Welcome Home Aloha Style

After being in Honolulu for seven weeks straight my "sweetie" finally came home. To help him feel at home two of our daughters decided to throw a surprise welcome home-luau. It was actually supposed to be a surprise for me as well but I had figured it out and tried to keep it in until I had to admit I knew when they were trying to make specific arrangements around me.

Kerry was very surprised despite the fact that there several hints throughout the day.

Natalie and Rebecca had worked for hours to make it like an authentic luau.

Kalua Pig

4-5 lb pork roast

1/4 Kosher salt

3 cloves minced garlic

½ cup liquid smoke

1 cup water

Rub salt over roast. Set roast in slow cooker. Add other ingredients to slow cooker. Cover. Cook on Low 6-12 hours, or until meat shreds easily with fork. Shred meat. Serve over rice. Or cool and freeze in Ziploc freezer bags in dinner-sized portions. To serve from frozen, simply remove from freezer bag and reheat in microwave.

Teryaki Chicken

5 lbs chicken thighs, bone in, with skin

1 T Vegetable Oil

2 T Cornstarch mixed with 1 T water

Sauce:

1/2 cup Sugar

1 c. Water

3/4 c. Soy Sauce

1/2 inch piece Ginger, smashed (or substitute ginger powder)

1 clove Garlic, smashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sauce ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Divide sauce in half. Marinate chicken pieces in half of sauce. Reserve other half of sauce for baking pan. Marinate chicken for at least an hour, up to overnight, turning at least once. Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Sear chicken pieces in skillet, working in batches. Place seared chicken pieces in baking pan, skin side down. Stir cornstarch slurry into remaining dipping sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until cooked through. Pour sauce over chicken.

Dave made homemade rolls tinted purple to look like the rolls served at most of the luau's.

This really looks like an authentic luau plate including the store bought macaroni salad.

Rebecca and Natalie planned the entire evening. Rebecca made wonderful fruit smoothies .
Afterwards we played Pineapple Bowling on the deck coconut and all. The boys got a great kick out of it.

Our cute Natalie and Dave awaiting the arrival of the little one, we are all so excited!

It was a very relaxing and fun evening. Thanks girls, and guys!

Joes Seafood Grill

The Saturday before I was to come home my husband, Kerry, and I went to the North Shore again because the waves were up and we love to spend time on the beach (This time we didn't put our swimming suits on because we expected it to be to rough, what we were we thinking?) We spent the afternoon walking and riding on the coastline it was wonderful. We had intended to go back to the Hotel/apartment and fix dinner but it got late enough that we decided to try another place in Haleiwa that I had read about. I am still looking for a really good fish place on the Island.

It was a very nice place a little more pricey than we had planned on but we had been curious and decided to try it.
The view out into the ocean was great even though the picture really doesn't show it all that well. We got a kick out of watching the wild chickens run around while we were waiting for our food to arrive. The Blue Cheese dressing was probably the best I have had in a very long time.
I had a Tai Spicy Shrimp dish and they weren't kidding. It was served on top of pasta with pesto that was really good.

Kerry had a ginger based Barbecue Rib plate that was ok. But certainly not anything to write home about. It was nice to try it because we had noticed it before but it isn't one that we will visit over and over. Again the mom and pop places on Oahu have seemed to be the biggest treat for our taste buds. So I am still looking for a really good seafood place on the Island.

Split Pea Soup

After having ham for dinner one night we saved the rest of the ham to make split pea soup. We boiled the ham again to get the flavor into the water and to make the ham fall off of the bone.

Everyone was telling me how cold it was a home and so it seemed natural to be having soup. (I was sad to think that the lovely plants I left at home were lost to a heavy freeze.)

(Soak the peas over night) After cooking the meat in water for 30-45 minutes remove the ham and the bone from the broth and add 2 cups dried split peas and one medium onion, chopped.
Cook over medium heat until the peas are soft. Meanwhile cut the ham into small pieces about 1/2 inch cubed and add to the soup. Salt maybe added if needed, this ham was quite salty so we did not add any salt.

Cook until the peas are soft and the soup has thickened. Stirring often.

Enjoy!

This is a family favorite and it is great to use left over meat and to help the budget.

Chile Rojo

The first weekend in April and October our church has a conference that I love to watch. It also is a time of traditions for our family. My husband always makes Chile Verde. This October however, since we were in Honolulu we couldn't find the yellow tomatoes and things to make the Chile green so we made Chile Rojo instead.

First you take a boneless pork roast and cut into bite sized pieces.
Gradually add the meat into a pan and brown. Doing small batches at a time allows it to brown better. As the batches finish place the meat into another pan.
When the last batch is almost done add onion and garlic, cook until the onion is transparent and beginning to brown. Return the cooked meat back into the pan and add flour a tablespoon at a time until meat is coated and liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until flour browns.

Add a large can and a small can of diced tomatoes (about a quart and a half) and stir in well.

Add a large can of diced green chile's, a jalapeno or two minced, and two to four Serrano chile's. Stir. Cook over low heat for about two hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with flour tortillas, guacamole, refried bean, and Spanish Rice.
(Note you can use two jalapenos and two to four Serranos or reduce depending on the level of heat that you like. We only used one jalapeno in this batch and it wasn't enough for our taste!)

Spaghettini's

My favorite restaurant in Haleiwa closed in September and so as we were going back to Honolulu from the North Shore we had to find another place to eat. Our Daughter her husband, and boys were able to come over for the ADA convention and to play with us. We let the boys choose where we were going to have dinner because with young kids it is always a little bit of a challenge to know where to go. They chose a place called Spaghettini's. It is just a little outdoor restaurant that my husband and I have wondered about as we have driven by. I was very impressed with this little place it had very good pasta's and pizza. We were all exhausted from playing tourist and being on the beach so sitting on the porch with a cool breeze was very relaxing.

The pizza slices were huge but very tasty and the boys loved them.

Eating the big pieces was some what of a challenge to begin with.

Such a sweet smile.
Finger food is the best for a three year old.

The restaurant is just off of the road as you drive through town but it appears to be a local favorite. We have discovered another fun and fairly inexpensive place to eat.

Back in Honolulu with my husband again, he is working here! So I haven't been cooking much but we have found more favorite places to eat, this one is in Chinatown and is called "Little Village." There are so many wonderful "Asian" style places to choose from here we could eat in a different place everyday and not make a dent. We try to stay away from the really "Pricey" places and the ones that we would find on the mainland to get a little better feel for local fair.

These Garlic Noodles are probably my favorite noodles ever.

This Szechaun Chicken is different from what we typically think of on the mainland but oh so good!
I love them so much we quite often order the same things but I am determined to try a lot more there because I haven't been disappointed yet.

Ripped Baguette with Garlic-Parsley Butter

Ripped Baguette with Garlic-Parsley Butter

5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
½ bunch chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it softens but does not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool. Then stir this garlic butter into the remaining butter in a small bowl. Stir in the parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Rip open the baguette lengthwise, so that it opens like a book but is not ripped entirely in half. Smear the inside of the baguette with the garlic butter. Wrap the baguette in aluminum foil and bake until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Alternate preparation:

Melt butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it softens but does not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper. Let cook about 1 min.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Rip open the baguette lengthwise, so that it opens like a book but is not ripped entirely in half. Spoon the garlic butter mixture inside of the baguette. Wrap the baguette in aluminum foil and bake until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are such an easy meal to throw together but I don't like many of the traditional recipes so I played around until I came up with my own. Great for a quick meal especially on a cool night.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. lean ground beef
½ medium onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic. minced
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. ground mustard
½ - 1 c. ketchup
2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Brown ground beef and onion. Add mustard, brown sugar, and ½ c. ketchup. If the meat is not the right consistency add the remaining ketchup a little at a time.

Chicken Zucchini Soup

Chicken Zucchini Soup

5 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts
3 T. butter
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 zucchini sliced
2 cans chicken broth

1 c. whipping cream
1/3 c. flour

Fry chicken with small amount of oil. Brown and cook chicken, take chicken out of the pan and set aside. Add butter and chopped onion to pan. Cook until tender. Move zucchini and onions to sauce pan, add the can of chicken broth. Dice chicken and add to pan. In bowl mix flour and whipping cream add to sauce pan, heat on high until bubbling. Lower heat; simmer until soup thickens.

(I had chicken already cooked and frozen so I gave it a quick thaw and then started with the onion. Having Zucchini growing in the garden made it easy to put this together quickly and it's great for a cool Fall evening.)

Pears

I love dried pears! So I was excited to see ripe pears at the local fruit stand earlier this week. They require quite a bit of work and time but they are so sweet and good to eat.

After peeling, coring, and slicing them they go into Fruit Fresh

And into the dehydrator to dry.
A few hours later they are ready to be a sweet and natural treat.

Pie Crust

When I was growing up I can remember when my Mom would try to make pie crusts and she always got frustrated and threw them away. As a result I thought that they were such a hard thing to do that I never would be able to master it myself. After I got married I made a pie for my sweetie, the worst pie I have ever made or tasted so I was convinced that it was an art I wouldn't learn. My Mother-in-law showed me a few months later how to make a pie crust. Since that time I have never been afraid of making them. Here are a few tips that I have found make it much easier.

After making the dough place on top of wax paper and flatten slightly.

The wax paper should be long enough so that you can fold it over to be on both sides of the dough and give it enough room to expand as you roll it out.

The wax paper allows you to roll it out without making a mess of your counter or rolling pin.
It also allows you to see how big the crust is to fit your pie plate.


When you get it to the size you want gently pull the wax paper away and fold over to put into the pie plate.

Gently unfold into the pie plate.

Trim to fit and create a nice edge.

Pie Crust

1/3 c. plus 1 T. shortening
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2-3 T .cold water
(Double for two crust)

To roll out the top start with a fresh piece of wax paper!

Fresh Peach Pie- revisited

It has been a year since I started this blog and this recipe is one of my first posts but I decided that I wanted to redo it with some better pictures. This is my very favorite pie of all. I just love the sweetness of the peaches and I like the fresh rather than a baked peach pie. Before the glaze is put on.
After the glaze is on and ready to be chilled

Fresh Peach Pie (not baked)

9 inch baked pie shell,

5 c. ripe peaches , peeled and sliced (about 9 medium for pie and 3 for the filling)

1 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

1/2 c. water

Bake pie shell. Mash enough peaches to measure 1 cup. Mix sugar and cornstarch in 2 quart saucepan. Stir in water and mashed peaches gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute; cool. Fill shell with remaining peaches; pour cooked peach mixture over top. Refrigerate until set, at least three hours. Serve with whipped cream on top.

Quick and Easy Chicken Casserole/Mexican Style

2-3 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
corn tortillas
15 oz can stewed tomatoes, diced
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 4 oz. can chopped green Chile's
1 medium onion, chopped
2 c. Cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack, or 1 c. each

Mix, soups, tomatoes, Chile's, and onion. Spray 9x13 pan with non stick spray and tear the tortillas to fit into the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the chicken on top of the tortillas and then half of the soup mixture and top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour. Serve with Avocado or guacamole and sour cream.

I had the chicken prepared and frozen for such a recipe, it was very easy to assemble and this could be made in advance and frozen for a Rainy Day.

Chicken a l'Orange

I watched the Next Food Network Star this past season and was very excited when "the Homemaker" won it. I was quite bothered by the housewife comments throughout the series like some of the best cooks come anywhere but out of the home. Watching her new show I thought this recipe sounded good and very easy. I had boneless, skinless chicken breasts in my freezer which made it a little different to begin with but I liked the recipe. I even made the potatoes that she made, I like them but would serve them with a different type of meal.

Crispy-Skinned Chicken a l'Orange
Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian
Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 skin-on bone-in chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
4 tablespoons honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Liberally salt and pepper the chicken breast halves. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken, skin side only, until brown and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the orange glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the orange juice concentrate, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste, over medium heat, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Turn the chicken over and brush each piece with the glaze. Turn the chicken skin side up and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 to 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, brushing on more glaze halfway through, about 15 minutes in total. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove the chicken breast from the bone and slice the meat on the bias. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve.

This is how mine looked.

The chicken breasts were pretty big and so we only used half for this meal and we decided that they would be really good cut up and served over rice. Since I keep left over rice frozen to be used for quick and easy meals this was extra easy. We were right it was really good fixed this way and this is the way I will do it in the future. Two great meals from one. There was even enough left to make a frozen meal for my Mother-in-law.