Yummy is right! Yummy Lime-Pineapple Dessert is a funny name for a recipe, but I’m not sure what else you would call it. We use it a lot in our mobile cooking classes, because it’s quick, easy, a good source of calcium, incorporates the dairy and fruit groups into the menu and it’s… well… yummy! One of my co-workers says it reminds her of the gelatin desserts they serve at cafeteria restaurants, but this recipe takes so much less time to make and is so much tastier.
In class, we usually have participants make this first so it can chill while everything else is being prepped. If there is not a fridge handy, we just use the ice chests/coolers with ice. Although lime and pineapple is a classic flavor combination, we’ve had fun offering different combinations for groups to try. Sometimes, we give each group a different combination, then compare and contrast the flavors. And, sometimes we just set the gelatin and fruit out and let people pick their own combo. Some popular combinations have been orange gelatin and mandarin oranges; strawberry gelatin with fresh banana slices or frozen bananas and strawberries or frozen berry bland; peach gelatin and peaches. Once we tried lemon gelatin with coconut flakes…not the sweetened shredded coconut flakes, but the ones that are newer on the market … the big flakes of toasty, crunchy, coconut goodness. Another fun one around the holidays was cranberry gelatin and apples flakes…similar to the coconut flakes but crispy baked apple flakes…yumm-o!
We’ve had people ask if they have to use the sugar-free gelatin. Some people have sensitivities to the sugar substitutes. The the answer is no you don’t have to use the sugar-free, it works just fine with the “fully-leaded” gelatin. But as with anything, you’ll want watch out for your overall sugar intake. Even with low-sugar-low-fat ingredients, we should enjoy this dessert in moderation! And…did I mention this recipe is super yummy?…it is easy to over do it with this one. Nevertheless, it’s a quick, easy, nutritious, and yes, yummy way to complete a menu!