Ever wonder what some of Honolulu’s best chefs make for their Thanksgiving feasts? We talk with four renowned Oahu chefs who share holiday favorites, along with their recipes, so you can easily cook these dishes for your own spread.
Arabiki stuffing
By Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka
Arabiki sausage is my way of bringing my Japanese roots to a classic Thanksgiving dish. Arabiki sausage is a delicious, Japanese-style smoky pork sausage that brings a special twist to MW Restaurant’s Thanksgiving stuffing. — Wade Ueoka
Ingredients:
• 1 pound arabiki sausage, medium dice
• 1/4 pound bacon strips, cut into 1/2-inch squares
• 1 onion, medium dice
• 2 stalks celery, medium dice
• 1 small carrot, medium dice
• 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 4 cups turkey broth
• 2 pounds croutons, dried and unflavored
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
Directions:
Small to medium dice all vegetables, sausage and bacon.
In a medium-sized pot, sauté bacon for 3-4 minutes and add sausage and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Add vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add celery seed, dried thyme, and sage. Add turkey broth and bring to a boil. Add croutons.
Place into a pan and bake at 325 for 45 minutes.
Serve with turkey and mashed potatoes. Enjoy.
Mom’s green beans and mac salad
By Roy Yamaguchi
It all started with the Swanson turkey TV dinners I used to eat growing up on a U.S. Army Base in Japan. I can still remember the turkey breast with brown gravy, buttered peas, cranberry sauce, dressing and whipped potatoes. I couldn’t wait to unfold the foil and see the steam evaporate out. The smell of the gravy put me over the top; it had to be super-hot.
Now, every Thanksgiving, I roast a turkey using my most favorite knife to slice the turkey and serve it with mashed potatoes, peas in olive oil, stuffing, brown gravy, cranberry slices, my mother’s green beans and her simple macaroni salad. Green salad optional!
Mom’s green beans
Ingredients:
• 2 strips or 2 1/2 ounces bacon, cut
• 1 heaping tablespoon onions, diced
• 4 ounces green beans, tips cut off
• 1 cup firm tofu, uneven crumbled
• 1 large egg
Ingredients for miso mixture:
• 1 teaspoon white miso
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
Ingredients for garnish:
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon or 2 pinches katsuobushi Ingredients:
• 4 ounces cooked macaroni (about 1 cup)
• 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 eggs hard-boiled (chopped)
• 1 potato (cooked and chopped)
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
Directions:
To prepare miso mixture, combine miso, soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and reserve.
Over low heat, sauté onions and bacon for about 1 minute. Then add the green beans and cook for about 5 minutes. The bacon and onions will get a little crispy.
Add the crumbled tofu and cook for about 2 minutes to evaporate some of the water content. Stir slightly. Add the miso mixture, stir and then add the egg. Stir the eggs around to mix in thoroughly.
Place the green bean mixture on a plate and garnish with sesame seeds and katsuobushi.
Serves 4 side orders.
Mom’s green beans
One of my favorites is a simple macaroni salad. I like the salad with a lot of eggs and mayonnaise.
Directions:
To prepare the macaroni salad, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
Add the 1 tablespoon salt and the macaroni and cook for 8-10 minutes, until tender.
Drain in a colander, rinse with cool water and drain again.
Transfer to a bowl. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
Serves 4 side orders.
Cranberry Maui persimmon walnut relish
By Alan Wong
Growing up, I only knew about canned cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. I hated it! I think it was more about it coming from the cupboard and into a bowl, left out at room temperature so it reminds me of poke left out for a few hours.
Fresh cranberries are usually tart and need a little sweetness for balance. When you make anything fresh, you can control how much and what kind of sweetness is in it, and there are no preservatives or additives.
I like this condiment slightly tart; it cuts through all the butter and cream in the mashed potatoes, the turkey drippings in the gravy, and it balances well with the glazed ham or sweet potatoes. It provides a great flavor contrast to all the usual Thanksgiving dishes.
I wait for the first fresh cranberries and make it like this all the time now, and the addition of fresh Maui persimmons and local honey supports our farmers. Every year is a new one, depending on what’s available, local and in season to add to the mainland cranberries. Gotta localize!
Ingredients:
• One bag of fresh cranberries, usually a 12-ounce bag
• One medium to large orange for 1 tablespoon of zest and for 8 tablespoons or a half cup of juice
• 2 tablespoons monkfruit sweetener *
• 1/2 cup raw local honey**
• One ripe persimmon from Hashimoto Farms on Maui, peel with a vegetable peeler, cut in half, trim the top off, lay flat and cut into half inch wedges
• 4 tablespoons walnuts, either cut in quarters or just hand torn
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
*Monkfruit sweetener is being used in place of white sugar on a 1-to-1 substitution. It is only a suggestion to keep it vegan; otherwise, you can use white sugar if you like.
**Raw honey comes straight from the hive, filtered or unfiltered, and has not been pasteurized.
Directions:
Wash the cranberries and go through them to make sure they are all wholesome.
Place in a high-sided medium-size pot with the orange juice and monk-fruit sweetener.
Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer. You may hear some popping as they burst. If so, just put a lid on it for a couple of minutes or until the fresh cranberries burst and the mixture starts to thicken. This may take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.
Turn off the stove and then add the persimmon wedges, honey, walnuts, orange zest and lemon juice. Take off the stove and let it come to room temperature.
Everyone’s sweet tooth is different. If you like it sweeter, just drizzle in more honey until you are happy. It’s like season to taste, only with sweetness and not salt. Refrigerate when you are done.
This is an easy recipe to follow. You can do this without the persimmon or walnuts, or you can substitute with other fruits like medium-size cubed apples or pears, or other nuts like chopped almonds or mac nuts.
5-minute pumpkin spice chocolate mousse
By Lillian Cumic
When it comes to this Thanksgiving-inspired dessert, I think I just may have cracked the chocolate mousse code. This vegan and gluten-free dessert has all the qualities that make mousse fabulous — creaminess, richness and a buttery texture, leaving only a faint hint that it’s made with pumpkin. This healthy twist will take your guests by surprise. The best part is that it only takes minutes to make and can be prepared up to five days in advance.
Long gone are the days of high maintenance chocolate mousse recipes. This raw treat requires only a few ingredients and a blender even the most inexperienced cooks can whip up with absolute success. I can’t think of anything more satisfying and loved by so many, vegan or not.
Ingredients:
• 1 can pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 6 pitted Medjool dates
• 2 tablespoons Kahlua (optional)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• Pinch of salt
Garnish:
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• Vegan whipped cream
Directions:
Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Adjust sweetness with additional maple syrup, if desired.
Divide between individual cocktail glasses and serve chilled topped with cream and pomegranate. Mousse can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Serves 4.
