I am missing Samoa tonight, it is a land I love, influenced heavily by my Dad, who lived there in the early 1960's. I grew up hearing stories of Dad's time there, and listening to him speak the language so fluently, and I was in awe. Paul and I took the kids to Samoa for the first time in 2008, as soon as I stepped off the plane I felt like I was home... I guess it was Dad's stories that bonded me, but the island and the people themselves are just so wonderful that it's a place I love.

So tonight I made 2 traditional Samoan dishes for tea.

Sapasui:

500g thinly sliced steak

1 large onion (diced)

8 cloves of garlic (chopped)

50g ginger (chopped)

100g vermicelli (the glass noodles)

750 mls - 1l water

100 mls dark soy sauce

100 mls peanut oil

salt & pepper

Put water in a bowl and soak vermicelli for 1/2 an hour. Cut with scissors when soft along the middle and corners.

Heat oil on high, when sizzling add garlic and ginger. Fry till about to turn brown then add onion, cook till clear.

Add meat and fry till cooked, then add half of the soy sauce and cook for about 2 mins. Add vermicelli and any veges you may like to add (carrots, beans...) Stir well then simmer for 5 mins or until the vermicelli is clear, on a low note. Add more soy sauce if needed to bring the colour back to brown. Can be served on rice.

Oka:

2 large fillets of fish (Tuna, Snapper etc)

1/2 cucmber - seeds removed and diced

2 tomatoes - deseeded and diced

1 med onion diced

1 400g tin coconut cream (from Samoa of course)

1 lemon - juiced (or lime)

salt and pepper

Chop fish into bite size pieces, place in a bowl. Add diced cucumber, tomato and onion. Mix the coconut cream with lemon juice (or lime) and salt and pepper - be generous with the salt as the dish will benefit from it. Add to fish and stir. Refrigerate till cold. Serve in small dishes or bowls.

SO GOOD!! look out for my blog at Easter for another Samoan delicacy too! I have tried to make Hot Cross Buns for years, with limited success, but last year made Panipopo (Samoan coconut buns) and they were really good - so they are my new Easter tradition :o)

Happy Cooking,

K