Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcake from Sweet Aha!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches from Wholesome Bakery
Hạt é Sương Sáo (Basil Seed and Grass Jelly) with added Jackfruit from Bambu
The New Sea Food
Take the salmon out of lomi salmon and what do you have? No, this isn’t a riddle, but a valid culinary question. Such a simple dish, hardly one that even requires a recipe, is tough to mess around with too much without accidentally chopping out its soul. Many an intrepid explorer, set on a mission of kitchen conquest, has pushed a simple, fool-proof concept far beyond its reasonable constraints- Myself included. How do you change something so radically and still be able to connect it back to the original dish? Sure, it will be tasty and satisfying, but you can hardly call a sandwich without peanut butter or jelly a PB & J, can you?
No matter how solidly set in stone some recipes may seem, there is always room for fresh interpretation. While wintering in Hawaii, there were plenty of opportunities to experiment with local ingredients and draw inspiration from the native cuisine. Lomi lomi salmon is about as classic Hawaiian as it gets, a staple found at any Luau worth its coconuts. Little more than salted salmon massaged with chopped tomatoes and onions, it compliments the starchier sides with its bright, salty flavors. Though it would seem impossible to veganize at first blush, the islands provide a natural alternative to any fishy components: Sea Asparagus.
Also known as samphire or glasswort, this sea vegetable is a tender green stalk very similar in appearance to tiny land-grown asparagus- Thus the obvious name. Absorbing the sea salt like a sponge, they can be quite salty if not thoroughly rinsed, and should never be salted no matter what you add to them. Slightly crunchy when raw or par-cooked, they’re an exotic delight to someone accustomed to flat, gelatinous, or stringy sea vegetables like myself. They grow all over the world and can usually be found in gourmet markets, but naturally, they’re cultivated right in the heart of Hawaii, making them more accessible to the city dwellers of Honolulu than most.
This recipe isn’t my entirely own creation, but inspired by the serving suggestion printed on the very label for Olakai sea asparagus. The only farm on Oahu growing these spindly green stalks, they know better than anyone else on the island how to best honor this unique ingredient. I’ve only put a few small twists on their basic formula, making use of more local produce such as the adorable tiny currant tomatoes from Ho Farms and sweet Maui onions. The precise combination is one that I may not be able to repeat for quite some time, but as long as I can find sea asparagus, you can be sure that this salad will find its way to my table.
Yield: Makes 2 – 3 Side Dish Servings
Lomi Sea Asparagus
Tender-crisp sea asparagus takes the place of fish in this classic Hawaiian preparation.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 Ounces Fresh Sea Asparagus
- 1 Ounce Sweet Onion, Diced
- 1 Tablespoon Avocado or Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 4 Ounces Currant Tomatoes (or Halved Cherry Tomatoes)
Instructions
- Snip off any brown ends on the sea asparagus before rinsing them thoroughly under hot water. Toss them in a bowl along with the diced onion, oil, and lemon juice. Massage the vegetables with your fingers for a minute or two, just to tenderize the stalks slightly.
- Add in the tomatoes, mix to distribute throughout the salad, and either chill for up to two days, or serve right away. Don’t be tempted to add any salt, since the sea asparagus are already packed full of sodium.
Recommended Products
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.
![Cutting Boards for Kitchen [Bamboo, Set of 3]](https://i0.wp.com/bittersweetblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/81GU9N82xbL._AC_SL1500_.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 4gSugar: 28gProtein: 3g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
A Quiet Comfort
The overstuffed bus limps along, laboring through rush hour congestion, pausing to catch its breath at almost every street corner. It groans and wheezes as passengers filter out, the crowds gradually thinning as the street numbers increase, moving farther away from the bustle of downtown. Finally, finally, after an hour of holding my breath to squeeze in between the seasoned commuters, I finally stumble down the short staircase and roll out down the steep hill ahead. Darkness hasn’t yet settled in, but it looms ever closer, tugging insistently at the edges of overcast sky. Despite the howling wind, the pair of keys rattling in loose grasp is the only sound I can hear, so focused on getting in the door, getting back “home,” and just being able to unwind.
These are only my first days of school, on campus again for the first time in over five years, and they’ve already taken a lot of out me. In such moments of utter exhaustion, creative cooking is the last thing on my mind, but a girl’s still gotta eat. Working to extract the maximum amount of flavor out of a minimum of ingredients and time, a new sort of “comfort food” emerges, and this seemingly bare carrot soup is one shining example. If you have carrots, you can have soup. Thanks to my friends over at So Delicious, I had the opportunity to try out their new aseptic Culinary Coconut Milk, which is every bit as handy and shelf-stable as the canned variety, but a more environmentally friendly package.
The results are nothing mind-blowing or particularly innovative, but a quiet sort of comfort food that just seems to fit the occasion. Sometimes that’s all we need, right?
Yield: Makes About 4 Servings
Spicy Carrot Soup
Creamy coconut milk balances out the heat in this very simple soup. If you have carrots and a well-stocked pantry, you can enjoy this naturally sweet, spicy combination in an instant.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Carrots, Peeled and Chopped
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped
- 2 Cups Water
- 11-Ounce Aseptic Carton or 14-Ounce Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
- Fresh Parsley, for Garnish (Optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add carrots and onion and saute until the onions are lightly browned and aromatic. Pour in the water and coconut milk, bringing the mixture to a boil before reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are fork-tender; about 25 – 30 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or traditional standing blender to thoroughly puree the soup until entirely smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and sriracha to taste, thinning with additional water if necessary.
- To serve, top bowlfuls with a final drizzle of sriracha for an extra kick of spice, plus fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Notes
The soup can be made up to a week in advance when stored in an airtight container.
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 437mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g
Photo Friday: Berries, Bold and Bountiful
Special Delivery
When the average stack of mail contains little more than bills and catalogs, there’s a certain thrill in getting a parcel that’s been addressed by hand, bundled up with care and sealed by a real person. Care packages are a rarity for anyone beyond college age, which makes the Vegan Package Swap a singularly heart-warming concept, bringing together vegans from all corners of the world. Unlike many similar programs, international swappers are not only welcomed, but encouraged. When Glauce, the founder and author behind All About Vegan Food, invited me to swap with her directly, the offer was as irresistible as the goodies soon to come.
Thoughtfully curated with all the foods and flavors I love, this cardboard-clad treasure box bore a wealth of sweet and savory snacks, direct from Ireland. I must sheepishly admit that I devoured the whole lot too quickly to take proper tasting notes, but rest assured that there wasn’t a single lackluster pick among them.
Highlights include the two Nākd bars, particularly the Rhubarb and Custard flavor- An completely unheard of combination for a raw snack, let along a packaged food. Choco Goji Berries from Choco Delic are what chocolate-covered raisins can only dream of growing up to be: Bold, bitter but smooth chocolate on the outside, their subdued sweetness comes entirely from the tangy, chewy red berries within. On the savory side of the tracks, Bombay Snack Mix sold by The Happy Pear is an addictive blend of crunchy, salty, and slightly spicy lentils, chickpeas, and gram flour twigs. It’s the kind of stuff that you could eat by the handful without batting an eye. Kale chips are clearly a worldwide phenomenon now, and the Kale Crunchies made by Natasha’s Living Foods is a delicious reminder of why they caught on. Thick and hearty thanks to a cheesy nutritional yeast seasoning, they’re a healthy treat that has no language boundaries.
Getting a taste of the goodies available overseas was a thrilling experience, both for the actual eats and the privilege of getting to know Glauce and a few of her favorite local foods. For those who can’t travel the world but still want a taste of it, the Vegan Package Swap provides an opportunity to have it shipped right to your door. You may even make new friends across the globe along the way!
PS: If you want to take a peek at the goodies I sent over to Glauce, check out her post about the experience right here.
Dollars to Doughnuts
Every Food Has Its Day
Name any day of the year, and I’ll tell you what food the calendar advises us to celebrate. National food holidays have become more of a joke than ever, despite never having serious credentials or origins of real significance in the first place. Every food council wants to get their edibles on the map, from soup to nuts- Literally. Celebrating these obscure occasions used to be a fun diversion, a bit of trivia to share and an excuse to eat something different, but now it’s just too difficult to keep up.
National Doughnut Day
However, there’s still one event that I’ve been celebrating since junior high, marking the date every time I put a blank calendar on the wall: National Doughnut Day. The first Friday of every June has been designated as a time to indulge in these sweet fried rings or spheres, and not just because the United Fried Snack Cake Board of America* said so. No sir, this holiday goes back to the late 1930’s, when the Salvation Army began giving out free doughnuts to soldiers who served in the war. There’s real history behind this joyous, delicious affair.
*Totally fictitious organization, but someone really ought to consider establishing this, don’t you think?
Happily, everyone can join in on the fried festivities now, war veteran or not.
Although there are quite a few shops giving away free oily goods to mark the day, you can do so much better by turning to your own kitchen rather the drive through for doughnut satisfaction. A fear of frying puts many cooks off, but with a simple recipe and a healthy dose of caution, you’ll be rolling in hot, crispy doughnuts, fresher and tastier than anything else on the market. Cake-based doughnut holes fit the criteria beautifully: There’s no yeast that needs to awaken or dough to rise, no fussy shaping or cutting to speak of. You can just mix and fry at a moment’s notice.
One of the greatest benefits of fabricating your own fried treats is the freedom to flavor them in any way your heart desires. Chocolate is always a winning pick, one that I couldn’t resist for this particular celebration. Do you really think I would choose just plain chocolate doughnut holes, though? Clearly you don’t know me very well…
Why you’ll love hot chocolate doughnut holes:
- Hidden inside of each tender sphere is a gooey, sticky marshmallow, turning these average munchkins into one-of-a-kind hot chocolate doughnuts, inspired by mugs of hot cocoa topped with a crown of mini mallows melting on top.
- The crisp, sugar-coated exterior gives way to the most moist chocolate cake you could hope to taste, the marshmallow in the center adding equal parts indulgence and nostalgia.
- To further the “hot” part of the theme, cinnamon sugar or even a spicy, cayenne-flecked sugar could provide the finishing touch, but a simple, straightforward sweetness was exactly what I was craving.
Yield: Makes 20 – 30 Doughnut Holes
Hot Chocolate Doughnut Holes
Hidden inside of each tender chocolate donut hole is a gooey vegan marshmallow, inspired by a rich mug of hot cocoa.
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Additional Time
45 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
Chocolate Donut Holes:
- 20 – 30 Vegan Mini Marshmallows
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/3 Cup Natural Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk
- 1/2 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
To Finish:
- 1 Quart Neutral Oil, for Frying
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Before getting started on the batter, place your marshmallows in a single layer on a plate or small sheet pan and stash them in the freezer. They must be frozen solidly before going into the hot oil or else they’ll melt away completely! Allow at least 30 minutes before using your icy mallows.
- The batter comes together very quickly, so first begin by pouring the neutral oil into a medium pot with high sides over set over medium heat on the stove.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Separately mix the non-dairy milk, vinegar, and olive oil before pouring the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry. Stir just until the batter comes together with no remaining pockets of dry goods. The mixture should be somewhat on the wet side and definitely sticky, but manageable when handled lightly.
- Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the batter and stuff a single frozen marshmallow into the center of each. Use lightly moistened hands to shape the dough around the mallow, rounding the raw doughnut out into a rough ball and making sure that the marshmallow is fully sealed inside. Handle them gently, since the dough is very soft.
- When the oil hits 360 – 370 degrees, carefully lower 3 – 5 doughnut holes at a time into the pot. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes, turning the doughnuts as needed to ensure even frying all over. The best way to tell if they’re done is to watch and listen to the oil; at first, it will fizzle up madly and seem to almost hiss, but by the time the doughnuts are finished, the surface of the oil should be much calmer, and you will hear more of a pinging sound.
- Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to lift the doughnut holes out of the oil and drain them on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Let them cool for at least 15 minutes before rolling in the additional granulated sugar, and serve as soon as possible.
- Doughnuts don’t get better with age, and I wouldn’t recommend keeping them beyond a day. Luckily, with doughnut holes this good, I don’t think you’ll have any problem with leftovers!
Recommended Products
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 71mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 1g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.