Simple Pineapple Rice

[UPDATE: This is a wonderful example of why you should never do anything that requires thought when you're in too much pain. Two days in a row I've written the wrong information. I hope I didn't ruin anyone's dinner. I am so sorry!]
On the heels of yesterday's plain white rice recipe, I would like to tell you about one of the yummiest, most alluring rice dishes I've come across...pineapple rice. Allergy Warning: if you are allergic to pineapple this recipe is NOT for you! Now, understand that I only discovered this gem of cookery very recently. I know it's been around for a long, long time; I, however, only tried it for the first time in June. In fact I served it with a massive mixed salad and barbecued pork chops. I am telling you that was one heck of a good meal! Even the children in attendance are still asking when I'm going to make it again. Yes, I am absolutely honking my own horn here. This recipe is also easy and pretty simple as well, but, like plain rice, does require your full attention. Note of Warning; this is one of those recipes that you really have to read completely before you begin. It's a bit confusing in spots and you may get bass-akwards if you try to just bulldoze through.

You Will Need

• a 1-cup measuring cup
• a 2-4 Qt pot with lid
• long-grained white rice
• a 398 ml can of pineapple bits or crushed pineapple
• salt
• a small amount of water, or extra pineapple juice
• sugar - optional (I never use it)
• and again, your stove

You absolutely can get a fresh pineapple and cut it down to size yourself, retaining as much of the juices as you're able. My guess is it would take this dish from really yummy to fabulously awesome. You'd only need about a cup and a half or two cups of actual pineapple for the recipe, though. You could juice the rest, because you do need some juice for this. You can buy extra pineapple juice if you want it very flavourful; I haven't tried this yet but I sure as heck am planning to. The recipe I originally got called for a couple of teaspoons of cane sugar - or it may have been a tablespoon - but I don't' use it in favour of a more pure pineapple taste. Okay, on-wards.

The Recipe

• 1 1/2 C rice
• 1 can of pineapple bits or crushed pineapple, drained & juice reserved
• 2 C fluid in all, including reserved pineapple juice, plus enough extra juice/water to make correct amount
• pinch of salt
• 1-2 tsp cane sugar if desired

Again, few ingredients and none of them are expensive. My wallet always appreciates this.

How To

Sorry if some of this is a bit confusing. Let me try to clear it up a bit by taking it one step at a time.

1. Place the rice in to the pot.
2. You do need the pineapple from the can and you also need the juice from it as well. However you need them separately. So drain the juice from the can of pineapple in to a small bowl  with a strainer. Slide the pineapple pieces back in to the can and place it in to the fridge to be used later.
3. Then pour the juice in to your measuring cup; it will probably come to about 3/4 of a cup. Add water or extra pineapple juice to fill the cup and pour in the pot, then add one more cup of fluid to come out to 2 cups even. (Remember that long-grain, white rice cooks best at a 2-1 ratio; 2 parts fluid to 1 part rice.)
4. Sprinkle a pinch of salt in to the fluid/rice mix. Add sugar if desired. Place lid on pot.
5. Place pot on burner and turn on to medium-high. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Boil for 5 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to minimum and simmer low for 12-15 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and turn burner off. Remove lid and gently agitate rice to fluff it up.
8. Retrieve pineapple from the fridge and add gently to the hot rice.
9. Serve hot or cold alone or with other items.

There it is. It's a bit more fussy than plain rice, but not a lot. And the extra few steps are SO worth it! Apparently you can use any number of juices to cook your rice in. I'll accept this as fact until it's proven otherwise. I can vouch that this is so dang good your taste buds will dance for joy. Well...mine did anyway.
This goes really well with barbecued pork as I said earlier, as well as pretty much anything that has a sweet and spicy flavour. It's also pretty delicious as-is for breakfast the next morning ... provided there are left-overs, which is unlikely unless you make enough on purpose.
Good luck and happy cooking.