Tag Archives: fish

Kanikama Rainbow Salad

9 Jun

KaniSalad

Let me introduce you to Kanikama, also known as imitation crab,crab sticks,a.k.a surimi. Surimi is made of a mix of processed fish(mainly Pollock),eggs, some type of starch and crab flavor, pressed into sticks.

I agree, it sounds nasty. But it tastes sooooo good!. By itself, with a few drops of lime, or with Shoyu (soy sauce). Kanikama is low in mercury and environment- friendly when it comes from a sustainable fishery.

My favorite way to eat it is in a very colorful salad. I tweaked my family’s heirloom recipe and substituted their Smoked Turkey Breast for Kanikama, and omitted the grated Queijo Prato ( similar to Monterey Jack Cheese).

Here it goes:

Salad

  • 3 hand fulls of any green lettuce (such as romaine or bibb) , chopped or tear by hand
  • 1 hand full of spring mix greens
  • 1 hand full of arugula or watercress
  • 2 hand fulls of shredded purple beets, shredded
  • 2 hand fulls of shredded carrots, shredded
  • 10 sticks of Kanikama, shredded by hand
  • 1 ripe mango, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • Shoestring Potato Sticks, to taste
Batata Palha, or Matchstick Potato, I prefer Yoki because it is extra thin. I buy it at Brazilian stores.But you can also find the Picnic brand at most grocery stores.

Batata Palha, or Shoestring Potato Sticks, I prefer Yoki because it is extra thin. I buy it at Brazilian stores.But you can also find the Pik Nik brand at most grocery stores.

In a clear, glass bowl (It looks prettier, so you can see the different layers)place the lettuce at the bottom. Follow with the spring mix and the arugula and/or watercress. Make a layer of shredded beets, and on top of it a layer of shredded carrots. Place the shredded Kanikama (or smoked turkey) and the mango’s cubes on top of the carrots, and finish with the shoestring potato sticks.

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Dressing:

  • 1/4 c creme fraiche, or plain yogurt
  • 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • 1/4 c Ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp red hot sauce, such as Red Rooster or Tabasco
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, and keep refrigerated marinating until it is time to use it. I find it better to dress the salad on the plate, so one can choose how much dressing goes into their salad.

I suggest that you try this recipe as is, and do not skip any ingredients, even if you are not a big fan of beets or mangoes. The combination of the sweetness of the beets, carrots, mango and kani, with the salty crunchiness of the potatoes….is out of this world. Try it, and let me know what you think!

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Passion for Passion Fruit

12 Sep

Passion Fruit, Maracujá, Lilikoi,Maracuya,Grenadille, Fruit de la passion…I am crazy for Passion Fruit! There is something about its tart, refreshing flavor that always makes me crave it, and I never get tired of it.

You see, I was born and raised in Brazil, and Passion Fruit is abundant and a daily staple in every household. My parents never let us drink soda during the week, only on weekends, we always had fresh fruit juice instead. Some days was watermelon, other days limeade, but the one juice that was available everyday was passion fruit. Either fresh or from concentrate, it didn’t matter.

Passion fruit ice cream and mousse are also one of the most popular Brazilian desserts.  Passion Fruit is used in many ways, including as flour to increase fiber intake sprinkled in yogurt, fruits or drink; and as calming sedative in capsules or syrup.

So, I am always looking for anything Passion Fruit I can find, and when I do find it, I stock up on it, since I don’t know when I am going to be able to find it again.

I am lucky to live in California, the wonderful weather here makes it possible for almost anything to grow here. So I’ve been eagerly waiting for the end of the summer to get my passion fruit from a Farmer’s Market vendor. Well…how sad to find out that my favorite vendor is gone. I was already getting over it , and started to use concentrate again, when last week I ended up going to a different Farmer’s Market, and to my surprise….I see Passion Fruit!

I was so hysterically excited that the lady started laughing, just looking at my reaction. Needless to say, I bought a lot of it, and plan on buying even more, every week until they are gone. She promised me she has enough for a little over a month, so I will be freezing the pulp for later use. Just scoop out the juice and pulp and freeze it in ziplock bags.The seeds are great too! They are edible, and crunchy, so don’t throw them out. But if you must get rid of them, blend the juice with the seeds in a blender for 15 seconds, and strain it in a fine mesh strainer.

In Brazil, our most popular passion fruits are yellow, and bigger in size. Here they are purple and smaller. But the taste is the same.

There are some many amazing recipes with passion fruit, here is one of my favorites:

Salmon with Passion Fruit Sauce

  • 2 cups passion fruit juice
  • ½ cup parsley sprigs, chopped
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon pink peppercorn
  • salt to taste
  • sugar to taste to break acid
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 ⅛ pounds salmon
1.Cut the passion fruit in half, and with a spoon scoop the seeds and pulp out.
Put it all in a blender, and blend for about 15 seconds. Strain trough a fine mesh strainer. Throw out the seeds and reserve 1 cup of the juice for this recipe.
2.In a small sauce pan melt the butter and sautee the red onions until translucent.
Add the parsley, and passion fruit juice and let it come to a boil.
Turn it down to simmer and add the honey, pink peppercorn, and salt.
Let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, place a lid on the pan, remove from heat and let it rest.
3.While the sauce is simmering, fillet the salmon and season it with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
4.In a hot sautee pan, add the olive oil and place the salmon with the season side down. Wait 3 minutes and with the help of a fish spatula turn it. Now season the top side of the fish and wait another 3 minutes.
5.Remove from pan, place it on a plate and drizzle the hot passion fruit sauce on top. Serve

If you can’t find Passion Fruit anywhere, or it is not in season, you can always use the frozen pulp or concentrate juice in Brazilian or Latin markets. These are my favorite brands

Frozen Pulp by Goya and juice concentrate by Maguary

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