Pineapple Salsa Rice

Sorry I disappeared last week! I was somewhat busy, but mostly lazy ::wink wink:: I did have one exciting event to share with you from last week though. I attended a pizza making class at a beautiful cooking studio and I will be sharing it with you later this week!

Onto the rice. I'll admit I'm not above convenience. I greatly prefer food cooked completely from scratch and I can taste the difference, but I grew up eating a lot of Rice-A-Roni type things and sometimes I just want them! For a long time whenever I made Mexican food I made Knorr's Mexican Rice. However, when I saw this recipe for pineapple salsa rice I knew it was time to say goodbye to my beloved mix and make a similar version from scratch. Honestly, this tasted like a healthier, less salty, and more flavorful version of the rice mix I so enjoy. John was raving about it and had the leftovers the next day for lunch, reporting that they were just as good the next day. Can't beat that!

Source: Slightly adapted from Good Thymes and Good Food

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
½ medium sweet bell pepper, any color, diced
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 cup prepared salsa
1 cup long grain white rice
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
½ cup cilantro, minced

Directions:
1- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is hot, add onion, bell pepper, and salt and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. 

2- Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock and salsa, cover and bring to a boil. Add in uncooked rice and stir. 

3-Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. (Check liquid level toward the end of cooking and add more chicken stock as needed.)
4- Stir in pineapple and cilantro, season to taste with additional salt.