Another Chanukah Recipe: Fried Pineapple

It struck me this morning that the association of the potato with Chanukah is actually completely arbitrary--it's the oil we fry up the latkes in that is a symbol of the holiday (commemorating the miracle that the menorah [candelabra] in the Temple stayed lit for 8 days when the amount of oil shouldn't even have lasted one), not the potato.

So here is a recipe to help celebrate Chanukah--my mom used to make it all the time, and it can work as a side dish or as a dessert (and it does incorporate a bit of sweet potato for good measure :)).

Fried Pineapple

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
1 can pineapple rings
oil for frying

1 sweet potato
shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Combine flour, BP, sugar, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
2. Dredge pineapple rings in flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess.
3. Heat oil in deep saucepan and fry pineapple until crust is golden and crispy, 1-2 minutes on each side.
4. Cook sweet potato and mash or blend smooth. Garnish each pineapple ring with a dollop of sweet potato in the center and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Serve immediately.

The cost:
pineapple: 1.89
sweet potato: .30
coconut: 4.99/bag

Grand total: $7.18; serves 4-6