Lovin me some white honey!

I have a new favorite thing! White organic Ohia Lehua honey. This stuff is the bomb! It tastes so good with Fage yogurt. Its not like regular honey where you can pour over your food. You need to scoop it out, Its thick and grainy and has such a great taste. They have hives all over the Island and different variety's too. Lance liked the macadamia nut blossom. Check out there website for more information. http://www.bigislandbees.com/index.php

Roasted Whole Chicken

Ingredients:

3-4lb Whole Chicken

1 Onion quartered

1 Lemon

4 garlic cloves sliced in half

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

4 tablespoons Parsley, sage, and rosemary chopped (usually I would use thyme but parsley is what I had on hand)

Directions:

Clean and dry your chicken. This will help to insure a nice crust on your chicken once it’s finished. Stuff you chicken ;) With your onion, lemon and garlic. Don't worry about chopping them good, there in there for the flavor. You'll be taking them out before serving.

In a small bowl add your chopped herbs, olive oil, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.

Rub down your chicken with the herb mix. Place in 450 degree oven for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes until golden brown.

Once the chicken is roasted, let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

*One of our favorite things to have with roast chicken is fried potatoes. Add a couple tablespoons of shortening or butter to a hot pan and let it melt, add one sliced onion and cook for one minute. Add about 8 chopped red potatoes and fry for about 15 minutes. Season and serve.

Warm Potato Salad

This is great warm or you can cover and refrigerate overnight to soak up the ingredients (its better warm). It will come out with an orange tint because of the paprika, this also gives it a smokey flavor, great for bbq's. This feeds about 6 but you can double the recipe. enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 Red potatoes

4 hard boiled eggs

1 1/2 cups Mayo

1 carrot grated

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon mustard

Directions:

Boil potatoes until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. (You can add your eggs the last 7 minutes and let boil with potatoes) When potatoes are finished drain and let cool for 15 minutes or so. Dice up all the potatoes and chop up the eggs and add to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix till all is coated.

Pesto Potatoes

Roast about 8 small red potatoes or roughly 2 per person, by chopping potatoes into fours and drizzling them with olive oil, roast for 30-40 minutes in a 400 degree oven. When finished toss in 1/4 cup pesto.

Pesto

After harvesting a good portion of my basil I decided to make some pesto..This came out super good! We made pesto potatoes and poured it over baked chicken. You can use it in place of pasta sauce or pizza sauce. I used a mix of Italian and purple basil. You usually use Parmesan-Reggiano but I like Asiago Fresco

Ingredients:

4 cups basil

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 

5 teaspoons minced garlic

2/3 cup + 1/2 cup Olive oil

1 cup shredded Asiago Fresco

Directions:

Add basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a blender and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 2/3 cup of the oil and cheese, blend then slowly stream in 1/2 cup oil. Blend till smooth.

Swiss Chard

I never cooked or ate Swiss chard before so when my sister gave me a huge bunch I was clueless. I ended up treating it like spinach. It has a real earthy taste and its something i need to buy more of and try out. I read up that you need to use it fresh. If its old like you get form a supermarket its not as flavorful. My sister gave me ones she got from her garden that day so it was very fresh. I guess farmers markets are the way to go if you have no green thumb (like me).

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard cleaned and ribs chopped off

1/2 an onion chopped

1 garlic clove minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp water

1 teaspoon butter

Salt

On medium-high heat cook, garlic and onion in olive oil for a couple minutes. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Stir fry for about 7-10 minutes Add salt to taste, and a dollop of butter.

Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad

Me and the DH just started an herb garden and our basil has gone crazy. I needed to use it up and this recipe did the trick. I used 2 cups of cooked quinoa, salt and pepper, a bunch of basil and 1 large chopped tomato. The DH still needed some protein so I added some cooked sausage. You can drizzle on some balsamic vinaigrette to your taste. I refrigerated over night and had it for lunch the next day. It was fresh tasting from the basil and tomatoes but still filled you up from the protein and quinoa. Enjoy!

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients:

10 medium-sized red-skinned potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 placing the rack in the middle of the oven.  Cut the unpeeled potatoes into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl.  Add olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Pour the potatoes onto the baking sheet so that they lie in a single layer.  Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown on the outside and tender when pierced with a fork.

Sautéed Peas with Mint

Simple side dish, yet very tasty. The peas will taste better if there fresh but you can substitute it for 1 lb of frozen peas;thawed.

Ingredients:

3 cups shelled English peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped mint

salt and pepper

Directions:

Saute peas in oil over medium heat. Stirring occasionally until tender, 3 minutes. Stir in mint and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6

Peppers and Beans

Ingredients

Handful of green or wax beans 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bell pepper sliced (I used half a yellow and red)
3 tablespoons Aloha shoyu or Kikoman for a stronger soy sauce taste
2 teaspoons sesame oil 
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

Cut ends of green beans and place in a skillet with a 1/4 cup lightly salted water. Cook for 5 minutes, then drain. Place the skillet back on stove and add vegetable oil. Heat pan over high and add beans peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the soy and sesame oil and transfer to a dish, let it sit for a minute to soak up the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

Basic Quinoa

In a sauce pan bring 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups broth or water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Makes 3 cups.

To make in a rice cooker, just treat quinoa like rice. Add two parts broth to one part quinoa, stir, cover. Stir occasionally until rice cooker turns off. 

Simmered Sweet Kabocha

Ingredients:

1 Small Japanese pumpkin

1 cup dashi stalk or water

4 tablespoons suagr white or brown

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions:

Cut Pumpkin into 1 and 1/2 inch chunks

Leave skin on if you like.

Put dashi soup stock, sugar, soy sauce, and kabocha chunks in a pan.

Place the pan in high heat and bring it to boil.

Turn down the heat to low.

Simmer pumpkin until the liquid is almost gone. Toss in a couple tablespoons of butter and serve warm or cold.  

Cream Peas

Ingredients:

2 cans Baby sweet peas

2/3 cup water

3 tablespoons butter

2/3 cups heavy cream or milk

2 1/2 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon sugar

dash of salt and pepper

Directions: 

In a medium saucepan, add peas, water, & salt. Bring to a boil, and stir in butter.  Whisk together cream, flour, and sugar in small bowl. Stir mixture into peas. Cook over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly. Dont over stir or your peas will turn to mush!

Quick Broiled Tomatoes

Cut a couple large tomatoes in half, with cut sides up drizzle on olive oil, salt and pepper. Place under broiler for about 5 min. Add feta cheese (or whatever you have on hand). Cook under broiler until cheese is browned. Garnish with basil.

Rosemary potato pancakes

4 medium potatoes, peeled, shredded, & drained of liquids

2 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp flour

1 egg

1/2 chopped onion

1 tsp rosemary

salt and pepper

Mix and fry. You can top with Parmesan cheese and a dollop of sour cream ;)

'Ahi Poke

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed raw 'ahi

1 cup 'opihi

6 whole crabs, cleaned, salted, and quartered

2 pounds octopus, thinly sliced

1/2 cup ogo

1 cup coarsely chopped limu wawae'iole

2 tomatoes chopped

2 cups chopped cucumber

1 cup chopped onion

6 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and chill well.