Can you tell it's Summer yet? I'm starting to wonder if I'll make it one entire Summer on one tank of propane for my grill. But I just simply cannot resist, because everything is better grilled! Including fruit. Yes, you CAN grill fruit. One of my favorites is pineapple.
Do you know how to pick out a good pineapple? It's not just color, my friends. If you pluck one of the center leaves and it gives you a little resistance, it's perfect. Comes out easily, over ripe. You have to pry it out with pliers, not ready for eating. That's it, I've been using that method since college and it's never steered me wrong.
Afraid of warm fruit? Think that the only way to eat it is cold? Think about it, there are so many desserts that have warm fruit - pies, cobblers - why not try the whole fruit. But of course, you have to add a side of ice cream to it to sweeten the deal. And this version even has a little caramel sauce to coat it with for grilling and to drizzle over the ice cream. Seriously refreshing in the summer. So yup, go warm up your grill, and pull out the fruit.
Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Caramel Sauce
Ingredients:
1 whole, fresh pineapple
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Directions:
1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Peel, slice, and core the pineapple. (You can either leave the pineapple in quarters/wedges, or you can slice it into smaller pieces.) Shake the coconut milk well before opening the can. Pour half of it into a shallow bowl. Pour 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl and stir with a fork or spoon to combine.
3. In a medium bowl, combine remaining coconut milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
3. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Brush each pineapple slice on both sides with coconut milk, and sprinkle, also on both sides, with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Arrange the slices on the hot grate, and grill until nicely browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
4. Transfer to serving plates and serve with vanilla ice cream and coconut caramel sauce.
Serves 4-6