Dinner Tonight - Pineapple Rice with Veggies

The Hawaiian answer to the stir-fry, this dish is exotic, colorful, and bursting with flavor. To fill out the dish with more veggies, add 1/2 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms along with the onions and garlic, and 1/2 cup peas just after the carrots.
2 ¼ cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 ¼ cups diced fresh pineapple, divided
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
½ cup diced yellow onion
6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)
1 small carrot, finely diced (½ cup)
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
5 green onions, thinly sliced (⅓ cup)
1. Bring 2 cups broth and rice to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

2. Blend 1/2 cup pineapple, remaining 1/4 cup broth, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in blender until smooth. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add carrot and bell pepper, and sauté 3 minutes more. Add remaining 3/4 cup diced pineapple, and cook 3 minutes. Add cooked rice to skillet, and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add blended pineapple mixture, and cook 3 minutes more, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in green onions; season with salt and pepper, if desired.