Huli Huli Chicken with a side of Pasta Salad

Two weeks ago, I took my 8 1/2 year old granddaughter, "Moo", to a "Kids in the Kitchen" cooking class at my local Whole Foods Market. She loved it! We decided that day that one day soon, we'd cook the same meal for her family. That day was today.

I gathered the staple ingredients from my house, and then picked her up and took her to the grocery store with me, so that she could have "full" cooking experience. She even helped me write up the list last night.

When we got back to her house, we embarked on our cooking journey. We put the water on the stove for the pasta, then we went about cutting the vegetables. Cucumbers and carrots. Then the ginger. Then the pineapple. It was about then that the pasta was fully cooked, so we drained it, placed it in the serving bowl, and immediately, while it was still hot, we added the veggies and the dressing to it. Then after we refrigerated it, we went back to the cutting board and cut the chicken into pieces and assembled the kabobs. Because she's only 8 1/2, I did the grilling, while she did any running back and forth for me while I cooked.

I'm very proud of Moo! She did a great job, and dinner was great!!! We changed the pasta salad quite a bit, but stayed pretty true to the recipe for the huli huli chicken, with the exception of switching from honey to the agave nectar.

For dessert, for the class we make lemon sugar cookies, and then made ice cream sandwiches with them. Well, today it was far too hot to be baking, and the bakery at the grocery store didn't have any unfrosted sugar cookies, so we bought chocolate chip cookies instead, and Breyers french vanilla ice cream. Dessert was delicious as well!!!


Huli Huli Chicken

adapted from Whole Foods Market

2# chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
1 whole pineapple, cut into 1" cubes
Bamboo skewers

Sauce:
6 T. ketchup
6 T. light soy sauce
6 T. agava nectar
6 T. orange juice
3 t. garlic
3 t. ginger

Preheat grill. Alternate chicken and pineapple, 3 pieces each, onto skewers. Combine sauce ingredients, mixing well. Seperate into 2 bowls, setting one aside for later use. Grill skewers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 165 F, brushing from bowl not set aside about every other minute. Discard the rest of this bowl of sauce when done cooking. At the end, use a clean brush or spoon for to coat the skewers from the bowl that was previously set aside, just before serving (possibly make additional for dipping).



Pasta Salad
adapted from Whole Foods Market

1 (16 oz.) box of farafelle (bowtie) pasta
1/2 bag frozen peas
2 large carrots, chopped
5 tiny cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise, and then sliced about 1/8" thick
3/4 cup T. Marzetti Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette dressing

Cook pasta per package instructions. While cooking, prepare vegetables. When pasta is done, drain. Place in large serving bowl, and while still hot, add all other ingredients, tossing well to mix (because ingredients are hot, they will absorb the flavor of the dressing better). Chill at least hour. Serve cold.