Much has been written and talked about breadfruit in
Hawai'i in the last few years. At one time a popular main food in the islands,
the breadfruit, or 'ulu as it is known in Hawai'i, lost popularity with the
introduction of foods from the west, such as the potato.
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The breadfruit tree is easy to grow, beautiful to look
at and can reward us with an abundance of fruit in just 2 or 3 years, depending
on mode of propagation. The fruit is versatile, as you can see if you've been
following my posts and read the recipes entered in the several contests held in
the last couple of years on this island.
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The nutritional values of the breadfruit are even better
than the potato and can be used in any way you would use a potato...roasted,
baked, boiled, fried, mashed; as part of other dishes such as soups, stews,
puddings, salads and even as seen below, in a vegetarian sausage, the breadfruit
is a very healthy alternative.
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Very low in fats, only 1% and with only 227 calories per
220 gram serving (without additional ingredients); no cholesterol, a scant
amount of sodium, loaded with carbohydrates and dietary fiber and protein; its
loaded with vitamin C, calcium and iron and contains small quantities of natural
sugars.
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An apron worn by the assistant to one of the contestants
drew my attention and made me laugh.
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A variety of very imaginative dishes using breadfruit
were entered in the Cooking Contest during the recently held Breadfruit Fest on
Saturday, September 29th at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook on
the Island of Hawai'i (the Big Island); the following recipe was one of the most
original.
Third Place winner in the Entrée Category was a vegetarian 'Ulu Sausage with Marinara Sauce and Sautéed Spinach by Garrett Kihara of Kailua-Kona. Garrett is a recent graduate of the West Hawai'i Community College Culinary Arts Program. Later in the afternoon, Garrett and his friend and fellow student Emma Padilla demonstrated this recipe as part of the day's events... Emma wore the cute apron I'm showing above.
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'Ulu Sausage with Marinara Sauce and Sautéed Spinach
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For the sausage:
1 1/2 cup grated breadfruit (precooked in
steamer)
2 minced Hawaiian chile peppers
1/2 cup black beans, lightly mashed
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Wet ingredients:
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
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Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup TVP (texturized vegetable protein)
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten flour
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
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Other:
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap or oven safe plastic
bags
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Pre-cook the breadfruit by steaming and mash. Add the
minced Hawaiian chile peppers and the lightly mashed black beans.
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In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients together and set
aside.
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In a separate bowl mix all the wet ingredients. Add to
the mashed breadfruit and black bean mix and mix until well combined. Add the
dry ingredients and again, mix until well combined.
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Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts. Cut 6 sheets of
the plastic wrap. Scoop the mixture unto each sheet of plastic wrap and shape
into a sausage. Roll it in the wrap making sure you twist the ends and then
wrap in the foil.
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Once all 6 sausages are rolled, place them in a steamer
and cook for 30 minutes. They can be unrolled and cut in slices.
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For the Marinara Sauce:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup round onions, diced
2 Hamakua tomatoes, diced
2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
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In a small stainless steel pot heat oil and add garlic
and cook for about a minute, stirring continuously. Add the onions and cook
until all are translucent. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning and sugar. Simmer
for about 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
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For the Sautéed Spinach:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
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In a large sauté pan heat olive oil. Add spinach and
sauté until fully cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste
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To plate:
Spoon some of the sauce on the plate, add sautéed
spinach and lay the sliced breadfruit sausage on top. Garnish with bits of
greens and thinly julienne of carrots.
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Yield: 6 servings
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Note: During his demonstration of this recipe at the
event, I asked Garrett if the sausage could be frozen; his reply was he hadn't
tried to but didn't know why not.
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Breadfruit
Festival Goes Bananas is a project of Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu and is presented by
Hawai'i Homegrown Food Network, the Breadfruit Institute of the National
Tropical Botanical Garden and Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden. The
Breadfruit Festival Goes Bananas is sponsored by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s
Kūkulu Ola—Living Hawaiian Culture Program administered by the Council for
Native Hawaiian Advancement, Kamehameha Schools, Office of Hawaiian Affairs,
Hawai'i Community Foundation—Doc Buyers Fund, Kamehameha Investment Corporation,
Ke Ola Magazine, Ho‘oulu Lāhui, Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School, West Hawai‘i
Community College Culinary Arts Program, and Big Island Resource Conservation
and Development.
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To learn
more about Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu (Revitalizing the Breadfruit) project please go to www.breadfruit.info
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To read previous articles and recipes posted, please click on the following links:
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