KHON2 put out a challenge to their staff to come up with a new local program to air on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. The entire station was involved with collaborating and coming up with different ideas for a new show. This prime time, family/dinner hour show was to create something unique, special, and a destination program to give Hawaii families a fun way to end their weekend and prepare for the week ahead.
The original concept was about sustainability and how they could encourage viewers to create delicious meals from food they already had in their pantry and refrigerators.
Sam Choy, chef, author, restaurateur, and known as the “Godfather of Poke” was selected as the host along with KHON2’s Lifestyle host, John Veneri.
Now in its ninth season, with over 200 episodes, with friends and celebrity guests like Frank DeLima, Governor Josh Green, Jake Simakubukuro, and many others, this cookbook is a collection of many recipes over the span of the show.
“We call mayonnaise cowboy gravy. It’s the most important condiment. My sister was married to a guy from Waimea and all those guys at the lu‘au, they all had a bottle of mayonnaise in their back pocket. They’d be putting it on everything. That’s why we started calling it cowboy gravy.”
Spicy Salmon Poke Nori Cups
Serves 4
1/2 pound fresh salmon, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3 to 4 packages nori squares
2 tablespoons Aloha Shoyu Poke Sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Sushi Rice:
2 cups cooked white rice
1-½ tablespoons rice vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
Salt, to taste
Garnish:
Sriracha, to taste
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the salmon, yellow onions and green onions. Set aside.
Sushi rice: In another bowl, combine rice, vinegar, sugar and salt. Mix well. Place nori squares in a muffin tin. With wet hands, make rice balls to fit into each nori cup.
Add the poke sauce and mayonnaise and mix well. Spoon salmon mixture on top of each rice ball. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with sriracha and remaining green onions.
Sam calls this next recipe Canoe Crop Salad because it uses ‘ulu, kalo and sweet potatoes. The first Polynesians to come to Hawaii brought these plants with them and they became a staple of the Hawaiian diet. This is one of Sam’s favorite potato salads to make. And this is Sam’s trick to make the boiled eggs look crumbled. Hold the peeled egg in the palm of your hand and with your other hand, use a fork to gently poke the side of the egg and pull down causing the egg to crumble.
Canoe Crop Salad
Serves 4
2 cups chopped Okinawan sweet potatoes
1/2 kabocha, chopped
2 cups chopped Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative breadfruit, quartered
2 cups chopped Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative kalo (taro)
2 carrots, grated
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 bag baby spinach, bruised
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Lower heat and add sweet potatoes, kabocha, ‘ulu, and taro. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from water and drain well. Once cooled, place ingredients in a large bowl and combine with carrots, celery, eggs, mayonnaise, garlic salt and black pepper. Lastly, add spinach and mix well.
“If you’ve got tofu, a variety of vegetables, and lettuce mix, you can put together a really nice salad. The wow factor is the dressing. This vinaigrette uses Lana‘i honey and boy does it make a nice dressing. Fresh herbs also add a lot of flavor. If you can, try keeping a small herb garden in your kitchen. It makes a difference and is economical.”
Tofu Salad with Lana‘i Honey
Ginger Vinaigrette
Serves 2 to 4
1 block tofu, drained and cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 containers Sensei Farms Lana‘i Mix
2 Sensei Farms tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 Sensei Farms mini cucumbers, sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
Lana‘i Honey Ginger Vinaigrette Dressing
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Lana‘i honey
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2-1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon chopped Sensei Farms Genovese basil
1 tablespoon chopped Sensei Farms purple basil
Pinch of salt
Season tofu with salt and pepper and coat with cornstarch. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until all sides are golden brown. Set aside.
Combine all dressing ingredients.
Assemble salad by placing lettuce mix on the platter and top with tofu, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Drizzle with vinaigrette dressing and serve.
“Sam Choy’s in the Kitchen” cookbook is available in Hilo at Basically Books and in Kona at Kona Stories Bookstore.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
