If you are a Kevin Hart fan then you will know why typing the title of this post made me chuckle. If not, let’s just say he has a joke where in the midst of sex he has a “safe” word and it is…you guessed it! Pineapple! You have to see it to really appreciate it. Anyhow. I love pineapples. But I do not love the idea of cutting one up.  I frequently see them on sale I pass them by and purchase canned or the pre-cut ones in the produce section. I know! I should get over my fear of cutting off a finger and just try it.

Well, today I did just that. And honestly, it wasn’t my first time but like childbirth when you forget the pain and just remember the joy, I forget the ease of cutting a pineapple and just resort to lazy. But I’m here to tell you, if you are like me, you need to stop buying canned and pre-cut pineapples because cutting one up is just about the easiest thing I’ve ever done. Here is a video to show you how to do it.

And if you don’t feel like watching, here is what you do. 1st – twist off the crown. 2nd cut it in half.

Cut those pieces in half again and then slice it up!

Easy, peasy!

My challenge was to get my son to actually eat this sun ripened goodness. Since he is generally a fan of fruit (that he is familiar with) I prepared a fruit salad for him with his favorites – grapes and apples, with the hope that he’d eat the pineapple because it was mixed in.

Success!

Don’t ya just love how is shirt matches the salad? That wasn’t planned! Pure coincidence.

I knew I couldn’t get him to eat an actual meal with pineapples involved but I still wanted to try something new for myself. So for dinner, I made shrimp curry with pineapples. First let me say this. I am a big fan of curry. This past week I made curry twice and ate it all by myself. Over several days of course but still, you might as well call me curry girl! When I saw a recipe for curried shrimp on the Dole website I knew I had to try it.

I sauteed some onions and bell peppers, added the shrimp and curry powder and cooked for about four minutes. Next I added some special ingredients.

Siracha hot sauce and fish sauce. I absolutely love the flavor these condiments bring to food. The recipe only called for a teaspoon of Siracha but I added two tablespoons for a serious kick. Next I added a can of coconut milk, sliced mango, and of course the pineapple. A teaspoon of sugar was called for but I didn’t add that. It isn’t paleo and also the sweetness of the pineapple and mango really makes an additional sweetener unnessacary  in my opinion. The final product?

It truly tastes as good as it looks. I topped it with basil and all I can say is wow!

I really liked the balance between the heat of the siracha and the sweetness of the coconut milk, pineapples and mango. I am sure I will keep this recipe in my rotation for years to come. Usually when I make an Asian inspired curry I use a red curry paste and I was tempted to do that this time. I am so very glad I didn’t. I used an Indian curry I picked up at the Farmers market and this curry is one of the best I’ve made. It is paleo so I don’t serve my curry over rice but traditionally you serve this with jasmine rice. I am licking my lips just thinking about it! So, if you aren’t paleo, go ahead and serve it on a bed of aromatic jasmine rice! I bet you want the recipe! Here is is!

Curried Shrimp with Pineapple

Recipe Adapted from Del Monte

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pineapple
½  onion, thinly sliced
3/4 lb large shrimp, shelled and divined
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 mango, cut into thin strips
Olive oil spray
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 can coconut milk
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoon sriracha (or as desired)

Chopped basil for garnish

Directions

Spray large skillet with olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and bell pepper, cook  until soft. Add shrimp and curry powder, cook about two minutes each side.   Add pineapple, mango, coconut milk, fish sauce, sriracha and salt.  Simmer for about 2 – 4 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle basil.  Enjoy!

As good as pineapples taste, of course there are health benefits! They are a good source of Vitamin C and magnese, and have vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes that are good for the digestive system. I know this is true because when my stomach is “tight” after Thanksgiving dinner, my aunt is quick to pull out some pineapple enzyme, I personally like the real thing the best! What is your favorite way to enjoy pineapples? Will you try the recipe?

Disclosure: I am a Walmart mom and have been compensated to share this post with you. My participation in the program is voluntary and all opinions are my own.