A pineapple dinner at Ann's place

Ann recently presented a delicious feast of pineapple dishes beginning with a Sputnik.

Cut a thin slice off the bottom of an orange (or grapefruit) and place it on a dish. Into the orange insert toothpicks threaded with a slice of cabanossi, a pickled cocktail onion and a small square of cheddar cheese.

                                      

Bulgogi pork with pineapple

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/bulgogi-pork-pineapple/c5fe9bc2-c06f-44d5-8d44-9a0409f60a2f

                  

"Thinly sliced pork is glazed in a sticky Korean-inspired sauce made from chilli paste, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar and sesame oil then tucked into steamed buns and served with pineapple and avocado."
Recipe by Curtis Stone.

Ingredients: 2/3 cup (160ml) salt-reduced soy sauce; 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chilli paste), plus more for serving; 3 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 teaspoon peeled ginger, finely chopped; 700g Coles Australian Pork Loin Chops, bones removed, thinly sliced; 3 teaspoons canola oil, divided; Steamed buns, to serve (see notes); 1/4 small pineapple (about 275g), peeled, cored, thinly sliced; 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced; spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally; 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves

Method:

• Step 1
  In a large bowl, whisk soy sauce, sugar, sambal oelek, sesame oil and ginger. In a resealable plastic bag, combine pork and half of marinade, turning to coat meat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Reserve remaining marinade at room temperature.
• Step 2
  Remove pork from marinade. Pat dry. Heat a wok or large heavy frying pan over high heat. Working in 3 batches, add 1 teaspoon canola oil and one-third of pork. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 min or until pork is browned and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Add reserved marinade to wok and simmer for 2 mins or until slightly reduced. Return pork to wok and cook, stirring, for 1 min or until sauce is clinging to pork. Transfer to a bowl.                
• Step 3
  Using a small knife, split buns and stuff with pork, pineapple, avocado, spring onions, coriander and some extra sambal oelek to taste.

Ann's variations to the recipe - "I used pork fillet instead of chops, rice paper for rolls rather than buns, and I added in snow peas."

Pineapple Magic: delicious, easy recipes for a family on the go, Golden Circle online, Queensland 2010

  file:///C:/Users/Annie/Downloads/HEINZ.GC.pine.c-book.web%20(1).pdf

Thai Prawn (Duck) and Pineapple Curry

Serves 4

2 tbsp Thai red curry paste; 400ml can coconut milk; 3 kaffir lime leaves, torn; 1 tbsp grated palm sugar; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 150g green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds; 16 green prawns, peeled with tails intact; 440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces in Juice, drained; 8 cherry tomatoes, halved; steamed Jasmine rice, to serve; basil leaves to garnish, optional

1. Add curry paste to a hot frying pan and cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, lime leaves, palm sugar and fish sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.

2. Add green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the prawns, pineapple and cherry tomatoes and simmer for a further 2 - 3 minutes, or until the prawns are cooked through.

3. Remove lime leaves and transfer curry to serving bowls. Serve with rice and garnish with basil leaves if desired.

Ann's variations to the recipe - "I substituted duck breasts for the prawns.  I cooked the duck first (pan fried and then finished in the oven).  And I use freeze dried coconut powder to make up the milk/cream.  Also I made my own paste which makes all the difference I think."

Red Curry Paste

1 tblspn coriander seeds; 2 tspn cumin seeds; 1 tspn black peppercorns; 2 tspn dries shrimp paste; 1 tspn ground nutmeg; 12 dried or fresh red chillies, rough chopped; 1 cup French shallots, chopped; 2 tblspn oil; 4 stems lemon grass (white part only) finely chopped; 12 small cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tblspn fresh coriander roots, chopped; 2 tblspn fresh coriander stems, chopped; 6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped; 2 tspn grated lime rind; 2 tspn salt; 2 tspn turmeric; 1 tspn paprika

1. Place the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly.

2. Place the roasted spices and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or clean coffee grinder and work them until they are finely ground. Wrap the shrimp paste in a small amount of foil and cook under a hot grill for 3 minutes, turning the package twice.

3. Process the ground spices, roasted shrimp paste, nutmeg and chillies in a food processor for 5 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and process for 20 seconds at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula each time, until the mixture forms a smooth paste.

Makes approximately 1 cup. 

Pineapple Choc Clusters

250g slivered almonds; 250g dried pineapple; 250g white chocolate melts

Toast the almonds until very pale golden

Chop the pineapple

Melt the chocolate
Mix all together
Drop teaspoons full onto trays lined with baking paper
Top each with a silver cachou or several
Store in fridge.