Simply Sides: Pineapple Slaw

To wrap up my report of this week's dinner, I wanted to share this really easy, colorful, and tasty side with you.

Ingredients:

1/2 Small Pineapple

1 Red Bell Pepper

4-6 Carrots

1 Lime

Small Bunch of Parsley

Steps/Analysis:

I made one significant change to the original Real Simple recipe I found. It called for one small jicama. Now, I'm not entirely sure what a jicama is, but I do know that my local grocery store doesn't carry them. Stymied in the produce aisle, I racked my brain for a logical substitute. Carrots seemed a welcome addition to any slaw and the bright, orange color would go well with the yellow pineapple and red bell peppers, so I grabbed a pack and called it a day.

If you have a greater variety of produce at your disposal, I encourage you to try jicama (and let me know what it tastes like!).

I was actually able to find a nicely plastic-wrapped half pineapple. If you can't, you'll have to make do with what's available, but I would avoid the temptation to sub this ingredient out. Carefully cut away the sharp, knobby skin and slice the fruit into thin strips, about 2-3 inches long.

Treat your bell pepper and carrots the same way, making sure to peel the carrots beforehand. Toss all three prepared ingredients in a large bowl.

Roughly chop the parsley and add it to the mix. Try not to let any stems in; they're not particularly pleasant to chomp on.

Finally, cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over the slaw. Mix everything up with a large spoon and bring it to the table.

Serving/Notes:
The combination of fruits and vegetables may seem odd, but this turned out to be a very nice, refreshing side. I was particularly surprised by the remarkably tasty combination of bell pepper and pineapple. The two really compliment each other well.

This sweet, tangy slaw goes well with the pork tenderloin from my last post, but I imagine it would be a welcome addition to any strong meaty entree, especially if that entree happens to be served at a barbecue.