Pineapple & Coconut Kebabs

Watching afternoon TV, I felt like a sweet treat but remembered that I did actually promise myself not to have sugary treats during weekdays and so far I have stuck to it. So, we had a giant pineapple sat on the kitchen floor (that is where we leave it to ripen) and thought that is quite sweet. Obviously, for myself munching on just freshly chopped pineapple is not enough so I came up with these sweet and delicious kebabs. Very quick and easy to prepare and cook you will have a great healthy, sweet treat in minutes. You can used canned pineapple chunks if you like but believe me fresh ripe pineapple is so so good, so do try and get your hands on a fresh pineapple. They are also great to grill on the BBQ to finish a great meal. Give them a go...for 8 kebabs you will need...

• 32 large pieces fresh ripe pineapple
• 6 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 bamboo skewers

How to... 

1. In a bowl or plate mix the coconut, mixed spice and cinnamon well. 
2. Roll the pineapple pieces in the coconut/spice mixture and put 4 pineapple pieces on every skewers.
3. Grill on a hot grill pan or BBQ for a couple of minutes on each side until slightly charred.
4. Serve.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Caribbean Halo

Who doesn't love a piece of delicious and moist cake? We made this cake yesterday and it turned out a super hit. It is absolutely divine and heavenly. We used fresh coconut, which made it even better tasting and obviously that wee bit of booze just gives it that kick. We named it Caribbean Halo for obvious reasons, sweet banana, exotic pineapple, fragrant coconut, rum turn this cake into a tempting delight. You will need...

• 280g [2 cups] plain flour
• 100g [½ cup] caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 banana
• 400g can pineapple cubes in own juice (weight including juice)
• 1 cup fresh coconut flesh, chopped or 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1 tot rum or brandy

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. In a blender or food processor, blend the banana, rum or brandy, pineapple with juice and coconut for about 20-30 seconds until the coconut pieces get smaller. If using desiccated coconut you can omit the use of a blender and use a masher to mash everything instead.
3. In a large bowl sift the flour, add the sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix them with a wooden spoon. Add the fruit mixture and raisins to the bowl and mix well until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Pour into a well greased Bundt pan and bake into the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
5. Take out of the oven and let the cake rest in the tin for 15 minutes and then turn onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Honey Glazed Gammon Steaks with Pineapple

Gammon steaks are one of our favourite pork steaks. Amanda adores them as they are salty and she loves salty food. To ease the saltiness and balance the flavours we honey glaze ours just before grilling. Exquisite!! I guess this post is not actually a recipe but a way to cook gammon steaks. So if you have never tried gammon with honey before you do not know what you're missing. Honey is one of my favourite ingredients and I tend to use it in loads of dishes from antipasti to desserts. :) If honey is not your thing, you can always grill the gammon steaks and serve them with a fried egg on top. We accompanied our steaks with some green beans, and chips. Feel free to serve it with whatever veg you want. You will need..

• 2 thick Gammon steaks [about 250g each]
• 4 tbsp runny honey
• 4 pineapple slices
• Ground black pepper

1. Using a basting brush, brush a tbsp of honey on each side of the steak. Season with the pepper and put under a medium hot grill for about 15-20 minutes turning the steaks occasionally.
2. 5 minutes before the end of cooking time put 2 pineapple rings on each steak and return to the gril for a further 4-5 minutes.
3. Serve with veg and chips.

Enjoy!!
R&A