TASTE
Use Kaiulani Spices with rice, veggies
This is Kai Cowell's signature dish, the one she most often serves during samplings and demonstrations for her Kaiulani Spices product line, and one many people love. If you try to replicate the recipe with standard curry powder, add a little sea salt, a pinch of sugar and whatever else appeals.
KAIULANI'S CURRIED RICE WITH CRANBERRIES
In a large wok or sauté pan, heat olive oil over low heat and add Kaiulani Exotic Curry, stirring constantly until the Hawaiian salt in the curry is dissolved. Add cilantro stems, garlic and dried cranberries, stirring. When garlic is translucent and cooked, but not browned and burned, add the cold rice. Mix thoroughly until rice is broken up and colored yellow. Mix in green onions and cilantro leaves. Taste and adjust spices as desired.
Serves 6-8.
For this seared steak with kaffir lime marinade, served over a minted salad, Cowell uses two of her mixtures: Kona Coffee Rub and Seasoning and Hawaiian Spice, the latter of which, she says, contains all the flavors Hawai'i loves, including ginger and garlic. Note the marinating technique: The steak is marinated, grilled, then dipped again in the reserved marinade, which has been briefly boiled (to cook any juices from the raw meat). To substitute your own spice mixture, think of hearty, meat flavors and the salty sweet profile of Asian-style Island marinades.
KONA COFFEE SPICE THAI-STYLE STEAK SALAD
For the salad:
In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, water, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, brown sugar, patis, chili flakes, ginger and spices plus a little olive oil and, if desired, spicy macadamia nut oil. Marinate steaks 1-2 hours or overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. Sear in frying pan or grill, reserving marinade. Let steak rest for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain.
While the steak is resting, heat the reserved marinade just to boiling; remove from heat and cool. In a large salad bowl, toss together salad ingredients, except peanuts. Toss sliced steak in marinade, then add steak to salad, along with some marinade as dressing. Toss. Sprinkle on peanuts.
Serves 4.
Roasted vegetables cook while you do other things, they're healthful and they tend to please even people who don't care much for vegetables. Here, Cowell combines roasted vegetables with couscous, the tender granules of semolina flour popular in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Instant couscous is readily available and is so close to done in its dry form that you need only add boiling water and let it absorb the moisture.
KAIULANI'S CURRIED COUSCOUS WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a rimmed baking pan, spread vegetables; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon curry powder. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned at edges.
Cook couscous according to package directions. Fluff with fork. While couscous is still hot, add remaining 1 tablespoon curry, Hawaiian Spice, cranberries and cilantro. Mix. Add vegetables. Sprinkle almonds on top.
Makes 5 servings.
