Macadamia nut pancakes

Make the mix (note: this makes twice what is called for below; halve if you just want a little)

You can make this just as the first step, or mix ahead in large batches (see below); it keeps as long as flour keeps fresh.

2 c all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp sugar

5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Optional: crush a handful of macadamia nut and saute at low heat generously in butter until light golden brown. Later, you will drop nuts on grill and then batter on top, if you like sprinkle more on top of raw batter for the flip side.

Add liquids to make pancakes (serves 2 generously or 4 modestly)

1 c mix (above)

1 c buttermilk or yogurt or milk or combination (to taste)

1 egg (don't toss the shell yet!)

half shell-full of vegetable oil (*)

optional: add 2 or 3 Tbsp of coconut milk

(*) Crack egg in two, save one intact half shell, fill to brim with oil to measure.

This makes a very thick pancake batter which I like. 

If you want to thin by adding more liquid you can adjust easily to your taste.

Drop onto well oiled grill preheated to between 375 and 400 F.

Spread out batter to about 1/2 inch thickness. Flip when golden brown, both sides.

Serve with coconut syrup or maple syrup to taste.

To make a large batch of mix, here are quadrupled amounts:

8 c all-purpose flour

3/4 c sugar

7 Tbsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

Mango Chutney recipe

Here's the recipe for the wonderful mango chutney I learned from Puna. (See earlier post.)

Main ingredients:

• 25 small/medium mangoes, just barely ripe and still firm, peeled and sliced (yields 5 cups)
• 1½ cup vinegar
• 2 cup sugar
• 3 c seedless raisins

The spices go into a sealed (cheesecloth) bag:

• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t cloves
• 1 t nutmeg
• ½ t allspice
• ½ t ginger (powder)
• pinch sea salt
• 4 large onions, chopped
• “lots of” garlic (“the more the merrier”)
• 3 cloves
• ½ c fresh ginger (grate & slice a large “finger” of ginger)
• 3 red hot Hawaiian chili peppers (deseeded, chopped)

Cook 2 to 3 hours until thick to desired consistency.
Put up in canning jars. Makes a dozen pints.

In addition to eating chutney as a garnish to dishes like curry, it's delicious as appetizer: spread a little cream cheese on a cracker and spoon on chutney.

Also, she mentioned it can be made into a dip.

Curry Mango Dip

1 cup Aletha’s Mango Chutney, chopped
1 quart Best Foods mayo
4 T curry powder
Let sit, chill, serve.

Hawaiian Guacamole

Quarter illustrates how big these avocado are.

My guacamole recipe throws in all the herbs and spices I have available that make sense and to always have avocado dominate the mix; that is, minimal fillers like mayonnaise, onion, tomato, etc.

Patti gave me some avocado, one of which was dinner tonight.

Hawaiian avocado are large and creamy: ideal for guacamole.

Mix:

• Hawaiian avocado, mashed
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 small pearl onions, diced
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• (optional, to taste) Chipotle Cholula sauce
• (optional, to taste) Hawaiian Habenero Heat hot sauce

 

Pineapple Mochiko muffins

I'm baking lots of muffins lately because the available baking pans are quite limited. Including tropical fruit, it seems to always end up upside down cake whether I plan it or not.

Combine butter and pineapple chunks in over-proof pan and bake 15 minutes (starting while preheating oven is fine).

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 medium pineapple, peeled and cut in chunks

Beat until well mixed in another bowl:

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup honey (Kauai honey, preferably)

Mix dry ingredients and combine without over-stirring with liquid above:

• 1 cup fine rice flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder

Place pineapple chunks in bottom of muffin pans and mix remaining liquid into batter.

Spoon batter into muffin pan and bake 30 minutes or until done.

Alternatively, bake in flat pan as a cake: expect longer baking time.

Kauai Guacamole

The local avocados make terrific guacamole, they are large (with very large seed to match) and have a nice consistency for smashing up. I'm using pearl onion because I can prepare small amounts for myself without dealing with whole full size onions and the mild flavor is a nice touch, though these were expensive, they should keep fresh in small quantities a long time.

(All the spices and hot sauces are optional to taste. Just do a little salt and pepper to make it mild.)

• 2 pearl onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, diced finely
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 large Hawaiian Avocado, mashed
• 2 Tbsp Chipotle Cholula hot sauce (with the wooden top)
• 1/2 tsp Hawaiian Habenero Heat hot sauce (optional: serious heat)

With Juanita's tortilla chips this was a meal in itself.

Kauai-made Hawaiian Habenero Heat hot sauce is not just local, it's quite good. Definitely hot but it does have plenty of habenero flavor, not just pure heat that overwhelms your sense of taste. Add little by little to taste and be sure to mix it into the guacamole thoroughly, don't try it straight.

Mango upside down cake

First iteration making up a recipe: it came out alright, not terrific yet. This is a small portion.
Prepare a muffin pan by greasing the cups with butter. Could be baked in a loaf pan as well.
Preheat oven to 375 F.

• 1 pound mangos (about five small) - peel and cut into chunks or scoop pulp if very soft.
• Melt 1/2 cup butter over heat until just melted. Will use as 1/6 cup and 1/3 cup separately.
• Separate mango chunks from pulp (about half and half) and put in saucepan with 1/6 cup butter, 1/3 cup turbinado cane sugar, and 3 Tbsp rum. Simmer over low heat ten minutes.
• Spoon mango chunks into the bottom of each cup or pan as upside-down topping.
• Optional: sprinkle some Anahola Granola over the mango chunks.
  
• Sift together 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
• Beat 2 eggs into the remaining 1/3 cup melted butter, 1/3 cup turbinado cane sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, and the remaining mango pulp and chunks.
• Fold the flour mixture into the liquid without over stirring.
• Spoon batter on top of the mango chunks.

Bake 25 minutes for muffin pan until done (toothpick test). Let sit then remove from pan while warm.
The amount of mango is variable so adjust the batter to a thick pancake batter consistency by adding flour to thicken or add yogurt to thin.
Caveat: I prepared this with the minimal kitchen here, specifically, no measuring utensils.