This recipe might seem complicated because it has many steps, but those are easy steps, and it’s a fast recipe too. Last time I was in Nancy, France I had lunch at this new restaurant close to Place Stanislas where I was served this  amazing pineapple dessert. How gorgeous is that? Ever since I wanted to use pineapple in a light dessert. This dessert of mine has nothing in common, other than the pineapple…but it proves that the diversity of desserts you can create using pineapple is infinite.

I used express polenta, as it’s very convenient, it will save you time when you are in a hurry. The highlight of this dish not being polenta, I thought to use express polenta. I would not use it when I make traditional Italian polenta savory dishes but in this case, it’s a nice option.

If using dairy, I would use whole milk and add a little heavy cream for extra texture.

Ingredients

For the polenta cakes

• 1 cup almond milk or any other milk of your choice
• 1/2 cup express polenta
• honey or sweetener of your choice
• vanilla bean, cut in half and beans scraped
• 2 tsp raisins
• 2 tbs rum

For the braised pineapple

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 pineapple
• light agave nectar
• orange juice
• 2 tbs rum

For the pineapple tartare

• 1/2 pineapple
• 2 tbs mint, finely chopped
• 1 lime (zest and juice)
• ginger (optional)
• light agave nectar to taste

For the pineapple coulis

• 1 cup pineapple
• agave nectar to taste
• vanilla extract to taste

Instructions

For the polenta cakes

Bring milk to a boil with vanilla beans scarped and sweetener. Pour polenta gradually and keep stirring for a few minutes. If the polenta is too thick add milk (it needs to be a thick consistency). Remove from heat and add rum and raisins. Using a wooden board or flat surface pour the polenta and spread evenly into a 1.5 com thick layer. Let it cool. When completely cold, using a cutter, cut into 2 inches squares.

For the braised pineapple

Take pineapple and cut top and bottom so that the pineapple stays vertically flat. Using a sharp knife cut the skin from top to bottom all around the pineapple. Slice pineapple from top to bottom to obtain 5 mm thick slices and about 4.5 inches wide. (The first slices will be narrow so use them for the tartare part). Keep the wider slices for braising. Using the same cutter used to cut polenta, cut pineapple into squares (or circles if used a round cutter).

Melt coconut oil in a pan. When melted add pineapple slices and at high heat cook them until slightly golden brown on both sides. Add agave nectar. Add orange juice and let it reduce. Add rum and flame. Let it reduce a little more. Keep warm.

For the pineapple tartare

Using the pineapple saved when making slices, dice in small 5mm. Add all other ingredients and refrigerate.

For the pineapple coulis

Using a blender, mix all ingredients and filter through a sieve to obtain a smooth coulis

To serve: place two polenta squares on a plate. Place braised pineapple on top of each polenta square. Add 1 tsp of pineapple tartare on top and pour some coulis around. Decorate with lime zests.

One recipe adapted from “La Bonne Cuisine Végétarienne de Babette” with a creole inspiration. Who doesn’t like rum, vanilla and orange juice? I have never really cooked plantains before, maybe once or twice in a savory dish, but I never really got much inspired by it. In my mind, a plantain is just like a banana, a fruit, therefore more suited in a dessert type of dish.

Needless to say I loved this dessert, any fruit based desserts are my favorites. In the original recipe, there is a cinnamon stick, I didn’t add it since I am not a huge fan of cinnamon. I think usually cinnamon over powers the natural flavor of the fruit, but that’s just a personal preference. I changed the quantities a bit by adding less sugar, but you can play with that too. The great thing about this recipe, is that it’s quick to prepare, yet delicious, so definitely a winner.

I would serve this with a scoop of coconut ice cream (in the original recipe, they suggest some lime sorbet). I found some really good coconut ice cream a while ago, with candied ginger, that was incredibly good, but they stopped selling it, so I need to find a replacement for that. I found it strange that anytime I love something, they stop selling it or producing it. As we say in French, les bonnes choses ont une fin, good things have an end, so let’s enjoy them while we can!

Ingredients for 2 or 3

• 1.5 tbs sugar
• 1 ripe plantain, diced
• 1 ripe mango, diced
• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half and bean scraped
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 3 tbs rum
• juice of 2 oranges
• zest of one lemon
• Coconut ice cream (optional)

Preparation

Melt sugar in a pan to obtain a caramel (not too dark). Add mango and plantain, let cook for a few minutes, then add vanilla beans. and the scraped pod. Stir and cook for a few additional minutes. Add orange juice, rum and lemon zest and let cook for about ten more minutes.

Serve warm with a scoop of coconut ice cream

Another fruit based dessert, or snack or gourmandise, you name it. I might not have cooked much while in France, but I sure did buy a lot of kitchen gadgets, such as my silicon mini madeleines molds. And since I came back, I baked those madeleines many times. They’re really tiny, about 1.5 inch length, and they go so well as a little “accompagnement” to any fruit based dessert, or ice cream, or simply as is as a delicious little snack.

But this is not about madeleines (I will write a post on mini madeleines soon after this one) and only about a wonderful roasted pear slowly baked with honey, vanilla and orange juice. A very simple dessert, yet elegant and absolutely delicious. You don’t need to serve this pear with madeleines, or whipped cream, but I think for a more “finished” dessert, they do the trick. You need pears that are not too ripe but not to firm either. Pear that are too ripe will cook very fast and will get mushy while cooking and you won’t be able to serve them. So in that respect, it’s better to get them too hard than too soft, that way you can always cook them longer.

For the whipped cream, I used a Siphon, they’re quite handy if you want to make espuma, flavored or fancy whipped creams, such as mascarpone whipped cream, avocado whipped cream, etc… I developed a crêpe menu for a company that makes these siphons and who opened a crêpe joint in Berkeley, so they gave me one siphon. Honestly I would have never thought of buying one, but since I have one now, I use it quite often. Here I flavored the cream with rose water and its delightful and delicate scent blended very well with the fruity flavors of the pear. That was indeed a real treat. Will re-do this dessert with no doubt over and over again…and real soon.

Ingredients for 4

• 2 pears, pealed cored and sliced lengthwise
• Vanilla bean powder
• 2 tbs honey
• 5.07 fl oz (or 150 ml) orange juice
• 1 tbs butter, cut in small pieces
• 1 cup (or about 200 ml) heavy cream
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp rose water

Preparation

Place the peeled pears in a dish, spread honey on top. Add orange juice, vanilla bean powder and butter cut in small cubes on top of pears. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375 F for about 20 minutes or until the pears are soft but not mushy. Turn pears around during the cooking process and keep pouring juice on top. If the juice decreases and starts to thicken too much, add extra orange juice. When pears are cooked, remove from oven, divide on plates, pour juice on top and serve with cookies, whipped cream, madeleines, etc…

For the whipped cream, place heavy cream in siphon, add powdered sugar and rose water. Shake well. Add cartridge. Place back in the refrigerator to cool.