By Request

By Kekoa Catherine Enomoto

Wednesday, April 1, 1998

By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
A quick stir-fry preserves the crunchy texture of pak wan.

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Pak wan packs
bundle of nutrition

The versatile green vegetable is
easy to grow and to prepare

WALTER Tonai of Waialua writes, "It will be greatly appreciated if you will find the space and time to print a few helpful recipes, cooking tips and uses for pak wan."

"Its succulent tips are growing on it now," Frank Sekiya of Frankie's Nursery in Waimanalo said of pak wan. "In bunches, it reminds me of asparagus.

"We pick it off with our fingers. Wherever it snaps with the fingers, those are the parts that are tender," he said about the vegetable with the flavor and aspect of ong choi.

"It's probably one of the best vegetables. It's very tasty and very nutritious. It's supposed to have the highest protein content of any green, leafy vegetable."

A half-cup of pak wan -- also known as sweetleaf bush -- provides 22 percent of the daily value of vitamin A, 15 percent of iron, 10 percent of protein, 5 percent of calcium and a whopping 138 percent of vitamin C, according to Tropical Perennial Vegetable Leaflet No. 10. The University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources published the leaflet in 1994. Call 956-7046 for a copy.

The publication said pak wan grows year-round easily. The insect and disease resistant bush reaches 3 to 6 feet high when trimmed through harvesting.

Eat pak wan raw in salads, as a green vegetable or in soups, stews and stir-fries. Wrap it into sushi, spring rolls or fresh lumpia. Cook it in a frittata with mushrooms, scallions and Parmesan, or a primavera with carrots, cauliflower and zucchini.

Markus Faigle of the East-West Center recommends sauteing finely sliced garlic in some butter for 20 to 30 seconds. Add pak wan, a little water and salt, cover the pan and cook 1 minute.

Sekiya will offer 4-inch pak wan seedlings for $5 each and pak wan cuttings at 50 cents apiece at Saturday's centennial Wahiawa Plant Sale, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wahiawa Botanical Garden, 1396 California Ave.

The sale will feature talks at 9 a.m. by Winnie Singeo on "Selecting the Proper Plant for Your Landscape"; 10 a.m. by Sekiya on "The Right Fruit Trees for Your Area"; and 11 a.m. by Alvin Tsuruda on "All About Anthuriums."

Stir-fried pak wan spears

By Frank Sekiya

3/4 pound pak wan (succulent tender shoots and young leaves)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/3 tablespoons oil
2-1/2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce

Brown garlic in oil over medium heat. Add pak wan and stir-fry about 2-1/2 minutes. Add fish and oyster sauces, and stir-fry 1 more minute. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 70 calories, 5 grams fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 420 milligrams sodium.*

Wild rice pak wan salad

Based on "Weight Watchers Complete Cookbook and Program Basics"

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
3 ounces uncooked regular long-grain rice
3 ounces uncooked wild rice
4 cups diagonally sliced pak wan or asparagus, steamed until tender-crisp
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 red-tipped lettuce leaves
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

Bring 2-3/4 cups water and the bouillon to a boil; add long-grain and wild rice. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, 20 to 30 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat.

In large bowl, combine pak wan, chopped red onion, bell pepper, parsley, vinegar, oil, sugar and black pepper. Add cooked rice; toss to mix well.

Line platter with lettuce leaves; arrange rice mixture on platter. Top with onion rings. Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled. Makes 6 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 172 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 milligram cholesterol, 311 milligrams sodium.*

Pak wan in orange-ginger sauce

Based on "Secrets of Fat-Free Chinese Cooking"

3 cups fresh pak wan, diagonally cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped sesame seeds or Eden Foods sesame shake

1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash seasoning

Sauce:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon minced orange peel
1 teaspoon minced ginger

Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.

Quickly blanch pak wan in 4 cups of boiling water. Drain and place in serving bowl.

Pour sauce over pak wan, add garlic and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and seasoning. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 35 calories, 0.3 gram fat, no cholesterol, 7 milligrams sodium.*