Simply Blissful Living - Taste of Fiji

Enjoy a taste of the tropical islands with this delicious pancake recipe! Ingredients: 1½ cups crushed pineapple ¼ cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 eggs, beaten ¼ cup coconut oil, melted 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup coconut milk  Method: In a large mixing bowl, make the pancake batter by stirring together pineapple, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and eggs. Mix well. Add melted coconut oil and whisk until well combined. Add in flour in three batches alternating with the coconut milk until you have a nice batter. You want it to remain thin enough to spread slightly, without being runny Heat a heavy flat nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat. Grease or butter if necessary. Pour pancake batter 1/4 cup at a time. When bubbles start to form on top, flip and cook on the other side until puffy and golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and a pat of butter if desired. I like to to add coconut ...

Vakalolo, a family favorite, is a soft and sticky cake/pudding that is steamed in banana leaves. The banana leaves impart a flavor that elevates the dish to another level. This simple, yet tasty, dessert/snack is an islander favorite. Vakalolo is easy to just throw together and steam for an afternoon snack with a cup of tea. The ingredients are so easy to find on the island! In fact, you can probably find it in the gardens of many "koros" [Fijian communities] and home gardens. I prefer to use fresh cassava and coconut; however, grated coconut and cassava are both readily available in most Asian and Indian stores and they are just as good. Banana leaves are available at most Asian markets here in Northern California and even the refrigerated ones will suffice. However, if you're living outside of Fiji and can't find banana leaves, you can use foil in its place. It works well, but the dish does leave something "missing."  This is what you'll n...