Pineapples were on sale at the grocery store this past week. So I went through each one, carefully sniffing the bottoms of them to see if they had a strong fragrant smell (as stupid as this may look, this is how you pick the perfect pineapple. If it has a strong pineapple-y smell, grab it. It’s ripe).

I’m not a huge pineapple fan—I love the flavor of a juicy, sweet one, but they hurt my tongue (from all that acidity) so I try to limit my intake, for my buds’ sake. You understand.

So I love salsa—any kind. The spicier the better—it’s like those hot cheetos. Your mouth feels as if it’s on fire and every time you breath you swear flames are coming out, but you keep eating them anyway. Well, I also love fruit salsa. (Click here for my stone fruit salsa recipe that I love to put on top of grilled chicken.)

On a whim at the grocery store on Sunday, I decided to make some halibut, but wanted to spice things up a little. Pineapple salsa seemed like the spring-y way to go.

Pineapple Salsa

• 1/2 brown or sweet onion, chopped
• 1/4 pineapple, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4-1/3 cup of cilantro, chopped
• Salt and  pepper, to taste

Mix everything together and let sit for an hour or two before serving. (Seriously…that’s it! Foolproof, I tell you!)

Variations

• Use a red bell pepper instead (but stay away from green or yellow. The red and orange are both a nice contrast to the yellow pineapple and green jalapeno and cilantro)
• Add a squeeze or two of lime juice
• Are you one of those people that thinks cilantro taste like soap?? (you genetic mutants). Use chopped parsley, instead.
• Use red onion
• Toss in some scallions
• Make it more southwest and add some black beans and corn to the mix
• Add some cumin or chili powder
• Throw in some chopped garlic
• Use leftover salsa as a topper for chips, mixed into guacamole, or inside of tacos

I served mine on top of a baked fillet of halibut that I rubbed with a dry mojo rub. Wish I could tell you I made this rub myself, but time is of the essence so I just asked the butcher at the grocery store for a package of rub (*Note: Do this! At Vons and Safeway, the butcher will give you free packets of different rubs and seasonings. And they’re really tasty!)

Along side of the fresh fish topped with the pineapple salsa, I served rice pilaf and sauteed spinach with garlic. It’s light, filling, and the perfect way to welcome the beginning signs of summer (or at the very least, a warmer spring).

Watch for it: I’ll post a tutorial on how to cut up a pineapple in the coming weeks.