Kaira Grace Pan proves the power of getting kids involved in the kitchen. The 9-year-old Punahou School student teamed up with her popo (grandmother) to create a vegetarian poke that they entered in first lady Michelle Obama’s Healthy Lunchtime Challenge for youth — and won. But that’s not the only victory of their recipe.

Kaira, who once found little to enjoy in tomatoes, has fallen in love with the grape variety ever since working with them for the contest.

“Grape tomatoes are tasty on their own; they’re my favorite kind of tomato,” she said, then added, “They’re one of my favorite vegetables.”

Her popo, Jan Yap, a retired Punahou home economics teacher and current wellness teacher at Liholiho Elementary School, isn’t surprised.

“Part of the goal in getting a kid involved in cooking something is to cultivate the palate,” she said. “It broadens their experience of food.”

Kaira’s dish, Poke Me Ke Aloha, emphasizes local ingredients and comprises grape tomatoes, baked tofu, edamame, ulu (breadfruit) and spinach, each seasoned separately, then assembled on one plate alongside quinoa and an Asian guacamole. The poke elements are tossed together right before eating. Kaira and Yap also created a banana-kale sorbet to round out the meal.

Yap said her granddaughter’s “aha” moment came when she tried a local tomato sprinkled with furikake.

“The local grape tomatoes have that sweetness Kaira wants — if they were tomatoes from the mainland that have been gassed, the taste would not be there. Taste is important to kids,” she said. “With that saltiness of the furikake — she loved it. She loves mozzarella, and now she craves mozzarella and tomatoes.”

The next phase of their partnership involves traveling together to Washington, D.C., and dining at the White House on July 14 with Obama and 55 other young representatives from each state, the five territories and the District of Columbia. The menu will feature a selection of kids’ recipes. Lunch will be followed by a visit to the White House garden.

The duo decided to focus on poke because it’s one of their favorite dishes — they dine together most evenings, out on a picnic bench under a tree, on the Kaimuki property where both of their houses sit. Kaira lives with her parents, Christopher Pan and Alia Yap Pan. For research, they borrowed poke books from the library.

Then, on a visit to Forty Carrots at the new Bloomingdale’s at Ala Moana Center, they tried a poke created by chef Jon Matsubara, which inspired their own version.

“Popo said we should taste stuff, and I liked it,” Kaira said of Matsu­bara’s dish, which included lots of vegetables.

Arriving upon something they liked took about a week of coming up with different recipes — “and tasting,” said Kaira.

At first, for instance, they thought they’d include rice to make a poke bowl.

“But there was not enough flavor,” Kaira said. “We tried quinoa, and it had a sweet flavor.”

The basic concept of their dish is a mix of sweet and salty elements with an Asian flair. Tofu is baked and flavored with salty seasonings, cherry tomatoes and edamame provide sweetness, spinach is prepared Korean style and ulu offers body and richness with its accents of ground nuts. The accompanying Asian guacamole is a flavor bomb, avocado seasoned with freshly squeezed lime juice, sambal oelek (garlic chili sauce) and fish sauce.

While her granddaughter concentrated on flavors, Yap considered the practicalities of their recipe. Vegetarian poke, she reasoned, was flexible enough to accommodate all types of eaters, since not everyone likes fish or can afford great fish. But those who prefer to include it could sub it in for the ulu, she said.

In addition to all that, Yap admitted to her own ulterior motive.

“As a wellness teacher, I’m passionate about getting young kids to eat more fruits and vegetables,” she said. “My goal is to educate their palates. I won’t retire until I reach more kids.”

Her commitment seems to be working. Her granddaughter has come to understand a thing or two about vegetables, flavors and how a combination of items can be greater than the sum of its parts.

“I don’t care for spinach but I eat it in the poke bowl,” said Kaira. “By itself it’s not amazing, but it’s a teeny bit better in the bowl.”

Likewise, “tofu itself is not really amazing, but if you cook it, it tastes better. The flavor and texture is better — the outside is crispy like a toasted marshmallow, and the inside is a bit softer.”

Her poke creation, she said, “tastes sweet and salty, but at the same time it’s not actually sweet and salty. You can taste each thing even though it’s flavored. It tastes better all together than individually.”

Poke Me Ke Aloha

This recipe comprises various simple types of vegetable and tofu poke, each with a sauce, that are plated together and tossed just before eating. Jan Yap encourages selecting several elements of the recipe to make one’s own version. Fish lovers can sub it for the ulu, she said.

>> Quinoa:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooked according to package directions
• Dash soy sauce
• Dash sesame oil
• Pea sprouts, for garnish
• Fresh cilantro or green onion slivers, for garnish
• Sprinkling of furikake, for garnish
• Chopped macadamia nuts, for garnish

In small bowl, season quinoa with soy sauce and sesame oil and mix. When plating, garnish with pea sprouts, cilantro or green onions, furikake and mac nuts. Set aside.

>> Ulu poke:

• 1/2 firm, ripe ulu, steamed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (substitute with 1 pound ahi or sea bass, cubed)
• Sea salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 lime, juice and zest, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons inamona (kukui nut), or ground macadamia or cashew nuts
• 2 tablespoons furikake, for garnish

In mixing bowl, add ulu and gently rub with sea salt and coconut oil. Add green onions, soy sauce and sesame oil, lime juice and zest. Sprinkle with inamona or nuts, and mix. Set aside. When plating, garnish with furikake.

>> Edamame poke:

• 1 cup cooked, peeled, drained edamame
• Dash soy sauce
• Dash sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• Salt, to taste
• Dash hot sauce (optional)

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients and adjust to taste. Set aside.

>> Spinach poke:

• 1 pound fresh tatsoi or other spinach
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Dash soy sauce
• Dash sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• Salt, to taste
• Dash hot sauce (optional)

Bring 1 quart salted water to boil. Add spinach and cook 3 minutes, turning several times. Rinse with cold water and drain, squeezing out as much water as possible, forming spinach in tight ball. Cut ball in three slices. Toss loosely in serving bowl.

Combine remaining ingredients and pour over spinach. Set aside.

>> Oven-baked tofu:

• 1 (14-ounce) firm tofu
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned sea salt (Kai’ulani Spices Alaea recommended)
• 3 tablespoons macadamia nut or coconut oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Remove excess water: Lay pieces on paper towels and press gently with more paper towels.

Season with salt, seasoned salt and oil. Bake tofu until moisture has evaporated and cubes turn golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

>> Tomato poke:

• 18 grape tomatoes, halved
• Hawaiian or kosher salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
• 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions
• Dash soy sauce
• Dash sesame oil
• Sesame seeds

In small bowl, season tomatoes lightly with salt. Let tomatoes sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and toss together gently. Drain juices; save for other uses. Set aside.

>> Asian guacamole:

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• Sliced green onions, green part only
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sambal oelek (chili-garlic sauce)
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• Salt, to taste
• Macadamia nuts, for garnish (optional)

In bowl, combine avocado, green onions, lime juice, oil, sambal oelek, fish sauce and salt. Mix gently without mashing avocado. Set aside. When plating, garnish with mac nuts, if using. Makes 1 cup.

>> To assemble:

On large platter, place each item in separate mounds; garnish. Just before eating, toss everything together. Serves 4 as an entree, 6 as a side dish.

Nutritional information unavailable.