dish.

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  7. I've never heard of this combination. It sounds really interesting. I love pineapple so why not? Linda

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  8. Love this idea for a veggie combo- especially the pineapple and sugar snap peas. Sounds easy and look delicious

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  9. Yum those veggies look so good! Great combo! I love cooking challenges!

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I love to read your comments and suggestions. Hope that you enjoyed your visit to Grandma Loy"s Kitchen.

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