Cinnamon-Pecan Wild Rice Blend and Pineapple-Pork Kebabs

I got playful for dinner, trying a spicy marinade out with some pork rib steaks I had kicking around, which I cubed up for nice kebabs.

I marinated the pork for four hours, and it was awesome. The whole thing, start to finish, was an awesome meal. Thumbs up for healthy with flavour!

Spicy Pork Kebab Marinade:

1/2 cup chopped flatleaf parsley
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 tablespoon each of paprika, cumin, and coriander
1 tablespoon spicy pecan vinegar (or whatever acidity you have onhand)
6 cloves of garlic minced

Mix well, add the meat, and let it mingle and get happy.

A half hour or an hour before you're ready to eat, thread the pork cubes onto your skewers and intersperse them with slices of red onion and big chunks of pineapple. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning 3-4 times during the cooking process.

Steff's Cinnamon-Honey-Pecan Wild Rice Blend:

Should serve 4 people. Prepare 1.5 cups wild rice blend per package instructions, but add 1 broken-in-two cinnamon stick before you get going.

Dressing for rice:

1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon walnut oil
1 tablespoon spicy pecan vinegar (or bourbon or something, I figger)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup diced candied ginger

Toast the pecans for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the butter and saute for another couple minutes. Add the walnut oil, honey, and vinegar, and mix well. Add a little salt and pepper, and the candied ginger, mix again, and then drizzle over rice that should be just finishing cooking (remove and discard the cinnamon sticks though!). Toss well, let sit for a minute, and serve up.

The cinnamon is way more subtle than you think, and the ginger's really understated too. It's a much more sophisticated side dish than I thought it'd be, and I'll be making it again for sure.

I got my Spiny Pecan Vinegar from The Gourmet Warehouse for $8.99. This is a great use for it!