Grilled Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Fresh salsas are so wonderful in the summer! There are so many ways to make salsas too. This one is perfect for chips and snacking, or adding to grilled pork chops or chicken. Here's what you'll need to make it:

Photo bySheeba

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ripe pineapple, trimmed and sliced into 1/2″ rounds
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and cut in half
• 1 whole jalapeno
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Grease the grill and preheat it to medium-high heat.

Drizzle the red onions with olive oil and thread them onto a skewer (if using a wooden skewer, soak it in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand). Lightly coat the red bell pepper quarters, and jalapeno with olive oil as well.

Depending on the size of your grill, work in batches if necessary. Grill the pineapple and vegetables over medium-high heat (uncovered) until they are tender-crisp and lightly charred all over. Grill the onions for about 12 minutes, turning occasionally, the pineapple for 8-10 minutes until caramelized, flipping once, the red bell peppers for 6 minutes, flipping once, and the jalapeno for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally.

Once the vegetables and fruit are cool enough to handle, dab or rinse off any excess oil with paper towels. Chop the pineapple (avoiding the core), red bell peppers, and onions. Devein and deseed the jalapeno, dicing it and reserving some of the seeds if you prefer more heat.

Set aside the jalapeno, then combine the pineapple, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, ginger, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add half of the diced jalapeno, adjusting to taste, and for extra spice, mix in some of the reserved jalapeno seeds. If serving immediately, add the diced avocado. Otherwise, wait until serving to add it.

This dish can be served immediately, but it tastes even better after being chilled. Enjoy!!