Last weekend, the standard barbecue got a little shake-up when someone threw pineapple onto the grill. Be still my nutrition-loving heart, it was totally delicious and shot me straight back to being 18 in Uganda when we used to do the same over the camp fire. It’s funny how the taste or smell of something delicious can transport you to a moment in time — hopefully for the better and not for the worse! Having said that, the second time I put pineapple over the camp fire in Africa, I decided to glaze it with honey. It was daytime and as it turns out, a big mistake. Within a few minutes the entire pan was covered in killer bees. (OK fine, I don’t know if they were killer bees, but it sure felt that way when there was a swarm of them!) There was no saving the pineapple and the dish had to be carried off by a brave soul (not me) to the edge of camp where we heard it being devoured by hyenas in the night. The pan was never seen again, so I presume they ate that too. My god, I was in everyone’s bad books. We’d been living off rice and beans for weeks so to destroy the pineapple was basically unforgivable. Ah well, live and learn!Fortunately, there were no bees around last weekend. Instead, the wedges of pineapple came off the grill with some pretty charcoal stripes and an awesome smoky flavour. It’s easy to do, you literally place wedges directly on the grill and allow them to singe and cook a minute before turning. Once they’re done, you can have them as they are, with ice cream or even chop them and add to a salad. As we already covered ice cream last week, I’ve included a grilled pineapple salad recipe for you below which is a total barbecue winner! I think so anyway; I do have a few friends who think that adding fruit to savoury dishes is sacrilegious. You be the judge!Grilled Pineapple and Avocado Salad (serves 4)Ingredients: 1 whole or peeled pineapple 1 large avocado, prepared and chopped½ small red onion, finely chopped 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped¼ cup torn fresh cilantro (or mint, for cilantro haters)4 large handfuls fresh leaves (eg Miles to Grow)Generous drizzle extra virgin olive oilBig squeeze of fresh lemon or lime Cayenne pepper (optional)Method:1, Prepare the pineapple by removing skin if necessary and cutting large wedges off the core. Capture the juice and place it to one side. Save the core and grate it into a different salad or use in a smoothie — it’s rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients!2, Grill the pineapple for a few minutes, turning occasionally, allowing it to catch a little for some grill stripes! Once done, cool and roughly chop.3, Toss the pineapple, avocado, onion and red pepper in a bowl together with the pineapple juice, olive oil and lemon/lime. Add a shake of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick if you like!4, Place the leaves and fresh herbs in a large bowl. Add the mix from above and again gently toss. 5, Serve with grilled fish or chicken. Enjoy! • Catherine Burns is a qualified nutritional therapist. For more details: www.natural.bm, 505-4725, Natural Nutrition Bermuda on Facebook and @naturalbda on Instagram