For Richard and Julia who LOVE pineapples, (as do I)! Several ways to use
these wonderful fruits come to mind---One of our favs is to take a lg.
can of crushed or tidbit pineapple (or fresh if you wish) and add it to
cole slaw--ie. Red+/or green cabbage, shredded with carrots, a bit of
grated onion, green +/or red bell pepper, thinly sliced, 1 or 2 sm. cans
of mandarin oranges, grated red +/or green Granny Smith apples, or whatever suits your taste and imagination at the moment! Mix all the veggies
and fruits, including the pineapple of course ;-), then dress the
mixture in your favorite way. We esp. like to Mix in lemon juice +/or cider vinegar-just enough for a bit of "zip", sugar to taste, to complement
the sour, a bit of prepared shredded horseradish (wonderful!), or even a
tsp. or so of freshly grated ginger root (more than wonderful!).
Don't forget a bit of salt to bring out the flavor and juices of
everything, then go ahead and add fat free mayo or Miracle Whip (I just
use the store brand!) or a bit of Canola oil if you don't like a
"creamy" type of dressing. Mix well, then chill for at least an hour to
meld the flavors, kind of marinating I guess you might say, or even better let it stay overnight in the fridge. My honey likes poppy seeds with a
savory slaw (no fruits) and crushed fresh or dried mint leaves with the
fruited version. Yummy either way!
For a nice addition to a bowl of fruit punch, try freezing
pineapple juice in ice cube trays to make special ice cubes that enhance
your punch instead of watering it down. it's fun to add a chunk of
pineapple to each cube or a tsp. of crushed to each cube!
On a hot summer's eve or even for lunch, Ambrosia is a refreshing
salad to make. Cut up a juicy ripe pineapple, then add peeled orange segments ( peel the rind off with a sharp knife so that the inner segments
are just opened. Then section out each piece over the bowl to catch all
the juice, and squeeze the rest of the juice after all the segment are cut. Then you may add any other fresh or frozen fruits that you like, such
as sliced bananas, peaches, peeled red plums, (yum!) green+/or red
seedless grapes, Bartlett pears, and small chunks of red+/or green
apples. Last but not least, add freshly grated, or flaked coconut. If not everyone likes coconut you could omit it and pass a bowl of coconut
around so people may add it if they like. If you are feeling adventurous, try just a bit off freshly grated ginger root. BTW, ginger root keeps
very well in the freezer. Just peel and grate what you need, then freeze
the rest in a zip- loc
bag. Some times I grate up a few Tbsp. and store it in the freezer as
well in a tight lidded plastic dish. Can you tell that I love ginger??
Now! My dear Mum has a neat recipe using crushed pineapple. It's
a really easy cake called "Darned if I Know" Cake. She loves it when
someone asks her what it is so she can reply, "Darned if I Know!" ;-)) I'll get the recipe from her and send it soon.
I enjoy pineapple with ff or lf cottage cheese and even tofu
cottage cheese if it hasn't been seasoned very savory. And hey, pineapple is just great as is, cut into long unpeeled wedges, that have 4 or 5
sections cut thru just down to the inner rind. Just pick up and spread
the sections out and enjoy. Or if you are feeling creative and have the
time, try cutting around the pineapple following the "eyes" in a spiral
fashion, then cutting it into "longitudinal" wedges. This looks very
pretty on a large platter of colorful, chilled slices and chunks of
various fruits in season. This could be the centerpiece (literally!) of a summer dinner party, along with a chilled fruit or savory soup, crusty breads and crackers, a selection of ff or lf cheeses, with an angel food
or other low fat cake for dessert. Goodness, now I'm craving watermelon,
strawberries, dark red cherries,and ripe juicy pineapple!!
My sister-in-law also has a yummy recipe including rice, and
pineapple,etc. It's called Rice Fluff. She makes it for holidays and
other special occasions. I'll dig up that recipe also and send it
along, ASAP. Hope these suggestions get your creative juices (no pun intended) flowing!!! Take care, and be well,
Mary Sue, in rain soaked Southern NH!!!
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