Panko Crusted Passion Fruit Wasabi Mustard Mahi Mahi

On a recent trip to Kauai and driving back from hunting rainbows in Waimea Canyon, I slowed down as Dawn and I drove through the small, quaint town of Waimea. On the Southwest shore of Kauai, Waimea reminded both of us of the small town atmosphere of the seventies on Oahu where we grew up.

Just as we were leaving, I looked over and remembered something that Dawn had mentioned earlier in the day on our way to Waimea Canyon. Listening to your spouse/partner and actually remembering what he/she said? Money, baby; pure gold! Well, I made an immediate left turn and she knew exactly what I was steering for, as she said, “Oh, Aunty Lilikoi’s, you remembered!” Yes, she had read about Aunty Lilikoi Passion Fruit Jellies, Jams, and Mustards in the inflight magazine (Hana Hou) on our Hawaiian Airlines flight to the islands and she wanted to make sure we checked it out.  Their products were highly rated and raved about by many people.  But, we needed to find out for ourselves what all the fuss was about.  A local-kine shop with local-kine products made by local-kine people? We’re in, baby! 

Walking in, it first appeared to be a back room packaging and shipping operation lacking the amenities and the layout you’d expect from a tourist-type product store. Did we come in the back door? Is this the right place? Were they laundering money? Should we be armed? Should we call Five-O? It didn’t look like an outlet store either. We thought we had the wrong location until Dawn asked the one person in the shop if we were in the right place. A warm and friendly islander woman, whom we later found out was born and raised in Kauai, immediately greeted us. Yes, we had the right place, indeed.

The main reason for our visit?...Dawn was intrigued by the flavor combinations they had to offer and had seen the products in the hotel shop, but wanted to sample a few items before we bought them. She asked, “Do you have any samples?” to which the reply was, “Ah, no,…sorry,” with a big smile. Immediately, Dawn was bummed, "Oh, maaaan..." Then, from behind the counter our hostess pulled up a tray and out came a whole display with samples of every jelly, jam, butter, marinade, rub, dressing and mustard they carried. We all laughed together and so began our taste testing.

Let me just say this, in one word, WOW!  Every single thing we had was absolutely fantastic.  These products would be a dream for a Chef of any experience level.  They would make perfect sauces as well as compliment an array of recipes.  Even on their own, tasted from a little plastic spoon, each was a unique flavor sensation.  Passion Fruit or Lilikoi is one of our favorite Hawaiian fruits and Aunty Lilikoi obviously knows how to make the best of an already awesome fruit.  They also carry a line of all natural beauty products and candles.  Their authentic local and award winning flavors would make awesome gifts.  They definitely beat the usual chocolate covered macadamia nuts, ABC store trinket, and the all too common “they went to Hawaii and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” many island visitors take home to loved ones. BTW, we bought gifts so the beanbag is spilled right here. If you don’t get one from us, you didn’t make the cut, probably because you don’t comment on my blog or we don’t have your address. ;) hint…hint…

We both most favored the Lilikoi Wasabi Mustard, their star attraction.  We came home bearing jars of jelly, mustards and bottles of dressings, waiting for the right meal to crack them open.  My first idea was a seared and baked Panko Crusted Passion Fruit Wasabi Mustard Mahi Mahi, adorned on top with Aunty Lilikoi's Famous Lilikoi Passion Fruit Wasabi Mustard.

Here's the outcome:

Onolicious? ...or what, brah? Oh, yes it was very much so. It was my surprise dinner for Dawn on the first day back from this Kauai trip.

Here's the quick recipe. The full recipe has been added to the cookbook.  While any fish would do, I chose Mahi Mahi.  But I'm sure any smooth, flaky whitefish would work well, like Ono, Opah, or White/Orange Roughy.

Ingredients:

2 fish fillets (of choice)

Soy sauce

Rice Wine Vinegar

2 cups (approximately) Panko bread crumbs

2 cups (approximatelu) Flour

1 egg

Asian spice rub

Aunty Lilikoi's Lilikoi Wasabi Mustard

Let fillets marinate in soy sauce and rice wine vinegar mixture for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and dry fillets. Brush each side of the filet with The Mustard and generously dust fillets on both sides with Asian Spice rub. Let the fillets rest and become one with their spices for at least 20 minutes. Beat 1 egg. Carefully coat each side of each fillet with the egg wash and coat with flour. Re-coat with the egg wash and then generously coat each fillet with the panko bread crumbs. Cover and rest in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. (The fish, not you)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 1 TBS each EVOO and butter in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat to 375 degrees.  I added a dollop of coconut oil as well. Cook each fillet for 2 minutes on each side for, allowing skillet to regain its temperature between the flip for a nice, golden sear. Then place fillets in the 400 degree oven, elevated off the pan with a rack, for 2 minutes.

Remove from oven, drizzle the top of each fillet with Aunty Lilikoi’s, Passion Fruit Wasabi Mustard. Serve atop a bed of steamed, brown rice with fresh steamed broccoli, steamed carrots, and for a starter, a side of fresh jumbo shrimp cocktail works great.

We also picked up some of Aunty Lilikoi's Mango Java Steak Rub for meats and can highly recommend them as well. We used our steak rub on some beautiful filets one evening and they were fantastic.  The coffee, mango, and secret spices all melded together but without over-powering the meat.  Instead, the rub brought out the best of the rich flavor of the beef.  Well done, Aunty!

So next time you’re in Kauai or on the Internet, I’d strongly suggest you give Aunty Lilikoi a visit. You will luv it. Oh, and try fo send us da kine too, brah…as one gift. ;)

(Dedicated to our friend, Julia, who wanted a Hawaiian dish posted)

Mahalo for traveling and cooking with Captain Bobby Mitchel

Paradise On The Lake

Mahalo for traveling with Captain Bobby Mitchel

"Shhhh...You'll Scare Away The Rainbows"

Who doesn't love a rainbow?  But how many of us stop and truly enjoy Mother Nature's beautiful creation when we see one? How many of us pull over, turn towards, or even try to follow it when we see one? How about waiting and “being with” a rainbow until it goes away? Moreover, how many of us actually set forth on a drive, hike, walk, or journey for the specific purpose of seeking out or 'hunting' rainbows? Well, I do, I have, and I always will do so. And, hopefully, after reading this, you will too. Just remember these few things about rainbows: they're completely safe, non-toxic; they will not harm anyone, even if provoked; no license is required; they can be found all over the world, although for obvious reasons, some places are better than others.  Oh, and for my blonde readers, they do not come out at night...or do they? ;)

First things first, who remembers from grade school our 'ole friend ROYGBIV? Yup, ‘ole Roy, the colors of a rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. Oh, sure when you see a rainbow you see the colors, but have you really every seen the true, deep violet, or been able to distinguish it from the indigo? So many of the rainbows the average person sees are first of all, not complete from one end to another, and secondly, usually not fully developed so that each of the spectrum of colors is viewable. I, for one, don’t even remember the last time I saw the deep indigo and the violet. Oh, wait, I do! It was last week on the island of Kauai! When and if you do see a rainbow in its entirety, you will just stop in your tracks and enjoy it in its splendor as Mother Nature created it.

The vibrancy and size of the rainbows we encountered in Waimea Canyon were absolutely stunning!  Although not complete from end to end, the one pictured above was a vision to behold.

Growing up in Hawaii, I was often privileged enough to see many rainbows. Whether hiking the Aiea Loop Trail, boating and fishing off the Oahu coastline, hiking the hills behind Hawaii Kai, or just passing over the Pali or up in the Manoa and Tantalus area, rainbows were quite prevalent with the many passing showers across the island. I’m a Type A personality kind of guy.  I spent 21 years in the United States Air Force flying military jets, and currently fly 737s for a major US airline.  But, it’s my right brained side, the artistic part of me that feeds and fuels my inner soul. The music loving, picture taking, beach walking, bike riding, creative and poetry writing, concert going, SCUBA diving, recipe trying, sunrise and sunset viewing, and rainbow luvin’ part of me that lives to see what beautiful moments are in store for tomorrow. Yup, it’s that part that fertilizes my Attention Deficit Disorder too. Focus, focus.  Okay, back to rainbows… 

So, what makes a rainbow? Without getting into too much detail, because that is not what this is about, a rainbow is sunlight that is spread out into its spectrum of colors and then diverted to your eye by the water droplets that are around the area. So, Mother Nature must have water and sunlight to make a rainbow.  Translation?  It’s gotta to be raining, brah! So, who’s going hiking when it’s raining? J Well, I guess if you live in Seattle, you have no choice, huh?

Dawn and I were recently in Kauai and set forth on a day drive, hike, and walk in the famous Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Hawaiian Islands, but lush and green and so much more beautiful. I say that because I’ve only seen the Grand Canyon from the air (yes, a trip is on my bucket list) and although spectacular in it's grandiosity, the drab browns just can't compete with the colors and textures in Waimea Canyon.

We planned our day while lounging around our place in Lihue the evening prior. Type-A Pilot guy here looked at all the weather for our journey and mapped out a route. Neither of us had been to Waimea Canyon and looking at the weather, it was going to be a rainy day for a drive, hike, and walk. Oh well, we glass full people just figured it would mean less people and a better chance to catch a rainbow. By the way, unlike some other so-called sports, there is no limit on rainbows.

Off we went on our journey, driving the trusty economy rental car up to Kokee State Park. Yup, it was cold and rainy the entire drive up the windy road on the Waimea Canyon ridge line.  Only passing a few cars along the way, we kept on trekking up the small two-lane road with multiple 120-180 degree turns.  It reminded both of us of Tantalus Drive back on Oahu for those of you that know the area. Yes, we talked about turning back a few times, but it was the desire to see the Canyon and, hopefully a rainbow, that kept us going.  Along the way we stopped at a couple of "scenic via" points, ran through the rain and took a look over the edge.  Not much to see with all the fog and mist and definitely not hiking worthy.  Slipping on the mud slopes and being transported from the ridge line to the 6 o'clock news was just not in our cards that day.  What was in our cards up until that point was an abundance of wind, clouds, and rain, along with an occasional glimpse of a valley; no real "grand-like" canyon.

We pressed on. At one point Dawn even said, “I just want to see one rainbow; that would make my day.” Well, we made it to the top and to the end of the road. We were at Kalalau Lookout where the elevation is 5,148 feet and it was still cold, windy, cloudy, and the rain showers were passing by frequently. We were on one of the ‘wettest spots on earth’, as it said on the sign. Dawn went down the ridgeline a bit while I stayed at the lookout, alone, just gazing at the beauty lying within the deep valley before me. I was alone and inside I was whispering to myself, “Please, please, please, please, come on out,” in a boyish effort to entice a rainbow to appear.

Along came a small group of tourists, mostly women in their late 50’s. Then, suddenly a rainbow started to appear to the right of the canyon and then came the loud shrieks from the ladies. “Ugh, tourists,” I thought to myself inside. Such a peaceful sight, the spell of nature erased like a house of cards falling. I turned and looked at them with a smile, held my index finger up to my lips, and whispered, “Shhhhh, you’ll scare away the rainbows.” The one woman closest to me stared, smiled, and began to whisper as well. Classic!

Our first rainbow of the day was forming in the mist in the valley in front of me. Barely there, but I choose to believe, enticed by me and Dawn and our good vacation Karma, to come out and stay for a while. With the excited whispers off to the side, Mother Nature brought out a beautiful rainbow that filled the valley.  She also moved aside a large group of clouds so that we all could now see the beautiful Pacific Ocean along the Na Pali coastline. The rainbow continued to grow right before our eyes.  It was mesmerizing.

It was actually trying to form into a double rainbow as you can see in the above photo. The mist and moisture mixed with the sun now really brought out the lower rainbow. Dawn and I stood there, hand in hand, smiles aglow, as we just enjoyed the peaceful birth and growth of Mother Nature’s beautiful creation. Even the ladies near us began to really experience the moment.  It was sort of an intimate moment, sharing that rainbow with strangers and knowing that no one in the world was seeing it quite like us at that very moment.

After the rainbow disappeared into the fast moving bank of clouds and mist, I turned to Dawn and said, “Well, this entire trip to Kauai was just made worthwhile by seeing that. If we see or do nothing else for the rest of the week, I’m good."  With tears in her eyes, she agreed.

Leaving the top of the mountain, we began or journey back down the long and winding Canyon road. As it was clearing up now, we found numerous spots along the roadside that we could stop and see the beauty of the Canyon. We could also see how narrow the road was too and that if we went off the side, we were gone! Literally, gone and probably ending up hundreds if not thousands of feet below. WOW! Oh, we were seeing some beautiful grand canyon now!

Did we stop? Oh, you'd better believe we did, because on the way back down the mountain, we were treated to some of the most beautiful rainbows either of us have ever seen. With most tourists scared away by the weather, it was pleasantly unpopulated in the Canyon that day.  We didn't see many people the whole day and cars just passed by us on the way down, not even stopping to see what had caught our attention.  Little did they know, we had front row seats, baby! What a shame. Tourists! A friendly Indian family did stop and all four of them, mother, father, and 2 kids, got to see the rainbows, the youngest little girl excitedly remarking "This makes me happy inside."  I knew exactly how she felt. Beautiful rainbows…complete rainbows…double rainbows…ALL the colors of the rainbows…the indigo…the violet…Rainbows stretching completely across the canyon, miles from one side to the other. We saw one rainbow going fully across the canyon and the left side of it was ending what seemed like just a few hundred yards in front of us.  It was as if we could reach out and literally touch it. Dawn and I were just speechless at some points as we watched the rainbows peacefully come and go for us.


With the quickly passing clouds and showers, I captured the waterfall with the rainbow and the shadows of the canyon seeming to form a heart.  Do you see?

Oh, my,…leaky??? Yup. It was absolutely freaking beautiful and amazing. Of all those years growing up in Hawaii and the thousands of rainbows I have witnessed in my lifetime, this was a kaleidoscope ballet of rainbows like I have never seen before in my life. Ever!

By the time we made it to the bottom of the long and winding road, the day had cleared up and the sun came out as the clouds dissipated. For the last 10 miles or so, we had a full rainbow that stayed off to our left the entire way. We laughed and joked that it was actually following us home. It really seemed that way too. You can see the last of it in the picture below, just off to the right.

The last rainbow was with us all the way to the beach where we then began to hunt a sunset. ;)

So, now, for those of you who stayed with me to the end here and really enjoy and appreciate a rainbow, here is my ‘Catch of the Day’ and the one that made our day.

It will now have a permanent home as a 16 x 20 canvas in our home. During the “Kaleidoscope Ballet” I took many pictures, too many to post here, but I will always have them available to share. I took quite a bit of HD video too, which I may post at a later date. 

Well, are you rainbow lover now? You may have even learned something too. Just remember, if the conditions are right, "Shhhh...You'll Scare Away The Rainbows."

Thank you for “Chasing Rainbows” with Captain Bobby Mitchel and maybe we can journey together some day.

One Sneaky Coconut

Mahalo for flying with Captain Bobby Mitchel