Party in a Pineapple!

I buy a pineapple(s) every week for about $2.50 each, sometimes they are less than that. That's pretty inexpensive for something that tastes so good and has traveled pretty far to get to my local supermarket. Think about that and the price of gas right now, hmmmmmm..... My pineapple will last longer than the gas too! I also buy pure pineapple juice to drink and for cooking and baking.

Not only are pineapples great tasting, they are good for you.   Pineapples are an amazing fruit. They are rich in manganese and vitamin C, the juice is great for drinking, and is also good to use as a marinade and tenderizer for meat. Outside of culinary use, the pineapple is a symbol of hospitality around the world when displayed. Check out my Party in a Pineapple dish that I made for dinner the other night, it was delicious!

Recipe below.

To print recipe, click on it, highlight and print.

To view photos in a larger format, click on them.

I jazzed up my pineapple for dinner the other night and made a "fancy" dinner for the hubby and I.  I cut the pineapple down the middle and cut the fruit and core out of it. It wasn't really "fancy" to prepare, because I used shortcuts for the whole meal.

But as you can see the presentation was beautiful and eye appealing, and the taste was all there.  It was so good he was looking for seconds, but there weren't any and I didn't share mine either!

Teriyaki Chicken in a Pineapple for Two

Ingredients

1 whole fresh pineapple

1 - 10 oz. bag microwaveable white rice

2 teaspoons oil

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 sweet onion, diced

1 -  25 oz bag frozen crispy chicken tenders

1/2 cup Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions

Slice pineapple from top to bottom so you have two boats.  Cut all around the edge of the pineapple without going through the skin.  Leave the skin intact.  Cut flesh down both sides of core.  Score the flesh in 1 inch pieces and scoop them out into a bowl.  Cut out the core and discard.  Set pineapple boats aside and cover them.  Take out 6 larger pieces of chicken tenders from the bag.  Cook according to package directions. While the chicken is cooking in the oven, in a large frying pan heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the peppers and onions just until tender, remove from heat. Cook the rice in the microwave according to package directions.  When chicken is done, cut into bite size pieces.  Over medium heat, add the chicken, pineapple and sauce to the peppers and onions in the frying pan. Heat through until hot and all is coated evenly.  Divide chicken and rice between the two boats and top with sesame seeds. 

No Skimp Shrimp Tacos

 Got my creative juices flowing again, thinking of different dishes to make for dinner. I get tired of the same old thing all the time.  Summer is almost here, so I am starting to plan new things to cook outside on the grill.

Cooking outside is one of my favorite things to do.  No messes inside, no hot kitchen, very little cleanup, everything tastes better on the grill, and weather permitting we always eat outside on the deck. It's the best!  I put together these Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple-Mango Salsa the other day, unfortunately it rained outside so I had to cook them inside.  They were very tasty, the hubby gave a thumbs up, that means I will be making them again, hopefully outside!

Recipe Below.

To print recipe, click on it, highlight and print.

To view photos in a larger format, click on them.

To make my salsa I used fresh pineapple, mango, red pepper, onion, lime zest and fresh cilantro.  Everything tastes better when it's fresh.  I always try to use fresh, and now is the season for it.  There is an abundance of fruits and vegetables out there to try, explore them and the possibilities of new dishes to use them in. 

 The colors are so appetizing, looks pretty too!

 Mix a little honey and lime juice into it. If you want the salsa spicy, add a minced jalapeno.

 I used raw, peeled, deveined shrimp tossed with taco seasoning and extra cumin for added smokiness. 

 Toss those tortillas on an open flame to warm them up and blacken them a little, just a little for color.

 Stuff them with the shrimp, top with salsa....

.........and drizzle a little Lime Crema and serve.  Awesome and tasty!

TASTY SHRIMP TACO'S

Ingredients

2 limes zested and juiced, set aside

For the Salsa:

1 diced ripe mango
1/2 fresh pineapple, remove core and dice
1/2 diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced sweet or red onion
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 diced Jalapeno Pepper, optional

For The Crema
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest

For the Shrimp

1 1/2 lbs peeled, deveined salad shrimp (tiny shrimp)

1 tablespoon of canola oil

1 packet of taco season

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss diced mango, pineapple, red pepper, onion, cilantro, honey, lime juice and lime zest.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small bowl mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, lime juice and lime zest.  Place the mix in a resealable plastic bag.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Rinse shrimp under cold water and drain.  Heat canola oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.  Add drained shrimp to the pan, taco seasoning, cumin and lime juice.  Cook until shrimp are pink, remove from heat.

Over open burner flame, hold tortillas over the flame for a few seconds on each side to brown/blacken them up a little.

Fill tortillas with shrimp.  Stir the salsa up and top each tortilla of shrimp with salsa.  Knead crema bag, snip off a corner of the bag and drizzle on top of each tortilla and serve.  Makes 4-6 tacos.

Mom's Baked Ham

What is going on with the price of food?!!!!!  It's outrageous.  I was looking for a ham to bake for Easter when I went to the grocery store last week, and of course as soon as you walk in they had them all beautifully packaged and displayed, to catch your eye of course.  I started looking at all of them, their weight value and cost. I needed a big one, I was feeding 11 people and wanted leftovers too.  The first one I picked up was $50!  It was a bone in spiral sliced ham for Pete's sake not a pot of gold!  I put the ham back in the case, I wasn't paying that much for a piece of meat.  I was finishing up the rest of my shopping and low and behold look over there! another case of lower priced, no fancy packaging or display, of  bone in spiral sliced hams.  Ladies let's be smart, don't be sucked in by these set ups.  Do your homework, walk that store to save yourself some money, and with a little added ingredients you probably already have at home, you can make that $50 ham yourself.  I purchased 2 hams, that's right 2, for $30 and change!  I didn't get that fancy little packet of dried stuff that they give you in the ham wrapping, that you still have to cook and pour over the top, and I didn't get the shiny wrapping.  I made my ham with my mothers recipe, the way she always made ham for Easter and it was delicious!

What you need is:  1 can of crushed pineapple, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 can of ginger ale, 2 cups of orange juice.  Remove all packaging from the ham, pull apart the slices so all the good stuff gets in between, top with the pineapple, brown sugar, ginger ale and orange juice.  Push the slices back together, cover with foil, bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

 and BAM! Juicy, sweet and flavorful baked ham, just like mom used to make.

Food for Thought

Here are some tips and ideas to try with some of the foods I found at my local grocery stores.

 I do a lot of food shopping at Wegmans and discovered these Finishing Butters in the dairy case, they also have other flavors.   I use them all the time for sauces, vegetables, meats, sauteing, basting and toasted breads.  They are full of flavor, have a multitude of uses, and are reasonably priced.  I keep them in the freezer and only thaw what I need.

This  marinade is fantastic, that's all I can say.  Marinate your meat in this and put it on the grill.  The meat will caramelize and the flavor is out of this world, crazy good!

I am a crazy foodie, I can't help myself.  When I'm out I look and read EVERYTHING.  It's a weakness I have, but I always find good stuff.  I bought these meringue cookies that are so tasty, light and crunchy, you can't eat just one.  Look at the amount you can have - 13  for 110 calories - amazing! And, they come is a lot of flavors.  So, if lemon is not your thing (I don't know how it can't be, just saying), try one of the other flavors out there, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla.....

 My quick and easy version of S'Mores - 1 bag of marshmallows, 1 package of fudge stripe cookies.  I have been making them like this for years since my kids were little, instead of using the old fashion method, which was too messy for little hands.   It was easier for them to make and eat them this way.  Their hands are bigger now and they still like them with the cookies and marshmallows.  You can use any kind of cookie, coconut, lemon, oatmeal, gingersnap, chocolate chip - it's all good.

 Raspberry Lemon Iced Tea

In a 2 1/2 quart pitcher of cold water add 4 Bigelow raspberry tea bags, 10 regular tea bags.  Let sit covered for 6 - 8 hours.  Remove tea bags and add 1 cup of sugar (more if you like sweeter) and the juice of 1 lemon. Stir and pour over a glass full of ice. So refreshing!  I always have lemons and limes on hand, they are great for marinades and salad dressings or just look pretty in a bowl. 

This stuff is awesome! Vanilla Bean Paste can be used with vanilla extract or in place of extract (use the same amount) or use half paste and half extract. It is syrupy with a lot of vanilla beans in it.  I use it both ways when a recipe calls for vanilla.  It gives everything a richer, in your face, taste of vanilla.

 Two marinades/sauces I found while in the food store  - Teriyaki Sauce and Thai Peanut Ginger Sauce.  I used the teriyaki on pork and chicken.  Then I made Chicken Satay with the Peanut Ginger Sauce. Marinate your meats in the sauces then baste as they are cooking on the grill. Can you say fabulous?

Cut up a fresh pinapple, toss with brown sugar and grill it.  It caramelizes on the grill, so sweet and juicy.  Remember those blackberries I said I was going to have with pure cream and sugar?  Well here they are, and they were delicious!  Ummmm..... brings back a childhood memory, and those are always good.