The Food Junkie

Taste, texture & tales. Inside the mind of a chef.

Personal blog of The Food Junkie, Rebecca Clark. Discover stories of taste, texture and tales inside the mind of a chef that's travelled the globe in search of her next food hit. Bec sports a private cook book collection to rival the British Library and Harvard and shares her cooking wisdom with practical tips and humour. She's co-owner of Fish D'vine and The Rum Bar in Airlie Beach, Australia. An iconic award winning restaurant in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

Golden taste of Queensland

November 10, 2015  /  Bec Clark

The summer season

With summer just around the corner we are coming into prime tropical fruit season, one of my favourite times of year. No better way to start the day then a bowl of delicious fresh tropical fruit salad. But why stop at fruit salad. I mean, one can only eat so much fruit salad, right?  Over the coming weeks I will be checking out what’s available at our amazing Prickly Pineapple, our local fruit and vegie supplier, and the local market and bring some ideas to you with recipes and fun funky fact sheets. Looking outside the box, making it a bit different.

As I have said before this is one little piggy who loves to go to market, so watch this space for some new ideas with the seasonal produce.

So in honour of Jamie, Jen and the team at Prickly Pineapple let’s start with this amazing sweet juicy fruit.

“Let’s get Prickly. Grab yourself green green top spiked yellow golden jewel. Make some fruit salad then give some of these ideas a go.”

Pineapple aioli

This is fantastic as a potato or coleslaw salad dressing as it’s a bit runnier than your average aioli. One of my favourite is to generously coat roasted potatoes or chips in a blend of smoked paprika and smoked Cyprus salt, then have this aioli as

a dipping sauce on the side, heaven. Smokey potato pineapple goodness.

Ingredients

1/2 medium size onion

1 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple

2 cups Japanese or whole egg mayo

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 table spoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

Roughly chop onion and slice garlic. Sautee in olive oil till transparent. Place cooled onion mix and all other ingredients I food processor and blend till combined.

 

 

Pineapple Pico

Mexican salsa is summer. Salsa is summer. This is a taste of summer. A touch of sweetness, touch of chilli and refreshing lime and fragrant coriander. Goes with seafood, chicken and pork. Pop in your next taco. My delight is on some sour dough toast with smashed avocado, breakfast done!

Ingredients

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1/2 cup coriander

1 teaspoon finely diced pickled jalapeño chillies

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

1 cup diced pineapple

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 minced teaspoon garlic

 

Method

Make sure onion, tomato and pineapple are diced the same. Stir through mince garlic, chopped coriander. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If too tart for your liking stir through 1 teaspoon caster sugar. Let sit for flavours to blend and sugar to dissolve.

 

 

Pineapple vinaigrette

My take on making your next garden salad zing. Divine topped with crispy pancetta. Drizzle over any salad were you would normally use a vinaigrette. Heirloom tomatoes, bocconcini and sautéed pepperoni is a bloody winner.

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped pineapple

1 tablespoons seeded mustard

1 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon honey

 

Method

Place pineapple, mustard, vinegar, garlic and honey in food processor. Blend together and slowly add oil. Pulse in chopped parsley and ready to go.

Enjoy :)

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