Grilled Pineapple and Coconut Pepper Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Today was the kind of day where I wanted to sit on a beach and sip a strawberry-mango drink as waves lapped over my toes. Yeah, I indulged that fantasy for all of thirty seconds before I was slapped back into reality by the cruel hand of the pile of laundry that sat in front of me, fantasizing about being folded and put away. So I settled for a tropically flavored dinner.

Grilled Pineapple and Coconut Pepper Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Whew, that's a long title. But this is so delicious and nutritious, that I had to include allllllll of the extremely yummified ingredients to tease you and tempt you into making this. The best part is, you will eat seconds and thirds of this and be completely guilt free! This was a meal I whipped up in a few minutes using goodies from my Bountiful Basket this week (see this post for a BB explanation), and boy, am I glad I did! My husband, who is definitely an "all-American man food" sort of guy, expressed satisfaction with this meal. We kept it light and didn't do any sides with this, but some fresh veggies, or a brown rice infused with saffron or other magical spice would do well with this. These wraps are summery, light and island-tropical. They are the perfect get-away when you are unfortunately trapped in your own home and can't just hop a flight to Maui. Get yourself some pineapple and make this as soon as possible. Your mouth, belly and family will thank you. I will recommend some other options in the recipe commentary to spice this little gem of a recipe up.

Sweet Pepper Chicken with Whole Wheat Penne and Roasted Garlic Asparagus

My favorite part of leaving winter behind is the explosion of color in my fresh produce options. Suddenly, my kitchen transforms into a rainbow of delicious possibility, and the dreary days of winter and dull, lifeless food seem to fly out the window. This dish is a celebration of colorful rainbows of culinary possibility. Oh, and it's super easy, super healthy, and a great way to get your vitamins in for the day.

Prepare your palate for a delicious treat of Sweet Pepper Chicken with Whole Wheat Penne and Roasted Garlic Asparagus.  We ate this with a crisp spinach salad and savored every bite!   

Let me say-I have always hated peppers. I remember being served stuffed green peppers as a child and hated them, and I think my aversion comes from that. I have learned to like red and yellow bell peppers, but my world was literally rocked a few weeks ago when I had my first sweet baby pepper. It was like eating vegetable candy, and I have been hooked every since. This simple dish was a great chance to allow some chicken to absorb the sweet, succulent flavor of these peppers. The green onions added another flavor dimension and really bumped this dish up to a 10 for me. The asparagus was a deliciously simple pleasure, and the addition of a nutrient-rich spinach salad rounds this out and makes it both healthy and delicious.