Her Tasty Life

I wasn’t originally planning on getting a blog post up this weekend, however, this roasted pineapple dish was so tasty I just had to share!

Breaking out of my breakfast rut was a must. I’ve been focusing on super healthy breakfast options at home as of late and have turned into a robot instead of the creative home cook I’d like to think of myself as. I’ve got the protein pancake, protein shake and egg white omelette on repeat. It’s like beige food central up in here, yo. Snooze city. I’m missing color! I’m missing brightness! I’m missing a breakfast that doesn’t just slide down my throat.

I picked up a beautiful, fresh pineapple at Whole Foods this week and was determined to make it a focal point in my breakfast today. Sometimes it just takes one cool element to foster that inspiration. Next time while you’re out grocery shopping, pick up one item that stands out to you. Go home, pick some fun ingredients that will jive with your featured piece, then get cooking. It’s so much more fun than the ultra-structured comfort zone of just cooking the same things over and over. I don’t know about you, but I get stuck in food ruts constantly and it makes me b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

But I digress, now back to my lovely pineapple. I felt that roasting it and getting some of that browned, caramelized action going would really make things yummy and sweet. I threw together a little marinade of brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest and fresh mint while I heated the oven to 425°. As the oven heated, I put the marinade in a ziplock, cut my pineapple into wedges, lengthwise, and tossed them in.

Once the oven was to temp, I placed the pineapple on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them roast for approx 25 minutes while periodically turning them and giving them a little extra brush of the marinade.

You’ll know when your pineapple is ready by that distinct golden-brown hue that comes with roasting pretty much anything. I think a roasted shoe might even taste ok. Brown food is just so much more flavorful and rich. The partnering of roasting with the acidity and natural tartness of the pineapple was pure magic.

I added some cool crème fraîche, local honey, chopped pistachios and fresh mint to the pineapple and served. It was like aloha in my mouth! Loved having something so tropical and festive at home on a Saturday.

Here’s a look at how it came out:

roasted pineapple

Appetizing, inviting and bright, right? This dish has “treat yo self” written all over it. You can have it just as I did, or add a pain perdu – ahem, french toast – beneath for a more luxurious treat.

Home-cooking doesn’t have to be boring. The proof is in the pineapple. Cheers to making everyday a tropical vacay!