Skinny Bitch Meals: Grilled Pineapple and Prawn Skewers with a Crunchy Fennel and Arugula salad-tossed in Pineapple vinaigrette.

Grasp the end of summer with this fresh and healthy recipe.  Its light, colorful and guilt free! 

Smart and Innocent: Grilled Pineapple and Prawn Skewers with a Crunchy Fennel and Arugula salad-tossed in Pineapple vinaigrette.
Serves 2

Shrimp Skewers:

1 lb large prawns (please be careful choosing quality prawns.)

1 red bell pepper

1/2 of a cubed pineapple (save juice from cutting for the vinaigrette, and 1/2 cup of the cubes)

1 white onion

2 T honey

1 T red pepper flakes

1 clove chopped garlic

1 T chopped parsley

1 T sea salt

1 T fresh ground pepper



Fennel and Arugula salad:

2 bulbs fennel

1 bag arugula

1 avocado

1 shallot

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2 T chopped parsley

Reserved 1/4 cup pineapple juice and pineapple

1 T sea salt

1 T fresh ground pepper

1 t cayenne

3 T champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 T honey


Shrimp:
Marinate the skewer items first.  Shell and de-vein the shrimp, leaving the tail on and put them in a medium bowl.  Cut pineapple in 1x1 inch cubes and put them in the bowl with the shrimp along with 1x1 chunks of red bell pepper and 1x1 chunks of onion.  Add the honey, red pepper flake, parsley, salt, pepper and chopped garlic.  Toss this around and let marinate while you prepare the salad. 

You can grill or broil the prawns.  Skewer a prawn, a pineapple, onion and bell pepper.  Repeat.  Do not over pack the skewer, it does not look pretty that way, just do it twice.  Grill/broil for 3 minutes each side.  That's it!

Salad:
Trim the fennel bulbs and rinse them...wash the arugula too.  Julienne the fennel bulbs very thin, avoiding the core.  Throw the core away, its just too tough.  Toast the pine nuts for about 3-5 minutes-  Julienne the shallot and toss with the arugula, fennel, parsley and the pine nuts (cooled).

Pineapple vinaigrette:
Crush the pineapple, put in a bowl with pineapple juice, vinegar, honey, and cayenne.  While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil.  This is a good time to let an overly eager friend or spouse finally help you in the kitchen.  Jason gets really excited to help me with the dressing...

Whisk until the dressing has emulsified and is thick.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss into the salad and top with sliced avocado.