As I get the Accidental Pantry Project underway, I made my first dish tonight with stuff in my pantry and fridge. Recently I went  a Thai restaurant with some girlfriends and fell in love with the Pineapple Fried Rice. I tried to recreate the same at home. Overall I am pleased with the dish, but the rice turned out stickier than I would have liked. Next time I am going to cook the rice itself (meaning single ingredient, not whole dish) with a bit more oil and let it cool before mixing it into the stir fry.

My project is still in its early phases, and I have not taken full inventory of the food I have here at home, but I will add the food cost/savings at a later date.

THAI CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

1 cup Thai-style Jasmine rice
1 pound chicken, cut into strips or cubes
2 cups frozen pineapple chunks, thawed and chopped into smaller chunks
1/2 onion, diced
3 scallions, chopped – white divided from green
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1 tablespoon red curry paste
2 tablespoons ginger paste
1/4 cup sesame oil, divided
1/4 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce
2 eggs, raw

1. Prepare rice according to package directions, set aside to cool
2. In a wok or large skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, add chicken and stir fry until browned and about 75% cooked (do not overcook because it will get cooked again later). Remove from skillet and set aside
3. In same wok, heat about another tablespoon of sesame oil. Add onions, white scallions, and garlic. Cook until lightly browned
4. Add cashews, ginger paste, and curry paste. Cook about another minute
5. Add rice, rest of oil, liquid aminos, and chicken. Stir fry mixture about 3-4 minutes until rice starts to take on a golden brown color. Adjust seasonings to your preference
6. Crack eggs above mixture and stir into the rice, cooking about one more minute
7. Garnish with green scallions. Dish serves 4