Recipes

Mae's Avo-Pesto Dip

For a change of pace, try this one at home.

1 cup avocado
1 can white beans, drained (cannelini or great northern white beans), approx. 1-1/2 cups
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 10 oz package frozen spinach (thawed & drained)
1/2 tsp salt
12 leaves fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried basil)
1 medium tomato, diced
pepper to taste

Place all ingredients, except tomato, in blender. Mix until well blended. Transfer to bowl and add diced tomato. Mix together. Serve with your favorite cut up vegetables.

May also be served with low fat crackers, breads or chips. Makes about 3 cups.

5 A Day Stuffing

1 c dried shiitake mushrooms
1 Tbsp olive or canola oil
1 lg Maui onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 c celery, chopped
2 c dark leafy greens (bok choy, Swiss chard, kale), chopped
1 c dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/2 c chopped peanuts (unsalted, dry roasted) or toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
4-6 Chinese-style seedless plums, chopped
3 c cooked brown rice
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes salt & pepper to taste

1. Soak shiitake in a bowl of water for about an hour. Reserve liquid

2. In 1 Tbsp oil, saute onions, celery and garlic for about two minutes; add next five ingredients and chopped shiitake mushrooms and saute two more minutes.

3. Add cooked brown rice, Chinese Five Spice and red pepper flakes.

4. Add 1 cup mushroom soaking water.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

6. For turkey, loosely pack cavity with stuffing (enough for a 12 lb. bird and follow roasting directions).

7. For kabocha, cut in half, scoop out seeds, pack with stuffing and bake in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

Jicama Salad

(Jicama is also known as chop suey yam. It has a mild, refreshing flavor and a crisp texture. Yield = 5 cups)

1 medium jicama, peeled/cubed (1/2" pieces)
1 cucumber, peeled (Japanese or English cucumber)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced red radish
2 tablespoons currants
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Place jicama cubes in a large bowl.
Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half and then cut each half crosswise into 1/4" thick slices. Add the cucumber, onion, radish, and currants to the jicama. Toss to mix.
Combine the lime juice, garlic, lime zest, salt and cayenne. Pour over the salad and toss. Refrigerate for several hours. This looks nice when served on a bed of dark greens. The salad makes a nice filling for pita bread.

Recipes Wanted
We are accepting recipes for our Hawaii 5 A Day Cookbook. Please email or send them to our address. Recipes must comply with following criteria:
(1) 5 A Day recipes must contribute at least one serving of a fruit and/or vegetable per serving of the recipe.
(2) 5 A Day recipes may not contain more than 30% of calories from fat and not more than 480 mg of sodium per serving.

A serving is a medium piece of fruit, 1/2 cup cooked or raw fruit or vegetable; 3/4 cup (6 ounces) juice; 1 cup leafy greens; or 1/4 cup dried fruit.