Grilled Pineapple-Avocado Salsa

If a restaurant serving all things avocado should open, as some friends and I were dreaming up last night, it would serve this fresh and fruity salsa.

Grilling the pineapple brings out its flavor and rids of that strong, acidic aftertaste that turns some people off from the super-sweet fruit. Plus, grilling fruit doesn't require you actually know if something is done right, as I have yet to master with meat, just that it looks cooked and not burnt. Also, grill marks are cool.

(The dip bowl is one antler of a moose-face chip and dip plate in case you were wondering. We like to pretend like we have wildlife like out West at my lake house.)

As I was reminded in my interview with Salsa Senorita today (which involved chatting over homecooked Mexican in someone's kitchen! side note: try their salsa), salsa is one of those things that always wows me because I get as addicted to it as I do homemade chocolate chip cookies, only it's good for you because it's veggies and, in this case, fruit (and fruit makes veggies all the better.)

With my two batches thus far, I've used it to top grilled chicken and swordfish and served with chips and salsa. I could also just eat it with a spoon.

For more fruity salsa love, see my Mango Salsa recipe or use my friend Amy's favorite shortcut and use canned tropical fruit salad for salsa something like this.

What kind of salsa do you like to make?


Grilled Pineapple-Avocado Salsa
Cooking Light

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 serrano chile, minced (I left this out)
1 avocado

Preheat grill to high heat.

Combine oil and honey, stirring well. Brush oil mixture over pineapple. Place pineapple on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from grill; cool 5 minutes. Chop. Combine pineapple, onion, and next 6 ingredients (through serrano); toss gently. (You can prep up to this point in advance if you want.)

Peel, seed, and dice avocado. Add avocado to the pineapple mixture, and toss gently.