Rourou soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups of water
• 20 young taro leaves
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1½ rounded tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

1. Boil the water, add taro leaves and cook for 10 minutes with the lid on.
2. Drain and mash the taro leaves and set aside.
3. Heat the butter, margarine or oil, and fry onion for one minute.
4. Add flour and stir the mixture over a low heat for one minute.
5. Remove from heat, and stir in milk.
6. Put back on heat and bring to boil.
7. Add leaves and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring all the time.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Taro Leaf & Coconut Soup

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 onions - chopped
• 1 tsp. (3cloves) crushed garlic
• 4 cups taro leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 cups coconut cream (lolo)
  
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or parsley or coriander leaves
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
• 1/4 tsp. crushed chili or chili sauce

Clean and chop the taro leaves (pull the stalk out of the leaf and try to remove the central thick veins, then pinch off the tip of the leaf before chopping ) In a heavy saucepan cook onions and garlic in oil until soft. Add all remaining ingredients except for á cup coconut cream, and cook for 30 minutes. Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. Reheat before serving. Add a swirl of the reserved coconut cream to each bowl of soup. (small cooked shrimp can be added if desired.) ( Flame Tree Cookbook  by Sue Carruthers)

Spiced Dahl Soup

Ingredients

Water

200g/7oz dry Lentils

1/2 teasp Fenugreek Seeds

1/2 teasp Mustard Seeds

1.1L/40fl.oz. Strong Vegetable Stock

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

4 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 Large Onion, chopped

1/2 teasp crushed dried Chilies

2 Carrots, chopped

2 Sticks of Celery, chopped

1 teasp Salt

½  teasp Ground Turmeric

½  teasp Curry Powder

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

 

Instructions

 

1.   Place the lentils, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds in a large saucepan, cover with 5cm/2-inches of water and leave to  soak for about 1 hour until softened.  Drain and rinse well in fresh cold water.

 

2.  Return the lentil mixture to the rinsed out saucepan, add the stock,  bring to the boil stirring then reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

 

3. Meanwhile,  heat the oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and onions and cook over a medium high heat, stirring,  for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.

 

4.  Add onion mixture, crushed chili, carrots and celery to the lentils, mix well and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

 

5. Allow the soup to cool a little then transfer to a food processor and process until pureed. You will probably have to do this in batches.

  6.  Return the soup to the saucepan together with the salt, tueric, curry powder and soy sauce. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot

Chicken and squash soup

Serves 4-6   

 

Ingredients

2 tbsp Cooking Oil

1 Onion, chopped

2 Large Chicken Breasts, diced

900ml/30fl.oz. Water

2 tbsp Lime Juice

Salt

2 Tomatoes, chopped

675g/1-½ lbs Pumpkin, peeled and sliced

120ml/4fl.oz. Coconut Cream

 

Instructions

 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.

 

2. Add  the chicken to the pan and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

 

3. Add the water, lime juice and salt, bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

 

4. Add the tomatoes, pumpkin and coconut cream and bring to the boil, stirring.

 

5. Immediately remove from the heat and serve hot.

 

Traditionally served as a main course with boiled taro or breadfruit.

Fijian Corgettes

Ingredients

675g/1-½ lb Courgettes (zucchini), cut into 6mm/¼ -inch slices

225g/8oz Mushrooms, sliced vertically

60ml/2fl.oz. Vegetable Oil

Salt

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

120ml/4fl.oz. Chicken Stock

2 teasp Cornflour

3 tbsp Water

 

Instructions

 

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and saute the mushrooms for  3-4 minutes.

 

2. Add the courgettes and stir fry for 3 minutes until well coated with the oil.

 

3. Add the salt, soy sauce and chicken stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 minute or until zucchini is tender crisp.

 

4. Mix the cornflour with the water in a small bowl or cup then add to the pan, stirring constantly and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Serve immediately.

 

Coconut and prawn broth with rice, spinach and chilli

Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5 large prawns, shells and heads only
½ fresh green chilli, chopped
25g/1oz fresh ginger, sliced
¼ onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
300ml/½ pint boiling water
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tbsp grated fresh coconut
1 lime, juice only
handful fresh spinach
25g/1oz basmati rice, cooked
small handful fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Preparation method
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan, add the prawn shells and heads, chilli, ginger, onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add the water, curry powder, tomato purée, grated coconut and lime juice. Bring to the boil and cook for ten minutes.

Place a fine sieve over another clean pan, pass the mixture through the sieve and discard everything that is left in the sieve. Add the spinach and rice to the broth and stir.
To serve, pour into a bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Coconut Samosas

Ingredients
For the pastry
375g/13oz plain flour
150g/5oz self-raising flour
125g/4½oz butter

For the filling
1 fresh coconut, flesh only
1 tbsp ghee or butter
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
vegetable oil, for deep-fat frying
 
Preparation method
For the pastry, mix the plain flour, self-raising flour and butter together in a bowl. Add a splash of warm water and knead well until it makes an elastic dough.

Form the dough into small balls and roll each out into a circle. Cut each into two half-circles. You should have 24 in total. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside.

For the filling, chop the coconut flesh using a food processor into small pieces.

Heat the ghee or butter in a frying pan. Add the chopped coconut, brown sugar, bay leaf and cinnamon stick and cook on a low heat for 5-7 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
Add a teaspoon of the filling to the middle of each semi-circle and fold into a triangle. Use up all the dough and filling in this way.

Half-fill a deep, heavy-based pan with vegetable oil and heat until a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 30 seconds (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended).

Fry the samosas in small batches for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve at once.

Crab and coconut cakes with homemade sweet chilli sauce

Ingredients
For the sweet chilli sauce
2 garlic cloves
6 long red chillies
1 tbsp fish sauce
100g/4oz caster sugar
100ml/4fl oz rice vinegar
For the crab cakes
250g/8oz fresh crabmeat
75g/3oz fine dried breadcrumbs
25g/1oz unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 free-range egg
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
pinch ground white pepper
vegetable oil, for shallow frying

To serve
crisp lettuce leaves
handful fresh coriander leaves
 
Preparation method
For the sweet chilli sauce, pound the garlic and chillies to a paste using a pestle and mortar, then transfer to a saucepan with the remaining sweet chilli sauce ingredients and 100ml/4fl oz of water. Bring the mixture to the boil and continue to boil for five minutes, or until the mixture has reduced to a syrup-like consistency. Set aside to cool.

For the crab cakes, in a mixing bowl mix together the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, coconut, egg, garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce and white pepper. Knead with your fingers until thoroughly combined, then break off small pieces and shape them into mini patties.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the crab cakes, in batches if necessary, for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper.
Serve the hot crab cakes on a bed of lettuce leaves, scatter over the coriander and serve with the chilli sauce on the side for dipping.

Remote Garden Salad

4 Servings

Ingredients
4 Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
2 Heads Lettuce
2 Chive Sticks

Method:    Wash all Vegetables and dry them. Slice 3 tomatoes in wedges. Slice one Tomato into Julianne strips. Peel and seed cucumber and slice into Julianne strips & cut lettuce into bite size pieces.

Vinaigrette
60 ml lemon juice
140ml olive oil
1tsp Dijon Mustard
20 gr chives cut
Salt & pepper to taste
 Method:    Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth

Assembly   
Dress lettuce, tomato and cucumber Julianne in a mixing bowl and toss lightly. Arrange Tomato wedges at 5 points on a plate & place mix salad in center & garnish with crouton and chive sticks.

Garden green tropical grilled vegetables salad

Local vegetables
Yellow zucchini
sliced Green zucchini
sliced Eggplant
sliced Onions
sliced Tomato
sliced Lettuce, green coral and red coral

Method Seasoned the sliced vegetables in a deep plate with, cracked peppers, salt, crushed garlic, crushed ginger and salad oil, leave it for 20 minutes then grill slightly to be brown, pick the lettuce leaves red and green coral, place on the centre of the plate, garnish with the cold grilled vegetables, pour the top with balsamic and oil dressing, garnish with fine slice spring onions

Palm Sugar, Lime & Chilli Dressing

- Fijian Food Safari

This dressing is a perfect balance of sweetness, heat, sourness and salt

This dressing is a palm sugar syrup reduction that is balanced out with citrus and fish sauce to create a wonderfully sweet but balanced dressing for salads, grilled meats or seafood.
500gm        Thai Yellow Palm sugar (not the darker Indonesian palm sugar)
150ml         Water
4-5             Garlic cloves, chopped fine
2-3             Limes, juiced
30ml           Fish sauce
2-3             Small red/green chillies
10gm          Coriander root, cleaned & chopped

Method:

In a saucepan, add the palm sugar and water on a medium heat until the blocks of sugar dissolve.
Reduce heat to simmer until it forms a sugar syrup consistency like maple syrup.   Allow to cool.
Transfer the sugar syrup to a glass mixing bowl, and add the garlic, chilli, lime juice and coriander roots.  Whisk then cover and put in the fridge for a least 30 mins to allow the flavours to infuse
Slowly add the fish sauce to balance the other strong flavours

Kokoda - Fijian Fish Ceviche

by Fijian Food Safari

served in a half coconut shell

The Kokoda (“Koh-konda”) is one of Fiji’s traditional & most well known fish dishes.  Like the Peruvian “Ceviche”, Fijian’s ‘cook’ Walu mackeral by curing it overnight in lemon juice,  then mixing it with a coconut salsa to enjoy as a cold seafood salad.

1kg        Fresh Walu Spanish Mackeral (or any firm white flesh), cubed 1" square
1 cup     Lemon juice
1 cup     Coconut cream (fresh is better but canned ok)
¼ cup   Tomato, diced
1 T         Spring onion
¼ cup   White Onion, finely chopped
Red chilli, chopped fine (optional)
                 salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:
Cut fish into small cubes, 1” square
Place fish pieces into bowl with lemon juice and little salt
Store marinated fish in refrigerator for minimum of 2 hours or overnight
Rinse the fish under cold water, removing the excess proteins
In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients, check seasoning
Mix the cured fish with the coconut mixture
Serve chilled

Garlic Prawns

Serves 2 as main; 4 as entree

4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed coarsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon brandy
500g (1lb) green prawns, shelled, cleaned and split lengthwise
olive oil
chopped parsley
1/2 cup cream

Crush garlic with salt, add crushed peppercorns, lemon juice and brandy. Mix well. 
Place prawns in saucepan or in heavy, individual iron dishes.  Add garlic mixture and enough olive oil to cover and cook quickly until prawns just change color.  Stir in cream.  Serve hot and sizzling in small bowls garnished with chopped parsley.

Olive Tapenade

Serves 6

300g black olives, pitted
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
8 anchovies
1 garlic clove, crushed
180ml olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 tbs chopped parsley

Pound together the olives, capers, anchovies and garlic, either using a mortar and pestle or a food processor.  Add the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and herbs and pound or process again until you have a fairly rough paste.

Serve with bread for dipping.

Meat balls with coconut dipping sauce

500 g beef mince
1 packet french onion soup or 1 cube stock
1/4 cup sweet chilli sauce or fresh chillis
1 tbsp ginger
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp oil
1 cup coconut milk
2tbsp mint
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice

1 Combine beef, french onion soup mix or stock cube, chilli sauce, ginger and breadcrumbs in a large bowl

2 Shape level tablespoons of mixture into balls

3 Heat oil in large fry pan. Cook half the meatballs over a moderately high heat about 5 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through

4 Repeat with remaining meatballs

5 To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl

6 Whisk together until smooth

Chicken Lollipops

Serves 6

24 chicken wings (winglet removed)

Marinade
1 tablespoon saffron threads
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 cups milk
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon aniseeds
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons salt

1 To prepare the chicken, make a small incision with a paring knife at the narrow end of the winglet. Scrape down on the bone, pushing the meat down to form a lollipop-like shape as the bone is exposed.

2 To prepare the marinade, soak the saffron threads in the lemon juice for 10 minutes. Combine with the zest, milk, shallots, aniseeds, garlic and salt in a blender and pulse for 30 seconds.

3 In a baking pan with sides, stand all the chicken wings straight up. Pour the marinade over the wings and refrigerate overnight.

4 Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the wings for 8 minutes only. Remove them from the oven and let stand for about 1 hour. This step is necessary to blanch the wings slightly and set their shape before they go on the hot grill.

5 Prepare a medium fire in the grill/BBQ

6 Drain the wings. Oil the grate. Place the wings on the hot grate and grill for about 10 minutes, turning them with tongs occassionally.

7 Transfer the wings to a serving platter and serve

Prawns with coriander, ginger and cardamom

12 green king prawns

Marinade:
2 small hot red chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbs ginger, finely chopped
3 tbs coriander, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
4 tbs grapeseed oil
salt and pepper
lemon quarters to serve

Combine the prawns and marinade in large shallow dish - leave for an hour. Brush the grill with oil and grill the prawns for 2-3 mins on each side, pouring all the marinade over them.

Serve with lemon quarters

Squid and Bean salad

Serves 4-6

1kg/2 pound 3 oz squid, trimmed and gutted
salt and pepper
400g tin cannellini beans or 170g/6oz dried ones soaked and cooked until tender
1-2 fresh chillies, red and green
2 good handfuls of rocket
juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon
olive oil

Score the squid lightly in a casual criss-cross and set it to one side. Get a griddle pan very hot (or use Wok or BBQ). Season the squid lightly then add it to the pan. After a minute it should be nicely charred, turn it over, cook for another minute then remove it and set it aside.

Heat up the cannellini beans and sprinkle them into a bowl. Add the sliced chillies to the bowl with the rocket, lime/lemon juice, olive oil and season.

Cut the squid at irregular angles and toss it in. A good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish it off.