Pineapple Tarts

My husband is Samoan, and over the years I have cooked A LOT of food for him, his family, and our Samoan friends. I have cooked a variety of traditional dishes, and as we get older, I have tried to make some of these dishes a little bit healthier. It is very challenging to do so for a lot of the food that is common in Polynesian cuisine, but I continue to try! As healthy as I might make it, if it doesn't taste good, my hubby is not going to eat it! One of our favorite desserts is "Paifala", also know as half-moon pies. These pies are literally the size of half a pie, and look like someone took a whole pie and folded in half; hence the name.

I have searched online for a Paifala recipe, and after trying a variety of recipes, ended up developing one that is slightly healthier than the original. My version is much smaller than the original, but a big hit with everyone who has tried them so far. Because this is different from the original in a number of ways, I prefer to call it pineapple tart. This recipe will make about 16 medium sized tarts. They are great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. With a substitution or two, they are also vegan!

FILLING
2 - 20oz cans of crushed pineapple (drain and reserve liquid)
2 cups sugar (I prefer organic white sugar, Florida Crystals)
1 cup plain soy milk (almond or rice milk will work just as well)
2/3 cup corn starch
2/3 cup juice from drained pineapple

CRUST
6 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 cups + 1 TBS coconut milk (canned)
2/3 cup butter, melted (may substitute coconut oil)
dash salt

1. In large pot (4-5 quart), mix pineapple, sugar, and milk)
2. Cook on stove top over medium heat

3. In separate bowl,  combine cornstarch and juice from pineapple until well blended.
4. Add mixture to pot. Continue to stir until mixture begins to thicken. It should be thick enough to stick to the spoon.
5. Remove pot from heat and set aside, uncovered, to cool.

6. While mixture is cooling, combine all ingredients for crust. A stand mixer with dough hook is the easiest way, but you may also combine by hand.
7. Kneed until all ingredients come together. Do not mix too much, as this tends to dry out the dough. It should be moist, and will be a bit lumpy.

8. Divide the dough ball into two halves. Wrap one half in plastic wrap. This will keep the dough from becoming too dry.
9. Divide one half into two, and then separate each half into four, making a total of 8 pieces.

10. On lightly floured surface, roll each ball out into flat circle, about 6 inches in diameter.

11. Use cookie or ice cream scoop to place pineapple mixture in center of dough circle.

12.Lightly wet edges of dough with room temperature water.
13. Fold over, and join edges, forming a half moon shape.
14. Us fork to press edges together and to poke holes in top of tart. This will help the filling to not burst out while baking.

15. Place tarts on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
16. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

17. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
18. Let tarts cool completely (about 2 hours), before eating.
19. Store in airtight container or ziplock bags. Do not refridgerate.
20. Enjoy!

Partner Up

I played basketball and volleyball in high school, and very much enjoyed the camaraderie and competition of team sports. But when it came to aerobics and running, I have always preferred to go it alone. Until recently I always preferred to focus on my own training goal during an exercise session, rather than having a friendly conversation and shared struggle to complete a fitness goal. While I still would rather not attend a group exercise class, I have found great value and motivation in having a running partner.

A friend of mine recently moved here, and is a close neighbor. One day we were talking, and I told her about my goal of running the marathon. Even before I relayed to her just how unmotivated I was feeling, she offered to be my running partner. Although I had never considered having a running mate before, as soon as she said she would run with me, I thought, "Yes!"  This was the thing that I was missing: having someone to encourage me, run with me, motivate me, and keep me accountable. So we started on a schedule of running that would get us on track to completing our marathon goal. After a few weeks, and due to conflicting schedules, I went on a solo run, and boy what a difference it was to go it alone. Even after all the years of doing just that, I finally saw what those who advocate having a training partner were talking about.

Moments where I would have given up, had I been on my own, I was able to push a little farther. It felt great to have someone there sharing in little triumphs at each run.
Then life intruded. Kids were out of school for summer break. Husbands were deployed. Babysitters were unavailable. Rainy season came with a vengeance. It became near impossible to get outdoor runs in. So we were relegated to running on treadmills, indoors, at home with plenty of interruptions, once again running solo. Even still, we continue to try and motivate each other and keep track of runs that we complete.

Although these sort of road blocks would push anyone to just give up, instead we continue to encourage each other and commiserate over obstacles and trials. We know one day soon that school will start again, husbands will return, and the sun will come out! We will get back on track and back on the road, pounding the pavement...each step bringing us closer to that marathon goal!