I’m loving whipped cream made with my CUCINA BELLA BLENDER.

Costco has lucious cherries and blackberries this week. Here’s one of our creations. So simple to make when you want a sweet bite in place of ice cream at night. Just alternate spoonfuls of organic plain yogurt with fresh blackberries. You might also drizzle some honey for those not watching their sugar intake.

Here are some of our favorite places for fresh poke and plate lunches.

Koloa: The Koloa Fish Market, 5482 Koloa Rd. (742-6199).

Located on Koloa’s main street. Raves for their fresh fish and plate lunches overflowing with food.

Lihue: Fish Express, 3343 Kuhio Hwy. (245-9918).

Across the street from Wal-Mart. Excellent varieties of smoked fish and fresh poke, we love the ahi poke with macadamia nuts. They also have awesome Hawaiian plate lunch (laulau or kalua pork, lomi salmon, ahi poke, rice or poi) and offer daily specials: Cajun-style grilled ahi with guava basil, fresh fish grilled in a passion-orange-tarragon sauce, fresh fish tacos in garlic and herbs, all served with rice, salad, and vegetables.

Kilauea: Kilauea Fish Market, 4270 Kilauea Lighthouse Rd. (828-6244)

The perfect place to get a lunch, dinner or picnic take out. Located at Kilauea on the north shore just off the road to the Kilauea Lighthouse. You can choose from the deli section with fresh fish ready to take home and cook your self or have them do it all for you. Vegetarians daily specials, choice of brown or white rice, and organic greens.

Kapaa: Pono Market, 4-1300 Kuhio Hwy. (822-4581)

Fresh sashimi, poke, Hawaiian food, sushi, and a diverse assortment of takeout fare.

Poke Bar at Costco, bySandyRat

Ahi poke recipe: Here’s a simple ahi poke recipe. You can always spice it up or add some crushed mac nuts to the recipe. We like ours with bit of honey or brown sugar and sometimes a squeeze of lime right before eating.

 

1 1/4 pounds ahi tuna (or any sushi grade tuna or firm meat sashimi)
4 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons mirin
2 Hawaiian red chiles finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped scallions (reserve some for serving)
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (reserve some for serving)
2 to 3 cloves garlic mincedKosher salt/ ground pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in bowl and cover.
Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Ingredients:

1 large egg
½ cup cold heavy cream
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Stir the egg and cream together. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter, and using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between- and that’s just right.

Pour the egg and cream over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, comes together. Don’t over do it. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough unto a rough circle that’s about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into 6 or 8 wedges and place it on a baking sheet. At this point, the scones can be frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight. Don’t defrost before baking- just add about 2 minutes to the baking time.

Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firmish. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes. These are meant to be eaten warm and fresh. But if you want to save them, wrap them airtight as soon as cool and freeze them for up to 2 months.

A tiny sidewalk cafe with brisk takeout and a handful of tables on Kapaa’s main drag next to other vegetarian options, Mermaids uses organic herbs and fresh fish when possible, to make the sauces and beverages that go with all their great dishes.

We love the AHI NORI WRAP -The fresh-squeezed lemonade is made daily, and you can choose white or organic brown rice.

Mermaids

4-1384 Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa, HI 96746

(808) 821-2026

Photo: Mermaid Cafe, Kapaa, Kauai, by HONDAcrg.

RECIPE:
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 3/4 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups mashed bananas (APPLE BANANAS)
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup macadamia nuts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a loaf pan.

In a bowl, mix butter and sugar until creamy. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Blend dry ingredients with creamed butter/sugar mixture.

Add mashed bananas, eggs and nuts.

Pour into loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.

When we want a burger and fries, we’ll only go for the teriyaki burger at Bubba’s! Friendly staff, located in Kapaa town and Hanalei.

It’s a good place to take people who aren’t use to the local food just yet. The Kapaa location also happens to be right next door to us.

Bubba’s is a no nonsense burger joint, serving burgers, chicken, fish, chili rice, fries, onion rings and a combination of those last two, called “frings.”

BUBBA’S BURGERS

4-1421 Kuhio Highway
Kapa’a, 96746
+1 808 823 0069