Oh the delicious flavours of Summer time… I love tropical fruits, and I especially adore them in salads. One day I had a ripe pineapple sitting on the counter for a few days, so I wanted to find a recipe for it. I came across a few yummy Pineapple Salsa recipes, modified it according to what I had in my fridge and the flavours that I thought would work well together, and came up with this easy-breezy recipe.

Although it’s not very Fall/Winter like recipe, because I love everything Summer, personally I like to prolong the taste of Summer well into the cold months, so who is to say  we cannot enjoy a little ray of sunshine with this Pineapple Salsa on a cold Winter day?!

Here is what you need to make this healthy, fast & delicious Pineapple Salsa:

Pineapple, Red Peppers, Lime, Fresh Ginger Root, Jalapeno Pepper, Parsley, Shallots, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), Soy Sauce & Honey

Of course you can always get the pre-cut pineapple at most grocery stores these days, but I prefer to start from scratch with a fresh pineapple, and cut it all myself. I don’t know why. It just makes me feel better, than buying it pre-cut, not to mention it is a lot cheaper to buy a whole pineapple anyways.

There are many ways of cutting a pineapple, and you can do it whichever way works for you. I like doing it this way, and I will show you how I do it step-by-step below. Why? Because I’m nice.

So, start by placing the pineapple on its side on a cutting board…

And chop off the top…

Then turn it around, and chop off the bottom. Now place the pineapple upwards again…

And start to carefully slice off the skin as shown below.

Keep going all the way around the pineapple…

Until you got all the skin off, and you’re just left with a clean & juicy pineapple.

Now cut the pineapple in half length-wise as shown below…

Now just place the cut halves on their flat sides and slice into approximately 3/4″ thick slices.

Using a knife cut out around the thick center of each individual slice…

And cut each slice into 4 pieces. Basically this is the pretty sun shape that you will be left with in the end.

Now just dice up the pineapple into smaller, about 1/4″ thick pieces and add to a mixing bowl.

Now comes the red pepper. Chop of the end, and clean out the seeds.

Cut the pepper in half and cut each half into thin strips, and then dice up those strips into smaller pieces, as shown below…

It’s time for the jalapeno pepper. I’ve said this in one of the previous posts, but I will say it again, for your own good. Wear gloves when handling jalapeno, or be VERY careful NOT to touch anything at all until you wash off your hands really well.

So, cut off the end of the jalapeno, and cut in half…

The seeds are the deadliest / hottest part, so clean out all the seeds and the white parts, just like shown below…

Cut the jalapeno into thin, thin strips, and dice up into tiny pieces.

Cut the fresh ginger root into about 2″ piece, peel off the skin and grate into the mixing bowl.

Now chop up some parsley and add to the mixing bowl.

Last goes in the shallot. Cut the ends off and take off the skin.

Cut in half and cut again sideways, along the flat side.

Now cut into strips in the opposite direction (length wise).

And finely dice it up…

Squeeze out the juice of the lime into a small mixing bowl and add in a tbsp of honey.

Into the same bowl add in the EVOO, Soy Sauce and salt & pepper and mix well together.

Pour over all the other ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix well.

Mmm… It smells delicious!

This is such a versatile salsa and can be served as an appetizer on its own, or as a side dish with grilled chicken breast or shrimp. I decided to serve it with some wild rice & grilled chicken. The sweet & juicy pineapple is a great compliment to crunchy red pepper and the jalapeno adds just enough of a spicy kick.

It is a perfect blend!

You’ve got to try it… It is so easy to make & can’t beat all the vitamins that are in this baby!

YUM!

Pineapple Salsa
Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups diced pineapple
2 whole red peppers, diced
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped into tiny pieces
1 shallot, chopped
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (or add a bit more if you like the salty flavour)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Easy – breezy, healthy & delicious!

Enjoy!

I love appetizers. I love shrimp. I love veggies & most of all I love to grill/barbeque. So when I saw this recipe on the Food Network, I just had to give it a try. It looked so easy, delicious & beautifully presented. And it was all that & more once I finished & got to enjoy this simple appetizer recipe with a glass of chilled Chardonnay. =)

To make this pretty Shrimp & Zucchini Ribbons you will need:

Shrimp, Zucchini, Lemon, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), Dried Oregano Leaves, Wooden Skewers, Salt & Pepper & a pinch of Chili Flakes (optional)

Start by peeling the shrimp, removing the tails & placing in a bowl.

Next cut off the ends of the zucchini…

And slice into very thin slices length-wise. This is a critical step. Because if the slices are too thick, they will break when you try to thread it onto a skewer. And if they are too thin they will melt/burn when grilling. So do your best to get it about 1/8″ thickness.

Now for the marinade. In a small mixing bowl combine the EVOO, freshly squeezed lemon juice, oregano, salt & pepper.

The recipe doesn’t call for it, but while I was mixing the marinade I felt like it was missing something. I wanted to add a bit of a punch to the flavors, so I added a pinch of chili flakes, to give it an extra kick. This is totally optional.

Mix well and set aside…

Now start by threading the skewer with a slice of the zucchini, from the bottom, then skewer the shrimp, then pierce through the middle of the zucchini, then add the next shrimp and finish off by enveloping the shrimp with the end of the zucchini. I put two sets of ribbons on one skewer. If the instructions are too confusing, just look at the photo below. Should be self-explanatory. =)

Once you’re finished, place the skewers onto a platter & pour the marinade right over, making sure to coat all surfaces. Cover with saran wrap & refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes…

Once you let them marinade for a good 15 minutes, you are ready to grill! Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side on a medium-high heat.

Mmm… the smoky flavor of the bbq… the delicious smells are so enticing! I could hardly wait to get them off the grill and dig in!

After about 6-8 minutes of grilling, it’s ready to be served! I prefer to serve it hot, but you can serve it as a cold appetizer as well.

You may also serve this as a main dish, with some steamed rice, or baked potatoes on the side. =)

Shrimp & Zucchini Ribbons
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 min, 6-8 min grill

Ingredients:

32 Individual Shrimp
3 whole Green Zucchini
1 whole lemon
1 tbsp dried Oregano leaves
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Serve it at your next gathering, and you are sure to get a “wow, that’s so pretty” type of response. And your guests will be even more impressed once they taste it! It’s zesty & delicious!

Bon Appétit!

Mmm… Just the name of it alone makes my mouth water! I absolutely love this salad!! On top of its amazing taste, it is super, super healthy and filled with nutrients. Chickpeas provide high quality protein, while red kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. I tasted something similar on a plane once, during our flight to Rome (believe it or not), so I just had to recreate this salad, because I loved it so much.

Of course I modified it quite a bit, but I promise you, all the proportions work like magic!

To prepare this delicious salad, you will need:

Chickpeas, Red Kidney Beans, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Shallot, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Fresh Ginger, Parsley, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Wine Vinegar.

Now I should mention that of course you can use canned chickpeas & red kidney beans, they will work just as well. I just prefer starting everything from scratch (if I can), because then I know exactly what is in my food. And that is: No Chemicals! =)

Note: If you are going to be using fresh or rather packaged chickpeas & red kidney beans, (i.e. not canned), make sure you soak them in water for at least 6-8 hours (or overnight) prior to boiling them. Otherwise they’ll be way too hard, even after boiling for hours. Trust me, I have made the mistake myself the first time around, because I’ve never used chickpeas before… SO, soak’em up!

To start, trim the ends of the green beans…

And then boil the chickpeas, red kidney beans & green beans in separate pots.

Boil the chickpeas & red kidney beans for approximately 30-45 minutes, or until they are both soft & tender.
Boil the green beans for 6-7 minutes, they should be nice & crunchy – Not Mushy! So don’t over-boil. Worst case, you can always boil them more if you find they didn’t boil enough after you drained & tasted them.

To give the green beans a beautiful, vibrant green color, pop them in a bath of cold water with ice… That will surely boost the color.

Next, cut the ends of the cucumber, and half it length-wise.

Then cut into long strips vertically…

And cube them into medium pieces.

Cut the ends of the shallot and take off the skin…

Thinly slice the shallot…

And separate with your fingers to get them into individual rings.

Now we’re ready for the dressing.

In a small bowl, press the garlic…

Now peel the skin off the fresh ginger…

And grate it…

Mmm… the aromas are sooo good right about now!

In an another small bowl squeeze the juice of a whole lemon…

Add the white wine vinegar…

And the Extra Virgin Olive Oil… (hey you know what, I think I need a short form for this, so EVOO) I like it!

Where were we?

Oh right, add the EVOO…

Season with salt & pepper to taste…

And add in the pressed garlic & grated fresh ginger into the bowl…

And whisk together.

Now, drain the green beans & cut them up into medium pieces…

Just like so…

Look at this gorgeous green color! And they are nice & crunchy… Great compliment to the soft & tender chickpeas/red kidney beans

Chop up the parsley.

Once the chickpeas & red kidney beans are cooked, drain & rinse them both under cold water.

Then combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl…

And pour the dressing all over it…

Mix well together…

Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or two before serving. I can’t tell you how good this tastes!! Especially on the second day – the dressing marinades all of the ingredients and the taste is simply divine!

Serve it on its own as a starter, or as a main by pairing it with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 15-20 min, 30-45 min of boiling

Ingredients:

Salad:
3 cups Chickpeas
3 cups Red Kidney Beans
1/4 Green Beans
2 whole Cucumbers
1 cup chopped Parsley
1 sliced Shallot

Dressing:
3/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
1 whole lemon, juiced
2 cloves pressed Garlic
1 tbsp grated fresh Ginger
Salt & Pepper to taste

You’ve got to try it! It’s fast, healthy & delicious… Everything a salad should be! =)

Bon Appétit!

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