03 March

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March 13, 2014

Chicken Long Rice

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , , , |
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Chicken Long Rice

Chicken Long Rice

March 13: National Chicken Noodle Soup Day

Whether found at the fanciest luau or in a humble Hawaiian home, chicken long rice is the islands’ comfort food equivalent of chicken noodle soup. Ironically, the “rice” in this dish is actually bean thread (also known as cellophane noodles for their transparency). The taste is similar to tinolang manok without the noodles. The hot gingery broth helps relieve congestion, the chicken provides protein and mushrooms are full of vitamins, making this textured noodle soup a healthy option.

For National Chicken Noodle Soup Day, try a dish with a tropical twist and make some chicken long rice. Aloha!

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4-5 bunches of long rice
  • 5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • water
  • 2 large chicken breasts
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 4-6 cups water
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 2-inch piece ginger, crushed
  • 2 cubes chicken bouillon
  • 1 stalk green onions, chopped (optional garnish)

Directions

In a large dish, pour boiling water to cover the long rice. Soak until soft, at least 30 minutes. Cut into shorter pieces. Drain before using. In a shallow dish, pour boiling water to cover the dried shiitake mushrooms. Soak until soft, at least 30 minutes. Remove from the water, squeeze out excess liquid and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.

Chicken Long Rice

While the noodles and mushrooms are being hydrated, chop the chicken and ginger. Heat the oil on medium high and sauté the garlic cloves. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned. Pour the water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Long Rice

Lower the heat, add the bouillon cubes and ginger, cover and simmer for 30 minutes to let the flavors develop. Add the mushrooms. Gently stir in the noodles and cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes. Discard the ginger and garlic. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve hot with chopsticks and a soup spoon.

Chicken Long Rice

Notes

  • Season the broth with a tablespoon of soy sauce, oyster sauce or hot sauce (optional).
  • Search our blog for other soup recipes.

 

March 7, 2014

Cornflake-Macadamia Nut Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , , , |
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Cornflake-Macadamia Nut Cookies

Cornflake-Macadamia Nut Cookies

March 7: National Cereal Day

Whenever we are on the island of Kauai, it is mandatory to stop in at the Kauai Kookies factory store. Islander loves their cookies so much that she even considered retiring in Hanapepe! Once in a while, her family and friends back on Oahu mail care packages to us on the mainland and include a few boxes of Kauai Kookies.

When those precious cookies don’t come often enough, she resorts to baking something similar to the Kauai Kookie “Cornflake Krunch” flavor—cornflake-macadamia nut cookies. Crushed cornflake cereal is what makes them “krunchy” and the macadamia nuts add a touch of the tropics to these treats.

For a sweet snack, bake a batch of cookies made with macadamia nuts and cornflakes cereal, especially on National Cereal Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from “Flavors of Paradise Cookbook” by Pearl City Community Church)

 Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar, granulated white (we used C&H brand)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup cornflakes cereal, coarsely crushed
  • ¾ cup macadamia nut pieces (we used Mauna Loa brand)

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Mix in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Gradually stir this mixture into the creamed butter and mix well until a cookie dough is formed.

Cornflake-Macadamia Nut Cookies

Crush the cornflakes cereal to measure one cup. Fold this into the cookie dough. Add the macadamia nut pieces. Roll out one-inch balls.

Cornflake-Macadamia Nut Cookies

Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten into discs. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Yield: Approximately 3-4 dozen cookies.

Notes

  • When Islander still lived on Oahu, she would visit her godsister, Min V., in Kekaha, Kauai, on long weekends. What a wonderful coincidence that Kauai Kookie was on the way to Min’s house from the Lihue airport!!!
  • Kauai Kookie used to bake up different flavors of cookies and only offered them at the factory store or at special events (such as the Made in Hawaii Festival) where Islander would buy a bunch of bite-sized “banzai cookies” and macadamia nut tea cookies.
  • Islander once left a box of Kauai Kookies out on the dining room table and put a “kapu” on them. However, her brother could not resist and ate them all while she was taking a nap. As soon as she woke up, he immediately ran out to the store to buy replacements to avoid her wrath. To appease her, he bought more Kauai Kookies—and some especially for himself.
  • We also gift Kauai Kookies to our mainland friends after coming back from a visit to Hawaii. Share the aloha!
  • Mahalo to Mary Ann B. for sending the “Flavors of Paradise Cookbook” to Islander for her birthday. Mahalo to Lisa L. for giving us vanilla extract from the Big Island.
  • Try the recipe for macadamia nut-white chocolate chip cookies on September 4, which is National Macadamia Nut Day.
  • Search our blog for other recipes containing cereal as an ingredient.
 

March 7, 2014

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , , , |
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Hawaiian-Style Chex Mix

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

March 7: National Cereal Day

Put some pizzazz in a plain party chex mix and add some aloha with meaty macadamia nuts and flavorful furikake. Hawaii’s locals love to sprinkle the latter on snacks, such as “hurricane popcorn” and Spam musubi. The salty-sesame rice seasoning balances the sweetness of the sugar-syrup in the cereal mixture. Try something deliciously different for your next social gathering and for National Cereal Day—mix it up with macadamia nuts and furikake for an onolicious Hawaiian-style chex mix! Aloha!

Recipe

(From Auntie Maria B.)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 box rice chex cereal
  • 1 box corn chex cereal
  • 2-4 cups macadamia nuts
  • 1 bottle furikake (nori fumi or nori komi)

Directions

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the vegetable oil, sugar and corn syrup. Mix until well combined.

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

Line two large baking pans with foil. Mist with cooking spray. Combine the rice and corn chex cereals with the macadamia nuts and divide evenly into the two pans. Pour the sugar-syrup over the cereal mixes, dividing evenly between both pans.

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

Mix with a spatula. Sprinkle furikake. Bake in a preheated oven at 225 degrees F, stirring every 15 minutes, for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool, stirring every so often to prevent the ingredients from sticking together. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

Notes

  • Mahalo to Auntie Maria B. for the recipe as well as the macadamia nuts and furikake that she sent to us from Hawaii.
  • Fond of furikake? Then try furikake on fish (mahi mahi)!
 

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