Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Caramel Sauce

Summer dessert doesn't get any better than this grilled pineapple in a simple coconut caramel sauce. Just throw it on the grill alongside some fish or jerk chicken and then commence lounging on the patio in complete bliss. I snuck one of these glazed pineapple pieces straight from the grill, and wasn't ready for the magic that happened. I love pineapple and something seriously amazing happens when you throw it on the grill. The natural sugars are brought out by the flames and the pineapple juices become a smokey caramel flavor.


And just to make things even better we drizzled the hot pieces of grilled fruit with a coconut caramel reduction. Thick, gooey and hot coconut caramel paired with grilled pineapple is a match made in dessert heaven. We had this alongside our grilled fish tacos and not a peep was uttered during dinner on the patio that night except for Mmmmmmmmmm's and the occasional Oh yeeaaahhh!

Instead of spending time in the kitchen baking dessert this summer try throwing different fruits on the grill for a super simple after dinner treat. My other favorite fruit to grill are nectarines, the flavor brought out from grilling them is out of this world!

recipe from Sunset Magazine


TIME     20 MINUTES          SERVES     6

1 large pineapple

1/2 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup coconut milk (the kind in the can)

handful of shredded, sweetened coconut

Pre heat outdoor grill to medium high. 

In a small saucepan over medium high heat bring water and sugar to a steady, low boil stirring just to combine.  Continue to boil rolling the pan to swirl liquid occasionally. Do not stir. This will take about 15-20 minutes before the liquid reduces and turns into a caramel color and consistency. Continue to boil gently swirling pan until you have a thick caramel reduction.  

Meanwhile trim the top and end off of the pineapple. Trim of the outer skin and discard. Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise then cut each half lengthwise again so you have four long pieces. Cut the core from each piece and save for use in a green smoothie the next day.  Cut pieces in half again lengthwise if they are too thick, then cut them in half to make smaller pieces.  

Remove pan from heat and carefully pour in coconut milk while whisking to combine. The caramel sauce will bubble and splatter so be careful. Pour some of the caramel sauce into a small serving bowl reserving the rest to brush over the pineapple.  

Place pineapple pieces in a large serving tray or plate. Brush with the coconut caramel sauce to coat them. Using tongs, place them on the hot grill. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes then turn them over and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from grill and serve immediately!  

Drizzle with more caramel and enjoy!

What are your favorite summer desserts?

Chipotle Cheddar Cheese Cauliflower Poppers

“I received free samples of Breton Gluten Free Original with Flax and Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic from Dare Foods Incorporated mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Dare Foods Incorporated and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

I'm a "To Do" list kind of person, which falls under the category of "Make it Happen people!"
But not to be confused with "Extremely focused and Organized" sort of gal. So why then does it seem like procrastination gets the best of me every so often and sabotages my very un organized to do list?  For all of my worrying and stressing about any given thing, I typically put off most chores and projects until the last minute when my "Get off your ass and snap to it" personality surfaces. She's a bitch sometimes.


Soooooo, when my latest blog project was to come up with a gluten free recipe using Breton crackers I in true form mulled the choices over and over and over  for weeks (tell me that's not a bad thing) until yesterday when I decided to double check the deadline and oh crap, 5 days! No problem right? Wrong. Wordpress decided to "block me due to suspicious activity" just because I forgot my password..... three times..... in a row. All because of a major hacker sittuation involving Word Press. Hackers suck. Big time.

So now I'm sitting here with 2 killer recipe ideas and a major deadline (I like how that makes me sound very important, kindof Mad Men like) and no way to access my WP account. Wait, I don't even use WP as a blogging platform! That's the kicker! 


Deadline or not, I'm bound and determined to share these cheesey poppers with a punch with you. You have to have something fun and original to bring to your next potluck right? I'm planning a small back yard get together with our friends soon and can't wait to see the expressions on their faces when they pop these seemingly innocent tots into their mouths. 

I rolled the poppers in Breton's Gluten Free Herb and Garlic Crackers which I pulsed to a crumb in my handy little food processor for the extra crunch factor and flavor. Simple as that!

Best of all, no one has to know they're totally healthy! Instead of bread crumbs I used Breton's Gluten Free Crackers  in the poppers. No gluten to bloat your tummies and they are low fat and low on the glycemic index.  Cauliflower was used instead of starchy potatoes as the base for these cheesey poppers. Warning, they are a tad spicy and very addictive so have an ice cold beverage near you to wash down all 30 poppers you devour. Or is that just me?

Of course while you're putting these poppers together you will want to snack on a few crackers with cheese. This is my new favorite cheese lately and will be buying these Breton crackers often in the future, yum!  The cheddar is so buttery and soft and the flavor is amazing! It's not overly spicy but has an after 'kick' of chipotle peppers. It melted perfectly in these poppers and didn't ooze out of them onto the pan.

Simply steam your cauliflower florets for 5-6 minutes (don't overcook or you'll have mashed cauliflower). Then throw 4-5 florets in your mini food processor and pulse a few times until it becomes a rice consistency. I love my little hand operated food processor because it allows me to chop my food to exactly the right consistency which is imperative in this recipe.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place your poppers 1/2" apart. I love my stone baking pan which always turns out perfectly browned veggies, poppers, cookies and beyond.

TIME     30 MINUTES        YIELDS     30 POPPERS

Chipotle Cheddar Cheese Poppers GF using Breton's Crackers

Ingredients

1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

4 egg whites

1/2 cup shallots, minced

2 tablespoons dried parsley (or fresh)

1 cup Chipotle Cheddar Cheese, grated (or cheese of choice)

1/2 cup (about 8 crackers) Breton Gluten Free Original Crackers with Flax

1/2 cup (about 8 crackers) Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic Crackers

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot steam cauliflower florets for 5-7 minutes. Do not over cook! Drain water and place florets in a bowl and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for at least 1 hour (this will help with shaping them into balls).

Remove chilled cauliflower from freezer and place in a food processor. I use this small hand operated chopper  which allows you to control how course or finely chopped your food will be. Chop until cauliflower is the consistency of couscous or rice. Do not over process or you will have mush. Remove any remaining chunks of cauliflower and discard. Scoop cauliflower into a large bowl.

Add cheese, shallots, parsley and Breton's Original GF Crackers with flax, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

In a separate bowl or mixer, beat egg whites until just frothy. Fold the egg whites into the cauliflower mixture till just combined. Fold egg whites into cauliflower mixture.

Preheat oven to 400F.

In your food processor, pulse Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic Crackers until they are a fine crumb. Place them in a large shallow plate. Using your hands, shape the cauliflower mixture into golfball size balls. Gently roll the balls in the cracker crumbs to lightly coat. Place on a stone baking sheet lined with parchment paper 1/2" apart.

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and balls are deep golden brown and crispy.

Serve warm! These make a great appetizer to any dinner party or picnic.

   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

Deviled Eggs 9 Ways, from North to South & East to West

I love deviled eggs but lets be honest, a person an only take so many mayo/mustard/vinegar stuffed eggs in the span of the few days following Easter. We usually end up throwing away half of the hard boiled eggs we had fun coloring and decorating for The Egg Hunt, such a waste! So instead of nixing a fun tradition, I took note of a post from Cooking Light and created 3 variations of deviled eggs using some of our favorite ingredients. The result? Eggstrodinary! {work with me, I don't get out much, my 7 year old thought it was funny}.

Three completely different flavors, one from the north seas and two from my beloved South West. I could live quite happily as a Pescatarian with the occasional fillet Mignon and smoked salmon is and always will be my favorite treat. Nova Scotia smoked salmon is not only for breakfast bagels smeared with cream cheese and topped with thinly sliced red onion then garnished with capers (now I'm craving one!) but turns plain deviled eggs into a special occasion worthy hors d' oeuvres.

  Pre-Easter brunch with mimosas anyone?

Guacamole is a staple side dish here in Phoenix and I for one can not get enough of it, despite my mild allergy to them. So why not throw some ripe avocado into the mix?  I used a 1:1 ratio of sour cream and plain, Greek yogurt. Then of course I added bacon, green onion and a squeeze of lime. To kick it up a notch I added a pinch of garlic powder, chili powder, cumin and cayenne. Damn good!

Last but not least, something spicy, tangy and sweet was in order. I like to give all of my taste buds equal opportunity to enjoy themselves. If you will. How about pickled jalapenos and sweet pickles? No Easter is complete with out sweet pickles right? Again, I used a mix of mayo and Greek yogurt to lighten up the calories and keep with the fresh, zinginess of Spring.

The possibilities are endless! Other ingredients and flavors I'm thinking would make 

spectacular deviled eggs are:

• Sirachi + mini Shrimp or Crab meat
• Diced ham + Sharp Cheddar + Dijon Mustard
• Corned Beef + Horseradish Mustard
• Asparagus + Pearl Onion + Whole Grain Brown Mustard
• Pickled Beets + Shaved Asparagus + Shaved Almonds 
• Prosciutto + Petite Peas

What duo or trio would you use for deviled eggs extraordinaire?

What are your families favorite traditional Easter foods to share?

Jalapeño eggs adapted from Cooking Light


TIME    30 MINUTES          YIELDS  36  DEVILED EGGS


Deviled Eggs with Avocado Cream, Bacon and Onions

6 Hard Boiled Eggs
1 tablespoon sour cream

1 tablespoon plain, Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon lime juice

handful of green olives with pimentos

3 tablespoons chopped green onion

2 tablespoons *soft bacon bits 

pinch of chili powder

pinch of cayenne powder

dash of garlic powder 

pinch of cumin 

Shell eggs and cut in half lengthwise.  In a small food processor combine cooked egg yolks, sour cream, yogurt, lime juice and spices. Pulse until smooth.

Add green onions, bacon bits and chopped green olives. Stir to combine. Using a small spoon, scoop filling back into eggs. 

These eggs are best served immediately or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled so they don't brown. The lime juice helps with this.

*Packaged soft bacon bits are found in the condiment aisle at most grocery stores. They are great for deviled eggs and potato salad and have a fraction of the fat as cooked bacon. Not to mention, cut down on prep time.

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

6 Hard Boiled Eggs

1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon real mayo

1-2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 tablespoon capers

dash of freshly cracked black pepper 

1 tablespoon fresh dill weed, chopped

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

4 oz. Smoked Nova Scotia Salmon, chopped

Shell eggs and cut in half lengthwise.  In a small food processor combine cooked egg yolks, yogurt, mayo and onion. Pulse till smooth. Add dill, tarragon, capers, pepper and salmon pieces. Stir to combine. Scoop into eggs. Serve chilled

Jalapeño and Gherkins Deviled Eggs

6 Hard Boiled Eggs

1 tablespoon plain, Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon mayo

3 Gherkin pickles (sweet pickles)

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños 

Shell eggs and cut in half lengthwise. In a small food processor combine cooked egg yolks, yogurt, mayo, pulse till smooth. Add chopped pickles and jalapeños. Stir to combine. Scoop filling back into eggs. 

Un-Fried Green Tomatoes, Seedless Watermelon, In Shell Pistachios and a Bold Bloody Mary to Sip on

This is Southern comfort food with zero guilt. No oil, nothing fried yet plenty of spices and tart, sweet juices from green tomatoes and watermelon to get you going. Salty, earthy and light pistachios round out this pre-dinner treat and a very bold and amazing Bloody Mary to sip while you snack.  

“I received free pistachio samples from the Pistachio Health Institute mentioned in this post. By posting this pairing I am entering a contest sponsored by Pistachio Health Institute and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”






This is going to be a quicky. Nothing wrong with that right? We have ribs on the BBQ and hungry tummies growling. I have to say, this was a really fun and unusually treat to snack on this afternoon while looking forward to dinner and writing this post. I was a bit skeptical about a healthy version of fried green tomatoes and was relieved when they turned out pretty damn amazing. I never did care for deep fried anything however so I don't have that to miss.

Cornmeal is a bit dry on it's own as a coating but these triple dipped tomatoes held up beautifully and were juicy with the right amount of crunch. Dunking them first in almond flour with plenty of salt then in Greek Yogurt and once again lightly in cornmeal spiked with plenty of Old Bay seasoning made them plump, juicy and perfectly crisp.

 Oh, did I mention totally healthy?!

Choose green tomatoes that are firm to the touch and use immediately. 

As part of the Recipe Redux Team we were asked to come up with a pairing of foods that went well and complimented Pistachios, In shell specifically. So many possibilities, I love pistachios for their taste and for their health benefits. I'll bet you don't know just how good they are for you! Check out all of the   ways pistachios can help you lead a healthy lifestyle at The Pistachio Health Institute now.

The {Healthy} Pairing: Southern Style

Un-Fried Green Tomatoes

In Shell Salted Pistachios

Seedless Watermelon

Bold and Spicy Bloody Mary Garnished with a Celery Stick

Do you like Pistachios? Do you eat them by themselves or with other healthy treats? I always have some on hand, in my car and in my locker at work! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   

Mini Vegetarian 'Meat'balls {gluten free}

After several weeks of eating more than my share of unhealthy foods, binging on cheese platters and grabbing a cookie or two every time I walked by the arrangement on the table in the lounge at work I am feeling less than desirable. Bloated and tired, cranky and back in my chub-o pants is not how I wanted to start the year. Especially after 3 months of working so hard and feeling so good. Not only did I partake in the stuffing myself with stuffing and the sipping of eggnog but I haven't worked out in almost 3 weeks (well I did yesterday and my body is hating life today). It's amazing how fast you can go from feeling great and in shape to a large slug. 

Back in the saddle. Square one. I will not give up and this bad attitude has to go pronto!

Like I said, I started my workout program completely over yesterday and am glad to be back on track and really looking forward to feeling strong and having energy again. It's so hard to get started after being a bum for a few weeks and having had one cold on top of another to boot. Finding the energy to get started is the hard part for me, keeping it up once my metabolism kicks in is what I have to look forward to. 

My motivation? Buttoning my pants again. 

Exercising is what gives you energy and burns fat but a healthy diet is at least as important to your overall health if not much more important on many levels. Obtaining a healthy, fit body is about 80% diet and 20% fitness. So what you eat can definitely sabotage your best efforts to be healthy or on the other hand fuel your body for success!

Out with the junk; 

ALL of the processed, prepackaged foods, including processed sugars. Limit carbs, especially processed carbs like pastas and breads, limit starches like rice, corn and potatoes. Watch your unhealthy fat intake;  hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, palm, corn and most vegetable oils, fried foods, full fat cheeses, cream, most red meats, most lunch meats except lean cuts like turkey or chicken which do not contain nitrates or nitrites, poultry skin and margarine (limit real butter intake).

In with the good!

Fruits and Veggies of course! High glycemic and starchy veggies in moderation; beets, carrots, corn, sweet peas and potatoes (including parsnips) and pumpkin. Yes some of these have good for you vitamins but moderation is key when it comes to HGI (high glycemic index) foods. Fruits that are higher on the GI are typically tropical fruits such as pineapple, oranges (always it whole oranges not juice) bananas, coconut and also watermelon. Eat in moderation and not first thing in the morning. Add them to green smoothies! The fiber in green leafy veggies slows down the absorption of the natural sugars found in fruit (fructose).

Lean cuts of meat like skinless chicken and turkey, limit lean read meats and preferably free range like elk or bison (be very careful with lunch meats, almost all of them contain nitrates and nitrites which cause a variety of health problem including migraines). 

Instead of doing the "Meatless Monday" thing we typical have meat once a week at the most for dinner and instead have lean fish once or twice a week and salmon once or twice a month. If we have meat more often than that it's in very small amounts compared to the rest of the meal. My favorite way to eat healthy dinners is by adding beans and legumes such as these veggie balls. 

Got picky eaters? My kids aren't fooled by vegetarian 'meatballs' just ask my very outspoken 8 year old! Serve these with spaghetti or spaghetti squash, dip them in warm marinara or even a bit of ketchup (I try to limit that because it contains sugar).

YIELDS    12-15          TIME    30 MINUTES

Ingredients 

1 ½ cans (15 oz. each) Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

½ medium yellow onion, finely minced

1/2 cup grated carrot (adds moisture and sweetness)

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

1 ½ tsp dried oregano

1 egg

1 tablespoon stone ground mustard (you could also use tomato paste)

½ cup cooked quinoa (in place of bread crumbs)

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

1. Line a baking sheet, I love my stone ware baking sheet, with parchment or very lightly oil.

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine beans, onion and carrots. Pulse until chopped, but not smoothly pureed.

1. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and stir in, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg, quinoa, cheese, mustard salt and pepper until well combined.

1. Using your hands form balls by rolling a small amount (about golf ball size, no bigger) between the palms of your hands. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced about 1" apart.

1. Bake until the balls are a light golden brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes.

notes:  Serve as an appetizer with a bowl of warm marinara or a cheesy dip or serve on top of baked, herbed spaghetti squash to make it a meal.

Simple and Sweet Holliday Corn Pudding {Cook the Books}

It's T-Minus errr a few days until Thanksgiving Day. I'm in charge of bringing a side dish to my family's dinner table. Parents, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews, we have a blessedly large family. What to bring?

Quite honestly, I could bring a bowl of buttered mashed potatoes or a green bean casserole and everyone would be happy as a clam, except for me of course. I'm not sure when, where or how I became so obsessed  captivated and bewitched with cooking in general and then, true to follow, somewhere along the lines it became expected that I bring something interesting,  different  and amazing all at the same time to the table (I'm sure it's all in my head). On the flip side, I have been known to overcompensate and make a concoction  mélange  of flavors and spices that have received a raised eyebrow or two from less adventurous folk. The poor, unadventurous souls. 

I stick to my principals. Over spiced at times however they may be.  (T-Day 2009 had obviously left some scars on my ego.)   eghhemm  moving on shall we?

So.  I shall bring them……….

Holiday Corn Pudding!!!

(I'm hearing the theme from "The Croods")   

"Da da daaaaaaa"  

Someone please tell me what movie this came from!!! Planet of the Apes? Star Trek?  Gahh!

Moving on.


Super simple and naturally sweet with a deliciously creamy and cheesy center. That's what I'll bring to the table this year. Sweet is my middle name just so you know.

It could happen.



Anyhoo,  My talented and ambitious friend, Heather from GirliChef  hosts a fun book club every month called "Cook the Books" I've been a fan for years actually but this is my very first time contributing.  (Book Clubs scare me.)

However, when I found out that

a.) This months featured book was from one of my long time favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver

and

b.) All I had to do was make/bake/create a recipe from her book "Animal Vegetable Mineral" I dove in head first!

In her first non-fiction book, Kingsolver writes of her family's move from Tuscon, Az. (I'm a native Zonie) to her husband's inherited farm in the rural Appalachian Mountains. While this book received some criticism for not being a "realistic" alternative for most lazy Americans, I found it interesting and took it for what it was intended for, A woman's journey and struggles to find a way to live life simply and gratefully. I will not go into the critical masses remarks about how this book is so far fetched because her children didn't rebel due to the lack of Orios and processed foods and how they should have been "embarrassed" to bring their friends over to their home due to the lack of Coke in the fridge.

Furthermore, I wasn't offended as some readers seem to have been with this book but instead took what I could from it and found it intriguing how each of us handles change differently, views the importance of food and fortune differently and accepts those differences with either grace or with malice and fear.

The fun part! Picking a recipe from the book "Animal Vegetable Mineral" 

I went with a seasonal recipe, true to the book and made Kingsolver's "Holiday Corn Pudding"

According to her, "It's so simple a 9 year old can do it."  It was. In fact, my 4 year old did most of the work which was primarily dumping the small list of ingredients into a bowl and mixing. 

As you can see above, I chose to pour my corn pudding into small, individual ramekins for a fun presentation and a creamier pudding. If you do this, you will need to place them into a baking dish with water filled to about 1/2 way up the ramekins. This will prevent them from drying out before they are cooked through. I suggest putting the filled ramekins into the baking dish and then pouring water into the dish so as not to over fill.

Trial and error my friends.

PREP TIME    10 MINUTES
BAKE TIME   45-60 MINUTES
SERVES          6


Ingredients:

2 cans sweet corn
1 cup milk
1 cup grated Gouda cheese (or similar variety)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon marjoram (thyme or tarragon would work as well)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
{I added a big pinch of cayenne for a bit of heat}
butter to grease baking dish



Preheat oven to 350F  

Coat a baking dish or ramekins with real butter
Beat eggs. Add milk, beat to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  

Pour into prepared dish.

If using ramekins, bake for about 60 minutes in a bath of water as described above until puffed at top and lightly browned.
If baking in a casserole dish, bake for 45 minutes or until puffed at top and lightly browned.