food | They went west

If you haven’t already gathered I love food. I love to eat it, make it, buy it, go to restaurants and scarf it, watch TV shows and read books about it, and perhaps most of all I love to share it. I’ve been told on many occasions while here in Kauai that I may have missed my calling as a chef, but I’m not so sure that is true. Making food is a great hobby and stress reliever for me and one of the only reasons I made it through graduate school with an ounce of sanity because I like to cook with no rules. I handfull of this, a pinch of that, stirring it until it looks good. Of course I love a good recipe now and then, but most of the time I just love to wing it. Sometimes I am spectacularly successful at winging it, and sometimes I’m a spectacular failure (just ask R about the biscuits I tried to make from scratch and without a recipe last week. . . Yuck). Pursuing a food career seems like it might take out some of the joy and whimsy that I love so much, especially if I were run into Gordon Ramsey or any of those crazy people on Cutthroat Kitchen!

Moving to Kauai has been a food lover’s dream for the most part. Fresh fruit veggies are abundant and usually grown in your own yard or your neighbors yard. Just last week I walked two houses down and bought bananas, lemons, limes, and a giant bunch of cilantro from my neighbor for $8. We’ve enjoyed mangoes, avocados, starfruit, mandarin oranges, and papayas grown in our own back yard and sampled filipino-style roasted pig caught, butchered and prepared by our neighbors and fish so fresh it was practically still swimming. Even with all of this fresh and interesting tropical food, sometimes there is no replacing your favorites from home.

After that sappy foodie love fest above and the availability of new and interesting food on this island it is hard to even write this, but I am DYING for one dish. Just one, rather unremarkable in any other state or circumstance dish. What is that dish? A Chipotle burrito bowl. Not just a Chipotle burrito bowl, a burrito bowl with white rice, black beans, steak, pico and hot salsa, cheese, lettuce, no sour cream and a giant scoop of guacamole (yes I know it is extra). Chipotle now an international company is a Colorado native (yes I have been to the original restaurant in Denver) and was a staple of my diet as an undergrad and let’s be honest as poor newlywed young adult as well. This week Chipotle officially launched their vegan meat substitute, Sofritas, with a nationwide buy one get one free burrito offer and the promotion made waves across the internet newsosphere. The company also made headlines for removing carnitas from many stores because of unsustainable farming practices of some of their suppliers. With Chipotle news popping up all over the place and my social media feed exploding with pictures of free burritos my stomach and also my heart screamed for a Chipotle burrito.

With no Chipotle restaurants in the state of Hawaii, there is just no getting a Chipotle burrito whenever I want one. If you are as lucky as I am you may have a sister that will occasionally overnight your favorite food from home when a case of homesickness sets in, but when that isn’t an option, I have to make it myself. With all of the hubub about tofu sofritas this week, I decided the best way to kick the Chipotle craving (or kick it into high gear) would be to try my hand at making sofritas and their signature cilantro lime rice on my own. Boulder was one of the test markets for Sofritas so I have had the chipotle version before and I was pretty impressed. I like tofu and we actually eat it at least once per week in a variety of ways, but when it is mixed up with chilies and spices and put in tacos and burritos it does turn into something pretty spectacular. Sofritas in Chipotle speak is ground tofu kicked up with adobo peppers and other spices. Sofrito in Mexican cuisine means lightly fried (or at least my high school spanish and advanced Mexican restaurant menu interpretation skills makes me think that is what it means) and is a dish that usually contains ground meat, tomatoes, beans, rice and spices.

Here’s what I did to make faux-potle sofritas –

Bought this:

1 package firm tofu
1 can organic black beans
1 can organic tomatoes

Already had this in the pantry/fridge:

Tortillas
Calrose rice
505 green chilies (medium heat)
Spices (fresh cilantro, dried cumin, dried red pepper flakes, salt, garlic salt)
2 limes (from the neighbor’s sale!)
3 cloves fresh garlic
Olive Oil

Did this:

For Sofritas:
Heated 1 good glug of olive oil in a tall-sided skillet
Added minced garlic cloves to the hot oil and stirred quickly
Added one block of firm tofu to pan and smashed with a fork until it resembled meat crumbles or scrambled eggs (drain your tofu before cooking by squishing it with some paper towels and weight for at least 20 minutes if you want an even firmer meatier texture)
Add rinsed black beans, ¼ cup or more of green chilies and 1 can tomatoes to to skillet
Season to taste with cumin, chili flakes and salt

For the rice
Cooked 1 cup rice according to directions (All I had on hand was calrose rice which is a sticky rice and definitely not what Chipotle uses. Try a longer grain rice like a basmati to replicate the texture of Chipotle rice better than I did)
Seasoned rice with hefty sprinkle of garlic salt, heaping handful of chopped fresh cilantro and the juice of one small lime.
Fluff with fork and serve.

With the faux sofritas I made a burrito bowl, cilantro-lime rice on bottom covered in sofritas, shredded cheddar, fresh spinach and an extra scoop of green chilies. R served up some soft tacos and we both closed our eyes and imagined we were in the concrete and corrugated metal decorated restaurant on 29th street in Boulder. It was delicious and satisfying even it it was faux-potle and we will definitely be keeping this recipe handy for when the craving strikes again.

It’s your lucky day, a blog double feature! Even better, this one is all about food! I really love to cook and one of the constants of this big adventure for R and I is cooking. We loved to cook in CO and were fortunate to have friends in the food industry to learn from and enjoy food with. Preparing a good meal is just something that I thoroughly enjoy doing at the end of the day. Even during the most stressful and busy times of my grad student life I made time to make a healthy and satisfying meal at least a few nights a week. Recently a friend told me I was in the wrong profession after noshing on some vegetarian enchiladas and some guacamole I made from our abundant avocados (recipes below!). That was a HUGE compliment, and while I know that I have no desire to cook professionally, I love to do it for friends, family and myself.

I set out with the intention of posting more recipes and sharing the amazing food and fresh ingredients we get to use and enjoy here in Kauai on the blog but the excitement of the move and the renovation of the house has taken up most of the spotlight. Well move over construction, it’s time to shine a little light on my favorite part of hawaii. . . the food!

Thai green beans

First, a bit about our new favorite staples and fresh ingredients. Produce is abundant here in Kauai and the daily farmers markets showcase a spectacular array of tropical fruit, fresh eggs, fish and occasionally meat, cheeses and honey. Shopping for food on this island is not one of my favorite things (a carton of organic milk usually runs about 6-8 dollars a pop – what?!) but the farmer’s markets offer affordable produce that is locally grown and supports people here. I’m not one to poo poo the convenience of the modern supermarket or the advances and (mostly) positive impact that science has had on food, but the assortment of fresh produce and local support that the farmer’s markets provide makes me feel warm and fuzzy and drool a little bit for the endless possibilities for new dishes and recipes. Some of our favorite farmers market finds include longons (delicious little fruits that taste like a melon and a grape had a baby), long beans, okra, japanese eggplant, spring onions, purple potatoes, apple bananas, Hawaiian ginger, and the list goes on and on. We even scored some local honey comb a few weeks ago and have been savoring it spread on sourdough toast for a quick and decadent breakfast.

Enough with the super healthy produce talk, another favorite here in Kauai, all things plate lunch. Plate lunch is a Hawaiian staple and usually consists of one entree protein (Kalua pork, chicken katsu, teri(yaki) chicken various others) and two giant scoops of white rice and one giant scoop of mac(aroni) salad. It. Is. Heavenly. It’s a ton of salty and satisfying food that is usually a decent price. You can also score awesome additions like lomi lomi salmon, a smoked salmon mixed with tomato and onion like a little salmon salsa – I really want to spread it on a bagel with cream cheese every time I come across it, and chicken long rice which is a dish made of long clear chinese noodles and chicken. If I had endless money and no fear of overdosing on sodium I think I would be content eating plate lunch every day. Something about a styrofoam clamshell box filled with heavy starches and saucy meats just makes my tummy rumble YUM!!

Since R and I do love to indulge in plate lunch and try restaurants and new food here are a few of our recent recipes healthy and not, enjoy!

Go make a mess in your kitchen!

XO
RT

Recipe Theme: A fall meal for friends
Appetizer: Pomegranate, feta and cilantro guacamole
I can’t claim development of this incredibly delicious recipe, I learned from a very talented friend and chef in CO, but this guac is not just delicious, it’s really beautiful, colorful food!

Avocado abundance

What you need:
4 avocados, mashed (use a hand blender for extra smooth and creamy texture
1-2 small tubs of crumbled feta cheese (add to taste really, I like more cheese so if I’m making this for a party, it gets two doses of cheesy goodness)

2 pomegranates, seeded (If you don’t want to fight with pomegranates pick up prepared pomegranate from your grocery store. If you want to fight the good fight and prepare the pom yourself, watch this.
½ bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
Garlic salt to taste
Juice from 1 lime

What to do:
Mash the avo with the mixer, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Remember to taste as you go to get the perfect balance of salty sweetness. Serve with anything, chips, crackers, veggies, or just straight off the spoon.

They went west butternut and black bean enchiladas

Black bean and butternut filling

Entree: Vegetarian black bean and butternut squash enchiladas.
Again not going to claim I came up with this combination, but a few twists make this one an original and a big time crowd pleaser for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Very easy to modify for gluten free or just to put your own spin on it!

What you need:
2 cans black beans, washed and drained1 medium-size butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped (you could roast and mash and it would be equally delicious and far less work!)
½ a medium yellow onion, diced
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
Dried cumin, chile powder and garlic salt to taste
1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed
Green chile enchilada sauce (I use 505 green chile but you can use your favorite canned or homemade)
4 cups shredded cheese (I use cheddar, but a mild Mexican cheese would be a superb substitute)
Tortillas of choice (I uses a corn/flour blend I usually buy at costco to get the taste of corn tortillas with the texture of flour. For a GF option use corn tortillas and make sure to heat them so they will be pliable before you use them)

Mix the chopped squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the spices. Mix well to coat the squash with the spices and let sit for a few minutes while you prepare your tall-sided frying pan or dutch oven.

Heat the remaining olive oil in the frying pan or dutch oven and add the smashed garlic. Cook until the garlic starts to brown and then remove it from your cooking oil. Add the onion and cook until slightly translucent. Add the chopped squash and cook until the outside starts to caramelize but the inside still has a slight crisp. The squash will cook to silky perfection in the oven. Once your squash has been cooked, remove it from the heat and add the black beans. Mix gently to combine and let cool slightly.

Once your filling is cool, fill your tortillas with 1-2 spoonfuls of filling, a sprinkle of cheese and spoonful of your favorite enchilada sauce or green chile. Roll the tortillas with the filling and place seam-side down in a 9x13in baking dish. Top the enchiladas with the remaining shredded cheese and enchilada sauce. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until sauce and cheese are bubbly and calling your name.

Dessert: Four ingredient chocolate coconut tart

This recipe is from Martha Stewart’s New Pies and Tarts cookbook and you can also find it on several blogs as well. One of my favorites and where I found it originally is The Marion House Book Blog. Pictures and directions there are far better than I could ever write or take so head over there for the full preparation instructions. All you need is 4 ingredients, butter, sweet shredded coconut, bittersweet chocolate and whipping cream. Turns out beautiful and serves a crowd because it extremely decadent. I used Lindt 70% chocolate and served it with a side of Hawaiian ginger spiced whipped cream. If you don’t have a pie plate, try a square baking dish for more of a layered bar. I think it would work just fine! Be careful, this tart is almost too easy to make.

They went west

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Faux-Potle

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