A Savory Hawaiian Breakfast

Savory Apple Banana Bread
I say savory because this Apple Banana Bread is not as sweet as many, but relies on a little sour cream and Moloka'i apple bananas to make it moist and full of tropical flavor.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (one stick) softened, plus 1 teaspoon to grease the loaf pan
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour, plus a little to dust the loaf pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced apple banana, mashed with a fork (about 3 apple bananas)
1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sour cream

Procedure:
Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter and dust it with a little flour.

Beat softened butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla to a creamy consistency, then add the dry ingredients. Now add the mashed bananas, nuts and sour cream, and mix well. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350˚F. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and when you press gently in the center of the loaf, it springs back without leaving an impression.

Transfer to a wire rack to let cool for 25 minutes, then gently tap the pan on a hot pad sitting on your kitchen countertop to help release the loaf. Place a large plate on top of the warm loaf, invert, and then carefully remove the pan. Now invert the loaf again so that it's right side up then let cool completely before cutting. Makes about 12 slices.

Serve with mango jam and a cup of Kona coffee for a Hawaiian breakfast treat.

Note: For more 'Apple' banana recipes, click here.

Pickled Radish Hawaiian-Style

Hawaiian Sweet & Spicy Pickled Daikon

Fresh daikon from Molokai's Farmers Market
Click on photo to view larger

Fresh daikon is readily available in markets here in Hawaii. You see it used shredded as a garnish for sushi, but my favorite way to serve them is pickled in a sweet & spicy brine (much better than commercial brands). They are served with rice and grilled fish or chicken, or just eat them as a snack. They are some of the best pickles you can imagine.

Ingredients:
2 pounds daikon radish no larger than 2 inches in diameter, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt, or kosher salt
4 teaspoons plus 1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons powdered turmeric
2 1-inch slices peeled ginger, cut into strips
2 Hawaiian chili peppers, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Procedure:
Place daikon slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and 4 teaspoons of brown sugar, mix well. Place the colander over a bowl and let drain for about 1 hour, or until the radish slices are bendable. Rinse the salt and sugar off a couple of times under cold running water and dry the slices well. Put the slices into two sterilized quart glass jars.

In a small saucepan over medium heat add the vinegar, water, 1 cup brown sugar, turmeric, ginger, and chopped Hawaiian chili pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat.

Carefully pour the hot turmeric brine into a strainer over the jars to cover the radish slices with the brine up to 1/4 inch from the rim of the jar. You want to do this while your brine is still relatively hot, as this improves the final crunch factor of you radish slices. If you wait until your brine has cooled down to add it to your radish slices, you'll end up with relatively soft radishes with little crunch. Screw the lid on tightly before the jar cools, then refrigerate for a minimum of two days, or as long as a week, as it ferments. At this point they are ready to eat. Pickled daikon will last for months stored in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 quarts.

For more daikon recipes, click here.

Good Things Come In Small Packages

Tobiko Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs have been around for a long time, but they need a facelift for the Holiday season. Tobiko is the Japanese word for flying fish egg caviar. They can be found here on Moloka'i at Friendly Market or in most Japanese markets. They are crisp and sweet and go really well with eggs, making deviled eggs into something special. Serve with champaign or a cold glass of Japanese beer. Happy Holidays!

Ingredients:
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled, chilled and cut in half
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon tobiko (small fish egg caviar)
salt to taste
2 teaspoons minced parsley
1/4 cup tobiko for garnishing the top of each deviled egg
Parsley leaves for garnish

Procedure:
To cook the eggs and make them easy to peel, add the eggs, 2 teaspoons of white vinegar and a pinch of salt to lukewarm water in a pot to just cover the eggs. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Then cover, turn off heat, and let sit 11 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove hard boiled eggs and place in a large bowl of ice water. Let cool 10-20 minutes.

Halve each egg lengthwise and carefully transfer the yolks into a small bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork until fine and crumbly. Gently mix with the mayonnaise, minced parsley, and 1 tablespoon of tobiko. Taste and season with a little salt. Fill the egg halves with the yolk mixture and top each egg half with a dab more of tobiko and top each egg with a small leaf of parsley for garnish. Serve immediately. Makes 8 tobiko deviled eggs.

For more Tobiko recipes click here!