Kale... Superfood That Tastes Good!

Tuscan or Dinosaur Kale grown at Kumu Farms here on Molokai. They also have curly kale.
Click on photo to view larger

I have a love affair with kale. The most common variety of kale is curly kale. It gets its name from its curly leaves. Curly kale seems to cook a little faster than dinosaur kale (shown above) and is a little less bitter. There is another variety which is called red Russian kale. The stalks of this variety are slightly purple and the leaves have a reddish tinge. The stalks are very fibrous and are not usually eaten as they can be rather difficult to chew and swallow. The leaves of red Russian kale are sweeter and more delicate than other types, with a hint of pepper and lemon, almost like sorrel. They are ideal for salads, sandwiches, juices, and as a garnish.

Kale has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any vegetable, and until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was one of the most common green vegetables in all of Europe. Kale’s nutrient richness stands out in three particular areas: (1) antioxidant nutrients, (2) anti-inflammatory nutrients, and (3) anti-cancer nutrients in the form of glucosinolates. Look for kale with firm, deeply colored leaves and moist hardy stems.

Serving suggestions:

Kale can be enjoyed raw in salads or on sandwiches or wraps, steamed, braised, boiled, sautéed or added to soups and casseroles.

In salads: When using kale raw in salads, massage the leaves by scrunching them briefly in the hands. This begins the breakdown of the cellulose in the leaves and helps release the nutrients for easier absorption.

As a side dish: Sauté fresh garlic and onions in extra-virgin olive oil until soft. Add kale and continue to sauté until desired tenderness. Alternatively, steam for 5 minutes, then drain and stir in a dash of soy sauce and tahini.

Kale chips: Remove the ribs from the kale and toss in extra-virgin olive oil or lightly spray and sprinkle with a combination of cumin, curry powder, chili powder, roasted red pepper flakes or garlic powder. Bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 30 minutes to desired crispness.

Smoothies: In a food processor or a high-speed blender, add a handful of kale to your favorite smoothie. It will add nutrients without changing the flavor very much.

Risks of eating Kale:

Beta-blockers, a type of medication most commonly prescribed for heart disease, can cause an increase in potassium levels in the blood. High potassium foods, such as bananas and cooked kale, should be consumed in moderation when taking beta-blockers.

Consuming too much potassium can be harmful for those whose kidneys are not fully functional. If the kidneys cannot remove excess potassium from the blood, consuming additional potassium could be fatal.

A cup of kale provides 1,062.1 mcg of vitamin K. This could interfere with the activity of blood thinners such as warfarin, or Coumadin. Patients who are taking these medications should speak to their doctor about foods to avoid.

Ham & Eggs with Kale
The combination of ham, eggs, and kale makes this recipe something special. 

It is ideal for breakfast, but I enjoy this recipe anytime of day.

Usually available at Friendly Market

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup of chopped onion
1/2 cup of ham steak, diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 cups fresh curly kale, stems removed 

   and thinly sliced
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Procedure:
Heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add chopped onion and saute until the onions are translucent. Now add the diced ham and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute.

Now add the thinly sliced kale to the pan and toss with the onions and olive oil. Cook for a few minutes, until the kale is just wilted.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the beaten eggs to the pan. Stir until the eggs begin to set. Then stir in the grated cheddar cheese and Italian seasoning. Remove from heat and continue to stir a few times until the cheese is melted and the eggs are cooked. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 2 servings.

Oyster Sauce
Click on photo to view larger

Curly Kale with Oyster Sauce

This is a very easy side dish that goes well with pork, chicken or beef.

Ingredients:
tablespoon canola oil
1-2 large garlic clove, sliced
7 ounces curly kale, rinsed with stems removed
3 fluid ounces boiling water
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Procedure:
Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Now add the kale and toss around the pan to coat in the garlicky oil. Pour over boiling water and cook for 7 minutes more until the kale has just wilted and is cooked through. Stir in the soy and oyster sauces and heat and serve.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Sesame Kale
Another delicious side dish using kale with sesame oil and seeds.

Ingredients:

Kadoya Brand
sesame oil

1 1/2 pounds curly kale
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
fresh ground pepper to taste

Procedure:
Wash the kale, but let the water cling to it. Cut off and discard the tough stems. Slice the leaves once down the middle, then cut them crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips. In a wok, heat the oil. Add the garlic. Saute for 10 seconds. Add the kale with broth. Cover and steam for 3 minutes until the kale wilts. Add the soy sauce. Top the kale with sesame seeds and fresh ground pepper. Serve.

Makes 6, 1/2 cup servings.


Gingered Pork Tenderloin 
with Cremini Mushrooms, Garlic & Kale
Company food, or treat your family to this delicious meal for four.

Marinade Ingredients:
1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Stir-fry Ingredients:
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut diagonally across the grain into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby portobello mushrooms), halved
3 cups chopped curly kale

Ingredients for Service:
2 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
Cook enough Jasmine rice for 4

Procedure:
In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients, then add the sliced pork tenderloin, stir to cover in marinade and let sit covered in the refrigerated for at least 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Remove the pork slices from the marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade, and add the pork to wok with the garlic. Saute for about 2-3 minutes until the meat is browned, stirring often (don't burn the garlic). Remove the pork and garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Then add in the mushrooms, kale, and reserved marinade, and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the kale is wilted, the sauce has thickened and com to a boil, and the mushrooms have cooked, stirring regularly so that the sauce does not burn. Add the pork and toss to combine.

Serve immediately over cooked Jasmine rice, garnished with chopped green onions.

Makes 4 servings.

Easy Hawaiian Cooking Without Breaking The Bank

If you live in Hawaii then you know that it has the highest cost of living of any state in the union. People work hard to make ends meet, and having a large family makes life in Hawaii even harder. Top that with the fact that more and more people don't have the time or desire to cook for their families. This all may lead to meals that are not beneficial to your families health.

Hawaii is a state with a diverse ethnic groups, Hawaiians, Filipinos, Japanese, Portuguese, etc., most of whom came to Hawaii to improve their lives. They brought their ethnic recipes with them, some good for you and some not so good. So this is a collection of easy recipes to help all of you busy people enjoy cooking without breaking the bank.



Poi... For Hawaiian Baby Food

Wet-land taro field on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i.

The other day I was sitting in my dentist waiting room. A Hawaiian couple was sitting across from me holding a young baby that looked very healthy. I introduced myself and asked her what she fed him and her husband said poi mixed with sweet potato.

Poi is the pounded root of taro, a sacred plant in Hawaii. The root is high in calories, very easily digestible, an excellent source of calcium and iron, and — that critical factor for infants — hypoallergenic. It turns out that many children in Hawaii are raised on poi and the National Institute of Health has recognized that it just might be the perfect baby food.

Taro, when cooked, takes on the flavor of what it is cooked with, like cooked sweet potatoes. The use of poi as baby food continues to be a popular practice in the islands, and local wisdom has it that "a chubby baby is a poi baby." Check out this website: https://parentinghealthybabies.com/taro-benefits/

Potato-Mac Salad with Surimi and Green Peas

There are many variations to this classic Hawaiian mac salad, but this is my favorite.

Ingredients:
1 pound package elbow macaroni pasta
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound surimi (imitation crab), cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (defrosted, no need to cook them)
1 cup celery (finely chopped)
1 cup shredded carrots
6 large hard boiled eggs (chopped)
2 tablespoons sweet relish
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3/4 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts)
3 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
1 chopped green onion (white and green parts) for garnish

Procedure:
Boil macaroni and potatoes in separate pots, 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked to your taste, drain & cool 30 minutes. Add all other ingredients to cooled macaroni and potatoes, in a large bowl. Gently stir to mix everything together. Keep cold in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The macaroni and potatoes will absorb the mayo, so you may want to make your salad a day ahead to let the flavors combine. You might also want to add more mayonnaise just before serving. Garnish with more chopped green onion.

Makes 16 generous servings.

Coleslaw with Lemon Dressing

This is a very easy salad to make and works as either a main course or a side salad.

Click on photo to view larger

Ingredients for Coleslaw:
2 cups finely sliced purple cabbage
2 cups finely sliced napa cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup toasted pumpkin or    sunflower seeds

Ingredients for Lemon Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice,
or to taste
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon rind zest
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Procedure:
In a medium serving bowl, combine the prepared purple and napa cabbage, carrots and parsley. Set aside.

Toast your seeds in a small skillet, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the they are fragrant but not burnt.

To make the Lemon Dressing:
In a small bowl, combine everything, then whisk until thoroughly blended.

Drizzle the dressing over the slaw and toss until all of the ingredients are lightly coated. Taste and add an additional tablespoon of lemon juice if needed. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes 4 to 6 side servings.

Note: This recipe makes a beautiful presentation as you can tell from the photo above. It can be served with a number of things, like pan seared salmon, as a side salad with broiled chicken, or barbecued pork ribs... yumm!


Opo Squash Soup  (Tabungao)

Opo - Long Squash
Click on photos to view larger

Opo is a long pale green squash that is grown around the world, and locally grown here on Molokai. When peeled and the seeds removed, it makes a delicious soup. This Filipino recipe is one of the most popular recipes on TastingHawaii.com. Other nationalities also enjoy soups with opo, adding fish, or shrimp instead of pork or chicken, and the addition of lemon grass, sesame oil, and local spices for seasoning.

Ingredients:

Opo Squash Soup

1/4 cup canola oil for frying
1 1/2 pounds fresh boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or pork, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 whole bay leaf, ripped in half
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
6 roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed, peeled,
and minced fine
1 tablespoon minced ginger
4 cups cold water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam or patis)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1- 2 pound small opo (long squash), peeled, seeded, and cut lengthwise, then cut into 1/4" slices (4 cups of cut squash)
cilantro for garnish (optional)

Procedure:
Heat a 6 quart pot or wok with cover. Add canola oil and heat until almost smoking. Add pork or chicken and stir fry. Brown and cook until medium well done, about 10 minutes on high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and bay leaf while frying. Add onions, tomato, and garlic. Continue to stir fry until vegetables are translucent and wilted. Add additional oil if needed. Add 4 cups of water to pot, cover and bring meat to a boil then lower heat to simmer. Simmer until meat is tender, about 20 minutes. Add fish sauce, soy sauce, and white vinegar to soup. Add squash to pot and cover. Simmer until squash is soft, about 20 minutes more. Add more pepper and fish sauce to adjust to your taste. Serve with white rice on the side or in the soup.

Makes 4-6 servings depending on whether you serve it as a first course or main course.

Note: I usually use chicken, dark meat, 2 wings, 2 drum bones, and 2 thighs. Leave the bones in the wok until stock is cooked, then remove the meat and bones, cut the meat into bite sized pieces and discard the bones, return chicken meat to stock, add the squash, fish sauce, soy sauce and cook for 20 minutes and serve with rice. The bones add flavor.


Portuguese Bean Soup
This is a delicious hearty rustic soup/stew, the way the Portuguese would have made it.

Ingredients:

Portuguese Bean Soup
Click on photo to see larger image

2 ham hocks
1 10-ounce mild Portuguese sausage, thickly sliced
1 chorizo sausage, peeled and broken into pieces
1 medium onion, minced
2 quarts water (8 cups)
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 celery rib, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can whole stewed tomatoes, broken with your hands
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 to 4 cups cabbage, roughly cut
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:
Place ham hock, sausages, onion, and water into a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour, covered. Take ham hocks out and remove the meat, roughly chop, and return to soup, discard bones. Stir in potatoes, celery, carrots, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic and vinegar. Cover, and continue simmering for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in cabbage and kidney beans, cook until the cabbage has softened, about 10 minutes. Taste, then add salt and pepper and more water if needed. Serve with a garden salad and fried bread (recipes below).

Makes about 10 servings.

Note: The photo above shows macaroni in the soup, many Portuguese soup recipes have macaroni in them. I decided to take it out of the recipe because it gets mushy, and I can't believe that the Azoreans used pasta in their soup anyway. If you still want to use it, use 2/3 of a cup of uncooked macaroni and put it in the soup with the potatoes.


Left Over Corned Beef Hash

I love corned beef and cabbage, but there are always leftovers. Not a problem in my house, I make corn beef hash with eggs for breakfast. All you need is a big skillet, in my case, a 10" cast iron skillet, but any skillet will do. Here's the simple recipe:

Ingredients:
Canola oil for frying
half an onion, chopped
2 small potatoes, skins on and chopped
left over corned beef, chopped into bite-size chunks (about a cup and a half)
1 small red bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 large eggs

Procedure:
Put about 2 tablespoons of canola oil into a hot skillet. Add the chopped onions and potatoes. After a few minutes of frying, reduce heat to medium and add 1/4 cup of water and cover with a lid. Let steam 3 or 4 minutes then remove lid and add the corned beef and red bell pepper. Continue cooking on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Make a hole in the middle of the skillet. Add a tablespoon of butter. When melted, crack two eggs in the center. Return the lid to the skillet, which will help cook the eggs a little without having to flip them. As soon as the eggs are done to your liking, serve with buttered toast and jam, with sliced fresh mango on the side.

Makes 2 servings.

Kabocha Squash Rice with Edamame

Japanese Kabocha Squash
Click on photos to view larger

Portuguese sailors introduced the kabocha squash to Japan in 1541, bringing it with them from Cambodia. Today it is eaten all over the world, and is very common here in Hawaii. The sweet squash flavors the rice, and the edamame (soy beans) not only tastes wonderful, but add a nice contrast to the dish. Serve with chicken, pork, or fish.

Ingredients:

Japanese Kabocha Squash Rice with Edamame

1 1/2 cups short grain rice
3 cups water
1 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sake (Japanese rice wine)
2 1/2 cups kabocha squash (peel and cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 1/2 cups cooked & shelled edamame (soy beans)
pumpkin seeds for garnish, optional

Procedure:

Put rice in a bowl. Wash and pour water out, then repeat 2 more times (this gets rid of some of the milky white starch on the rice which makes it sticky). Place rice and 3 cups of water in a heavy medium sized pot. Let it soak for 30 minutes. Meanwhile peel and cut the squash (I like to use a serrated bread knife because the tough to peel, so be careful). Set the squash aside. Just before cooking the rice, add salt and sake to the water and stir. Then add the cut kabocha squash to the rice and bring everything to a boil on high heat without a lid. When it reaches the rapid boil, put the lid on and reduce the heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot stand for 10 minutes (don't open the lid.) Fluff the rice, and cooked squash, with a spatula (the squash will be so soft that it will be mashed a little bit with the rice.) Serve and garnish with the cooked edamame, or perhaps pumpkin seeds, or both.

Makes 4-6 servings.


Thai Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound boneless beef roast, thinly sliced crosswise into 2-inch strips
1/4 pound broccoli cut into small bite-size florets
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup water

Procedure:
Heat oil in deep, heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat; add garlic and cook until a bit of garlic sizzles at once. Toss well. Add beef and toss until it changes color. Add broccoli florets and toss for about 1 min., until they turn shiny and bright green. Add oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and water and cook 3-4 min., tossing often, until broccoli is tender and beef is cooked. Transfer to small serving platter and serve hot or warm.

Makes 4 servings.


Fried Apple Banana Fritters
Fried Banana Fritters are popular all over Asia. It's important to use the right banana for this dessert. The Apple Banana here in Hawaii is perfect, with a sweet/sour flavor.  In my opinion this dessert/breakfast food is much better than Hawaii's iconic malasada, which is basically a fried doughnut hole.

These fritters are crispy on the outside, filled with a ripe apple banana chunk, that is tender and moist on the inside. Using ice-cold soda water helps the batter to get crispy, but you want to make sure that you don't put too much soda water in the batter, adding it slowly as you stir, keeping it thick. It's also a good idea to drain the grease from the fritters on a paper towel after they are fried so they are not oily, and use oil that has not been used before. Then simply dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey, very simple. Wait until you've tried these!

Click on photos to view larger

Ingredients:
3 ripe apple bananas, chopped into bite sized chunks
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 tablespoon rice flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoon canola oil (to add to batter)
1/2 cup club soda (ice cold)
Canola oil for deep frying
Powdered sugar for dusting
Honey for drizzling

Procedure:
In a large bowl, mix together the self-raising flour, corn starch, rice flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil until smooth and thick.

Now slowly add the ice cold club soda and whisk gently just until well incorporated and smooth.

In a wok, or small skillet, heat one inch of oil on medium-high heat. While waiting for the oil to come up to temperature,  325˚F, begin dipping the apple banana chunks into the batter. Using a slotted spoon, test the temperature of the oil by carefully dropping a small bit of the batter into the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the batter should begin to bubble up and lightly brown within a few seconds.

Adjust heat to medium then carefully place the battered banana chunks into the hot oil, leaving enough room in between them to turn over. Fry on each side for just about 2 or 3 minutes or so until lightly golden brown. Drain on a paper towel lined cookie sheet. Repeat as necessary with remaining banana chunks. Keep the fritters warm in a 200˚F oven, this will keep them crisp.

Place warm bananas on a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey before serving, or serve with vanilla ice-cream.

Makes 18 fritters depending on the size of the bananas.

Note: If you don't have self-rising flour, you can make your own by mixing 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Also make sure your baking powder is current. Check the expiration date on the box. Baking powder can lose its potency over time, which means your baked goods won't rise as they should.