Katsu Spam Musubi

 My childhood favorite all grown up!  If you love spam musubi you are going to have your mind blown by this treat! Crispy on the outside while being savory, sticky, and meaty on the inside. This one is sure to be a favorite among both the adults and keiki!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Spam Musubis

1 can SPAM

At least 4 cups cooked white rice

Nori Sheets cut in half

Katsu Coating

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup oil for frying

Toppings

Sushi sauce, unagi sauce or thick teriyaki sauce

Furikake

Directions

1. After your white sticky rice is done cooking slice the spam into 12 pieces and fry until golden brown.

2. Assemble your spam musubis using a spam musubi maker. Search on Youtube if unfamiliar with spam musubi making steps.

3. Get out a bowl and crack and mix the eggs into it.

4. Get 2 small plates and pour flour into 1 and panko into the other.

5. Heat up the oil in a pan on medium high.

6. Dip a spam musubi into the flour then egg, then last panko and place into hot oil. Fry about 1 minute per side or until golden brown. Use tongs to help fry the 2 ends as well!

7. Repeat for the rest of your spam musubi.

8. Cool for a few minutes then slice into sushi sized pieces. 

9. Garnish with teriyaki/sushi sauce and furikake and enjoy while crispy and hot!

 

Corned Beef Palusami

This is an easy and ono meal inspired by the famous coconut and luau dish brought to us from our Samoan friends! Crock pot meals are the best for busy, weekday meals and although it may not look the most "pretty" it sure does win in the taste category!

Serves 4-6 

 Ingredients

2 cans corned beef (Palm brand because it has large meat chunks)
2 cans coconut milk
1 bag taro leaves (about 20 leaves, rinsed)
1 onion, diced
Optional: 1 package imitation crab, chopped into large chunks

Directions

1. In crock pot lay half of the taro leaves on the bottom.
2. Add in the 2 cans corned beef, onion, 1 can coconut milk, and imitation crab, if desired.
3. Layer on top the rest of the leaves facing downward. Tuck in leaves so nothing will hang out from under lid.
4. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. If possible, midway through cooking press down the leaves into the liquid. Remember, undercooked luau leaves will feel miserable on your throat!
5. Half an hour before serving, add another can of coconut milk.
6. Serve hot with rice!

Jalapeño Poppers

 Thank you to my life loving friend Laura for this recipe that has forever changed my foodie life. Here you have a sweet and spicy jalapeño boat stuffed with cream cheese and topped with crunchy browned bacon. Just 3 ingredients and this combination is killer because everything balances the heat out.

 I miss you Laura whenever I make these!

Makes 20 Poppers

Ingredients

10 large Jalapeños (the larger the more cream cheese they hold)

1 package cream cheese

1 pack bacon

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. I like to line my baking sheet with a drying rack so the bacon grease can drip off (see photo).
2. Slice off the stems of the jalapeños and slice them in half. Remove the seeds. This is where the intense heat is held so make sur you get all the seeds out. Lay these side by side on a baking sheet.
3. With a butter knife or spoon fill the jalapeno halves with cream cheese about 2/3 full as they will shrink.
4. Cut the bacon strips into thirds and lay one slice over each popper. 
5. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. 
6. To give the bacon a nice crisp turn on low broil for 2-3 minutes or until bacon has brown edges.
7. Serve fresh and eat up. Some will taste sweet and others may surprise you with a little kick!

Sweet Cornbread

 My grandma used to make an amazing sweet cornbread and her secret was using yellow cake mix in the batter! The texture is perfectly fluffy, moist, and with a little grit of corn. This recipe is so easy yet so impressive and tastes heavenly when it's fresh out the oven with some honey drizzled over it.

Make it a chili dinner night and whip this up to go alongside it!

Makes 1 13x9 pan 

Cook time: Just 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix

9 oz Jiffy cornbread mix

1/3 cup milk

4 eggs

5 tablespoons butter melted

1 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray or wipe with some oil. You can also use cupcake pans.
3. Mix together cake mix and corn bread mix in a large bowl.
4. Add in the eggs, water, butter, and milk. It will be thick!
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center doesn't come  out wet. Be careful not to overcook as this will dry it out.
6. Enjoy your cornbread hot and fresh for breakfast, dinner or all by itself!

Fish or Chicken Piccata

When we're lucky my fisherman husband brings home fresh fish. I was getting tired of eating it the same old way... fried, fried, fried... Am I crazy for complaining about fresh fried fish!? So I decided to go for an Italian spin on things.

This piccata sauce is so rich, creamy, and citrusy it compliments both chicken and fish beautifully. Drinking white wine while cooking is also a good time!

Ingredients

Pasta of your choice (spaghetti, angel hair, fettucine, linguine, bowtie... you get the gist...)

Choice of Chicken thighs or white fish ( about 2 pounds of meat)

Sauce

1 cup Whipping Cream (to make a lighter version use half and half instead)

2 Tablespoons capers

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

1/2 stick butter

1 entire head of garlic, chopped (yes head not clove!)

1 cup White Wine of your choice, I like Chardonnay

Fresh or dried parsley to garnish

For meat Coating

Olive oil/oil of your choice

Flour

Salt/pepper

Directions

1. Boil pasta until slightly al dente (just a tad firm) as it  will cook more with the sauce.
2. Heat up a large pan and coat the bottom with a drizzle of olive oil.
3. Meanwhile take your cut up meat and dip it into a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper.
4. When the oil is heated, cook your meat until it has a little golden brown crisp on it. You get a crisp  coating my going medium high on the heat and by only flipping the meat once so it can brown.
5. Remove the fish or chicken from the pan and add the half stick butter, garlic, and capers into the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add in 1 cup white wine, 1 cup heavy cream, and lemon juice then heat until hot and bubbly. It will start to thicken into a creamy sauce. Add in salt and pepper to your liking.
7. Add your pasta into the pan and cook for a few minutes so it can soak up some sauce.
8. Finally top with your fish or chicken and sprinkle fresh or dried parsley before serving.
9. Enjoy your pasta dish with a side of white wine! Buon Appetito!

Crispy Reese's Cake

 

Makes 2 13 x 9 pans of cake

Cook time: 25 minutes (1 hour to chill)

Thank you Jaylin for this recipe! I instantly fell in love with all  the different textures in this dessert. The top starts with a smooth peanut buttery chocolate which has rice crispies to crunch through, then your hit with a gooey marshmallow all  on top of the rich chocolate cake! It is a perfect bite! This one is a winner at every potluck and someone always asks for the recipe!

Ingredients

1 package Devils Food Cake Mix

Eggs and oil from cake directions

4 cups mini marshmallows

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

2 cups peanut butter

3 cups Rice Crispy cereal

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease two 13x9 pans.
3. Prepare cake mix according to the box directions  and pour evenly into the 2 pans.
4. Bake for 13 minutes.
5. Take out cakes from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows over cakes then return to oven and bake for 3 more minutes.
6. While cake is cooling heat up the peanut butter and chocolate over medium heat until smooth.
7. Once the chocolate mixture is smooth add in the rice crispies.
8. Spread this mixture over the cakes and chill in fridge for 1 hour before serving.
9. Be ready to share the recipes with your friends because if they know good food they WILL ask you  for it.

Smashed Potatoes

Makes 8 smashed potatoes (about 4 servings)

Cook time: 45 minutes

 This side dish is for the couple who can't agree between a baked potato or crispy fries. These potatoes are soft and fluffy in the center like traditional baked potatoes but crispy on the edges like hash browns and fries! No arguments necessary! Everyone can be happy!

Ingredients

8 Yukon Gold potatoes (These are creamy and buttery)
Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Fresh or dried Rosemary or Thyme (chopped)

Directions

1. Boil the potatoes for 12 minutes or until a fork can pierce through and is soft.
2. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil or a non stick silicone mat.
4. Drizzle some olive oil onto the pan.
5. Place the potatoes spread out on the pan and smash it down with the bottom of a mug.
6. Drizzle over a little more olive oil and season with garlic salt, pepper, and rosemary/thyme.
7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
8. Crisp it off by setting on the low broil for 3 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy.
9. You're all done, dig in, will never want plain baked potatoes again!

Thick Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Stumbling upon a Pinterest picture of a cookie from NY's Levain Bakery was one of the best things to happen to my life. Apparently this style of cookie is from a super famous bakery that always has a line out the door. I see why if this cookie tastes anything close to the real thing..

Firm and crisp on the outside yet thick, goopy rich cookie dough on the inside. What else can you ask for in the perfect cookie? I made a few tweaks off some recipes I found to be the picture you see below.

There are many components to thank that make this cookie bypass your basic B from the back of the chocolate chip bag recipe.

For one, the extra hot oven temperature along with the massive size of the cookies allows the outside to crisp up quickly while keeping the inside slightly undercooked. Just as all cookies aspire to be. Next, is the cornstarch which thickens the batter and keeps it's tall shape. Lastly, there is some cake flour which makes the cookie very tender

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter cut into small cubes

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (apparently not in Levain's recipe but I prefer this vanilla taste included)

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt (don't skip it enhances flavor)

1 1/2 cups of a mixture of semisweet chocolate bar (cut up roughly) and chocolate chips -I like both for different sizes of chocolate but you can totally stick to one or the other

1 cup of Walnuts chopped (optional) I know this world is divided on team nuts in cookies vs. team no nuts so you decide!

Other add ons: Oats 1 cup, peanut butter 1/2 cup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 410 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine the butter and both sugars and cream with a mixture until it's thick and creamy.
3. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix again.
4. In another bowl mix together the flours, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
5. With a spatula, stir together both mixtures just until combined. A basic rule to follow is never to overmix once you put together your dry and wet ingredients in cookies or it will make your cookie cakey instead of chewy.
6. Last, stir in your chocolate and nuts or whatever else you fancy.
7. Line your baking sheet with a silicone mat, tin foil, or parchment paper to help with cookie removal.
8. Make big cookie dough ball between the size of a ping pong and a pool table ball. You can fit about 6 at a time on a sheet.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookie will be a little golden brown on top but still very soft.
10. Here's the hard part... Let the cookies set up for 15 minutes before picking it up to eat.. Unless of course your plopping it right into your vanilla ice cream!
11. Die a little because this is the best thing you've eaten ALL week!

Pumpkin Bread

It's the end of March and I made this bread. Who makes the rules that you can only have pumpkin things in the fall? This recipe makes for a sweet, moist, hearty bread that you'll want to make year round.

Ingredients

Dry

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar

Wet

1 can (15 oz) canned Pumpkin
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice or water

Optional 

1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in another bowl.
4. Combine the wet and dry until just combined then add in your walnuts and cranberry if you like.
5. Bake in 2 loaf pans for 60 minutes or until a skewer or knife comes out clean from the center of the loaf.
6. This is so amazing to eat fresh out of the oven. 

Spam Bombs

Once I figured out where in the store they hide these tofu purses I immediately thought of what I could stuff them with. The possibilities are endless! This was the creation of my first idea. I have never seen this combination before but there's no way I'm the first.. Or am I? Anywho, this pupu is perfect for a party.

Makes 22 Spam pockets

Ingredients

2 cups sticky rice (dry) cooked
2 cans spam, sliced (I like using the SPICY flavor)
2 packages Abura-age (sweet pockets created from fried tofu)
Optional-Furikake, teriyaki sauce

Directions

1.  Add in 2 1/2 cups water with your rice into your rice cooker or pot for cooking.
2. Meanwhile, slice your spam into thin 1 inch long slices and fry until golden brown pink.
3. Once rice is done and slightly cooled fill the Abura-age pockets 2/3 way with rice.
4. Top the pocket with your preference of friend spam.
5. Sprinkle top with furikake and teriyaki sauce if you like!
6. Share with your buddies!

Roasted Cauliflower Orzo Spinach Salad

Thank you to my friend Angela Mones for getting me a copy of Chrissy Teigen's recipe book called Cravings for my past birthday. If a  model who has 2 fast food Twitter accounts and celebrated Thanksgiving in Taco Bell can make a cookbook what's stopping me?! Funny to think that this salad recipe is my favorite out of the entire cookbook filled with heart stopping treats like Fried Chicken and Crab Cream Cheese Won Tons. Of course as I usually do I've made some adjustments from the original recipe because I don't want to copy and I think it's better anyway! So give it a try sometime... it's tasty and not to mention the "H" word which you don't find too often on my blog!

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients 

For Roasted Cauliflower

1 small head cauliflower chopped into small florets
5 Tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cherries or craisins
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
5 cups baby spinach
1 cup orzo pasta

For the dressing

5 Tablespoons olive oil
juice from 1 medium sized lemon
2 teaspoons honey
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Prepare the cauliflower - Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a bowl toss the all the roasted cauliflower ingredients together (cauliflower, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper)
3. Spread out cauliflower on a baking pan lined with foil and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until edges start to brown. Let cool and set aside
4. Meanwhile, boil a small pot of salted water and cook orzo 1 less minute than the directions say on the box. Drain orzo in a colander and give it a dash of olive oil so it doesn't stick together.
5. Next, mix together all the dressing ingredients. (Feel free to adjust according to your liking) 
6. In a big bowl toss together the onions, feta, orzo, cauliflower, dried fruit, and dressing.
7. Last, throw in the spinach and give it another toss.
8. Dig in and don't feel guilty for grabbing thirds!

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 Cups old fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon cinnamon (trust me it gives it the most amazing sweet flavor without being like Whoa!)
2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 Tbs. more flour (bread flour can also be used and makes for a nice thick cookie)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup raisins
Optional but recommended: 1 cup chopped nuts: pecans or walnuts give the best light crunch!

Directions

1. In a big bowl place the butter and brown sugar and cream with an electric mixer for 5 minutes until fluffy.
2. Add in the egg, vanilla, cinnamon, oats, optional salt, and baking soda and blend in with the mixer.
3. Now switch to using a spatula instead of the electric mixer and add in the flour making sure to only mix until incorporated or you could toughen up your cookie which is no bueno!
4. Cookies can be baked right away or chilled in the fridge for 2 hours-the next day for a more thicker cookie. Usually I can't wait that long so I accept my thinner yet still chewy cookies as they are!
5. Roll ping pong sized balls of dough onto your pan lined with foil with about 2 inches between them.
6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 11-12 minutes. Cookies will look undercooked but they definitely set and make for a perfectly chewy bite.
7. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes then loosen them off the pan with a spatula or they may get stuck due to the brown sugar caramelizing.
8. Enjoy!

Honey Bacon Goat Pizza

Buzzzzz, Bahhhhhhhh, OINK! It is with the team effort of bees, goats, and pigs (sorry piggies), that this incredible pizza can be created. You get a little nutty creamy, salty, and sweet all on top a crisp yet pillowy naan. This pizza is LIFE! Okay......that's a little dramatic but its seriously pretty darn tasty.

makes 4 medium sized pizzas (feeds 4)

Ingredients

Sauce

2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbs. flour
1 cup milk (or more depending on how thick you want your sauce)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano (or 2 tsp. Italian seasoning)
1/8 tsp. pepper

Crust

4 Naan breads or 4 medium sized pizza crusts (precooked)

Toppings

Mixed bag of shredded white cheeses
1/2 package bacon chopped and fried
Honey
Goat cheese, sliced into small chunks (I like the firm kind from the fancy cheese section of the grocery store)
1/2 Green bell pepper, chopped
Other optional toppings: mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions.... hey anything goes on a pizza!

Directions

1. Make the sauce by heating up the butter and olive oil in a small saucepan on medium high heat. Ad in the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until onions are clear.
2. Whisk in the flour.
3. Add in the milk, cheese, and spices then remove from heat. Add more milk if you want to thin out the sauce. I usually end up adding another 1/4 cup of milk.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place your 4 naan or crusts on 2 baking sheets. Spread on your white sauce. 
5. Top the pizzas with white cheese, bacon, goat cheese, bell peppers, and bacon to your liking.
6. Last, drizzle on about a Tablespoon or more of honey on each pizza. Trust me, you want to put a little more than you think you need because the sweet will help balance the bacon's salty.
7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 11-14 minutes or until your desired crispiness level.

Molten Lava Cake

Why do fancy restaurants charge so much for these cakes when most people already have these ingredients in their kitchens and is SO easy to make. Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe is operating the microwave correctly in step 2! Please! Try this and I promise you will no longer be tempted to buy the ones at the restaurants. These are fudgy, intensely chocolate, moist, hot/cold like Katy Perry if you top it with ice cream, and sweet but not toooooo sweet just like you!

These ready to erupt volcano cakes will be bursting with chocolate lava once you plop a big ole' scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on it!

makes 2 small cakes (Don't even think about splitting a cake with someone... it's just not good for your relationship. Do yourselves a favor and have one on your own to inhale)

Ingredients

Some butter, cocoa powder/flour for preparing ramekins
2 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate bar (I've been used 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips and it came out great!)
1/4 cup unsalted butter (half of a stick)
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (don't need the egg white)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional but it does amplify the chocolate flavor!)

Vanilla ice cream for serving, optional but HIGHLY recommended

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease 2 ramekins (little glass bowls) with butter than dust with flour or cocoa powder. This is so that you will be able to flip these babies out of with ease!
2. In a microwave safe bowl heat the butter and chocolate on high for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Add more time in the micro for 10 second intervals if it is not completely melted.
3. Add the sugar, egg, egg yolk, and whisk again until smooth.
4. Add the flour and optional coffee but make sure only to mix until just incorporated or your cake could come out tough.
5. Pour the batter into the ramekins and bake to your liking... 11-12 minutes=very gooey chocolate center, 13-14 minutes = medium cooked cake crust with an oozey center, 15 minutes= moist chocolate cake with little to no liquid in the center. My favorite cook time is 13 minutes so the outside is set but you still have a lot of chocolatey fudge liquid to spread over your ice cream.
6. Loosen the cake by scraping a knife around the outside of the cake while it's still hot. Put a bowl or plate upside down on the ramekin then in a swift motion flip both dishes the other way around so the ramekin is now upside down on your dish. Carefully life the ramekin and your cake should plop out smoothly.
7. Top with a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream and dig in while it's HOT! I'm drooling just writing this. *sigh*

Flaky Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

 

Ingredients

For the Sweet Dough

1 packet yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup whole milk (to activate yeast)

4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup honey
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
10 Tbs. unsalted butter cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temp or microwaved for 15 seconds

Roll Filling

2/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbs. butter melted (this will be brushed on)

Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 8 ounce block cream cheese, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Use butter to grease a large bowl. This will be used later to rise the dough.
2. In a medium sized bowl heat up 1/4 cup milk to 110°F-115°F. I microwaved the milk for about 15 seconds then cooled it down until it felt like jacuzzi water. 
3. Next add in 1 tsp. sugar into the bowl along with the yeast and stir. If all went well the yeast mixture should be foamy and alive in 3 minutes. If it does not begin to foam your yeast may be old or you may need to adjust your water temperature.
4. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, yeast mixture, remaining 1/2 cup of milk, and honey. You can use a stand up mixer or hand mixer or even a spatula with a strong pair of hands if that's all you have.
5. Add in the flour and salt. Blend in the butter a piece at a time.
6. The dough will be very sticky. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl from step 1.
7. Cover the bowl with a piece of saran wrap or cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes.
8. Knead the dough (Fold the dough over itself about 10 times)
9. While the dough is rising make your roll filling. Mix together the vanilla, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a bowl. Melt the butter for brushing.
10. Do this pattern of rising for 30 minutes then kneading the dough a total of 4 times. This will make for a 2 hour process. Make sure you have something to do in between risings or this part can get boring. You can also save your dough overnight to 72 hours if you want to bake another day.
11. Flour a large surface and start with your dough in a large ball. Add a little flour to the dough so its easier to work with and not sticking to your hands. Roll out your dough into a rectangular shape and into about 1/4 inch thickness. No need to be exact here though.
12. Use a pastry brush or a spoon to spread the melted butter all over the dough then sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top.
13. Start at the long end of the rectangle and roll into a tight cylinder and position the dough seam down.
14. Cut your rolls into 2 inch pieces by using a sharp knife or unflavored piece of floss.
15. Place the rolls in a pan giving them lots of space to rise once more for 30 minutes-1 hour.
16. Preheat your oven to 350°F. 
17. Bake your rolls for 23-25 minutes until they are golden brown.
18. While your rolls are cooking prepare the icing by mixing the butter and cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer/strong hand and spatula. Add the vanilla and salt and whip until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
19. When rolls are done baking spread on the icing while they are still hot so the icing can ooze down into every nook and cranny of your fresh, hot, buns.
20. Serve warm and never crave a pre-made cinnamon roll from a tube again!

Tonkatsu Donburi

Ingredients

4 pieces boneless skinless Chicken Thighs or Pork 

1 Tablespoon Hawaiian salt/coarse sea salt

2 eggs beaten until scrambled for egg wash

flour

panko

oil for frying

1 packet dashi in 1 cup water (or 1 cup chicken broth + 2 Tbsp bingo flakes)

3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons mirin
1/2 thinly sliced yellow onion
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, beaten
steamed rice
optional-chopped green onion for garnish

Directions

1. Heat pan with vegetable oil on medium high heat.
2. Sprinkle and rub Hawaiian salt on chicken or pork (It may seem like a lot of salt but it really brings out the flavor.
3. Get out 3 bowls and fill 1 egg wash, 1 with flour, and 1 with panko.
4. Coat the pork or chicken in flour, then dip in egg, and last coat with panko before putting it into the hot oil to fry.
5. Fry until medium brown on both sides.
6. While meat is frying make sauce. In a small bowl mix the dashi mixture, soy sauce, mirin, onion, and sugar.
7. Drain excess oil on paper towel.
8. Cut cutlet into 1 inch strips.
9. Since this recipe is for 2 bowls put half of the sauce you made into a small pot and bring to a boil. When the onions are slightly translucent, nestle one of the tonkatsu/katsu cutlets on top of the boiling mixture. *It is important that the sauce does not cover the entire cutlet or it will become soggy-nobody likes soggy :-(
10. Immediately pour half of the beaten egg on top of the cutlet and put the lid on so the egg can firm up. 
11. While it's cooking get your rice bowl ready.
12. After 2 minutes remove the lid and carefully move the cutlet with a large spatula and place onto the rice.
13. Garnish with your optional green onion and serve.
14. Repeat these steps for the other cutlet OR if doubling this recipe use a pan instead of a pot to fit more cutlets.
15. Eat while it's a little crispy, hot, saucy, and a lot of OISHI!

Teri Crab Baked Salmon

"This is the best salmon I've ever had in my life" are the exact words my dad sputtered with his mouth half full of fish. This is a huge compliment considering my dad is one of my harshest food critics only second to myself. With this being said, I knew this was a recipe I needed to share with the world. If you are a novice chef, have no fear! My dad who cooks with no more than 3 ingredients and usually there is a can opener or a microwave thrown in the process was even able to pull this one off! Alright, yes he didn't buy the thick teriyaki sauce crucial for this recipe but hey, at least he didn't come home from the store with barbecue sauce. Anyways...Thank you to Dane, a fireman on Kauai who works with my boyfriend and passed this recipe down. I am forever grateful for such an easy yet impressive way to cook salmon!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 slab salmon
1 pack of imitation crab, chopped
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped fine
Mayonnaise
Thick teriyaki sauce (like Yoshida's Brand)
Panko crumbs
1 Tablespoon Wasabi
Furikake

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a 13" x 9" pan with tin foil and place salmon in skin side down.
3. Pour about 3/4 cup of the teriyaki sauce on the salmon.
4. In a bowl mix together the imitation crab, water chestnuts, 1 Tablespoon wasabi, and enough mayonnaise to make it a thick spread (start with 1/2 cup and add to your liking).
5. Spread this mixture on the salmon.
6.  Top it with a light layer of furikake.
7. Finish by sprinkling panko all over the top until covered.
8. Bake for 25-35 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon.
9. Eat hot and fresh with rice!

Cookie Dough Pretzel Bites

Oh My Gawwwd. These are so bad in the best way possible. Finally a recipe that encourages eating raw cookie dough and requires no baking! Don't worry, it's egg free and exactly how you think it will taste. Sweet, salty, chocolatey and all kind of textures from velvety to crispy to sink your teeth into. Now go make it! Your friends will thank you and thank you and thank you then request it the next time they see you. Happy non-baking!

Servings: Makes about 35 small pretzel bites
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie dough

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons milk (almond or soy works great as well)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips


1 bag small pretzels (no judgement if you use the regular sized ones)
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon oil (shortening, coconut oil, olive oil or whatever you have)
3 Tablespoons milk (again any milk works)

Directions

1. In a big bowl mix the butter, brown sugar, and sugar with a mixer until smooth and fluffy.
2. Stir in the milk and vanilla until combined.
3. Mix in the flour and salt and combine until it all comes together. Last stir in chocolate chips.
4. Roll about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and sandwich between 2 pretzels. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, wash your dirty dishes then melt the chocolate with the oil and milk in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.
6. Take out cookie dough bites from the freezer and dip them half way into chocolate and return to baking sheet. 
7. Let chill in the freezer for 10 minutes if serving immediately or in the refrigerator if serving later. They say these last up to 5 days in the refrigerator but I've never been able to keep them around for that long.

Zesty Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken looks great through the steamy window at the take out Chinese place but once you take a bite you may find yourself biting into something that resembles a spongey, soggy nugget of chicken. Nothing beats the homemade version with the sticky, zesty, spicy, sweet, orange glaze and crispy coating. Also, you know exactly what you're eating if you know what I mean. Trust me, this one will not disappoint you...

Servings: 4
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Orange Glaze:

1 cups of water
1/4 cup lemon juice
grated orange zest from 2 oranges
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce/shoyu
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)

Add later: 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water

Chicken:

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
corn starch for dipping
vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Garnish:

5 stalks green onion, chopped
sesame seeds

Directions

1. Fill up wok or pan with oil so that chicken will be covered half way. Heat up oil on medium high.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan mix together all the orange glaze ingredients except for the cornstarch and bring to a boil. 
3. Turn the sauce down to a simmer, we will finish this after the chicken is done cooking.
4. Now let's move on to the chicken. Coat the chicken in cornstarch and fry both sides until golden brown. Drain excess oil in a tray lined with paper towels.
5. Reheat the orange glaze to medium high.
6. In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of water with 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
7. Add the cornstarch mixture to the orange glaze and turn heat off when your glaze starts to thicken.
8. Pour fried chicken into orange glaze and give it a gentle stir.
9. Serve on rice and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds. Eat it fresh! YUM!

Billy's Fried Rice

My boyfriend's name is Billy.
Billy makes me fried rice.
I love Billy.

I wish everything else in life was that easy to love. This is by far my favorite breakfast fried rice EVER. Simple to make and hits the spot when you're extra hungry. I've made this a few times by myself now and it just doesn't taste as good as when someone else makes it for you. Therefore, heavily hint a loved one right now, like tonight that you want this for breakfast and it will be a true test of their love for you ;-)

Ingredients

 About 5 cups cooked rice (good way to use leftover rice)
1 package of bacon or 1 portuguese sausage or Spam, chopped or hey maybe a little of each!
1 onion, chopped
5 eggs, beaten
3 sprigs green onion, chopped
About 1/3 cup Oyster sauce
About 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Dashi powder (kelp and fish soup base)
a little oil

Directions

1. Heat up wok or pan and fry bacon until crispy.

2. Add in onions and cook until almost translucent then drain excess oil.

3. In a separate pan heat up a little oil and fry egg.

4. Add rice to the bacon and onion and mix in oyster sauce, soy sauce, dashi, and green onion. Mix and cook together for 5-10 minutes. Add more oyster sauce and soy sauce if the rice doesn't look as brown as the picture)

5. Chop up egg and stir it into the rice.

6. Serve it up hot!