Kiyo, Author at My Lilikoi Kitchen - Page 58 of 79My Lilikoi Kitchen

Beans, Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Sandwiches, Vegetarian

Quinoa & Black Bean Burgers with Guacamole

June 14, 2014

The June/July issue of Fine Cooking magazine has a terrific article about quinoa and a number of tempting recipes that feature this unique grain/seed. Quinoa is frequently referred to as a grain because it is cooked and used like one, however, quinoa is actually the seed of the Goosefoot plant. Quinoa is so versatile and cooks quickly, 15 minutes to be exact. It is delicious sprinkled on a kale salad with lemon-honey dressing. The recipe that caught my attention was the quinoa and black bean burger. I love burgers, beef as well as vegetarian, and this one is particularly good.

This recipe is quite simple. It involves just a can of black beans, quinoa, a few sautéed ingredients, spices, and guacamole. Delicious straight out of the frying pan, the cooked patties firmed up nicely after being refrigerated. We had the leftover patties the following day and they were perfect. I warmed them briefly in the microwave, though you may choose to quickly pan fry them. Served on a toasted onion bun or English muffin as the original recipe calls for, they are quite delicious.

The poblano pepper, garlic and green onions are briefly cooked, just to soften them slightly before adding to the other ingredients.

I had tricolor quinoa in my pantry however any quinoa (white, red, or black) works well.

Once you form the patties, chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. They are beautiful, filled with healthy black beans, quinoa, cilantro, and poblano pepper.

Quinoa & Black Bean Burgers with Tomatillo Guacamole

Adapted from Fine Cooking

Serves 6

Ingredients: Burger

2/3 cups lower-salt chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil (keep 2 tablespoons oil in separate bowl)

1 small fresh poblano chile, finely chopped

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 15-oz.can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup panko

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon mild pure chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

kosher salt

6 English muffins or onion buns, lightly toasted

For the Guacamole

1 large avocado (we used a Green Gold from our garden. You can also use Sharwil or Hass, though Hass are quite a bit smaller so use two)

juice of 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 medium tomatillo, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon finely diced sweet onion (preferably Maui onion)

1 very small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh serrano chile, or jalapeño

Preparation

In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, keep the cover on the pan. Let stand for 15 minutes then fluff quinoa with a fork.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the poblano, green onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add the drained beans and quinoa, and pulse until the beans are chopped and the mixture is combined. Do not over process, you want the burger to have a nice texture.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and gently stir in the cilantro, panko, egg, chile powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gently form the mixture in to 6 patties. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, make the guacamole. Dice the avocado and squeeze lime juice over it, toss to coat well. Sprinkle the avocado with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and mash the avocado lightly. Stir in the tomatillo, cilantro, onion, garlic, serrano or jalapeño. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, lime juice, and more serrano pepper if desired. The guacamole keeps well, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

When you are ready to cook the burgers, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. I was able to cook all 6 patties at one time though you can cook them in two batches if your pan cannot accommodate them all at once (use less oil). Once the oil is hot, add the burgers and cook until nicely browned, about 6 minutes. Adjust heat as needed. Check the burgers by lifting up an edge with a spatula. You want the burgers to be well browned and sort of crispy on the outside. Flip and brown on the other side, about 4 more minutes.

You may serve the burgers right away, on toasted English muffins or onion rolls. I prefer to make the burgers in advance, chill them until they firm up, then gently reheat and serve. The texture improves once the burger has cooled completely. Spread a bit of mayonnaise on the bun then top it with a burger and a generous dollop of guacamole.

Canning, Mexican, Pickles, Recipes, Veggies

Jalapeño Nacho Rings

June 7, 2014

We love jalapeños. They seem to thrive in the Maui heat. Apparently hot climates produce hot peppers! The red peppers are the fully mature stage of the jalapeño and add beautiful color mixed with the younger green jalapeños.

We now have 10 jalapeño plants in the garden. We make both pickled nacho rings and jalapeño hot sauce .

Pickled Jalapeños

Makes 4 pint jars

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh jalapeño peppers

2 1/2 cups white vinegar

2 1/2 cups water (distilled or filtered)

5 teaspoons pickling salt

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/4 teaspoons calcium chloride (Ball brand Pickle Crisp)

4 2-inch sprigs fresh Mexican oregano (optional)

Preparation

Wash jalapeños and slice into 1/4 to 1/3 inch rings. It’s a good idea to wear disposable gloves when cutting peppers. Divide sliced peppers into 4 equal portions.

Wash jars and place them in boiling-water canner. Fill the jars and canner with water to the top of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat, do not boil. Prepare the two-piece closures. Wash lids and place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat to just a simmer but do not boil. Do not heat screw bands.

In a medium-sized saucepan add remaining ingredients except oregano sprigs. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.

Lift the canner jar rack and fix into place on the rim of the canner. Remove one jar at a time and empty hot water back into the canner. Place jar on a cutting board. Place a canning funnel in the jar. Add 1 oregano sprig to the jar, pack jar with portioned jalapeño rings. Ladle hot brine into jar leaving 1/2-inch head space. Remove air bubbles (with a chopstick or similar utensil) and adjust head space, if necessary, by adding more brine. Wipe jar rim. Using a magnetic utensil, lift hot lid from water, center it on the jar and place screw band on jar. Tighten screw band evenly and firmly just until resistance is met. Then increase to fingertip tight. Do not over tighten. Return jar to canner rack. Continue filling jars individually until all jars are filled, lower rack into canner and ensure that all jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to a full boil over high heat. Process for 10 minutes, starting timer only when water reaches a full boil. Turn off the heat, let jars sit in pot for 5 minutes.

Remove jars from water, and let stand, undisturbed, at room temperature 24 hours. To check seals, remove the bands, and press down on the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t move, the jar is sealed. If the lid depresses and pops up again, the jar is not sealed. In the event that a jar does not seal, simply refrigerate it. Store properly sealed jars in a cool, dark place up to 1 year (date your jars on the bottom with a Sharpie pen) Refrigerate after opening.

Dinner, Italian, Pork, Recipes

Rigatoni with Spicy Calabrese-Style Pork Ragu

June 1, 2014

For years my hands down favorite Italian meat sauce was beefy Bolognese. However, I found an intriguing pork ragu recipe in Bon Appétit’s February 2013 issue. Hot and sweet Italian sausage, ground pork and savory tomato sauce, this pork ragu is now on my favorites list.

There are all sorts of canned tomatoes available these days. My favorite by far is Rao’s Homemade Italian Peeled Tomatoes. Certified organic, these tomatoes are of high quality and very flavorful. I once found them at Whole Foods but when I checked back again they were not on the shelf. Not to worry, these days you can find almost anything on-line. I’ve purchased other brands of whole canned tomatoes and had to peel off skin that was left on by poor handling. Rao’s tomatoes are always peeled well, the tomatoes and puree are a beautiful deep red, and they taste delicious. They make a really good homemade pizza sauce too.

The prices at Whole Foods markets can be high, however, I’m willing to spend a bit more for excellent quality meat and fish, unique and sometimes difficult to find (on Maui) pantry ingredients, and fruits and vegetables that are not easy to come by. At the meat counter I found many choices of fresh Italian-style sausage to use in this recipe so I decided on a couple of different types for the ragu (including chicken as well as pork).

Hot chicken, sweet chicken, and hot pork sausage.

You begin with a mirepoix which is a combination of finely diced celery, onion, and carrot, the foundation of many meat dishes and sauces.

Rigatoni with Spicy Calabrese-Style Pork Ragu

Adapted from Bon Appétit

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

1 medium onion, quartered

1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into 1″ pieces

1 large celery stalk, cut into 1″ pieces

4 medium garlic cloves

2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound hot and/or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used both chicken and pork sausage)

1 pound ground pork

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

Preparation

Pulse onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup parsley in a food processor until finely chopped ; transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Puree tomatoes with juices in processor, set aside.

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; add sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add ground pork, fennel seeds, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, breaking up pork with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. Add wine, and stir until wine has evaporated, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add reserved vegetable mixture to pan, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until golden 8 – 10 minutes.

Stir tomato paste and 1 cup water in a small bowl; add to pot. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, 6 – 8 minutes.

Add reserved meat and tomato puree and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, until meat is tender, about 3 hours. Bon Appétit’s recipe mentions adding more water as needed to keep the meat submerged however I found this was not necessary. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Adjust seasoning, adding salt if needed.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water just before you are ready to serve dinner. The original recipe calls for reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid then adding it to the sauce along with the pasta and 3/4 cups parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup parsley. I did not add any additional liquid and plated the ragu in individual bowls, spooned the sauce over the pasta and sprinkled with parmesan before serving.

*Leftover ragu freezes well in airtight plastic containers.

Dinner, Fish, Japanese, Lactose Free, Recipes

Furikake Seared Ahi

May 27, 2014

Every now and then I have a craving for ahi tuna, either as sashimi or seared. Although Hawaii has an abundance of fresh fish, it’s not always available at the markets. Most of the premium fish is sold to restaurants who then charge premium prices. But don’t get me wrong. You’ll never have to drag me out of the house to go out to dinner. I’m always available.

Our local Whole Foods market has a small seafood section that I normally don’t pay much attention to. Instead, I head to the meat department to check out their wonderful steaks. One day as I was shopping, I noticed beautiful sashimi grade ahi blocks at the seafood counter. I couldn’t resist buying one, even though I paid dearly for it. John sliced the ahi into perfect pieces and we enjoyed it sashimi-style with wasabi soy sauce. It was delicious. So now when I go to Whole Foods, I pay more attention as I walk by their seafood section. If I see beautiful ahi, I buy it.

In Hawaii, everyone has their favorite ways of preparing this luscious fish. Here is one of mine. I coat the ahi with a bit of canola oil, season it with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, then dredge it in furikake. There are no measurements for this simple dish, just a short list of ingredients.

Furikake? Delicious sprinkled over hot rice. My favorite furikake is simple. Seaweed, white and black sesame seeds and a bit of seasoning.

Furikake Seared Ahi

Serves 2

Ingredients

about 3/4 pound sashimi grade ahi block

canola oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

furikake

Kikkoman wasabi sauce or a mixture of wasabi paste and soy sauce

Preparation

Lightly coat the ahi with canola oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle a generous amount of furikake over the ahi, pressing gently to coat all 4 sides well.

Place a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 – 3 teaspoons of canola oil and swirl to coat the pan. Once the pan is hot and you see a few wisps of smoke, add the ahi block to the pan and sear about 1 minute per side, or until desired doneness is reached. The ahi should be rare in the center.

Remove ahi to a cutting board. Let rest for a few minutes then slice ahi into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Serve with wasabi sauce or wasabi soy sauce, a bowl of steaming rice and homemade takuan.

Appetizers, Dinner, Korean, Pork, Recipes

Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes

May 22, 2014

I can hardly wait to return to the Bay Area this summer. I get excited just thinking of all my favorite dishes at all my favorite restaurants such as Redd’s duck confit served on a bed of lentils with a poached egg or the best beef filet I’ve ever tasted at Alexander’s Steak House (where they give each table cotton candy on a stick after dinner). Speaking of my favorite vacation city, Corey Lee, owner of Benu restaurant in San Francisco was featured in the January issue of Food & Wine magazine. This particular issue contains a slew of recipes I want to try, however, it was Corey Lee’s Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes that really caught my eye.

These savory dumplings are very easy to put together once your mise en place is done.

A dollop of filling on the wonton wrapper, fold and press the edges together.

Ten dumplings are arranged around the edge of an 8″ skillet, overlapping slightly. After quickly frying the dumplings for 4 minutes, a slurry of cornstarch and water is added to the pan. This creates crispy, lacy, edges and adheres the 10 dumplings together making one impressive pancake that you invert on a platter and serve with dipping sauce.

Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes

Adapted from Corey Lee’s recipe ~ Food & Wine Magazine

6 – 8 servings

Ingredients

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Korean chili flakes or 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sugar

Dumplings:

14 ounces ground pork

2 tablespoons minced scallions

1/2 cup finely chopped and drained kimchi

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup firm tofu, finely chopped

30 round wonton wrappers

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation:

Mix all of the sauce ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix all of the dumpling ingredients except the wrappers, cornstarch and oil. Arrange 4 wrappers on a work surface (keep the rest covered with a damp paper towel). Brush the edges of the wrappers with water and drop 1 tablespoon of the filling in the centers of each wrapper. Fold over one side of the wrapper to form a half-moon, pressing the edges together. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap; assemble the remaining dumplings.

In a bowl, stir the cornstarch with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an 8-inch non-stick skillet over moderate heat. Arrange 10 dumplings around the edge of the skillet overlapping slightly (there should be almost no empty space). Cook over moderate heat until golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Drizzle one-third of the slurry over and around the dumplings, cover the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and cook until the dumplings are cooked through and the slurry forms a thin crust, about 4 minutes. Carefully invert the dumpling pancake onto a plate. Repeat to make 2 more pancakes. Serve with dipping sauce.

Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Kale Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds & Lemon-Honey Dressing

May 17, 2014

Tucked away at the top of the hill in Wailea you’ll find Matteo’s Osteria, a fine choice for lunch or dinner. Each time I visit Matteo’s I order their “Superfood Salad,” hearty and filling. I enjoy it so much I decided to experiment with a lemon-honey dressing in hopes of coming up with a tasty rendition that I could make at home any time. I am happy to say this lemon-honey dressing is quite sublime. I’m a big fan of zesty dressings and the bright flavor of fresh squeezed lemon juice is delicious and refreshing.

How convenient! I found this mix of kale, red cabbage, and carrots at our local market. John is not a fan of kale to say the least. Yet he devoured the salad and confessed that it was very good indeed.

I’m in love with hemp seeds. I found them in the bulk section at Mana Foods. They are tiny little seeds that taste somewhat like sunflower seeds and are delicious sprinkled on salads. They are very nutritious as well.

The dressing has just the right tartness with a hint of honey.

Adding a few tablespoons of quinoa to each individual bowl adds a nice texture to the salad and a hit of protein as well. Many recipes use quite a bit of water and the quinoa can turn out soggy. I find that using just 2/3 cup of water works well for 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa.

Kale Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds & Lemon-Honey Dressing

Inspired by the Superfood Salad at Matteo’s Osteria

Serves 4

Dressing

1 1/2 tablespoons diced onion

5 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in the cup of an immersion blender and process until completely incorporated. If you do not have an immersion blender a regular blender will work fine.

Salad

8 ounces kale salad mix (kale, red cabbage and carrot)

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half

12 tablespoons cooked quinoa, white or tri-color (see cooking directions below)

4 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (I toast the seeds on a piece of foil in my toaster oven, 300 degrees about 5 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn).

4 tablespoons hemp seeds

Prepare quinoa: Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly. Drain well. In a small saucepan heat 2/3 cups water with a dash of salt. Once the water comes to a boil, add quinoa, turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the cover. Remove from the heat and leave the pan undisturbed for 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork.

Wash kale salad mix, pat dry. Place in a large bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat the salad generously. Divide salad into 4 individual bowls.

Scatter tomatoes, quinoa, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds over each bowl. Drizzle extra lemon-honey vinaigrette over the salad and serve right away.

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Quinoa & Black Bean Burgers with Guacamole

Jalapeño Nacho Rings

Rigatoni with Spicy Calabrese-Style Pork Ragu

Furikake Seared Ahi

Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes

Kale Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds & Lemon-Honey Dressing

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