Chicken Soup To Soothe The Kolohe Soul
Roman De Peralta of Kolohe Kai PHOTO COURTESY ROMAN DE PERALTA
Roman De Peralta grew up enjoying the surf and sand, so it’s no surprise that the themes of his music are inspired by the ocean. Roman created Kolohe Kai as a teenager, wanting to spread aloha through a positive message with his upbeat song lyrics and infectious beats. Kolohe Kai literally means “rascal waters,” and he draws inspiration from the beauty of Hawaii every day.
Kolohe Kai recently was nominated in the 2015 Best Reggae Album category at the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards for its third album Paradise, which features 10 original songs that were conceived during a trip to Tahiti.
Roman wants to share his optimism with the world and says, “I want people to feel like they can listen to my lyrics when they’re going through a hard time. My goal as a writer is to make people smile and encourage them to look to the right sources for strength. The music of today is not as clean and positive as it should be, and so I hope my music stands out as different.”
Kolohe Kai is set to release a new EP, consisting of five original songs, early this summer, and it will be another installment of positivity and encouragement celebrating our beautiful island home. Check for updates at kolohekaimusic. com, or find Roman on Facebook at facebook.com/ kolohekai.
Here Roman shares with MidWeek readers one of his favorite recipes from his tutu. What is more comforting than a big pot of chicken soup? You could serve this as a main dish meal with some crusty rolls and a green salad. If you want less fat, use skinless whole chicken breasts instead of thighs.
ROMAN’S TUTU’S CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE
This is an easy recipe. Just add amounts of vegetables you like.
• 12 cups broth (vegetable or low-sodium
chicken)
• 8-10 chicken thighs (skin removed)
• 1 chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
Add enough water to cover chicken, and fill at least half the pot. Bring to boil, then simmer with vegetables for one-and-one-half hours. When cool, put in refrigerator overnight. The next day skim off all fat from the top of the pot. Remove chicken from the pot, take meat off the bone and break meat apart. Discard fat and bones. Put meat aside.
Bring broth to boil and add:
• 4 cups chopped carrots
• 4 cups chopped potatoes
• 1 small bag frozen mixed vegetables
Simmer until tender.
Add the chicken with:
• 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes (mash
into smaller pieces)
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (may use lowsodium
or no-sodium)
• 1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons basil
• more salt and pepper, if needed
Simmer 5 more minutes, then it’s all done.
