4 fun pineapple dishes to try out

by Kwanele Mathebula
pineapple

Our food Editor Ntwenhle Gcabashe shows you how to add pineapple to your food and enjoy an exotic burst of flavour.

Here 4 fun to pineapple dishes to try out:

1. Pineapple and Oats Muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes: 12

  • 1 cup chopped pineapple
  • ½ cup oats
  • 1½ cup cake flour, sifted
  • 1 cup castor sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 cup (250ml) oil
  •  ½ cup (125ml) milk
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  1. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
  2. In a large bowl, mix pineapple and dry ingredients.
  3. Mix liquid ingredients in a jug. Pour over dry ingredients, and mix.
  4. Spoon into a lightly greased muffin tray. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

SEE ALSO: Lime & Pineapple Sorbet recipe

2. Sausage and Pineapple Nibbles

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3–4

Kebab

  • 4 Russian sausages, cut into bite-sized pieces]
  • 2 cups cubed pineapple
  • 12 strips streaky bacon
  • 1 green pepper, cubed
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes

Marinade

  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) oil
  • ½ cup (125ml) maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Wrap Russians with bacon.
  2. Alternately thread sausages, pineapple, green pepper and tomatoes onto skewer sticks to make kebabs.
  3. Marinate ingredients in a bowl. Pour over kebabs and marinate for 20 minutes. Heat griddle pan over medium-high. Grill kebabs for 15–20 minutes.

3. Chicken Slides

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • ½ cup (125ml) pineapple juice
  • 4 pineapple slices
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 4 tablespoons (60ml) soya sauce
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce
  • 4 burger buns, cut in half
  • 2 handfuls fresh watercress leaves
  • 1 red onion, sliced into rings
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • Mayonnaise, for spreading
  1. In a bowl, mix juice, ginger and sauces. Marinate chicken for 20 minutes.
  2. Heat griddle pan over medium- high. Grill chicken for 10–15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, spread buns with mayonnaise. Place watercress, onion rings, pineapples, tomato slices and grilled chicken on bottom buns.
  4. Top with remaining buns.

SEE ALSO: Pineapple cheesecakes

4. Rich Chocolate and Pineapple Brownies

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Makes: 12

  • ½ cup melted chocolate
  • 1 cup chopped pineapple
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla essence
  •  tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ½ cup cake flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • Chocolate sauce, for drizzling
  • Ice cream, for serving
  1. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
  2. In a saucepan, heat and melt butter and sugar.
  3. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, pineapple, eggs and essence. Fold in dry ingredients and mix.
  4. Spoon and spread mixture into a lightly greased baking tray. Bake for 35 minutes. Drizzle with chocolate sauce.
  5. Serve with ice cream.