This week’s meal was a really delicious tropical vacation! And while the fish was moist and flavorful and the tea was crisp and soothing, I think my favorite part of the dinner was the pineapple relish! I am very exited to use this recipe (maybe with the addition of a little chili pepper) on all sorts of meats. I imagine the sweet and crunchy relish would pair well with pork chops, chicken, and shrimp!
Taro: Tasty! Terrific! Toxic?
Taro root is an absolute STAPLE of tropical cuisines. All around the pacific this tuber is used in every possible application. In areas that usually cannot grow many vegetables, the Taro root provides nutrition for thousands of people.
Toxic? Well, sort of. Raw taro root and leaves contain a compound called Calcium Oxalate. Calcium Oxalate is like tiny little knives and can cause numbness, choking, and even kidney stones if eaten in large quantities. That is why is SO important to COOK YOUR TARO. Cooking the taro destroys the compound and makes the root and leaves 100% safe and edible. DO NOT EAT THIS RAW. In fact, it is recommended that you wear gloves when peeling and handling raw taro.
Terrific! The taro root can be considered a healthier version of a potato. It has more fiber than a potato and is a good source of potassium, Vitamin C, Calcium, and some of the B-complex of vitamins. Taro also contains important miners like zinc, magnesium, iron, and copper.
Tasty! The taro root tastes almost like a potato and can be prepared in all of the same ways. Taro can be steamed, boiled, mashed, roasted, and fried. When cooked, the white flesh of the taro can turn cream colored or purple. Don’t fret, that is just it’s way!
Baked Coconut Mahi Mahi
- 2 Pieces of Mahi Mahi, rinsed and patted dry
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- 1/2 Cup Roasted Macadamia Nuts, ground
- 1/2 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 Egg White
- 2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
Step 1: Preheat Oven to 450 degrees.
Step 2: Season fish with salt and pepper and set aside. In a shallow bowl, mix the ground macadamia nuts, panko breadcrumbs, shredded coconut, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl add the egg white and a pinch of salt. Beat the egg white with a fork until frothy.
Step 3: Dip the fish in the egg white so all sides are coated. Allow the extra egg mixture to drip off back into the bowl. Then, roll the fish around in the breadcrumb mixture to evenly coat all sides. Set aside.
Step 4: Heat 2 Tbs of vegetable oil in a large cast iron or oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fish gently to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Gently flip the fish after 1 minute and put the fish, in the skillet, in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the fish from the pan and serve.
Pineapple Relish
- 1 Cup Fresh Pineapple, finely diced
- 1/2 Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
- 1/4 Red Onion, peeled and finely diced
- Handful of Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/2 Lime, juiced
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Step 1: In a small bowl, add all of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly to combine.
Step 2: Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Smashed Taro with Green Onions
- 1 Large Taro, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 Tbs Butter
- 2 Green Onions, hopped
- Salt, to Taste
Step 1: In a large pot add the Taro and a pinch of salt. Add enough water to completely cover the taro. Bring the pot to a boil on high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the taro is soft.
Step 2: Once the taro is cooked, put the cooked taro chunk is a large bowl with the butter and chopped green onions. Using a fork or potato masher, smash the taro. There will be chunks of unsmashed taro, that is ok.
Step 3: Serve warm.
Nauruan Banana Pineapple Bread
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Shortening
- 1/3 Cup Buttermilk
- 1 1/4 Cups White Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 Ripe Bananas, mashed
- 1 Cup Fresh Pineapple, finely diced
Step 1: Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour two small loaf pans
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the shortening, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, and white sugar. Blend together until completely smooth.
Step 3: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
Step 4: Fold the dry ingredients gradually into the buttermilk/egg mixture until a smooth batter is formed.
Step 5: Gently fold in the mashed bananas and pineapple.
Step 6: Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes. Once the bread is golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean when inserted into the center, remove from the oven and let cool, in the pans, for 20 minutes.
Step 7: Enjoy!
Pandanus Tea
- 4 Cups of Water
- 1 Cup Fresh/Frozen Pandanus leaves, roughly chopped (1/2 Cup if using DRY Pandanus leaves – I found the frozen ones at my local Asian market.)
- 2 1/2 inches of Fresh Ginger Root, roughly shopped
Step 1: In a saucepan, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the temperate to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Strain the tea over a large bowl. Discard the leaves and ginger root and serve the clear tea hot.
Fun Fact about Nauru: Nauru is the world’s smallest island nation, the smallest independent republic, and the only republic in the world without an official capital. Nauru is also the fattest nation on the planet, with 94.5% of its population reported as overweight or obese.
Edible U.N. 