| December 2018 11
in THe KiTcHen
chef stephen rouelle
has just unveiled a new
cookbook of vegan recipes.
The squash island is featured
in chef stephen’s new book.
hen he’s not at his restaurant
serving up gourmet vegan
dishes to appreciative
patrons, Chef Stephen
Rouelle—of Under the Bodhi
Tree at the Shops at Mauna Lani—enjoys spending
time in his own kitchen preparing plant-based
cuisine. His ingredients of choice are produce from
local farmers in Waimea, and herbs from his own
backyard garden at Kohala Ranch.
Outfi tted with custom birch cabinetry and a
convection oven for baking, Stephen’s kitchen is
modest by chef’s standards, he says. His favorite
appliances are his rice cooker and air fryer, the
latter of which offers a fast way to cook veggies.
“You can easily do roasted sweet potatoes or heat
up homemade veggie burgers in the air fryer,” said
Stephen. “You can even roast marinated Brussels
sprouts in 12 minutes.”
Unveiling many great recipes teeming with
vegetables, fresh herbs, fruits and the bounty of
local ingredients, Stephen’s new cookbook, “Under
the Bodhi Tree,” highlights the joys of seasonal
cooking. Featuring beautiful photography by
Waimea photographer Anna Pacheco, the book is
divided by four sections by season, and includes
chapters on desserts plus staples like sauerkraut.
“The goal of the book is to help people with their
health, nutrition and well-being, and to seek out
ingredients that are right in front of them,” said
Stephen. “Our guests at the restaurant kept asking
for a cookbook and recipes, and it took on a life
of its own. Our menu is seasonally inspired and so
is the book. We change and rotate items based on
what’s available from local farmers.”
With winter fast approaching, Stephen’s winter
recipes highlight comfort dishes like lemongrass
tom yum, tropical maple oats, Egyptian sweet
potato, and mushroom ceviche. Eating in season,
be it winter, spring, summer or fall, allows people
to partake in the freshest and most nutrient-dense
foods at their peak.
“I sincerely hope people enjoy the cookbook,” he
said. “My life has been changed in so many ways
just by what I eat.”
reciPe
Pine nut Pesto
makes 8 servings (raw, vegan, gluten-free)
3 cloves Garlic
1 oz. sweet green basil
3 Tbsp Pine nuts
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¾ tsp lemon juice
2 Peppercorns
¼ salt
Crush and grind peppercorns and salt with a mortar and
pestle, then add and grind garlic into a slightly chunky
paste. Remove stems from basil and add leaves to the
mortar one handful at a time, crushing them in a circular
motion. Stop when basil is crushed into tiny bits and
the green juice is staining the sides of the mortar. Add
pine nuts and crush them until a uniform but not-quite
smooth consistency. Drizzle in olive while mixing, them
add lemon juice.