Aloha everyone, here is an easy stir fry recipe for you to try using tempeh. Tempeh, a traditional food native to Indonesia, is made from fermented soybeans which are formed into a cake and can be sliced up and sautéed just like meat.

Some foods, like soybeans, are known to have greater health benefits when they are fermented than when they are not. With soybeans, fermentation removes the trypsin inhibitors, found in the coating of the bean, and unlocks many of the nutrients within making them available for our bodies to absorb. In their un-fermented state, the benefits of these nutrients are lost. Fermented foods of some variety have been a part of every traditional diet. They are full of probiotic cultures which help the body to digest food and absorb more of its nutritional content. Many of the isoflavones, thought to be anti-cancerous, in soy are not in an right form for our bodies to receive the benefits unless they are fermented.

Well with all that in mind, lets get to the recipe! Feel free to mix and match the veggies and sauce options to your taste. I like the red cabbage and the green beans in particular because they make the dish really pretty and they are locally grown! All ingredients are regularly available in our store so I’ll see you at The Hut!

Tempeh Sauté with Veggies

Serves 2-3

1 package of tempeh

1/2 red onion

1 chuck of fresh ginger

1/4 of a red cabbage

1 bunch of green beans

3-4 kale leafs

1-2 tablespoons miso

2-3 tablespoons almond butter

dash of sesame oil

coconut oil, for cooking

Heat large pan to medium and add some coconut oil. Chop red onion and add to hot pan. Sauté until onions are translucent. (Add more coconut oil throughout cooking as needed.) Chop tempeh into bit-sized pieces. Chop ginger into very tiny pieces. Add to pan and toss. Chop cabbage and green beans then add them when the tempeh is bowned. Cover and steam for a few minutes. Tear kale off stems into small pieces, add to pan and cover for a minute. Turn the stove to low, uncover and add miso, almond butter and sesame oil and stir. Add more miso if you prefer a saltier taste. Add a little water if needed to coat almond butter and miso over all ingredients. Serve with chop sticks and enjoy!

Happy Holidays everyone! Well it is that time of year when we are tempted beyond belief to go against our better judgment and indulge in sweets and goodies of all kinds—many of which are not gluten free. For many this means suffering through a host of unwanted side effects! Symptoms from gluten intolerance can range from upset stomach, indigestion, hives and for some the symptoms can be much more serious.

It is no fun to suffer though the holidays and so I set out to adapt one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes, the snickerdoodle, from gluten-rich to gluten-free! I noticed that the key to a nice soft cookie is in the baking. Make sure your oven is fully heated before putting the the cookies in and make sure they are taken out on time (after about 10 minutes). As always please be sure to use all organic ingredients. Happy Holidays. See you at “The Hut!”

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

(makes about 24 cookies)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, softened)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups oat flour (or gluten-free flour of choice)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For topping:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl mix together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and blend together. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together separately and then add all ingredients together and mix. Form cookies into small balls and place on baking sheet. Top each cookie with sugar, cinnamon mixture and bake for 10 minutes. Cool and serve!

Hello All,

Here is a super easy and quick recipe for delicious pumpkin bread with mini chocolate chips, inspired by one of our customers, that is the perfect thing to bring to Thanksgiving dinner or to any holiday party.

I had originally endeavored to create a gluten-free, vegan version of this recipe but I underestimated the difficulty involved with this kind of cooking and failed miserably. After three failed attempts, I had a new appreciation for all those successful gluten-free bakers out there and the wonderful service they offer to those who must steer clear of gluten… and I decided to make a bread with gluten instead! After this experience, I have begun to study gluten-free baking in more detail so that I will be more successful next time!

In any case, here is the recipe I came up with. It is very easy and takes minimal prep time. After throwing it in the oven, you can just set the timer and do other stuff around the house. Find all your ingredient here at “The Hut!”

For those of you who are desperate for a gluten-free and/or vegan Thanksgiving dessert recipe, check out this link to The Raw Foods Witch web blog, where there is a recipe and video for making an easy, raw, vegan, gluten-free pumpkin pie!! Happy Holidays everyone, aloha!

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

Makes 1 5×7 loaf

1 can organic pumpkin pie mix (sweetened)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons coconut oil

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie mix (optional, add more if you like it spicey)

1 3/4 cups flour (spelt or whole wheat)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips (optional, you can use any chocolate chips you want)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all wet ingredients together first. Mix all dry ingredients and dump on top of wet. Fold ingredients together and mix well. Add chocolate chips and mix again. Dump batter into a greased and floured 5 x 7 glass bread pan. Bake for about an hour or until tooth pick comes out clean when poked into the middle.

Aloha everyone, here is a delicious recipe for oven-roasted turkey with a honey, herb glaze I found online from allrecipes.com. Don’t forget to visit us for all your Thanksgiving ingredients (many of which are on sale!) See you at “The Hut!”

Herb-Glazed Turkey

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Rinse the turkey, and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Brush the turkey with olive oil, inside and out.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the thyme in a small bowl, and sprinkle the turkey with the mixture.
3. Place the turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan, and roast in the preheated oven for 2 hours.
4. In a bowl, stir together the honey, melted butter, sage, parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Brush the turkey with the honey glaze, and return to the oven.
5. Roast the turkey until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 2 more hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Continue to brush the turkey with the honey glaze frequently as it roasts. Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Aloha all,

In honor of Thanksgiving I would like to share with you my simple and delicious sweet potato recipe. This recipe uses Okinawa purple sweet potatoes, ginger, cinnamon and coconut milk to give it a sweet and creamy consistency—perfect for Thanksgiving, or anytime. To make it easier, try making the potatoes a day or two beforehand and then just heat them up in the oven right before you serve Thanksgiving dinner. Find all your ingredients here at ‘The Hut’!

Purple Sweet Potatoes

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients:

3 large Okinawa sweet potatoes

1 can organic coconut milk

1-3 teaspoons ginger powder

1-3 teaspoons cinnamon powder

1-3 tablespoons coconut oil (optional)

Wash potatoes, poke several times with fork and place on cookie sheet. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 50 minutes until well done and soft when poked. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle remove skins and place in large mixing bowl. Add can of coconut milk, spices and coconut oil and stir. Mash with fork as you go until potatoes are smooth. Serve an enjoy.

1. Chia Seed Drinks: The latest craze in nourishing drinks, chia seeds add a nice texture, fiber, protein, minerals and omega-3 essential fatty acids! The legendary Tarahumara indians of northern Mexico consume drinks containing chia seeds to give them energy to run great distances—sometimes 50 miles or more! GT’s Synergy Kombucha has put out several chia seed varieties. These are all raw and fermented. Mamma Chia makes some great chia seed drinks as well that are all organic.

2. Ono Pops: These delicious little popsicles are the perfect treat on a sunny day in paradise! All the unique flavors such as “caramel shoyu” and “sonny boy goats freisas” are are created with local ingredients grown right here in Hawai‘i!

3. Tropical Dreams Ice Cream: This Big Island company creates all kinds of premium ice creams, gelatos and sorbets! The flavors are inspired by the tropics, they are smooth and delicious!

Aloha everyone, I have been experimenting in my kitchen again and you know what that means…. a new, awesome recipe for you to try!

Well I just finished reading this great book, “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall and I am now super hyped on barefoot running and eating chia seeds. The Tarahumara or “Running People”, legendary for their amazing endurance and vigor, make a drink called, iskaiate, made from chia seeds, lime juice and sweetener. This drink is said to give them super running powers, although I’m sure it’s not that simple.

I have been trying chia seeds in everything from smoothies to fruit salads to my latest creation: “Coco-Chaco-Chia Pudding”, which I will be sharing with you here. This recipe took a few tries to get it right but I think I finally nailed it. First, allow me to share a little bit about chia seed health benefits with you.

Chia seeds are high in protein, antioxidants, B-complex vitamins and various minerals. The best thing about chia seeds, however, is that they are high in omega-3 essential fatty acids, also known as EFAs. Why is that so great? Well, in our modern diet, we are comsumeing way too much omega-6 and hardly any omega-3 EFAs. Research suggests that an imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 can eventually cause various health problems including arthritis, obesity, diabetes, cancer, depression and heart disease.

Most packaged foods contain high amounts of omega-6 EFAs due to the vegetable oils used in them. For this reason it is easy to see why the average person consumes 20 to 50 times the amount of omega-6 to omega-3! (The ideal ratio is 1:1 by the way.)

When we consume imbalanced foods regularly it can create imbalances in our bodies as well. This is why it’s a good idea to get as much omega-3 in our diet as possible. I believe that supplementing with chia seeds can help.

The following is a  great dessert recipe that can be adapted to your taste and dietary needs. Less or more sweetener may be used depending on what you prefer. If you cannot have any sugar then I suggest using stevia or xylitol, which are natural sugar substitutes.

Look for all ingredients here, at the Healthy Hut in Kilauea. Always use organic ingredients when possible.

For those who want to delve in and do further research on these topics please visit the resource links listed below.

Resources: chiaseedshealthbenefits.com/; www.chrismcdougall.com/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running; www.nomeatathlete.com/tarahumara-pinole-chia-recipes/; www.optimal-heart-health.com/omega_3.html; http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/03/13/omega3-fats-part-one.aspx; http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/23/the-incredible-importance-of-omega-3-s.aspx; www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=96; www.eatwild.com/articles/superhealthy.html; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

Coco-Chaco-Chia Pudding
Servings: 3-5
1 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons cacao (cocoa) powder
1 tablespoon maca powder
2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds

In a large bowl combine cacao (cocoa) powder, maca, honey or agave, vanilla and a little coconut milk and stir. Add a little more coconut milk and stir again, making sure to get all lumps out and make smooth. Repeat this process until all the coconut milk is blended in. Next add the chia seeds and mix well. Cover and put in the refrigerator for six or more hours. When well chilled and gelled, stir once more and serve. Enjoy and live well;-)

Powerhouse Creamery, Made on Kauai

Sparrow serves ice cream at a farmer's market on Kauai.

If you are a fan of local food and coconut milk ice cream then you are in for a treat! We are now bringing in more of Powerhouse Creamery’s delicious ice creams including a dairy-free coconut variety that can hold its own against the other popular brands in the emerging coconut ice cream market.

Powerhouse Creamery is owned and operated by local Kaua‘i resident Sparrow Fontura. All her ice creams are hand-crafted from local ingredients including lilikoi, banana and mango, to name a few.

Stop by Healthy Hut and ask us about our latest offerings from Powerhouse Creamery!

Have an event on Kaua‘i? Sparrow offers ice cream catering and delivery. Contact her at: (808) 639-1781.

After a break neck 14-day tour  around the Rajastan state of  India, we headed south to   Philipkutty’s Farm on a small tranquil island on the southwestern coast .

The island is surrounded by the  Vembanad Lake  in the state of Kerala.   Canals, streams, marshes and flooded rice patties are  intricately tied into the 80-square-acre  lake and make up what Keralites call the Backwaters.

Philipkutty’s Farm is a small family- run inn called a home stay. Guests  live with the hosts and are housed in one of five lakefront villas which were built in traditional Keralan bungalo style. White stucco walls and verandas overhung with dark red tile roofs make up the Keralan look, complete with swings large enough for two.

We could lie back and listen to the birds singing or women chatting while doing laundry along the  shores.  The family and guests dine together three times a day around a large round table in the outdoor pavilion. It appeared we had arrived at a perfect rest stop before continuing on our tour.

We were greeted by Anu, our hostess and quickly  introduced to Aniamma, known to all as “Mummy” .  They were daughter and mother-in-law, the  owners and operators of this retreat.

Philipkutty’s was originally established over a half century before by Mummy’s father-in-law.  After his unexpected death, his wife, Anu and Mummy took over. In 1999 Mummy’s son added the bungalows and created the homestay experience, giving travelers a taste of Keralan hospitality. This mostly organic farm produces commercial crops in addition to the ingredients used for home stay’s meals including the spices .

We were offered the opportunity to take a cooking class with Mummy and Anu. We were  immediately at home in the demo kitchen. We started off with Pineapple Pachadi, a basic dish and  a staple on our dining table while a Phillipkutty’s. Here is the recipe for all of you to enjoy. Most ingredients available at Healthy Hut, except the fresh curry leaves, which may be found at your local farmers market.

Pineapple Pachadi  (serves 6-8)

This dish is  similar to a raita.  It is a cross between a sauce and relish.  Its savory, sweet and tart flavors made it a delicious accompaniment to  the spicy dishes we ate, like  the Shrimp Masala.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
12 fresh curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 medium shallots, minced
2 long hot green chiles, seeded and minced
1 cup finely chopped pineapple
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
salt

Heat the oil in a small sauce pan. Add six of the curry leaves, the mustard seeds and crushed red pepper and cook over high heat until the curry leaves sizzle and the mustard seeds pop ( 30 seconds or so) remove from heat.

In a medium skillet combine shallots, green chiles, pineapple, water and the remaining curry leaves and simmer over moderate to low heat until most of the water has evaporated ( 10 minutes )  Add the coconut and yogurt and cook. Continue stirring until heated through ( do not bring to boil,  three minutes ). Remove from the heat , stir in the fried curry leave mixture  and season with salt. Let cool to room temperature and serve.

I love spicy food so I jazzed up my peanut sauce recipe with a little red currie paste and cayenne pepper. If you don’t like spicy food, just leave those ingredients out, the recipe will still work fine without them. Also feel free to add your own veggie mixture to suite your taste. The following recipe is vegan, but meat such as organic chicken or Princeville Ranch grass-fed beef would make a great addition. All ingredients are available at Healthy Hut in Kilauea. If you are off island just ask your local health food store about the products mentioned below.

Thai Peanut Kelp Noodles and Veggies
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
2-4 tablespoons coconut oil, for cooking
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 broccoli heads, cut into pieces
1/4 red cabbage, chopped (optional)
4-6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 package of kelp noodles

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons organic peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 tablespoon fermented miso
1 tablespoon thai red currie paste
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1-2 tablespoons cold-pressed sesame oil
water, for mixing

Heat coconut oil in pan and add garlic and onion. Burner should be on between medium and low. Sauté until onions are translucent then add broccoli and cabbage, toss and cover for about three minutes or more as needed.

Meanwhile mix all sauce ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add more water or sesame oil to get the sauce to the desired consistency, set aside.

Uncover and toss ingredients again. Add shiitake mushrooms and toss. Add more coconut oil as needed to keep ingredients from sticking to pan. Cover for another three minutes or more as needed to steam. Uncover and add whole package of kelp noodles. Turn off heat and toss all ingredients with peanut sauce. Serve in pretty bowls with chop sticks. Enjoy!:-)