From Soup to Nuts

Sonia has been writing the Local Agriculture food column in Ke Ola magazine since the Jan–Feb 2012 issue. We are thrilled to feature her latest book filled with ono (delicious) recipes.

Author Sonia R. Martinez is a Honomū resident. These excerpts are used with permission.

About Sonia

I was born on the island of Cuba and have always been drawn to tropical climes and cuisines. For the last twenty plus years I have lived on the Island of Hawai‘i in a beautiful rainforest where I love to grow herbs, collect cookbooks, play with recipes, visit farms, learn and report about new sustainable growing techniques, read voraciously, and work on crossword puzzles.

My passion for food and cooking led me to own kitchen/gourmet shops and cooking schools first in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and later in the Miami, Florida area.

After moving to Hawai‘i, my son Anthony and I owned and operated the Akaka Falls Inn, a B&B, cooking school, gift shop and deli/gourmet shop in Honomū for several years.

Cuban Mojo Sauce

Pronounced moe-hoe (not moe-joe, the slang word for charm, spell, talent, or sex appeal . . . although our Cuban Mojo Sauce can be sexy!)

The best mojo sauces are very garlicky! Since it can keep refrigerated for quite some time, it is best to make a large batch at one time.

Scant amount olive oil, best quality you can afford
Onion, sliced thinly
Garlic cloves, one whole head per cup of liquid, peeled
Hawaiian Alaea or other sea salt
Dried oregano, to taste
Pinch of cumin, or to taste
Sour orange juice*
Olive oil

Mash the garlic and salt into a thick paste with a mortar and pestle. Sauté the onion briefly, until barely translucent; add the garlic and salt paste, the oregano and cumin and quickly stir to heat it through. Add the sour orange juice and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan to medium-hot and then remove from heat. Quickly whisk in the garlic-orange juice mixture; set aside to cool. Can be kept in the refrigerator until ready to use; heat briefly before using.

Mojo Sauce can be used as a marinade for pork and chicken and I love it served over plain boiled yuca (cassava).

*Sour oranges are just what they sound like. Used mostly for cooking and sauces in Caribbean countries. If no sour oranges are available, I use a half and half mixture of orange juice and lime juice, which is a close approximation of the taste.

Paletas de Mango

Paletas are ice cream popsicles. They can be made using any combination of fruit, cream, yogurt, or juices. I found my “still in box, never used” paleta molds at a yard sale for $1. One of my best investments!

2 medium mangos, seeded, and peeled
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
3 (6 oz) cartons vanilla low fat yogurt
Popsicle molds (2–3 ounce size) or 4 ounce paper cups
Wooden craft sticks

Combine mangoes, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Add yogurt, cover and blend again until well combined. Spoon mixture into the popsicle molds or paper cups and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.

To serve, remove from mold or peel off paper cups.

Yield: 6–12 popsicles, depending on the size of the mold. Mine yielded 4.

Source: The original recipe was one my sister shared with me, but it was a bit too involved, so I simplified it.

Contact author Sonia R Martinez

From Soup to Nuts is available from the author, local bookstores, and the publisher.