At the end of our 12-week hula classes, our kumu (teacher) organizes a ho'ike (show). One of the highlights of this event is the pa'ina (a meal) which follows the show. Typical of any community in Hawai'i, the members of our class come from all walks of life, ethnic and professional backgrounds. You can imagine the food. Always 'ono, and plenty of it. Everyone takes it seriously and goes all out. With the combined beginner and advanced students, we could have anywhere from 20 to 40 different dishes. I love to try my recipes with my hula sisters because they always are so supportive. They seemed to like this recipe for meatless guisantes, because the crock pot was clean at the end of the evening.

When I was teaching, some of my Filipino students introduced me to guisantes — a sort of stew, made with vegetables, tomatoes and pork. This dish has been one of my favorites because it is so easy to make. But for this column, I didn't want to make an ordinary guisantes; I wanted a vegetarian version. So I went to an organic store, Kale's in Hawai'i Kai, and found a new alternative to meat called Veat Gourmet Bites. It is made from soy protein and has the flavor and texture you'd expect of meat. It tastes like pork but is cholesterol-free and an excellent source of soy protein. It also makes a great sweet-and-sour dish. If you don't care to try Veat, you can use any meat substitute — or use skinless, boneless chicken breast.

I choose to use red potatoes because I like the lower starch content. Some guisantes recipes use canned pimentos, but I use red and green peppers instead. Bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C. They have twice the amount of vitamin C of citrus fruits. Red peppers, which are the ripened version of green peppers, also have three times more vitamin C and contain 11 times more beta carotene than the green. As the pepper ripens, its flavor becomes sweeter and milder. Bell peppers can be found in a rainbow of colors and vary in flavor. The variety and color of the pepper and its stage of ripeness determine the flavor.

As with any stew, guisantes tastes mo' betta the next day. No fo'get to cook da brown rice. If you like it hot, add a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Broke da mout!

VEAT, NOT MEAT GUISANTES

1 cup Veat Gourmet Bites, or 1 cup cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks or strips

1 teaspoon olive oil

3-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 red onion, diced

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, or 1 large tomato, diced

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 medium red potatoes, diced

2 cans (8-ounce) low-sodium tomato sauce

1/2 can low-sodium tomato paste

1 package (6 ounces) frozen green peas

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat and saute garlic, onions for 2 minutes. Add the Veat or chicken and the tomatoes, black pepper and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, add potatoes, then lower heat and simmer until potatoes are almost cooked. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste, stirring occasionally. Simmer until potatoes sauce are cooked. Add green peas and simmer for 5 minutes. Add green and red peppers and simmer for a few minutes. Serve over hot brown rice.

Serves 4.