Beni Imo Sweet Potato Cakes with Coconut Chutney

beni imo cakes on displayI made some steamed beni imo and was feeling ho-hum about mashed beni imo or a soup. I wanted something crunchy, like roasted beni imo or beni imo chips, but I don’t have a real oven. We only have a fish grill, which works great for… um… fish. And nothing else. So, I made sweet potato cakes in a pan.

These can be made with any ol’ variety of sweet potato. Beni imo is my fav, it’s local, and that’s what I had in my pantry. I went with Indian spices, but it’s a pretty flexible recipe, so use whatever strikes your fancy. Garam Masala is a combination of roasted spices. If you don’t have this on hand, I have a recipe for it here! It will only take a few extra minutes and is totally worth it. Plus you can store it for several months. Continue reading

Shikuwasa-Gingerade (Okinawa Lime)

shikuwasa juiceThere’s an old saying in Okinawa that says, “When life hands you shikuwasas… celebrate with shikuwasa-ade.” Ok, they don’t say that, but they should. I was thrilled to find shikuwasa at the market this week. I’ve been eagerly waiting for them to show up this year.

Dainty little shikuwasa. Oh, how I love thee. It’s called an Okinawan lime, but I think it’s much tastier than lime. If lime and tangerine had a teeny tiny little baby, it would be named shikuwasa. Continue reading