Dinner Ohana style in the Mainland

So, this commercial is so totally ME!  Stuck somewhere where it is overcast and, as of late, raining ALL THE TIME!!! 

I have been where I am for nearly twelve years now and I'd say I've made a pretty good go at it, but realize that I really am a California girl or better yet . . .

deep down, a total Islander.

Those who know me best, know that though I reside in the northeast, I am at the heart of it, a total beach girl!  Born and raised in sunny California, the beach (next to my family that still reside there) is probably the one thing I miss the most.  And both my home and my cooking reflect my love for the lighter and brighter side of things.  As of late, I have been especially craving to be in the sun and feel the ocean breeze on my face.

I know that by appearance, I am totally a Ha'ole but in my heart, I long to be Kanaka.

I'm halfway there when you consider I am married to a Hapa and my kids are Hapa Haole.  

Hawaii may not be in my blood but it is in my heart!!

It is for that reason, I try to bring the beach into my home as much as possible.  And the practices and philosophy of our lives are very much in the spirit of both Aloha and Ohana.

Hawaiian poke is a very traditional and well-known dish both among natives and visitors to the islands.  

The word poke (pronounced poh-keh) is Hawaiian, meaning “to slice or cut crosswise into pieces.” The poke first eaten by native Hawaiians was a simple mixture of raw fish, Hawaiian salt, seaweed and chopped kukui nuts (calledinamona in Hawaiian).  Post-colonial contact, that basic recipe got a bit more interesting with the introduction of onions and, sometimes, tomatoes to the mix.

This is my take on a Hawaiian Poke dinner, kickin' it vegan style!

Our setup . . .

This recipe came out of a combination of recipes and techniques I've learned over the years.

I started with replacing my "fish" with some "to-fish" . . .

There are many recipe variations out there for making your own tofu fish fillets but I chose the simplest one from long ago; a printed copy from a book my very first vegan friend shared with me. 

I altered the soaking mixture with employing this technique from our friends at herbivoracious:

http://herbivoracious.com/2012/05/how-to-make-tofu-really-freaking-delicious-tofu-101.html

It's very similar to how I already prepare my tofu but it uses boiling salted water as a technique to crispier pan-fried tofu.  I think it worked! Thanks! 

Start by soaking your tofu fillets in the following mixture:

Allow to sit in the mixture for at least a 1/2 an hour.

Remove from the kelp water and place on a towel.  Gently pat (not press) each fillet to remove some of the moisture, careful not to rub the kelp off the surface.  The dryer the tofu, the crispier it will be.

You can see that even after pressing, the kelp powder stays on the tofu.

Pan fry your tofu until crispy and lightly browned over med-high heat, flipping often. 

Your To-fish all ready for the cutting and marinating. . .

The ingredients for this recipe come from one I found online via Hawaii Magazine.com

(it has been altered to be gluten-free, as well)

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. GF soy sauce (I used Reduced Sodium since I employed that salt water technique)*

1 c. chopped green onions

1 c. chopped Maui onion (I opted for Vidalia here on the mainland; heehee)

1 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger

4 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

4 tsp. finely chopped macadamia nuts

1 chili pepper, cored, seeded, and diced (optional: I sprinkled just a dash of cayenne)

In a medium sized bowl, mix all of the ingredients listed above and toss with your tofu pieces.

Yum! But then I had a thought . . .

For a more traditional take, I toasted two sheets of Nori (in Hawaiian: limu) until lightly crisp.

(be careful not to burn it)

crumbled it into small pieces and tossed it into the mixture.

Cover and refridgerate for 2 hours before serving.

In modern times, Poke is often served on a bed of lettuce and as a type of salad. Traditionally it was prepared right on the shore and eaten with the hands, so I thought why not combine a bit of the past and the present culture and make a sort of wrap out of it.

When I decided I was going to attemp this, I really had no idea what I would serve as the side dishes.  Ultimately I came up with the following:

Fresh sliced avocado for an extra dose of protein and "good" fat.

Cucumber just seemed like the obvious light, fresh and watery accompaniement.  I made a salad by slicing the cucumber very thin and dousing it with a coconut vinegar/sweet rice vinegar mixture then tossed in a little fresh grated ginger. A little sweet to accompany the salty. I let it sit for about 15-20 minutes before serving.

Rather than toss the macadamia nuts into the marinating mixture, I served them on the side as a topping.

And a little cabbage medley: kim chi and raw pickled red.  Mongolian fire oil for those wanting a bit more fire in their Poke.

A simple quinoa salad to ensure our bellies would be full and satisfied.

Aloha! 

*Note: 

Despite my using a reduced sodium soy sauce, my end result was pretty salty. Though it did produce a bit crispier tofu fillet, I would opt out for using the boiling salted water method next time.  I may also trade out the tamari for some coconut amino acids.  I sincerely doubt the dish would suffer for it!  ;)

Mahalo Nui,

Amber