Swingin' Spring Rolls

• 1 cup Napa cabbage, fine julienne
• 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
• 2 Tbs. grated carrots
• 1 1/2 oz enoki mushrooms
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 Tbs. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. garlic
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 tsp. sambal olek (optional)
• 1 oz softened rice stick
• Spring Roll Wrappers


Heat sesame oil, saute garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Combine all of the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl, mix well. Place one wrapper on a flat surface, place 3 Tbs. of the vegetable mixture on the wrapper. Fold bottom edge of wrapper over mixture and roll halfway up the wrapper, flop both ends inward and finish rolling forward. Dab a small amount of egg wash on the end of the wrapper to seal. Deep fry for 2-3 minutes, cut on the bias, serve with dipping sauce.

Tropical Fruit Kebabs With Lime Cream

• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
• 1 ripe papaya, peeled, halved, seeded
• 1/2 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored
• 3 large bananas, peeled
• 8 12-inch-long bamboo skewers


Combine sour cream, 2 tablespoons lime juice, sugar and lime peel in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate lime cream. Cut papaya into twenty-four 1-inch pieces. Cut pineapple into twenty-four 1-inch pieces. Cut each banana crosswise into 8 pieces and place in small bowl. Toss with remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice. Alternate fruit on skewers. Arrange on platter. (Fruit skewers can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Cover and chill.) Serve with lime cream.

Papaya-Pineapple Salsa

• 1 cup papaya, cut in small cubes
• 1 cup pineapple, cut in small cubes (from can or fresh)
• 1 cup fresh mint - chopped
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onion
• chili pepper to taste


Combine all ingredients in bowl and stir well.

Hawaiian Yam Bake

• 8 lg Sweet potatoes or yams; peeled and cut into 2" chunks
• 2 c Pineapple chunks
• 1 c Banana; sliced
• 2 c Hearts of palm; cut into 2" chunks
• 2 c Tempeh; cut into 1" chunks
• 2 c Dried lentils
• 3 c Vegetable stock
• 1/2 c Honey or other natural sweetener
• 2/3 c Prepared spicy mustard
• 1/2 c Cider vinegar


Preheat oven to 250 deg. Combine all ingredients in a large roasting pan or casserole dish. Place in oven and bake, covered, for 2 hours. Stir occasionally and serve hot. Seves 8. (For a sweeter taste, use apple juice to replace 1/2 of the vegetable stock).

Haupia: A Hawaiian Coconut Dessert

• 2 ea 3 1/2 oz. can coconut
• 5 c Milk; hot
• 1/2 c Cornstarch
• 1/2 c Sugar


Measure 1/4 cup coconut and set aside. In a bowl pour hot milk over remaining coconut and let stand 30 minutes. Strain through cheese cloth, squeezing out excess liquid. Discard coconut. In sauce pan combine cornstarch and sugar. Stir in flavored milk. Cook, stirring constantly until bubbly and thick. Pour into greased baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved coconut. Chill until firm. Serves 20.

Tropical Quesadillas

• 1 Medium-size ripe banana, diagonally cut into 32 slices
• 2 ts Lime juice
• 4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 2 tb Canned chopped green chile peppers
• 1/2 c Shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Combine banana and lime juice in a bowl: toss gently. Place 1 tortilla in a non-stick skillet. Arrange 8 banana slices on half of the tortilla; top banana with 1 1/2 tsp. green chile peppers and 2 tbsp. cheese. Place skillet over medium heat until hot. Fold unfilled half of tortilla over banana topped side. Cook 30 seconds. Turn tortilla over and cook 30 seconds or until crisp. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 4 wedges. Serve warm. Yield: 16 appetizers

Sweet Hot Mango Dessert

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large mango
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut


Preheat broiler. Brush some of butter over 2 broilerproof plates. Peel mango. Cut small slice off stem end. Stand mango on cut end. Starting at top, just off center, cut 1 side of mango off pit. Repeat on opposite side. Cut each mango half lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (do not separate slices). Using spatula, transfer 1 half to each prepared plate. Press gently on mango to fan slightly. Sprinkle with lime juice. Mix sugar and ginger; sprinkle over mango. Drizzle with remaining butter. Broil mango until topping is golden and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle coconut over mango. Broil until coconut is toasted, about 45 seconds. Serve hot. Serves 2.

Beer Batter Vegetable Tempura

• 3/4 cup beer (not dark)
• 3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 small sweet potato
• vegetable oil for deep-drying
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
• 1 zucchini, cut into spears
• Any other food items that you think would be tasty in this batter!


In a bowl whisk beer into flour until smooth and stir in salt. Peel sweet potato and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a 3-quart saucepan heat 2 inches oil to 375¡F. Working in batches of 3 or 4 pieces, dredge vegetables in batter to coat completely, letting excess drip off, and fry, turning, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer tempura as fried to brown paper with tongs to drain and season with salt. Serve tempura with soy sauce. Serves 2.

Banana-Walnut Spring Rolls With Caramel-Rum Sauce

• For sauce:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum



• For Rolls:
• 12 spring roll wrappers
• 3 small bananas, peeled, quartered lengthwise, trimmed to 4 inches
• 1/4 cup toffee bits (such as Skor)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts



• Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
• Powdered sugar


Make sauce: Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 12 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) and stir until caramel bits dissolve. Remove from heat. Mix in rum. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Before serving, rewarm over low heat, stirring occasionally.)

Make rolls: Arrange 4 spring roll wrappers on work surface (keep remainder covered). Place 1 banana piece diagonally across 1 corner of each wrapper. Brush opposite corner with water. Drizzle each banana with 1 teaspoon caramel sauce, 1 teaspoon toffee bits and 1 teaspoon walnuts. Fold in wrapper corner closest to banana. Roll wrapper over banana once, then fold in sides and roll up as for egg roll, pressing ends to seal. Repeat filling and rolling remaining wrappers. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Pour enough oil into heavy large saucepan to reach depth of 3 inches. Heat oil to 375¡F. Working in batches, fry rolls in oil until deep golden brown, turning frequently, about 3 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer rolls to paper towels and drain. Arrange 2 rolls on each plate. Sift powdered sugar over. Drizzle caramel sauce around rolls and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Mango Bread

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 chopped ripe mangos
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract


Mix all ingredients well. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 325 degrees F. for one hour. Cool for 20 minutes.

Paradise Salad

• 4 quarts mesclun salad mix
• 2 oz. orange vinaigrette
• 3 Tbs. candied walnuts
• 3 Tbs. mandarin oranges


Toss vinaigrette and salad mix in a stainless steel bowl until mix is evenly coated. Plate salad, place walnuts and oranges on top.

Cool Tropical Salad

• 1 sm Fresh pineapple
• 1 c Mango chunks or melon balls
• 1 c Diced papaya
• 2 c Plain or vanilla yogurt
• 2 tb Honey (can eliminate it if using vanilla yogurt)
• 1 c Sliced strawberries
• 4 Sprigs fresh mint


Cut pinapple in quarters, lengthwise. Remove core; slice pinapple from shell and cut in cubes. Refrigerate empty shell to chill until serving time. Toss 1 cup of cubed pinapple with mango and papaya. Chill. To serve, put 1/3 cup yogurt on each pinapple shell and cover with mixed fruit. Top with layer of remaining yogurt, which has been sweetened with honey and cover with sliced strawberries. Garnish each serving with whole strawberry and a sprig of fresh mint. Makes 4 generous servings.