Healthy Vegan Starter/Sidedish: Stuffed Pineapple with Vegetables

My brother and sister-in-law visited us in our new home in Portugal just recently, and as a little gift, my sister-in-law gave me a pineapple. I squealed with delight when I saw it (yes, yes, little things please little minds, I know) because it was such a cute and unusual gift. I love pineapples but hadn't eaten any in such a long time. 

This got my creative juices flowing....what should I do with it? I've made pineapple alcoholic cocktails before and I've used pineapple in salads and on pizzas...but this time I'd like to do perhaps a warm savoury side dish or starter..."How about lightly frying pineapple cubes?" I thought to myself.

Then my idea developed more...add some veg and present it in the pineapple carcass:-

You see, I'm trying to get my husband to eat more healthily, but it's proving a difficult feat. I need to create a vegan side dish that he'll like that's full of flavour. This is when I decided to add the chilli flakes, dried basil and parsley:-

The reason I chose this pineapple gift to convert my husband into healthy eating is because pineapple is such a strong source of vitamin C and manganese; both of these elements protect against cell damage caused by free radicals. Manganese is also essential in producing several enzymes needed for energy production, and of course we all know the important role of vitamin C in fighting off colds and flu this time of year.

Pineapple is also packed full of fibre (when eaten in its natural form, rather than drunken as juice) and the soluble fibre it contains slows down the rate at which sugar is released as you digest it. 

If that wasn't enough reasons to persuade your loved ones to eat it, pineapple also contains a compound called bromelain. The protein-digesting enzymes in bromelain are thought to aid digestion. While not all studies agree on its effectiveness, bromelain is used worldwide as an anti-inflammatory, an anti-coagulant, and is thought to have anti-cancer properties. 

So, for all these reasons, you must try out my super-fast, super-easy pineapple recipe here:-

Ingredients

A dash of olive oil, 50g diced mushrooms, 50g plum tomatoe halves, half a cucumber, 4-5 tbsps sweetcorn, one pineapple, a sprinkling of dried parsley and basil, chilli flakes, salt and pepper to taste.

Method to the madness

Cut the pineapple in half.  Cut out as much of the inside of the fruit as you can, leaving just the two halves as carcasses.  Dice the pineapple fruit. Cut your plum tomatoes in half. Dice the half cucumber and cut the mushrooms into quarters.

Pour a small amount of olive oil to a saucepan on high heat.  Add all your vegetables, stir gently, then add the diced pineapple.

Turn your pan down to medium heat.  Add the dried basil, the parsley, chilli flakes, and salt and pepper.  Stir occassionally so nothying sticks, and leave on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Then serve up in the pineapple skins! Such an aesthetic delight!! 😍😍

I would love to know your feedback - you can DM me on my youtube channel, my Instagram page, my facebook page, my pinterest page and my twitter account.   

Much love,

Lou X

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