Ahi Recipes from Hawaiian Airlines In Flight Video

Aloha!

If you have flown with Hawaiian Airlines recently, you may have seen my most recent in flight video where I make a couple of delectable dishes from the fresh Ahi available to us in the islands. Here are the two recipes for the dishes that you saw me make!

With warmest aloha,

Bev

Blackened Ahi with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, Wasabi Greens, Tobiko & Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
4 cups rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
½ cup seeded and finely diced red bell pepper
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or mint
1 teaspoon Sriracha (Thai garlic-chile paste)

Mashed Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cubed
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt
White pepper

Blackening Seasoning
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon salt

6 (6-ounce) Ahi (yellowfin tuna) fillets, well chilled
4 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter, melted
4 cups mesclun
¼ cup wasabi vinaigrette
2 tablespoons tobiko (flying fish roe)
Fresh whole chives, for garnish

Wasabi Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon ground toasted sesame seeds
To prepare the sauce, in a saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until reduced and syrupy. Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the reduced liquid, stirring well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Set aside ¾ cup to use for this recipe. Store the remainder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To prepare the mashed potatoes, in a large pot, combine the potatoes and water to cover over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and place in a bowl. Mash with a potato masher, then add the milk and butter and continue mashing until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until the pan stops smoking and ash collects on the pan bottom. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the seasoning, in a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Spread on a plate.

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Dip a chilled Ahi fillet into canola oil and roll in the seasoning. Place in the skillet. Sear all sides for 20 to 30 seconds on all sides, until the seasoning blackens. The fish should still be very rare. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining fillets.

To assemble the dish, in a bowl, toss the greens with wasabi vinaigrette, then add the wasabi vinaigrette, then add the tobiko and toss again. Place ½ cup of mashed potatoes on each plate. Top the potatoes with the salad greens, dividing evenly. Top the greens with the Ahi. Drizzle a little sweet chile sauce over the fish and around the plate. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Serves six.

Blackened Ahi Burrito

Ahi Burrito
6 - 12 inch spinach flour tortilla
3 cups mashed potatoes
3 cups mesclun greens
3 tablespoons wasabi vinaigrette
1 tablespoon tabiko caviar

2 pounds sashimi grade Ahi cut into 12 - 1.5 inch x 2.5 inch logs
½ cup blackening spices (any name brand is good...Paul Prudomme for example…or my recipe)
4 tablespoons canola oil

Wasabi Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon ground toasted sesame seeds

Mashed Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cubed
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt
White pepper

Blackening Seasoning
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons salt

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
4 cups rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
½ cup seeded and finely diced red bell pepper
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or mint
1 teaspoon Sriracha (Thai garlic-chile paste)

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

To prepare the mashed potatoes, in a large pot, combine the potatoes and water to cover over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and place in a bowl. Mash with a potato masher, then add the milk and butter and continue mashing until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the seasoning, in a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Spread on a plate.

To prepare the sauce, in a saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until reduced and syrupy. Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the reduced liquid, stirring well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Set aside ¾ cup to use for this recipe. Store the remainder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until the pan stops smoking and ash collects on the pan bottom. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.

Dip a chilled Ahi fillet into canola oil and roll in the seasoning. Place in the skillet. Sear all sides for 20 to 30 seconds on all sides, until the seasoning blackens. The fish should still be very rare. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining fillets.

To assemble the dish, in a bowl, toss the greens with wasabi vinaigrette, then add the tabiko and toss again. Heat a 12-inch skillet or flat top griddle over high heat until very hot. Place tortilla on hot surface for 30 seconds and then flip over and heat another 30 seconds. This method will soften the tortilla. Place tortillas on flat surface. Place ½ cup of mashed potatoes on bottom third of tortilla about two inches from the bottom. Place two Ahi logs across the potatoes. Place 1/6th of dressed lettuce over Ahi. Fold the bottom up over the filling and fold the sides in towards the middle and roll all the way up. Make sure filling is tightly enclosed by the tortilla! Cut burrito in half on an angle and serve with sweet chili sauce.

Serves six.

Stir Fry Recipe from Hawaiian Airlines In Flight Video

Aloha Everyone! If you have traveled on Hawaiian Airlines recently, you may have seen me shopping for fresh vegetables at the Maui Swap Meet. The Maui Swap Meet has the most awesome fresh fruits and vegetables and I thought this recipe would be a great way for you to share that lovely produce with your friends and family! Enjoy!

CHICKEN AND SHRIMP STIR - FRY

1/2 lb. skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips1 tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger root
1-2 cloves minced garlic2 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
½ tbsp sesame oil1/2 lb. deveined shelled raw med. size shrimp1 c. cauliflower½ medium onion sliced thin
½ c. sugar snap peas
½ c. sliced zucchini
½ c/ sliced yellow squash
½ c. long beans snapped in half
½ c. red bell pepper sliced into julienne strips
In preheated large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken, ginger and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until chicken and shrimp are cooked; remove chicken, shrimp, ginger and garlic and set aside. Stir-fry all vegetables in remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sesame oil about 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Return chicken and shrimp to skillet; heat through.

Serve over steamed jasmine rice that has been infused with lemongrass and sautéed mixed mushrooms.

Deep fried lotus root if available to you makes a lovely garnish.

Yield: Makes 4 – 6 servings

Please feel free to substitute any market fresh vegetables that are available in your area. Please note: it is best to have all vegetables cut to a similar size so that cooking will be even!

Aloha Mondays! Support the Maui Food Bank

It's on. Aloha Mondays are back at the Hali'imaile General Store. Bring in a can of food for the Maui Food Bank and receive your entree at half price.

One entree per person per can of food. For each can of food you bring in your main course is half the price of the usual rate.

If dining out is rare for you, or you're just a smart and savvy foodie, this is your chance to appreciate one of the finest restaurants in upcountry Maui. For all of you who wait for the kamaaina discount, come join us for a night out.

Be sure to call ahead for a reservation. We open at 5:30 pm and close at 9 pm.
Reservations: (808) 572-2666

Don't forget--only Mondays are half-price for a limited time.

We look forward to seeing you. Don't forget to bring a can of food for the Maui Food Bank. (Sure you can bring more than that if you want).

Fine Print:
Only the entrees are half price, everything else (drinks, pupus) is the standard rate.
Your gratuity for your server will be automatically calculated and included.

Family-Style Meals : The New Cookbook

Bev has released a new cookbook for 2009. Many of the recipes you have asked for are included. The book was just published with the title:

Family-Style Meals at the Hali'imaile General Store



You can purchase the new cookbook at the Hali'imaile General Store website.

Thank you for making the 20th Anniverary a huge success

20th Anniversary Benefit: Bev on KHNL morning news

Bev Gannon makes a special Thanksgiving panini and talks about the event on Saturday Nov. 29th at Haliimaile General store. Tickets are $125 and the proceeds go to the Maui Food Bank and the Hui No'eau Visual Art Center.

The Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie is back!

The desserts at Hali'imaile General Store are sometimes rotated-- new delicious options are added and others are removed from the menu-- and at times, this generates a strong desire from our customers to bring back a dessert. One of the classic mainstays is the Pineapple Upside Down Cake, often known as the house specialty-- as it should be with the restaurant being located in the middle of a pineapple field and many of the chairs having pineapples engraved in the wood backs.

During a regular menu rotation, one of the desserts was taken off the menu and created quite a stir. It came as no surprise when customers began asking en masse for the Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie.

It turned out that not only did our loyal customer base miss the dessert, but in fact, a campaign to bring it back had begun. An uncounted number of comment cards requested the the choc mac nut pie. We traced the movement back to an article written by maui restaurant reviewers Molly and James Jacobson in the magazine Maui Menus.

As he described it, the Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie is "heaven on a plate".


As it turned out, James's birthday was coming up and he chose to spend it with us at the Hali'imaile General Store. Bev surprised him by returning his favorite dessert to the menu and personally wishing him a happy birthday.