Grilled Pineapple

Pin It So I'm always trying to be healthy and this is the perfect dessert for those of you wanting to jump on the healthy train without sacrificing all sweets.  It's sweet, crisp and tangy.  Sometimes I enjoy mine with a scoop of ice cream on top (ok, not so healthy...).  This would be a great end to a summer BBQ.

This recipe was shared at Trick or Treat Tuesday and Weekend Potluck.

Grilled Pineapple
1 pineapple, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp honey
sprinkle of cinnamon

1. Slice pineapple into 1/2 inch rounds.  There is no need to core it before grilling.  I think the pineapple would  fall apart on the grill if you did.
2. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, honey and cinnamon.
3. Grill pineapple for about 3 minutes per side over medium-high heat.  Brush on lime juice mixture.
4. Pineapple is done when the outside starts to caramelize and there are nice grill marks.

Boneless Hawaiian Pork Ribs and Veggies

Pin It So here's one meal we used the Hawaiian sauce on.  This meal just screams summer.  Fresh veggies, grilling, delicious sauce...mmmm.  I also liked that almost the entire meal could be cooked on the grill.  The only thing I had to cook inside was some rice.  The leftovers were delicious the next day too!
This recipe was shared at the Weekend Potluck.  Check out all of the delicious recipes!

Boneless Hawaiian Pork Ribs and Veggies
2 lbs boneless pork ribs, country style
1 green pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1 small summer squash, diced
1/2 cup pineapple, diced
Hawaiian Sauce

**any vegetables would be delicious.  Next time I plan on using some red pepper and shredded carrots.

1. Heat grill to medium high heat.  Cover a grilling basket with foil for the veggies.  My basket is from Target or Kohls.  If you don't have a grilling basket, fold a piece of foil to make a shallow dish.
2. Cook meat on one side of the grill, basting with sauce and cook veggies on the other side.  Boneless pork ribs should cook about 5 minutes per side depending on the size of your pieces.
3. When vegetables start to brown, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the Hawaiian sauce and let the sauce and veggies simmer for 3-5 minutes.
4. When pork is almost done cooking, add it to the veggie pan so that it really gets coated in the sauce.
5. Serve over rice, with extra sauce if desired.

My grilling basket

Just before serving

Hawaiian Sauce

Pin It I'm the queen of sauces.  I choose restaurants based on their condiment selection.  For example, I love Bandana's BBQ because they have about 8 different sauces just sitting on the table for me to enjoy.  I go to Red Lobster just because of their pina colada sauce and TGI Friday's because of their balsamic vinaigrette.  My husband makes fun of me all the time because of my obsession with smothering food in sauces because he is the complete opposite and hates adding sauce.  I was thrilled when I found a recipe for a sweet and sour type sauce while browsing Pinterest.  Silly me didn't pin the recipe and didn't bookmark the page so I can't give credit to the original inspiration.  If it is you please let me know!  Anyway, this sauce is fabulous.  Get excited for several yummy recipes coming later this week using this delicious sauce.

Hawaiian Sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Soyaki sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Whisk to combine the cornstarch.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until sauce thickens. 
3. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Sauce will thicken when cooled so I bring mine to room temperature before using.

Copycat Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada Sauce

Pin It I love Red Lobster.  I always get the coconut shrimp.  When someone says Red Lobster I automatically think of their coconut shrimp.  I never branch out and try something new because I love their shrimp so much.  Well it gets expensive to eat out all the time, not to mention that it's not completely healthy for you either so I decided to make a copycat version.  It is pretty darn close and a lot healthier too because it isn't fried.  Try it with Toasted Coconut Lime Rice and Cheddar Bay Biscuits and it will be almost as good as going out to eat :)

Copycat Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada Sauce

Shrimp
1 lb cooked, peeled shrimp, with tails on (I used medium, but large would be better)
3 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup pina colada mix (non-alcoholic, from bottle)
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish or plate.  Mix pina colada mix and powdered sugar in a small bowl and place next to cornstarch.
3. Mix coconut and breadcrumbs in a small bowl and place next to pina colada mixture.
4. Dredge shrimp in cornstarch, dip in pina colada mixture, then dip in coconut mixture, pressing coconut onto shrimp. 
5. Place shrimp on a foil lined, cooking spray coated baking sheet.
6. Spray tops of shrimp with cooking spray to aid in browning.
7. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Depending on your oven ou might have to rotate the shrimp if some seem to be browning much quicker than others. 
8. Serve with pina colada sauce.



Pina Colada Sauce
1 cup pina colada mix
1/4 cup pineapple tidbits, chopped into very small pieces, or crushed pineapple
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water

1. In a small saucepan add pina colada mix, powdered sugar and pineapple.  Stir until there are no more lumps of powdered sugar.  Bring to a boil.
2. Mix cornstarch and water, slowly pour into sauce, stirring quickly.  Allow to boil for about 1 minute then remove from heat.
3. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving. 

**Note this sauce is best at room temp.  If it is too cold it is too thick to dip with.

Citrus Glazed Ham

Pin It We were given some leftover spiral sliced ham.  I have never been a fan of ham and scalloped potatoes and we just couldn't eat any more ham sandwiches so I had to get creative.  Let's face it, leftover ham can be dry and tough.  This glaze will give you that juicy, just baked taste that you crave.  It is also a great weeknight 30-minute dinner.  I will definitely be using this again when I make a big ham.  Your ham does not have to be leftover for this recipe to work.  You could use this glaze on any ham, ours just happened to be leftovers.

Citrus Glazed Ham
Leftover sliced ham (I had about 8 slices)
juice and zest of 2 oranges
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp garlic
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a shallow baking dish mix all ingredients except ham together until sugar is dissolved and honey is well incorporated.  Adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
3. Arrange ham in dish, flipping to coat well in glaze.  It is ok if the slices overlap.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.