Madhouse recipe : Spicy Pork with Pineapple & Avocado Salsa

This weekend, we had a bit of a heatwave. Sophie said that it was 30°C (or 86°F) on her phone in the middle of the afternoon, so we waited until the end of the day before heading out for a walk. The bus was full of people coming home from the beach totally sunburnt - ouch ! It reminded me to pick up some suncream when I went shopping though ! In terms of food, it was too hot for a big roast dinner, so we opted for something a little different from the Saving Dinner book that I've been telling you about recently. Last week, I shared a recipe for Cheesy Waffle-Topped Cottage Pie from the same book and, as this time, I see it as a good starting point but it's more a work in progress that needs to be swapped around a bit to be really great. In this recipe, I used pork fillets instead of chicken, as it was what was in the freezer.

Spicy Pork with Pineapple & Avocado Salsa

ingredients :

1 can of pineapple, crushed and unsweetened (or we used a fresh pineapple, as we'd just come back from the market)

1 avocado, peeled, stoned & chopped

3tbsp spring onions

3tsp lime juice

1/4tsp Cayenne pepper, optional

1tsp ginger

1tsp cumin

2tbsp chives

2tbsp chilli powder

2 cloves parlic, crushed

2tbsp olive oil

6 pork fillets (or chicken breasts)

5tbsp honey

Start by peeling and chopping the pineapple and avocado. Don't forget to slice out the tough core of the pineapple, if using fresh.

Combine the first eight ingredients in a bowl then set aside as you cook the meat. This will be the salsa.

In a small bowl, combine chilli powder and garlic. (I used BBQ seasoning instead as the kids aren't fans of chilli powder.) Stir in enough oil to make a thick paste and rub it all over the meat.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan and cook the meat for a couple of minutes, then drizzle over the honey. Cook for a few more minutes, basting with the pan juices, until it is cooked through.

Serve the meat and salsa along with salad, grated carrot and couscous for the perfect heat-busting meal ! I went easy on the honey, as I wasn't sure if the kids would like it, but I'd definitely add more next time. The salsa was lovely and cool - the pineapple overpowered the taste of the avocado and the lime juice changed the flavour again, so it's worth tasting frequently as you mix, until you get the exact combination that you want. It's definitely a dish with great potential though.