Makes approx. 40 csevap

1 kilo lean ground beef
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp baking soda (not baking powder, no no)

mix ingredients very well. Grill until inside temperature reaches 150 degrees.

Fijian 20mins

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 Small Aubergines (eggplant), sliced (we used Japanese Eggplant)

Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
240ml/8fl.oz. Coconut Cream (lolo) (we made from powdered coconut milk - MAGGI brand)
4 Spring Onions, finely chopped
1 Green Chili, very finely chopped
2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to very hot.

2. Place the aubergine slices on the grill rack, brush with oil then grill on one side for 4-5 minutes.

3. Turn the slices, brush with more oil and continue to cook for a further 4-5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, place the lemon juice, coconut cream, onions, tomatoes, chili and salt in a small mixing bowl and blend well.

5. To serve – quickly cut the cooked aubergine slices into strips, place in a serving dish and pour the coconut cream mixture over the top. Serve immediately.

Original Recipe from:
http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Veg%20Accompaniments/Grilled%20Aubergine%20in%20Lolo%20Veg%20HT%20ACC%20Fijian%2020mins.htm

OUR Rating:
Groceries expense very reasonable
Easy to make
3 out of 5

Would we make again?
Yes. but not with the cod (very coconutty combined)

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb. Broiler-fryer chicken, cut into pieces OR 2.5 –3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken parts, seasoned with salt and pepper, then grilled (preferably over charcoal); after cooking, discard bones and skin, coarsely mince the meat.

2-3 cups freshly grated coconut (frozen fresh coconut can be substituted – if you can’t find either, omit it, do not substitute with bagged coconut).
See below for our fun of opening the coconuts!

1 cup chopped green onions

½ - 1 cup of fresh lemon, lime, calamansi or dayap juice (we only used ½ cup lemon)

thai bird chilli peppers or scotch bonnet chilli peppers, finely chopped (start with 6 and work your way up)

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix them up, adjust the acid – is it not lemony enough for you? Add more. Adjust the heat – is it not spicy enough? You know what to do. Salt and pepper to taste.

Kelaguen is served either cold or at room temperature. You can eat it as is, or wrapped in a warm corn or flour tortilla, or the local version, titiyas (see below) with a little finadene (see recipe) on the side.

Note from site: you can find frozen grated coconut (look for something that says ‘niug’ not ‘buko’ if you come across a brand from the phillippines) in most asian/indian stores.

Original Recipe from:
http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2004/07/imbb-6-kelaguen-mannok.html

OUR Rating:
Groceries expense reasonable
Easy to make (except for opening and shredding the coconut, although fun!)
4 out of 5

Would we make again?
Yes. Would make a great pot-luck dish or buffet dish (we think it would be good without the coconuts too if you can’t find any)

OUR FUN OPENING THE COCONUTS!!!

Putting holes in the coconut to drain it.

Draining the coconut

Yes - there is a coconut in the bag! They say this is the easiest way to open it. Throw it on to some concrete!


Recipe for titiyas (we didn’t make this one as we didn’t find the harina de mais, however we are posting it so we can make it in the future – sounds yummy)
Most chamorros do not make their own titiyas, they can be bought at many supermarkets and village markets, made fresh daily in small batches by various local individuals. If you have harina de maís, however, you might be tempted to try making your own, as it is very simple and they are very tasty. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt into one cup of lukewarm water in a bowl. slowly add a cup of harina de maís until a soft dough is formed. let dough sit for 10 minutes. Pull off a piece of dough and roll into a ball slightly larger than a golf ball, then place it between two sheets of wax paper or some clingfilm (to prevent it from sticking). Flatten with a rolling pin to form a thin pancake. (i just use a shallow bowl and press downwards). Peel off top layer of wax paper or clingfilm, use bottom layer to transfer dough to your hand (exposed side towards palm). peel off second layer. Slap that sucker down on a lightly greased hot griddle or charcoal grill, cook until lightly browned. turn over, brown other side. Serve warm with lots of butter, or top with a white cheese and broil, or fill with kelaguen. these do not keep long, so only make as many as you can consume in one meal (often more than you think!).

From the original post on scent of green bananas blogspot:

a staple at guam fiestas and on party plates is red rice. it is most likely a bastardization of paella, the saffron-tinted rice dish from spain. saffron threads are from the stamen of the crocus sativa which is indigenous to western asia, but is not found on guam. its substitute is achote, or annatto seed, which is found in the pods delightfully named bixa orellana, a shrub originally from the carribbean but transplanted on the islands during the spanish exploration days. achote does not have a noticeable flavour, but when the seeds are soaked in water, it imparts a distinctive orange-red dye, which is essential to the dish.

for this recipe, prepare 3 cups of short grained rice for cooking in a rice cooker. set aside.

sautée one finely chopped medium yellow onion (or half a large one), with 6 to 8 slices of smoky streaky bacon, chopped finely (i cut this bacon rather chunkily, by request). drain off any excess oil, and add this to the rice pot. for a vegetarian version, add a little more onion, and a little hickory or kiawe liquid smoke, if desired.

achote comes in seed form, which must be soaked, but also comes in more convenient powder or liquid forms. i use powder, which can be found in many latino food shops as annatto or achiote. i add one scant tablespoon of the powder for every cup of rice cooked, but adjust it according to your colour preference--i like mine to be more orange, while others prefer a deeper, almost paprika-hued red. close the lid to your cooker, and cook as regular rice.


mix the rice through to distribute the onions and bacon and it's done!

Original Recipe from:
http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2004/09/recipe-easy-chamorro-red-rice.html

OUR Rating:
Groceries expense reasonable (we used saffron as we couldn’t find the achote)
Easy to make
4 out of 5

Would we make again?
Yes – simple and delicious

4 servings, 25 minutes cooking time

Ingredients:
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
6 Serrano Peppers, seeded, deveined, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons Anchovy Paste
2 cloves garlic
5 tablespoons lime juice
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
In a food processor, whirl coconut, chillies, anchovy paste, garlic and lime juice until coconut and chillies are minced; scrape container sides frequently.

Rinse and drain Shrimp.

Thread onto 4 flat metal skewers (10 to 14in.)

Brush Shrimp with paste (be sure to reserve some for serving).

Place Shrimp on a BBQ grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or on a gas grill set at medium hot (can hold hand at grill level for no more than 3 seconds); close lid on grill.

Cook Shrimp, turning once, until bright pink but still moist (about 2 minutes a side).

Serve with reserved sambal paste.

Original Recipe from:
http://www.cookbookwiki.com/Javanese_Sambal_With_Grilled_Shrimp

OUR Rating:
Groceries expense reasonable (if you can find shrimp on sale)
Easy to make.
4 out of 5

Would we make again?
Sure.

From the original post on scent of green bananas blogspot:

finadene (pronounced fin-ah-dén-ee) is a salty, spicy, soury condiment found on every fiesta table. the sauce not only provides an added 'kick' to whatever it is added to (rice, barbecued meats, grilled fish--anything, really), its acidity adds a freshness to items that can seem stodgy or greasy otherwise.

many households have a jar of finadene on the table anyway, but the basic sauce of 1 part soy sauce, 1 part vinegar, chopped white onion and fresh chilis is usually taken to a new level for fiesta time. the usual addition is fresh lemon, lime, dayap, or calamansi juice; also, green onions, thin slices of lemon, or halved cherry tomatoes are added for extra zing. i happen to use all of them (plus a little sugar to tone down the acid).

not only is it an excellent condiment, it is a good marinade for meats and fish for grilling, and i use it as a steaming liquid in a superquick fish dish that i have for dinner more nights than not (yeah, i'm lazy): in a microwaveable glass dish, lay down several small coins of cut fresh ginger; the ginger doesn't always add flavour to your dish (esp. if you leave the skin on), but it is important because it neutralises any fishy smells which frankly, are rank, and i can do without. place one fillet of fish of your choice (defrost if frozen) on top. drizzle fish with finadene slightly diluted by water, cover dish with clingfilm, zap on high for 2minutes, and bob's yer uncle, dinner is served.

Original Recipe from:
http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2004/07/got-finadene_07.html

OUR Rating:
Groceries expense reasonable
Easy to make
2 out of 5

Would we make again?
Probably not.

The name “Chamorro” comes from the native people of Guam; very warm, and friendly people.

4 servings. 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2-3 medium cucumbers
¼ cup finely chopped onions OR thinly sliced scallions
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ cup Soy Sauce
2 lemons, juiced OR 2 tablespoons White Vinegar
1/8 cup water

Directions:

Pare the cucumbers and leave narrow strips of skin for color.

Slice into 1/4 – inch slices.

In a zip-lock plastic bag, combine the onions, pepper, soy sauce, lemon juice and water.

Add cucumber slices. Seal bag securely.

Turn bag over and over to coat cucumbers.

Place bag in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes ( A longer time will enhance flavor).

Original Recipe from:
http://www.cookbookwiki.com/Chamorro_Cucumber_Slices

OUR Rating:
Groceries expense reasonable.
Easy to make.
2 out of 5 (I still like the Hungarian style cucumber salad much better.)

Would we make again?
Maybe. (I would halve the recipe – it makes lots)

Ingredients

4 medium papaya, not quite ripened
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Cut the papayas in half and remove the seeds.



Place in a small baking dish, skin side down and cover the bottom of the dish with water.

Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon evenly.

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.



We added a scoop of ice-cream to it - yum!

Original Recipe from:
http://www.cookbookwiki.com/Baked_Papaya

OUR Rating:
Groceries expense a little high, find papaya’s on sale
Easy to make.
4 out of 5

Would we make again?
Sure. (we halved the recipe)