Coconut Rice

Dane and I have been eating these teriyaki chicken kebabs for a long time.

Next to Swiss Steak, Dane considers these kebabs his favorite meal, and requests them weekly as long as the weather permits grilling. But I've never posted the recipe before because it hardly seems blog-worthy... it's chunked chicken marinated in store-bought Lawry's teriyaki marinade, skewered onto bamboo with peppers, onion, and pineapple, and grilled. Don't get me wrong, they're amazingly delicious... I just have a hard time sharing something that comes out of a bottle, know what I mean?

But this post isn't about kebabs. It's about their awesome sidekick, coconut rice.

For a long time, I served plain brown rice with the kebabs. It was healthier... and it was bland. But after we tried the coconut rice at Ono Cafe alongside their teriyaki chicken, I knew I had to try it at home with these kebabs. How hard could it be? The truth is, it's one of the easiest things I've made all summer. And I pretty much nailed the flavor and texture the first time I tried it (not to brag or anything). Using jasmine rice keeps the texture nice and smooth and the addition of flaked coconut gives it the occasional slight nutty bite and a little extra coconut flavor. Ono uses untoasted coconut flakes to keep the color of the dish a nice virgin white, but I opted to toast mine a) for added coconut kick and b) to give my crappy point-and-click camera something to focus on (white rice is not easy to photograph!). But whether or not you choose to toast your coconut, just make sure to try this recipe. It's too easy and too delicious not to.


Coconut Rice
adapted from Food Network
yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup jasmine rice
3/4 cup sweet flaked coconut (toasted if desired)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a small saucepan, bring coconut milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir to combine. Place a tight-fitting lid over the pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes (not all of the liquid will be absorbed, but that's okay).
2. Stir in the flaked coconut, and serve warm.