Pineapple recipes set stage for annual Wahiawa festival

Highlights of the fifth Wahiawa Pineapple Festival include pineapple-themed dishes from restaurants including Alan Wong's, Roy's, Ola at Turtle Bay and the Poke Stop and appearances by chefs Wong, Elmer Guzman and Fred DeAngelo.

There will also be free narrated trolley tours of the Wahiawa area, a pineapple parade along California Avenue, prize giveaways, a keiki "pineapple ohana" art contest, games and activities, including bouncers and old plantation games, a reunion area for former pineapple workers, arts, crafts, food booths and keiki IDs. A "Walk Down Wahiawa Memory Lane" will feature historic photographs and artifacts from the pineapple era.

For more on the festival click here.

To whet your appetite for all things pineapple, here are winning recipes from last year's pineapple cooking contest.

Yummy Pineapple Cake

1 cup coconut
1-3/4 cups Splenda sugar substitute
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
4 pineapple slices and 4 Maraschino cherries with stems attached, for garnish
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

» Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1-1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine coconut, Splenda, flour, baking soda, eggs, vanilla and canned pineapple. Pour into prepared pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes.

To make frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Mix in coconut.

Frost cake while hot, then refrigerate immediately. (Cake and frosting can be made 2 to 3 days in advance).

Before serving, place three pineapple slices on the top left hand corner of the cake, overlapping. Place one slice on the bottom right corner. Place a cherry in center of each pineapple slice. Garnish with mint leaves. Serves 20.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 230 calories, 129 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 50 g cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 3 g protein.

Lemony Ginger Fresh Pineapple Pie

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (5 to 6 cups)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (more or less, according to taste)
2 tablespoons tapioca
Fine zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons fresh ginger juice
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces
Pastry for a two-crust pie
1 tablespoon milk or half-and-half
2 teaspoons coarse sugar

Place oven rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In large bowl, combine pineapple chunks, sugar, tapioca, lemon zest, ginger juice and eggs.

Roll out one pie crust and place into 9-inch pie pan. Spread pineapple filling evenly in crust. Dot with butter. Cover with second crust. Press crusts together. Trim, leaving 1 inch dough overhanging edges. Turn dough under and flute edges. Make 6 to 8 small slits in top crust. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place pie on baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes.

Place piece of foil on pie and loosely crimp edges over crust. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until juices thicken and bubble out of pie. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving (with vanilla ice cream): 350 calories, 19 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 60 g cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 18 g sugar, 3 g protein.

Thai Chicken Curry

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste mixed with 3 tablespoons water
3 stalks lemon grass (white portion only), finely minced
2-inch piece ginger,grated
2 cloves garlic, mashed
2 chicken breasts, cut in very thin strips
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 small can sliced bamboo shoots
14 ounces coconut milk
1 heaping cup fresh pineapple, in 3/4-inch chunks
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 medium tomatoes, diced, seeds removed
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
6 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
Basil leaves, for garnish
1 red Thai pepper, seeded and sliced diagonally, for garnish
2-1/2 cups raw jasmine rice, washed and cooked in 3-1/2 cups water

Heat deep pot or wok. Add oil, curry paste, lemon grass, ginger and garlic. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots and cook 1 to 2 minutes.

Add coconut milk and bring to gentle simmer. Add pineapple and raisins; simmer gently until pineapple is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, nam pla and brown sugar.

Just before serving, stir in tomatoes, basil leaves and kaffir lime leaves. Garnish with basil leaves and sliced red Thai pepper. Serve with cooked jasmine rice. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 750 calories, 33 g total fat, 20 g saturated fat, 50 g cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 91 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 28 g sugar, 30 g protein.