It's not a luau without pineapple.
Save time and money by passing on pit-roasting a whole pig and make finger food for your luau. If you don't own the specialized equipment needed to roast a pig, you could spend more than $300 to rent it. The money is better spent purchasing fresh ingredients for the luau party. Tropical fruit, grilled meat and vegetables formed into finger food allow your guests to eat a variety of food while they mingle and dance. Does this Spark an idea?
Fruit
Make pineapple cornbread squares by adding pineapple pieces to your wet cornbread batter. Bake it in a bar pan and then cut it into small triangles that can be stacked into a tower shape. Stab skewers of starfruit, watermelon and cantaloupe into pineapples. After the skewers have been eaten, slice and grill the pineapple. Empty watermelons and cantaloupe, carve into baskets and re-fill them with melon balls and mango pieces.
Vegetables
Make sweet potato fries and sprinkle with coconut instead of salt or sugar. Brush slices of yellow squash, zucchini and eggplant with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as they grill as an alternative to the fries. Corn cobbs and red potatoes rolled in butter and salt are sides that everyone will love.
Seafood
Make small balls of lomi lomi by mixing diced onions, salted salmon, tomatoes, green onions, cayenne pepper and sea salt. Grill skewers of coconut lime shrimp or pork loin cubes, zucchini and red peppers. A cold mango crab salad can be served on lettuce leaves for a fresh alternative to grilled food. Grill fresh salmon on cedar planks and decorate pineapples by pinning fresh shrimp on it with toothpicks. Cocktail sauce can be put in sea shells.
Meat
Marinade chicken in blood oranges, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and cayenne pepper before grilling; serve on pita bread. You can't go wrong with Terriaki short ribs or beef, pineapple, green pepper, mushroom and tomato skewers. A simple way to include traditional backyard food to your luau is to barbecue chicken wings and legs.
Dessert
Finish off the luau party with mini carrot cupcakes. Include pieces of candied mango and pineapple when the batter is wet and top with cream cheese. Or make a traditional coconut milk dessert, haupia by boiling coconut milk and sugar and stirring in a mixture of water and cornstarch. The haupia can be cut into small squares.
Tags: cayenne pepper, coconut milk, finger food, food your, food your luau, into small, your luau