I came up with my latest recipe, Hawaiian Rice Medley, when I needed something that would fit almost all of the above categories. A friend tipped me off that it's wise to include a rice dish when the budget dictates economy, as in filling out the menu to serve a large crowd. It's also easy to have the supplies for this recipe on hand; most of the ingredients are dried, and the pineapple juice is the frozen concentrate, which keeps for some time. Add just a bit of fresh parsley and cilantro to the grocery list, and you can have all your supplies available.

I also like to make healthy foods, using whole food ingredients. It seems there's always a new discovery of how beneficial many whole, natural foods are. I became a fan of coconut when I read about some of its qualities. One study showed it to have antibiotic properties, boosting the immune system. Other studies might contradict each other, depending on if you're talking about hydrogenated coconut oil (always a bad idea), or natural, virgin coconut oil. The virgin coconut oil is very stable, not going rancid for years, and has been found to boost metabolism and energy levels. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't find that to be beneficial! So I was excited to start putting that ingredient to work in a few recipes. Coconut oil is treated differently than my other favorite oil (olive oil), as it's hard at room temperature. It needs to be melted in order to mix into some recipes, but it helped to realize it didn't need refrigeration. (Cold coconut oil is very hard to scoop out of the jar.)

With Mother's Day on the horizon, a few nice, simple recipes might give mom a break. I've found the fruit kabobs to be another crowd-pleaser, adding so much color to the table. It's easy to throw the ingredients together for the Pineapple Coconut Dip, and even younger "chefs" in the kitchen might be able to help mom spear the kabobs. Add a little extra kitchen help on Mother's Day, and my day is complete!  

Hawaiian Rice Medley

This is a wonderful combination of flavors and textures, serving 8 or so.

A day ahead (or earlier in the day), cook the rice, so it has time to cool. Bring to boil: > 3 c. water

Add to boiling water, stirring once, then let simmer, unstirred, for 20 minutes or so: > 2 c. white rice*

Remove rice from heat. Stir into rice: > ¼ c. coconut oil

Leave lid on; refrigerate rice until chilled.

Prep the following ingredients, so the whole dish can be tossed together at serving time. Chop the following: > ⅓ c. sweetened dried mango (or substitute sweetened dried pineapple) > ¼ c. Macadamia nuts, raw > ¼ c. Italian Parsley > ¼ c. cilantro

Close to serving time, add: > All the chopped ingredients (nuts, fruit, herbs) > 2 TBS. frozen pineapple juice concentrate > ½ tsp. salt

Turn the mixed ingredients out into a serving bowl. Garnish with: > ⅓ c. sweetened coconut, toasted (broil for 2-3 minutes, or bake 10 min. or so, watching carefully)

Serve dish at room temperature.

*Substitute brown rice for white rice if desired; just use 4 c. water to the 2 c. rice, and increase cooking time to 40 min.

Fruit Kabobs w/ Pineapple Coconut Dip

Serve the dip with fresh fruit kabobs, or as a spread for crackers; a simple appetizer to brighten up the table. Serves 10-20.

Pineapple Coconut Dip

You can make the dip a few days early, which is convenient.

Warm in microwave, 30-60 seconds, until coconut oil melts, in small bowl: > 2 TBS. coconut oil (found at health food stores) > ½ c. frozen pineapple juice concentrate (or substitute 4 oz. dried, sweetened, chopped pineapple)

Mix above ingredients until smooth. Add to a mixing bowl, and whip until light with: > 8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

Put in a bowl to serve the dip, topping with: > ¼ c. coconut, toasted until golden in toaster oven

Fruit Kabobs

For arranging the kabobs, prepare the top of one pineapple: > Fresh pineapple, with top third cut off at an angle

When cutting off the top part, leave enough of the meaty part attached to give room for sticking the kabobs in, cutting about a third or so of the pineapple off along with the spiky part. I cut mine at an angle, so that the pineapple top could be laid on the plate with the spikes off to the side.

Place the cut pineapple top on a platter.

For the kabobs, use: > 15-20 bamboo skewers

Prepare fruits for skewering. I prefer a mixture of pineapple, mango, and strawberries, as they are the right texture, and don't turn brown. Use: > Fresh Pineapple (what's left after cutting top off) > 1 lb. Strawberries > 2 or so mangoes

Make kabobs, sticking into the pineapple top as you go. Serve with the dip; enjoy!

Jennifer Cote, with husband Tom, opened The New Deli in Pinole, CA in 1985. Her cookbook, "From the Land of Milk and Honey", is filled with New Deli favorite recipes.