Disney Movie Night: Moana

I'm so excited to be sharing this series on my blog!! :D If you didn't know one of my besties is living with me while my hubby is away. It's been so nice to have a friend- especially during quarantine! We have been friends since the 6th grade and our love for Disney has always been something we've had in common. The first time I went to Disney World was actually with her family after high school.

For awhile we were just watching a Disney movie pretty much every night. But one night, I got the wild idea to make spaghetti & meatballs and watch the new Lady and the Tramp movie! It just took off from there! If you follow me on Instagram you've probably seen several of our theme nights in my stories. I plan to share them all here on the blog! If you recreate this in your own home I'd love to see it! Please tag me!

🎶 What can I say except you're welcome! 🎶 😉

For our Moana night, we made pineapple chicken, coconut rice and served them in pineapple boats! Feel free to play the soundtrack while you are cooking to make it even more fun! We also made some Taro bubble tea on this night. I have a TikTok video with the recipe! (find me @cheapchicfinds on TikTok).

*Coconut Rice

We slightly adapted this recipe from Cooking Classy

serves 4-5

• 2 cups of brown rice

• 1 (13.5 oz) can of coconut milk

• 1 1/2 cups of coconut water (gives more flavor) or water

• salt to taste

1. Rinse brown rice in cold water until water runs clear.

2. Heat coconut milk and coconut water in a medium non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, season with a little bit of salt. Add in your rice and allow it to simmer.

3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water has been absorbed, about 20 - 25 minutes. (I find it best to follow the cooking time on the rice package)

4. Remove from heat let it sit covered about 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and serve!

*Pineapple Chicken

We slightly adapted this recipe from Happy Cooking Ideas

serves 4-6

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)

• 4 chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice (might be able to get enough from your pineapple but we used it from a bottle- look for no sugar added)

• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

• 1/2 cup halved raw cashews

• 1/3 cup low sodium chicken stock

• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce

• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic

• 1 cup diced pineapple (from hollowed-out pineapple boats)

• 2-4 pineapple boats (how-to explanation below or you can find a video online)

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, chicken stock, hoisin sauce, garlic, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture has thickened to a sauce consistency. This takes several minutes so be patient. Set the sauce to the side.

2. Heat avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until cooked through. Drain off any liquid and then add the sauce back to the pan along with the diced pineapple and cashews. Stir to combine everything and reheat for a couple of minutes.

3. Serve with Coconut rice in a pineapple boat! Garnish with some sesame seeds! Turn on Moana and enjoy!

*Pineapple Boats

Take 1 pineapple and slice it in half lengthwise. Use a small knife to cut about 1 inch away from the outside skin- being careful not to pierce through the skin. Use the knife to cut the inside fruit into squares and use a spoon to scoop out the fruit.

I hope you have as much fun with this as we did! If you do this in your home I'd love to see it! Please tag me on Facebook or Instagram! <3

xo,

Malyri