Coconut, Sago and Lemon Myrtle Pudding with Pineapple, Palm Sugar and Lemon Myrtle Syrup

Australia’s Creative Native Cuisine, Andrew Fielke 2020

6-8 serves

Ingredients:

Pudding: ½ vanilla bean; 1 ½ cups milk; 275g (9oz) coconut cream; 6-8 fresh lemon myrtle leaves or 1 tsp ground lemon myrtle

100g (3 1/3oz) sago

100g (3 1/3oz) sugar

Sauce: 250g (% lb) light palm sugar, chopped or grated; 150 ml (5fioz) pineapple juice; 4-5 additional fresh lemon myrtle leaves or 1/2 tsp additional ground lemon myrtle; 1 fresh ripe pineapple wedge per person, with tops on (fresh lychees and mango also work very well)

neutral (flavourless) cooking spray oil or macadamia oil

Method: To make the puddings:

Split and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean

Place the seeds and pod in a saucepan together with the milk, coconut cream and lemon myrtle

Bring to the boil, watching carefully

Add the sago while stirring and simmer very gently, stirring regularly (so it doesn’t stick) until the sago is soft (about 10 minutes)

Once the sago is completely cooked (check and make sure it is tender) stir through the sugar until it dissolves. Scoop out the lemon myrtle leaves and bean pod

Spray 6-8 ramekins or other suitable moulds with the cooking spray. Pour the mixture in and allow it to set completely in the fridge

To make the sauce and complete the dish:

Simmer the palm sugar, pineapple juice and lemon myrtle very slowly (over a low heat) for about 20 minutes to make to a nice syrup. Allow to cool then strain.

Brush the pineapple wedges with some of the syrup. Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side on a clean barbecue or in a griddle pan (at a moderate heat). They should caramelize nicely.

Turn the puddings out from the ramekins onto serving plates and place the pineapple wedges to the side. Drizzle with the syrup.

This really was special. The flavour of the lemon myrtle leaves in the syrup was exquisite! Anne

Pineapple (Poinsettia) Salad!

From the 70s Dinner Party on Instagram and Twitter

 How could I resist making this original salad!! Anne

Pineapple Angel Food Cake Recipe

Thanks for the tip about this recipe Leila! Soooo easy!

From https://thefrugalgirls.com/2012/08/pineapple-angel-food-cake.html

  

2 ingredients: 

1 box Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake Mix  (make sure to use the 'just add water' variety)

1 can of Crushed Pineapple - approx. 20oz / 450g

Optional: Cool Whip and Coconut for topping

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C

In large mixing bowl, mix powdered Angel Food Cake Mix and Crushed Pineapple together (including the juice from the can) - don’t add any other ingredients.

Transfer mixture into 9”x13” / 23cmx33cm ungreased ceramic baking dish. (Do NOT grease pan)

Bake for 33 - 38 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

"After baking, it is completely normal for your cake to fall in the middle as it cools. To avoid the cake falling a bit in the middle as it cools, you can immediately turn upside down to cool. The dump cake will be a dense and delicious treat... perfect topped with whip cream and some coconut flakes (I used flaked almonds) on top!"

Pineapple, bacon, egg and cheese cups

My well used muffin tray was very handy for this experiment - to lightly fried bacon pieces add an egg, a piece of canned pineapple, salt and pepper, a sprinkling of shredded cheese and bake for about 5 minutes. Garnish with some tiny basil leaves or some parsley 

if you have it, yum, Anne

Pineapple Kesari, a recipe from Southern India

Adapted from https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pineapple-kesari-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-136807

"Pineapple Kesari also known as Pineapple Sheera or Pineapple Halwa is a delicious, melt in the mouth sweet made with rava or suji (semolina or cream of wheat), fresh pineapple, sugar, ghee and nuts" the website.

Ingredients:

½ cup rava finer variety and unroasted, (sooji or cream of wheat) - 120 grams; ½ cup sugar or add as required; 1.5 cups water; 4 tablespoons Ghee; 12 to 15 cashews; 1 tablespoon raisins; ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder or 2 to 3 green cardamoms crushed in a mortar-pestle; ¾ cup chopped pineapple or 3 to 4 pineapple slices cut in ½ inch cubes; 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped pineapple - for garnish, optional; 1 to 2 drops natural yellow food color or 10 to 12 strands of saffron, optional; 1 to 2 drops pineapple essence - optional

Instructions:

Cooking pineapple with water - First chop the pineapple in small cubes and set aside. In a pan or saucepan, take the chopped pineapple cubes, 1.5 cups water and ½ cup sugar. Add one or two drops of the natural yellow colour extract. You can also add about 10 to 12 strands of saffron to get a yellow colour. You can also add pineapple essence for a dominant pineapple flavour. Stir well and keep this pan on the stovetop and bring to a boil. While simmering, do stir so that the sugar dissolves.

Roasting rava - Meanwhile, in another pan or kadai take 4 tablespoons ghee and heat it on a low flame. Let the ghee melt. Add 12 to 15 cashews. Stir and add rava (sooji). Mix very well. Then add ¼ teaspoon  green cardamom powder and stir to mix. Stir often and roast the rava till the cashews turn a light golden and you see ghee releasing from the sides. The colour of the rava will also change. This takes about 4 to 5 minutes on a low to medium-low heat. Keep on stirring, so the rava does not get browned.

By this time, the pineapple + water mixture would also begin to boil.

Making pineapple kesari - Pour the hot pineapple and water mixture to the pan with the roasted sooji. Stir quickly and briskly so that lumps are not formed.

Simmer on a low heat and allow the sooji to absorb the water. Add raisins. Mix again. In just about 4 minutes, the rava will soften up and the pineapple halwa is done. You should not see any creamish specks on the kesari. This means that the rava has not cooked properly.

Serve pineapple kesari hot as it is or garnished with some pineapple cubes.

Notes:                                                                                                                                          Make sure to use pineapple which are sweet tasting.                                                                    The recipe can be halved or doubled.                                                                                            You can also use tinned pineapple slices. But while using tinned pineapple slices, no need to boil them in water. Just add them directly when you add the hot bubbling sugar syrup to the roasted rava.