Garlic Roasted Mini or Baby Potatoes

May 28, 2013 - Posted in No Bother, Potatoes, Side Dishes

1-1/2 pounds mini or baby, multi-colored potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch wedge-sized pieces
6 or more garlic cloves, minced
2 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper
Dill, thyme, or other herbs, as desired and available
Sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees*
Roasting time 23 – 25 minutes

Place cut potatoes in a bowl with minced garlic. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast, turning and stirring the potatoes every 10 minutes or so. Potatoes are done when they’re tender but not mushy.

More: This couldn’t be any easier and still be pretty and tasty. My family loves garlic, and when a recipe calls for 2 cloves, I routinely double or even triple that amount, which is why I say “6 or more.” I occasionally toss in dill or thyme with the oil, salt, and pepper. But in the making this time I sprinkled dill on the sour cream for the potato dip.

*I have upped the oven temperature to 425 to yield a more crusty potato. Adjust roasting time, as needed. I’ve also prepared these potatoes this way but then loosely wrapped them in foil and put them on the grill. If you opt for this method, then you’ll need to make sure the potatoes — whether cut or whole — are in uniform sizes, and you’ll need to stir them more frequently to avoid charring some and leaving others uncooked.

Wild Salmon with Lemon Pepper and Poi

May 21, 2013 - Posted in Fish, Local, No Bother

Wild salmon fillet and tail portion
Lemon pepper
Olive oil

Heat just enough olive oil to lightly coat the fry pan since salmon has its own oil but still needs some help when sauteing. Sprickle the non-skin side of the salmon with lemon pepper. Saute the pepper side down and after about a minute or so gently lift the salmon with a spatula to keep it from sticking. When it’s nicely brown — about 3 to 5 minutes — flip and saute the skin side. I usually make a tiny slice into the thickest part to see if its moist and just starting to flake.

Better to have a slightly underdone salmon (that when removed from the heat will still cook when covered in foil) than one that is dried out.

In any case, what elevated this very simple dish and provided appropriate companions for a wild entree were local grown green beans, two varieties of tomatoes from the farmer’s market and my backyard, and fresh poi from Waiahole Poi Factory.

Background: My family is committed to eating fish at least once a week and has a preference for wild caught fish rather than farmed varieties, even if the source of the salmon might conjure up a vision of a nuclear meltdown. (The salmon here is Russian wild.) Salmon, although not a Hawaii fish, is readily available, generally affordable, and tasty. A fillet and a tail yielded about 4 servings for us.

Surrounded by an ocean full of sea life, I still have a hard time finding affordable fish from local waters in the local supermarkets. Key words here: affordable and supermarkets. Other things for me to think about are (1) I need to experiment with wild caught affordables when I can get them, and (2) I should visit a fish market in Chinatown or shop at Fresh Catch.

My friend who is on sabbatical from her university in Chicago was at my place a couple of weeks ago ostensibly to discuss a research project but primarily to go on a lunch excursion. It was a choice between Kahuku Grill (with farmed! shrimp) or a drive in the other direction to Waiahole Poi Factory. We opted for the Factory and I bought a 2 pound bag of poi to take home.

I know very little about poi but I do know that the color and taste vary depending on where the taro is grown and, from what I have read, whether it is milled or hand pounded. This poi was fresh and consequently pinkish and somewhat sweet. Poi this fresh is a good way for a tentative but not inexperienced poi eater to develop a liking for this Hawaiian staple. Poi goes well with something salty, like the salmon here or the kalua pork I had for lunch or the beef luau my friend had.

Shredded Pork Stew

May 16, 2013 - Posted in Entree, No Bother, Pork

1-1/4 pounds trimmed boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 cubes
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 bay leaves
3/4 lb. red potatoes, not skinned and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 T. olive oil
3 or more chorizo or Italian hot sausages, casing removed (I use mild sausages and let folks add their own heat– jalapeños, chili powder, hot sauce — to individual servings.)
1 medium onion, fine chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
chipotle chili in adobo sauce (16 oz.)*
12 oz. can peeled Italian tomatoes, chopped#
1 or more jalapeños, seeded and chopped
salt and sugar for seasoning
# I figure about a total of 28 to 29 oz. of liquid is needed. So keep a rough tally of sauce, juice from the canned tomatoes, and liquid used to cook the pork and potatoes. (See more about this below.)

The recipe I’m riffing on (not quite ripping off) doesn’t say anything about trimming fat off the pork. But I do take some of it off.

In a soup kettle, simmer pork, marjoram, thyme, and bay leaves in 4 cups of salted water, partially covered, until meat is tender: about 45 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a plate; let it cool enough so you can tear it into smaller pieces. If you haven’t removed any fat from the pork, skim the fat from the pork broth. Since I do remove some of the fat, I don’t bother to skim. Reserve the pork broth.

Boil the potatoes in the water used for the pork until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well.

In a wide skillet or a large wok, heat the oil. Add the sausage and stir over moderately low heat, breaking it up, until cooked through: about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the pork and onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring until well browned and somewhat dried out: about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and sausage and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and enough pork broth to keep it moist, and if you’re using jalapeño, add that as well. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar and serve.*

Serve with tortillas, sliced avocado, red onion, sour cream. It also goes well over rice.

* As I lament below about the chipotle and chorizo ingredients, you can’t always get what you want but you can get what you need. For my most recent attempt at making this stew for friends, I wanted to use dried cascabel chilis, a Christmas gift from my son and his wife, to create the substitute for the chipotle. These cascabels were on the mild side with a smoky, almost fruity taste.

I removed the seeds, tore the casings of 5 chilis into small pieces, and placed them in a skillet to toast, being careful not to burn them. I then added the chili pieces to 16 oz. of commercial steak sauce (I added no additional salt or sugar) and simmered for about 30 minutes. I added about 8 oz. of the sauce and 1/4 cup of the liquid I had used to cook the pork and potatoes to the stew.

The entire dish was prepared a day in advance to give the flavors a chance to meld and to see if additional liquid would be needed. On the day I was to serve the dish, I added a couple of tablespoons of the liquid and 1/4 cup of the sauce.

Background: The original recipe is called “Pork Tinga,” and while it’s shredded like tinga should be shredded, I’ve substituted so many ingredients that I don’t think my recipe deserves a title more grand than just “shredded pork stew.” But after visiting three stores in my (somewhat rural) neighborhood in search of chipotle chiles in adobo and chorizos, I figured, what the hell, I’d make do with what was available.

I’m sharing this recipe not only because it’s tasty and relatively easy, but also to promote innovating on a basic recipe. I used to be a stickler for following recipes, making sure I had each of the ingredients specified. If I couldn’t find each and every one then I didn’t make the dish. I would spend time locating specialty items that were often costly, sometimes not fresh or not the best quality. While some dishes might require the specific ingredients, stews and soups are forgiving. At least shredded pork stew seems to be.

Quinoa

May 12, 2013 - Posted in No Fail, Side Dishes, Whatevah

1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of water or chicken broth
For added seasoning optional: Garlic, ginger, and/or olena (turmeric)

I am a fan of quinoa; pronounced kin wah like the Chinese restaurant in Kaneohe. It is really great for you and a great substitute for rice. Essentially you want the quinoa to water ratio to be one to two. Sometimes I like mine a little drier so I go with a 1:1.5 ratio. For added flavor I sometimes I will cook it in chicken broth and/or add grated ginger, garlic, and sometimes olena (turmeric).

There’s two ways that I have heard of cooking quinoa. One way is in your rice cooker, just like rice. Make sure you rinse the quinoa.

The other way, which is the way I often cook quinoa, is on the stovetop since I like to add a lot of aromatics. I place the water and quinoa in the pot bring it to a boil covered and then turn down the heat to medium and let it simmer until the water evaporates,which is usually about ten minutes. You will notice little holes in the quinoa that you can kind of see in the photo above. If it’s difficult to tell if the water has evaporated then give the pot a little jiggle and if doesn’t move too much you are good to go. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another five minutes or so.

There’s many ways to eat quinoa. I use the quinoa as a rice substitute and prefer it over brown rice. It even works well as fried rice; jook not so much (no I did not try to make quinoa jook). I have also made some ono cold quinoa salads and even fillers for burritos! Don’t worry you will see these recipes soon!!

Turkey Burgers au Poivre

May 6, 2013 - Posted in Entree, No Fail, Turkey

1-1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. (or less) whole black peppers, coarsely crushed
1 T. olive oil

Lay out a sheet of wax paper, large enough for 4 large patties, and sprinkle ground pepper on the paper.

Lightly mix ground turkey, garlic powder, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Shape into 4 large patties. Place patties on wax paper and let stand for 30 minutes. Before adding them to the frying pan turn them over on the wax paper so both sides are peppered.

About 10 minutes before you start frying, heat a large heavy skillet. Right before frying, add olive oil, which unlike other oils isn’t happy if you add it so soon that it starts to smoke.

Preparation is about 35 minutes. Cooking time is about 12 minutes. 3 minutes uncovered, 3 minutes covered than flip and repeat.

Background: I have been making this dish at least every month for decades. It counts as a real home cooked meal for a week night without too much effort, and it satisfies our hunger for a burger without the red meat. As with burgers, you can put these on buns, which we almost never do since we like them with rice, a dab sour cream or hot sauce, and a salad or vegetable on the side. The leftovers also work well in frittatas.

Some people don’t like the taste — or lack of taste — of ground turkey. But I think the mustard and the Worcestershire and, most importantly, the sitting time allow the turkey to reach a new level of flavor and juiciness. Sometimes I’ve added chopped raw onions or these fabulous dried onions a friend brought back from California that I still long for. I even stuffed the patties with cheese. You could add some herbs to the mix.

The source book for this recipe (pictured here) was well worth the $4.95 I paid for it many years ago. Every single recipe I’ve tried has been good to outstanding, and I’ll be featuring some of these on Onolish. As the book title announces, they take humble protein and fancy it up. As you can see, this book is well used: dogeared, creased with even a smutch of something above the cover photo. To honor this “Elegant Meals” collection and to promote dressing up recipes or making them simple, as I tend to do, here’s the original recipe:

1-1/2 pounds ground lean beef
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. whole black peppers, coarsely crushed
1 T. each butter or margarine, and salad oil
1/3 cup regular-strength beef broth
2 T. very finely chopped onion
3 T. brandy
Watercress, to garnish

Follow instructions above EXCEPT rub and press crushed pepper into both sides of the patties. Cover with wax paper and let stand for 30 minutes.

In a large heavy frying pan heat combined butter and oil over moderately high heat until foamy. Cook meat patties in the mixture fo 2-1/2 minutes to 4 minutes each side until well browned. Remove to a warm platter and keep warm.

Pour off the cooking fat. Stir broth and onions into the pan, stirring in brown bits. Remove from heat, add brandy and swirl to mix and heat it slightly. Ignite and spoon, flaming, over burgers. Garnish with bouquets of watercress.

What makes this au poivre is the pepper. If you tweak that out of the recipe, you’d better call this dish something else.

Stir-fried Wing Beans

May 4, 2013 - Posted in Vegetarian

I tried my first wing beans on my recent trip to Beijing. I was hooked. I had always seen them in Honolulu Chinatown, but was not sure how best to prepare them. I love their crispness . . . nom, nom, nom.

1 bag of Wing Beans (Sorry I forgot to make note of the weight!)
3 cloves of roughly chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup of water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
drizzle of sesame oil

Prep wing bean by taking off the tips. Cut them diagonally. Heat oil on medium heat and add 1 cloves worth of chopped garlic. Add the beans. Add 1/4 cup of water. Cover for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the garlic. cover for 3-5 minutes; until desired tenderness. Be sure not to overcook. Add salt and white pepper. When it has reached desired tenderness drizzle sesame oil on top.

Tips: My father is a great cook. To avoid overcooking garlic which he says people often do, he suggests to add the garlic in later – almost mid way through cooking any stir fry. I noticed it really brings out the taste of the garlic. I actually like to brown a little garlic in the beginning and then add the rest later. I don’t know there’s something about the smell of hot oil and garlic . . .

Roasted Balsamic Kabocha (Japanese Pumpkin)

May 2, 2013 - Posted in Local, Vegetables, Vegetarian

1 medium kabocha
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Hawaiian Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut Kabocha in half and remove seeds, make about 1 inch slices ( You can really cut the kabocha any way you like; sometimes I cut them in cubes). Bake for 30 minutes, flip them over after 15 minutes. For easy clean up, line the pan with foil.

Kabocha must be in season! I have seen them on sale and at a lot of the markets in Hawaii recently. If you like some spice add some chili or curry powder. If you don’t like balsamic vinegar, it is also ono without. The roasted kabocha is great served cold or hot. I like to cut the kabocha into smaller pieces and have them cold on top of salads after I have roasted them. You can also grill the kabocha.

Corn Dog Muffins

April 30, 2013 - Posted in Muffins, Sausage

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 T. packed light brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup milk
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Firm fully cooked sausage, sliced or diced**

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease muffin pan generously with shortening or non-stick spray. Yield: about 16 muffins.

Source: “USA Weekend” insert in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Sunday newspaper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, milk, butter, and egg. Stir in dry ingredients and cheese until just combined.

Spoon in about 1/8 cup of batter into each muffin cup. Add a few pieces of sausage to each muffin cup.

Bake for about 14 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.

Let muffins cool for about 10 to 15 minutes in the pan before removing. Serve warm with dipping sauces.

Dipping sauces: ketchup, mustard, sour cream, honey, ginger syrup — whatevah.

* When I can find buttermilk at the market, I buy it. But when I can’t, I put 1 T. vinegar in a cup measure and then add regular milk to make one cup of “buttermilk.”
** The original recipe called for hot dogs. But the times I’ve made these muffins I’ve only used sausage, a firm beef or beef-pork combo. (So are they really corn dogs?) Any leftover sausage can be a breakfast side.

Caveat #1: The original recipes calls for mini-muffins and would likely yield 2 dozen. If you decide to go mini, then spoon in a generous tablespoon into each cup and adjust the baking time to 10 to 12 minutes or when muffins are done and golden brown.

Caveat #2: My husband loves these, madly. Pearl likes them, too. My grandson gobbled down two the first time he ate them. My son, who hasn’t tried them yet, said they sound like the cornbread with (greasy) sausage that was his favorite Sunday breakfast served at his college cafeteria. But my daughter and I can take them or leave them. We usually do leave them for those who really, really love corn muffins and sausage and cheese.

Post-Workout Protein Smoothie

April 27, 2013 - Posted in Whatevah

1 tbsp of greek yogurt
1 tbsp of almond butter
2 cups of almond or soy milk
1 tsp honey (optional)
1 tbsp flax (ground or whole)
1/2 tbsp Spirulina

Mix all the ingredients and blend. Play around with the ratios of ingredients. Sometimes I add more honey and yogurt and other times I just leave them out all together. In other words, adjust to your taste.

Background: Last year, my paddling coach suggested that we add some protein to our diets so that we could recover more quickly from our workouts and become stronger. In an effort to be more healthy and conscious of what I was putting into my body; I was reluctant to use protein powders and looked for a more natural substitute. I wasn’t sure if I really needed the protein, so I called a close friend who is long distance swimmer for advice. Of course, as he always does, he gave me a very detailed scientific reasoning for this post-workout smoothie. One day I’ll have to get him to write it up for Onolish!

Spirulina is quite pricey but a little goes a very long way. I am a Costco junkie. I buy all the ingredients for this smoothie from Costco except the apple bananas.
I always seem to have one or two extra bananas when I buy a bunch so I slice and freeze them for my smoothies or for whole wheat banana bread instead of throwing out over ripen bananas. I like to use frozen apple bananas for this smoothie.

Ginger Syrup! Ginger Candy!

April 25, 2013 - Posted in Sweets, Whatevah

Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
½ cup peeled and sliced raw ginger

Bring water and sugar to a boil.

Add ginger and continue to simmer until liquid is, well, syrupy (liquid reduced by half or liquid holds a line on a plate). This takes about 20 minutes or more. Do NOT cover the pan or it can boil over.

When it’s done, cool it down enough to remove ginger pieces and pour the syrup into a container that can be stored in the refrigerator.

Candy:
When the ginger pieces are cool enough to handle, toss them in sugar and then bake them for 2 hours at 200 degrees. At 30-minute intervals, stir the ginger for even heating. The ginger candy is done when it is desiccated, meaning without moisture.

Note: when you increase the proportion – say, to 1-1/2 cups sugar and water, ¾ cup ginger, as I’ve started doing – then you may need to increase the boiling time. I haven’t had to increase the baking time for the candy, but play it by ear.

Background:
About a year ago, I purchased a bottle of ginger syrup at Whole Foods. It was so yummy that we added it to tea, drizzled it over vanilla ice cream, spread it on biscuits, and would have began drinking it straight from the bottle if I hadn’t wanted to make my supply last.

Before my stash was gone, I thought it best to buy another bottle. A friend who has easier access to Whole Foods than I do offered to pick up a bottle for me. She was told that the brand I wanted was temporarily not available since the producers were in the process of making their product organic. (The bottle I had at home said it was organic, but whatevah.) A few weeks later I stopped by Whole Foods to see if the syrup was available. Not that brand but another, I was told, and it was going for $15 for less than 8 ounces. I may have shouted, “No way,” at that point, paid for my Ezekiel bread, headed for my car, and decided to find out how to make the syrup myself.

Thanks to Ming Tsai. As he says in his video, this is ridiculously easy to make, and not only will you be making syrup but candy as well, which I nibble throughout the day, knowing that it’ll do all kinds of good things for the body.

One ginger thing led to another. We now add it to club soda to create our own ginger ale. Want something more elegant? Then add a lime slice and drop in a piece of candy for a lovely slow fizzing. Want a ginger ale with a kick? Then pour in the syrup then rum then the lime.