Roasted Pineapple Guacamole

Wow….it’s been a very long month for me. Let’s recap, shall we?

After all the graduation festivities from last month calmed down, and after I (sadly) said goodbye to some great friends I’ve made over the last two years, I started scrambling to find a new apartment. Apartment hunting is never fun, but luckily I found one and will be moving there in 2 weeks (yikes!).

Next came the Second Annual Guac Off! I had signed up for this amazing competition way before I realized that my friend’s wedding was actually the same day, at the same time, three hours away. Oops! So I had two friends represent at the competition (THANK YOU LADIES!), but only after throwing a party to determine what guacamole recipe to use. We decided on a roasted pineapple guacamole, following last year’s theme of sweet and savory. Also following last year’s theme, we came in second place for the People’s Choice Award (by only one vote!). At least it was all for an amazing cause.

Arches National Park at sunset right before a crazy thunderstorm

Next up was my road trip in which my friend and I drove nearly 2000 miles in 10 days by taking the most roundabout route from San Francisco to Denver. On the way, we saw multiple amazing sites and national parks, drove into an alarming number of monsoons and thunderstorms, and completely wore ourselves out. It was crazy, incredible, and something I would totally do again in a heart beat.

Then this past Monday (just a day after I got home) I was very excited to host a healthy cooking demonstration in my apartment in which we talked about how to make healthy, fresh meals on the go. Thank you so much to everyone who joined me for that! We made some great recipes, including overnight oats three ways, a number of salads, and a tasty quinoa chickpea stew. I promise to share some of these recipes and strategies on the site at a later date!

Now I’m back to a regular schedule, focusing on things like work and moving, and of course, picking up where I left off on the blog. I’ve been meaning to share my almost award winning guac recipe ever since the competition, but life kind of got in the way. Now I finally have the time!

What I love about this recipe is that the pineapples get even sweeter and juicier when you roast them, and provide a wonderful burst of flavor when mixed in with the more traditional guacamole flavors. This recipe makes 2 avocados worth of guac, though you can always make more or less (we had 40 avocados going into the Guac Off). If you’re already barbecuing outside, leave the oven off and thrown these pineapples on the grill instead. You could also sear them off in a pan or a toaster oven if turning on the broiler is too much heat for you this summer. Whichever way you do it, definitely get a nice caramelization on the pineapple pieces. It’s totally worth it.

Roasted Pineapple Guacamole
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:
3 one half inch thick slices of pineapple (I took mine off a round, cored pineapple)
Olive oil and maple syrup for brushing (about 1-2 teaspoons of each)
2 avocados
juice from 1-1.5 limes
3 tbs. minced onions (1/4 of a medium red onino)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:Turn the oven broiler on high (or heat up a grill or grill pan)

1. Place the pineapple slices on a lined cookie sheet and brush each side with the olive oil and maple syrup mixture. You can totally skip the brushing, but it helps get that caramelization on the fruit. Place the tray under the broiler for 5-8 minutes on one side, until the pineapple begins browning, then flip. The second side should take less time, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Once cool, finely dice the pineapple into small pieces.

2. Meanwhile, slice your avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh into a medium sized mixing bowl. Smash them up with a fork, leaving them on the chunkier side.

3. Add in the lime juice (start with the juice from just one lime), minced onions and garlic, red pepper flakes, and pineapple bits. Mix to combine, then taste. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust the lime juice if needed.

4. To store, refrigerate with plastic wrap right on top of the guacamole to limit the amount of air contact. Serve cold or room temperature.

Enjoy!