Welcome to My Kitchen

Luau themes are popular for spring and summer gatherings. Leis and Hawaiian print décor and clothing, set the mood. Outdoors, tiki torches and grass table skirting add an island feel. Pineapple, mango, mandarin oranges and other tropical fruits, slow roasted pork and chicken and teriyaki basted kabobs are just a few of the flavors featured in a luau menu.

Ambrosia Salad or Ambrosia in the 1959 rendition I found in my dad’s recipe box are nearly identical in ingredients, but the current version relies on frozen whipped topping and yogurt in place of whipped cream and sour cream. Following is the recipe I used for a recent luau theme event.

Ambrosia Salad

1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained

1 cup maraschino cherries, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, stir together whipped topping and yogurt.

Using a spatula, carefully fold in remaining ingredients. Note: the cherries may be used as garnish, rather than folding into the salad Also, I omitted the pecans for this kid-oriented event.

Place mixture in a pretty salad bowl or individual serving cups and chill about 1 hour before serving.

My dad’s recipe calls for 1 cup whipping cream beaten stiff and sweetened with 2 Tbsps. sugar and a drop of vanilla. Sour cream was used instead of yogurt, and to serve immediately.

In keeping with the luau theme, we made Pineapple Coconut Cookies from the 1963 Betty Crocker Cooky Book. As with many cookie recipes developed in the 1950’s-60’s, they rely on shortening, as cooks found, drop style cookies held their shape and texture better than when using margarine or butter.

Pineapple Coconut Cookies

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 egg

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, with juice

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup flaked coconut

In a mixer bowl beat shortening, sugar and egg thoroughly. Stir in pineapple with juice.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda salt and nutmeg. Stir into shortening mixture along with the coconut, mixing well. Cover and chill at least one hour.

To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drop dough by small rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Soup is still on the minds of area cooks leading up to the Easter season. We don’t often think of soup as an island or luau food, but Hawaiian Saimin Soup is fun to make and can be a varied as the ingredients you have on hand. Originally, I made this soup for a cultural exchange event and am told it is considered the national dish of Hawaii, served in snack bars, coffee shops and is even on the menu in McDonalds.

Hawaiian Samien Soup

4 quarts water

1 Tbsp salt

1 package (8 ounces) dried Japanese soba noodles

4 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

2 Tbsp soy sauce

Suggested Toppings: Julienne cut Spam, ham, or roast pork

Thin sliced, carrots, mushrooms, and green onions

Chopped cabbage or Bok choy

Green peas

Cooked small shrimp or diced chicken

In a large kettle, bring water and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Add noodles and boil 4 to 6 minutes until al dente. Remove from heat and drain, rinse under warm running water. Note: rinsing under warm water is important to the texture of the noodles.

Meanwhile, in a large pot combine chicken broth and ginger and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Add soy sauce and your choice of the topping suggestions. Simmer 5 minutes, or until toppings are cooked. Remove from heat.

Place cooked soba noodles into soup bowls. Spoon broth and toppings over the noodles and serve immediately Yield: 3-4 servings

Note: some venues serve the soup garnished with wedges or slices of hard cooked eggs. Also, the custom in Hawaii is to drink the broth from the bowl after the noodles and toppings are eaten.

As spring approaches, thoughts of locally grown fresh vegetables come to mind. Pizza was also on my mind. Salad dressings make wonderful pizza sauces, so here is my most recent concoction, Spring Pizza.

Spring Pizza

Pizza dough or crust for a 10–12-inch pizza

1 Tbsp corn meal

4 Tbsp Creamy Italian dressing

3-4 asparagus spears cut in half lengthwise, then cut in 2-inch pieces

1/2 to 3/4 cup snap peas

2 Tbsp sliced green onions

1 cup diced mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup feta cheese

Optional: 2 tsp minced fresh jalapeno pepper

Stretch pizza dough to fit in a greased pizza pan sprinkled lightly with corn meal. Spread crust with dressing. Add Mozzarella, asparagus, peas, green onions, and feta, in that order. Sprinkle with jalapenos if using.

Bake in preheated 475-degree oven according to the direction for your choice of pizza crust. In my oven 12 minutes was about right. If you are using a pizza stone, place in a cold oven then heat the stone to 500 degrees.

Share your favorite spring recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to my Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa record office. Don’t be in a hurry to rake winter mulch from flower beds, just gently brush it from tops of emerging spring flowers.