Keiki Cukes Archives - My Lilikoi KitchenMy Lilikoi Kitchen

Lactose Free, Pickles, Recipes, Summertime Meal, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Quick Dill Pickle Chips

May 28, 2022

Crispy, tangy and refreshing quick dill pickle chips are so easy to make and perfect for your summer picnics. We love pickles and always have an assortment in our refrigerator to serve with sandwiches or for a quick snack. These dill chips are ready in just a few hours.

Kirby cucumbers are typically used for pickles but are rarely found here on Maui. Our locally grown Keiki Cukes are the perfect substitution. They are small and crispy with very few seeds. We have successfully used these for canning whole dill pickles as well as spears. They are sold at all of our local markets as well as Costco.

This crinkle cutter gives the cucumber slices scalloped edges which is sort of fun but of course is optional.

The brine for the pickles couldn’t be easier. The ingredients go into a pot until the mixture simmers, then poured over the sliced cucumbers. That’s it!

Use a large bowl or mason jars to brine the cucumber slices. This recipe makes enough pickles for three pint jars. Surprise your neighbor with a jar of these crunchy pickles.

The dill pickle chips are best eaten once they have been chilled thoroughly. Pile them on hotdogs, sandwiches, burgers or chop finely and mix into potato salads.

Quick Dill Pickle Chips

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Adapted from Serious Eats

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 3 pint jars

Ingredients

1½ pounds Keiki Cukes (or Kirby cucumbers), thinly sliced
3 cups water
3 cups distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
10 sprigs fresh dill

Preparation

Place cucumber slices in a large bowl or pack in mason jars.
Heat water, vinegar salt, sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and dill in a large pot over high heat until salt has dissolved and the mixture is simmering. Immediately pour brine over the cucumbers, making sure they are submerged in the brine. Let cool for 30 minutes. Cover the bowl or jars, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Store for up to a month.

Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Chinese Smashed Cucumbers with Sesame Oil & Garlic

November 10, 2017

I’m always on the look out for new and interesting pickle recipes. This quick cucumber pickle caught my eye because it reminds me so much of kimchi. It is savory, crunchy, salty, and the perfect side dish to serve with a bowl of rice and grilled teriyaki chicken, beef, fish, or tofu.

Use thin-skinned cucumbers such as Keiki Cukes (found locally in Hawaii) or Japanese, Persian, or even English cucumbers. Cucumbers with few seeds are what you are looking for.

It’s amazing how the seed pockets detach from the cucumbers once they are smashed. I use my mallet which works perfectly. You can use the blade of a large knife if you don’t have a mallet (or a small skillet).

The dressing for the cucumbers is simple to prepare. Mix everything together in a small bowl, set aside until ready to serve. You could also drizzle this dressing over steamed bok choy, watercress, or blanched bean sprouts.

Chinese Smashed Cucumbers with Sesame Oil & Garlic

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Adapted from New York Times Cooking

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1½ pounds thin-skinned cucumbers
¾ teaspoon kosher salt for dressing plus ¼ teaspoon for cucumbers
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (sometimes I use avocado oil which is milder than olive oil)
½ teaspoon grated garlic
2 teaspoons gochugaru (medium heat Korean chili pepper flakes that have a fruity and slightly smoky flavor) or red chili pepper flakes to taste
Cilantro leaves
Toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Rinse cucumbers and pat dry. Cut crosswise into pieces about 4 inches long. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.
Place cucumbers on a cutting board cut side down. Using a mallet or the blade of a knife, smash down lightly until the flesh breaks down a bit and the seeds separate. Slice pieces diagonally into bite-sized pieces leaving seeds behind.
Place cucumber pieces in a strainer over a bowl and toss with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and a few big pinches of sugar. Place a plate or bowl over the cucumbers and weigh it down with something heavy such as a large can of tomatoes. Set aside while you make the dressing.
In a small bowl, combine ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and rice vinegar. Stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Stir in sesame oil, soy sauce, grated garlic, and Korean chili flakes.
When ready to serve, lightly pat dry cucumbers with paper towels and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Stir in half of the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning adding salt if needed. Stir in more dressing so that the cucumbers are well coated. Garnish with cilantro leaves and sesame seeds before serving.

Dinner, Korean, Lactose Free, Pasta, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Chilled Somen with Spicy Cucumbers

December 7, 2016

Cold noodles tossed with crisp vegetables are one of my favorite lunch dishes. I often make a big bowl of Aunty Ruby’s Somen Salad and take it to work to share with my friends. This recipe calls for perciatelli or bucatini pasta but I couldn’t resist using delicate somen noodles. They cook up in 3 minutes and are the perfect partner for the spicy cucumbers. I found this delightful recipe in Martha Stewart Living magazine. The subject of this particular article was Korean Barbecue and a talented Korean cook, Mrs. Pai. This is one of her original side dishes.

These beautiful “Keiki Cukes” are grown on the Big Island of Hawaii. Big Island Produce is a hydroponic farm that produces cucumbers all year long. They are super crunchy and don’t have any seeds. We use them to make dill pickles, bread & butter pickles, and add them to all types of salads.

Korean chili flakes or gochugaru (not to be confused with red pepper powder), has a unique balance of sweet and smoky flavors with medium heat. I have heard that hotter varieties are available but the one I buy from Whole Spice tends to be just the right heat for me.

The cucumbers are mixed with Korean chili flakes, scallions, garlic, and sesame oil before being tossed with cold noodles.

Chilled Somen with Spicy Cucumbers

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Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

10 ounces thinly sliced small cucumbers (Keiki, Japanese, Persian)
½ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons Korean chili flakes
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
1 small clove garlic, crushed in a garlic press
4 tablespoons roasted sesame oil, divided (Kadoya brand recommended)
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 package (3 bundles - 8 oz.) somen noodles
4 teaspoons soy sauce
salt for seasoning

Preparation

Toss cucumbers with ½ teaspoon salt, and let sit for 30 minutes. Transfer cucumbers to a clean dish towel and wring to remove excess liquid from cucumbers. Transfer to a large bowl. Add Korean chili flakes, sugar, scallions, garlic, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, and the vinegar. Mix seasonings into cucumbers; let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook somen noodles according to package instructions. Shirakiku brand cooks for just 3 minutes. Immediately drain, rinse under cold water and place noodles in an ice bath until well chilled. Drain noodles well and add to cucumbers, tossing to combine. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and the soy sauce. Season with salt and additional Korean chili flakes before serving. Leftovers are delicious the following day.

Dinner, Japanese, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Japanese Cucumber Salad

October 5, 2014

I love crunchy, sweet, cucumbers, especially Keiki Cukes. Their size is perfect, they are seedless, and snappy. I discovered this Jamie Oliver recipe on Leite’s Culinaria and I was smitten.

Lemon grass adds a fragrant note to the dressing. It pairs well with the ginger and rice vinegar. As the editor-in-chief of Leite’s Culinaria, Renée Schettler Rossi says, this is not the most traditional Japanese recipe despite Jamie Oliver’s title. And, as Renée says further, “I’m not holding that against it.”

I diced up a bit of cucumber and sliced carrots into pretty florets to add texture and color to the silky sliced cucumbers. A generous handful of torn mint and a little cilantro sprinkled over the cucumbers add that special brightness to the salad. For those of you who are not fond of cilantro you may leave it out, but don’t skip the mint.

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

3/4 – 1 pound Japanese, Keiki, or other small, seedless cucumbers

1/4 small carrot, sliced very thin (optional)

Handful of fresh mint, torn into small pieces

Handful of fresh cilantro, torn into small pieces

Dressing:

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 teaspoon finely minced lemongrass

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Dressing:

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in oil. Add ginger, lemongrass, and salt & pepper to taste.

Thinly slice cucumbers lengthwise, using a mandoline, handheld slicer, or potato peeler, making thin ribbons. Lay cucumber slices on paper towels and lightly pat dry. Slice a small portion of a cucumber into small cubes, about 1/4 cup (I use the leftover edges of the cucumber I sliced into ribbons, omitting any seedy flesh). Finely slice carrot if using. Lay cucumber ribbons on a plate and diced cucumbers on edges of plate along with the carrots. Sprinkle with torn mint and cilantro, and drizzle a generous amount of dressing over the salad.

***The dressing can be made a day in advance and the vegetables may be cut a few hours before serving.

Keiki Cukes

Quick Dill Pickle Chips

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Chinese Smashed Cucumbers with Sesame Oil & Garlic

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Chilled Somen with Spicy Cucumbers

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Japanese Cucumber Salad

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