An emersion blender is handy for pureeing soups right in the stock pot and eliminates having to batch-puree in a blender or food processor.

Ingredients: 

• 4 fresh sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 stock of celery, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 chipolte chiles, minced
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)

Method:

1. Place sweet potatoes, celery, onion, and chicken stock in a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Cook until potatoes are tender, remove veggies and puree. 
2. Return veggies to stock pot and add chiles, curry powder, thyme, and coconut milk.  Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes more.
3. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve with a dollop of sour cream, chopped chives, or minced parsley for a vegan version.   Crisp bacon bits may be added for carnivores.

Makes 8 servings.  Serve with a pear and arugula salad and corn bread for a quick lunch or supper.

This is a super-easy dessert to make.  It just requires constant stirring until boiled for 3 minutes.  Vanilla bean seeds may be added to the base before cooking.  Everything else is added after the cooking, including the flavorings such as extracts, citrus juice, liquor, flaked coconut, sliced almonds, chopped pistachios, or dried fruit.  The sauce can be made with anything from kumquats with Grand Marnier to raspberries with Chambord.   Get creative and make it a classic of your own.

Ingredients for Coconut Pistachio Tembleque:

• 4 cups coconut milk (2 15-ounce cans)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 3 Tbsp sweetened coconut, shredded or flaked
• 1/3 cup salted pistachio nuts, chopped coarsely (set aside for bottom of molds)

Method:

1. Measure the cornstarch, sugar and salt into a sauce pan.
2. Place the sauce pan over medium high heat and add the coconut milk.  Whisk or stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
3. Continue stirring and bring to a boil.  Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Take care to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan often to prevent burning.
4. Remove from heat.  Fold in coconut extract and coconut flakes.
5. Rinse 6 5-ounce molds with cold water.  Sprinkle the pistachio nuts evenly on the bottom of each mold.  Carefully pour the pudding over the nuts.
6. Cool to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.
7. To serve:  pour 1-2 Tbsp of guava rum sauce on each individual serving plate.  Using a knife dipped in cold water, loosen the pudding from the sides of the mold and place pudding in center of guava sauce.  Pass around the remaining sauce.

Ingredients for Guava Rum Sauce:

• 1 11-ounce can guava paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp lime juice (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp dark rum (or to taste)

Method:

1. Melt the guava paste with the water in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir until smooth.
2. Remove from heat, add the lime juice 1/2 tsp at a time until desired tartness and sparkle is achieved.
3. Add the rum to taste. 
4. Cool to room temperature.

The Polynesian culture is more than 900 years old. Its very existence can be attributed to coconuts. The coconut palm is called “the tree of life” for it provides everything that is essential to survival in the South Pacific. In fact, coconut palms are so important that one tree is planted for every newborn. The juice of a young coconut can be used in transfusions, it is so perfect in its composition of electrolytes and nutrients, and it is sterile, pure and refreshing. The roots can be used to treat dysentery, the ribs of the fronds make brooms, the leaves are woven into baskets, the shells are polished for cups and bowls, buttons, and decorations, the wood is now a replacement for hardwoods used in flooring. The hardwood also makes a superior charcoal for filtering and the meat of mature coconuts, known as copra, makes oil and flaked coconut.

In the Tongan islands, the hub of Polynesia, fish is breaded, browned in coconut oil, and then cooked in coconut milk with onions. The local hot-sauce, made of chilies soaked in seawater, is the condiment of choice with this dish. The flavors are fresh, spicy and comforting. This recipe is a leaner, kicked-up version that can be grilled on the barbeque, on a cast-iron grill, or on a George Foreman grill. Halibut, tuna, shark, or swordfish may be used in place of mahi-mahi. Buy the freshest fish available and trim the dark areas before marinating.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi

Ingredients:

o 1 lb. mahi mahi (4 oz per serving)
o Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
o juice of 1 lime, reserve zest for sauce
o 2 Tbsp olive oil
o 2 Tbsp minced shallot, reserve 1 Tbsp for sauce
o 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, reserve 1 Tbsp for sauce, remainder for garnish

Method:

1. Salt and pepper fish fillets on both sides. Place on a glass plate.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Pour ½ the marinade over fish and distribute evenly. Turn and repeat.
4. Cover and marinate for 30-40 minutes in the refrigerator.
5. Grill 6 inches from flame for 3 minutes each side, or until it flakes with a fork.
6. Remove from grill and keep warm. Reserve the juice from the fish for the sauce.
7. To serve: Make a puddle of sauce on each plate, top with grilled fish, garnish with lime slices and cilantro.

Coconut Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

o 1 can (14.5 oz) coconut cream
o Reserved juice of grilled fish
o 2 tsp lime zest
o 1 Tbsp reserved cilantro
o 1 small red chili, minced (or Tabasco sauce to taste)
o Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Method:

1. Pour 1 cup coconut cream into a small sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a low boil, lower heat to a simmer and reduce until slightly thickened.
3. Add juice from fish, lime zest, cilantro, chili, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5-6 minutes.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning.

If you add cachaca, Brazilian sugarcane liquor which is distilled sugarcane syrup, you’ll have a Brazilian cocktail.  Cachaca should not be confused with rum which is made from sugarcane molasses.  

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 cup of watermelon flesh, seeded
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp lime juice (or Roses Lime)
• cup of ice

Method:

1. Place watermelon, coconut milk and lime juice in a blender and whirl for 30 seconds.
2. Add ice and whirl until smooth.
3. Pour over ice in tall glasses and garnish.

2 cups basmati rice

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup  fresh coconut milk (or 1 cup of  unsweetened coconut milk in the can)

1 knob fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)

1 lemon grass bulb, bruised

1 kaffir lime leaf (or zest of half a lime)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine

Break coconut, shred meat, soak in 3 cups warm water, place in a fine sieve , and push solids to extract milk.  You need 1 cup of coconut milk.  Use the remaining coconut milk  in another recipe (see below). Crush fresh turmeric in a blender with 1/4 cup water, place in a fine sieve and push solids to extract juice.  You want 2 Tbsp of the extract.  Place everything in your rice cooker, give it a stir and push the switch to cook.  Remove lemon grass bulb, bay leaf and kaffir lime leaf.  Fluff with a fork.  Serve with your favorite curry dish, chicken, fish, or Thai dish.

Use leftover coconut milk in curries, baked chicken, mix with shaved watermelon for a fruit dessert, add it to your favorite ceviche, cook octopus with it, cook green bananas or plantains in coconut milk for a starch dish, cook ripe bananas with coconut and honey for a hot drink  like the Tongans do.  Dry the grated coconut and toast it for cakes.