Mad Gourmet's Vegetarian Poke

My next recipe was somewhat inspired by a story when we were in Kona for Fourth of July. On the way to the parade, one of the parade participants and I were exchanging what our favorite luau food is. Surprisingly, the discussion turned to poke. I shared with my new friend that I have a vegetarian poke recipe. He was surprised. He had never heard of a vegetarian poke (This was not a surprise to me because my Hawaiian hula teacher once told me that if you will rarely find a Hawaiian vegetarian). 

My new friend was somewhat curious on what was in it, so I explained that it had mushrooms, macadamia nuts, onions, seaweed... His reaction: "Oh... It's like a salad" We both laughed and proceeded to enjoy the parade!

I guess it kinda is.

However, this made me realize that I need to write about my veggie poke. I have been meaning to write about this for a while now, since I made it for Thanksgiving years ago. But you all know how my schedule has been like... Crazy. Time flew by... It has been so long that I misplaced the recipe. I searched and searched and had no luck. So I had to recreate it...

Now, why did I choose veggies, Technically, poke does not need to be made with raw fish. poké in a Hawaiian means "to cut," so (I think) anything cut in pieces is technically pokè. The more popular versions of poké are made of ahi or octopus. Since I cannot have raw fish anymore, I need an alternative.

Hence my version....

Actually, I think this recipe was somewhat based on Sam Choi's poke recipe. I had to start with something, right? I also remember borrowing components from a vegetarian mushroom poke that I found and is now lost.  I knew wanted to use mushrooms, specifically Portabella, as a substitute for the fish. It already has a good meat-like texture.

My other challenge was to replicate the unami flavor of a fish-based poke. The answer was seaweed and soy! I used ogo in this version (from a Poke mix) but I think the seaweed snacks provided more flavor in this case. The Mac nuts should add a burst of protein and texture. I suppose one can use

Try it for Meatless Monday.... And let me know what you think.

Mad Gourmet’s Vegetarian Poke

Ingredients

• 1 Portabella Mushroom (about 6 inches diameter)
• 3 Tbsp seaweed (I used half ogo in the poke mix (follow the directions on package) or strips of seaweed snacks)
• 1/2 medium-sized tomato, diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 Tbsp red onion (You can use a bit more – but I’m not a big fan of raw red onions)
• 1-2 Tbsp of macadamia nuts, unsalted (I’m a fan of this, so 2 Tbsp!)
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• For garnish: 1-2 Tbsp green onion, chopped

Directions

1. Scrape gills from undersides of mushrooms with spoon, and discard. Cut mushrooms into bite-sized pieces (for me, 1/2 – 3/4 inch).
2. Combine all the ingredients except for the green onion. Mix well. Allow flavors to blend for 1 hour before serving.
3. Garnish with the chopped green onion before serving.

Hope you enjoy!

I really love this recipe. I get the “poke” sensation, but not miss any meat.

If you prefer, you can make it pescatarian by adding cooked fish to your bowl, I did that the next day because we had extra ahi. Served with taro chips, it's a perfect lunch.

P.S. For more poke ideas, check out Aloha Hawaii’s Poke Page. 


Mahalo for reading. Aloha!

Lighter Onolicious Butter Mochi

It has been a while... My day job has been getting the best of me last year. I have been working long hours as usual and all my energies have been focused on work. Don’t get me wrong – I have been cooking, but it was mostly for sustenance. I have been relying on the cooking experience that I had in the previous year to add some variation, but I have had no time to read up on trends, new techniques, or even watch cooking shows. Honestly, I miss it... a lot!


However, it's a new year. I had time to relax and somewhat catch up. What the New Year also means is making mochi for our dojo's new year celebration. We celebrate Kagami Baraki every year, and one of the traditional treats is mochi. I feel compelled to somewhat maintain tradition - perhaps in a non-traditional way.

I have a small batch mochi recipe that I've been using when I have the urge to make mochi. But that is usually good for only 2-3 people (or one very hungry cook). I do not think that would be good for a potluck though, plus I am not looking forward to rolling mochi balls for 20 people (Watch out for it on a future post, though).

I found a recipe for Butter Mochi a while ago and decided it was time to make it for this year's party. It's not quite Japanese mochi, but I think this reflects my personality especially at the dojo: Slightly Japanese, slightly Hawaiian - although I am neither (I'm Filipino). In reading the reviews, some people said that this recipe reminded them of Filipino bibingka. So, this is almost perfect...

The one that I found originally had adzuki beans and I could not find it. Luckily, this one from allrecipes was very similar. The bonus was it had a high ranking.

What I don't like about it was it seemed to be too rich - eggs, butter, condensed milk, coconut milk - oh so yummy, but so high calorie. Besides, with all the rich foods everyone has been enjoying through the holidays, I thought a lighter version would be more appropriate, but being cautious not to sacrifice flavors.

Since the holidays allowed me to rest my brain cells, I believe I have come up with very good, if not excellent, substitutions. If it were last year, I'd probably come up with zilch. 

This is what I have so far… as always, let me know what you think.



Lighter Ono Butter Mochi

Based on Ono Butter Mochi from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mochiko (1 box)
• 1 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 cup lite coconut milk (I can)
• 1 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or more)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp of salt

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 x13 inch baking dish (or if you prefer thinner cakes, 2 8 x 8 inch baking dishes).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and milk.
• In a separate larger bowl, stir together the rice flour, sugar, and baking powder.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir to blend. Mix in melted butter. Pour into the prepared pan(s).
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Cool completely, then cut into squares to serve.

Verdict:

Butter Mochi: The crust is the best!

As the Hawaiians would say, Auwe! This was a hit at the party. The kids loved it, and asked me to make it again soon. The adults even asked me for the recipe. I was quite flattered. My self-proclaimed non-dessert eating husband even had seconds!

I brought some extras at the office, and one of my office mates said that it reminded them of an Indian snack called Pitha. According to her, pitha also has rice flour, coconut milk, sugar - but no eggs. Another office mate said it tasted like a Malay snack called kuay. No sure of the spellings though…

One change that I would make is to figure out how to half the recipe. This resulted in two 8 x 8 pans (I made them thinner) and while that is awesome, I think that may be too much. I have some ideas... But I need to experiment. I guess no one would complain if I make some more.

As a side note... It really feels good to write again. I really do hope I have more opportunity to do so in 2017. I have a list of projects to share specifically those inspired by our last trip to Kona in Hawaii last summer. Unfortunately, this year is going to be busy again... No complaints... it's job-security. I am wishing for more time to write.

Here’s to more creativity and more writing. Happy New Year!!!

Mad About Minis: Single-serve Haupia Coconut Pudding

I had a bit of a writer's block for Thanksgiving. I was not too sure what to feature for thanksgiving since we normally do not do a traditional Thanksgiving feast. My mom is usually out of town this time of the year (time for a long drive) and my husband's family is 2000 miles away.

That does not stop us from celebrating. I consider Thanksgiving a cook's holiday because it's an opportunity to plan a themed dinner and prepare it. These days we’re only doing it for the two of us, but who knows when it will change.

This year, we decided on a Hawaiian style menu: sweet and sour spareribs, ahi and veggie poke, and of course, kalua-style turkey and cabbage (Note: I am still working on some of these recipes starting with the poke, so expect them in my blog next year). We considered buying some laulau, but decided we have too much food as it is.

For dessert, I made Haupia for two. Haupia is a coconut milk pudding traditionally made with arrowroot starch. I really have to make this single or double serve because it is soooo good and I may not be able to resist the whole batch! I once bought two orders of it at a local eatery for a potluck and the cashier thought it was all for me. She said she could finish two or three orders.

Since coconut milk is the "thing" these days, you may enjoy this recipe, especially if this is your first encounter with Haupia. I based this on a recipe I learned from a Hawaiian cooking class. Hope you enjoy it.

Mad Gourmet’s Single-serve Haupia (Coconut milk pudding)

Based on a recipe by Ron Serrao

Thickening...

Ingredients

• 1/4 c of canned coconut milk
• 2 tsp of cornstarch
• 1.5 tsp of sugar
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a small bowl or ramekin, microwave coconut milk for 20 seconds to warm it up.
2. Mix rest of the ingredients and dissolve.
3. Heat in microwave in 20 second intervals until mixture coats the back of a spoon. (Usually about a minute or three 20 second attempts - see photo below)
4. Cool and enjoy.

Verdict

It took me a while to figure out what to write, but I think this was worth sharing. I have been meaning to explore the snack cakes from Hawaii and the Philippines and this is a good start. It's easy to make.

I think the portion size for this recipe is perfect – Just enough to have a sweet finish to a tasty Hawaiian feast.

This recipe scales easily too. If you need it for two or three, just scale it appropriately.  Please do note, the original recipe was for 12 and used 1/4 tsp of salt.

I usually make this when I have leftover coconut milk (usually from making curry). I have not tried it using coconut milk from the carton yet. If you try it let me know how it turns out. It's fairly quick to make too, so it's great for a quick dessert.

The other thing is you can have fun with it since Haupia can be easily molded or cut. See what I did with a cookie cutter. Love it!

Aloha! A hui hoi.