Plain and Simple Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of the best things about growing up. I'm having flashbacks just thinking about it! You want one huh? All the gooey delicious melted cheese is flooding you with memories right? Mom used to make grilled cheese with Campbell's Tomato soup for us on summer days when school was out. We'd come in from play for lunch and we'd see the soup and sandwiches along with a glass of milk and Frito-Lay's Corn Chips smiling at us. ahhh the memories! :) Growing up we used white bread, Kraft American Cheese and good ol butter or margarine. Now we use whole grain wheat bread, Kraft American Singles and I Can't Believe It's not Butter Original! (0 trans fat eh!) ;)

Ingredients:

4 slices of whole grain wheat bread or white
1/4 to 1/2 block of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Original
4 slices of Kraft American Singles
electric skillet griddle or large frying pan

Procedure:

• Heat frying pan until a drop of water sizzles
• Add 1/4 block of butter to pan and melt it all over, lower heat do not burn butter
• Dip each slice in the melted butter until coated evenly and lay flat on pan to toast brown
• After each slice is brown turn over and immediately add 2 slices of cheese onto hot toasted buttered side of 2 slices. Sandwich the other toasted slices over the cheese to melt it.
• Use spatula to flatten and turn over sandwiches to make each side toast evenly.
• Serve hot right of the pan.
• Serves 2 people or one Reggie :)

Enjoy!! Kaukau time! Don't forget the cold milk, tomato soup and corn chips!! :D

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

5 lb box of fryer chicken thighs, skin removed if you want lower fat. I leave the skin on for a good crispy crunch.
1-2 Tbsp hawaiian or kosher salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
enough canola or vegetable oil for deep or pan frying.

Procedure:

1. Season chicken with all seasonings.
2. Roll chicken in flour until covered. Shake off excess flour. Sprinkle additional seasoning.
3. Simply fry chicken in frying pan or deep fryer until golden brown in 15 minute batches. I like it crispy so I cook it a little longer than most. You can start out with the oil very hot(350 degrees F.) and then reduce it later. This seals in the moisture and flavor, then cooks it.
4. Drain on paper towels and cool for 10 minutes to further cook it internally.

Serves 4-6
Enjoy!! Let's kaukau!! :)

Authentic Spicy Hot Buffalo-Style Chicken Wings

This recipe was posted previously but made with drumsticks. This time my friend had to prepare something for a potluck so I suggested my Buffalo Wings recipe and he was all for it and had never made spicy buffalo wings before.  He thought there was a secret spice or hot sauce that gave it's signature taste and aroma.  I explained to him it was simply butter, white vinegar, Tabasco Hot sauce and a bit of tomato ketchup.  He was surprised and looking forward to get a Buffalo Wings 101 class from me.

Here is the recipe once again:

Ingredients:

Enough cooking oil, vegetable, or peanut oil for deep frying. Shortening may also be used.
40-50 chicken wings, and/or drummettes
2 teaspoons coarse kosher, Hawaiian rock, or sea salt

Dry Mixture

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne pepper (hot!)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)

Spicy Sauce

1-2 cups butter or margarine (We used "I can't Believe it's not Butter)
1 cup Tabasco sauce (more if you want more heat)
2 Tbsp white vinegar (more if you want more tang)
1 Tbsp Hunt's tomato ketchup (more for color)

Instructions:

• Thaw frozen chicken wings and soak in fresh warm water. Refresh warm water and add salt to create your salt brining solution. Soak chicken in brine for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain in colander and do not rinse.
• Mix dry mixture ingredients in a mixing bowl with a wire wisk till blended well set aside.
  Heat oil in large deep frying pan or wok to 350 degrees F. Dredge each chicken piece in dry mixture, shake excess flour off and add to hot oil one at a time. Be careful not to overcrowd the frying pan/wok. I fried the wings and drumettes in batches. Cook chicken for 15 minutes per batch till golden brown and crisp.
• Drain chicken on paper towels and set aside. While chicken is frying, bring the spicy sauce ingredients to a nice simmer in a big saucepan. Mix well with wire wisk. Bring about a consistency of Hollandaise sauce. The saucepan or wok should be large enough to fit all the fried chicken pieces.
• Incorporate fried chicken into simmering sauce and coat evenly by tossing the pieces in the saucepan or wok. As soon as wings are coated all over its ready to serve.
• Serve with bleu cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks to make a definite pupu platter winner.

Dirty Lickin's in Aiea, thanks for the inspiration!! :)
Great pupu grinds fo kaukau!! Les is thinking about making this for the next family gathering pupu platter.
It'll all be a big suprise for everyone.
Enjoy!! :)  Let's kaukau!!

Costco's Large Combo/Pepperoni Pizza

Well early this mornng my wife and I went driving. She has her driver's permit and we ended up going to Costco to pickup a large pizza for lunch. We drove to my brother-in-law Les's house in Kalilhi Valley and spent lunch there. For $9.95 at 18 inches in diameter you can't beat that price!! I got half and half of combination and pepperoni to go as you can see above. At closer observation looking at the pix, I noticed we didn't get a complete half of the combo side. When you're hungry you don't notice these things. lol Ahh well can't complain for cheap eh! :)

Go get some! :) Good kine kaukau! Was ono! 2 Thumbs up!

Nilagang Baboy (Boiled Pork with Cabbage & Potatoes)

Ingredients:

6 fresh pork hocks. About 4-5 lbs. You may substitute with fresh pork ribs and or belly pork.
4 fresh whole garlic cloves-smashed, peeled, and minced fine
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 large bay leaves-ripped into quarters
1 whole white or yellow onion-peeled and quartered
3 large whole russet potatoes-peeled and quartered
1 fresh whole round head cabbage-cored, halved, and quartered
MSG to taste (optional)
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
3-5 Tbsp of patis=fish sauce=nuoc mam
pinch coarse hawaiian or kosher salt to taste
4-6 pieces of filipino sweet chili peppers (optional)
1/2 lb fresh string beans-cut into 1 inch sections (optional)

Procedure:

• Rinse pork hocks under cold running water until clear. Place pieces in a big stockpot or pressure cooker.
• Boil for 10 minutes and skim scum and foam. Drain and rinse pieces under cold running water a second time. Rinse pot clean of particles and add pieces back. Cover with clean water and bring to a boil again. If using pressure cooker, cook at optimal pressure for 10 minutes also and rinse the same way.
• Add garlic, onions, and bay leaves. Add MSG and salt.
• Bring meat to a boil then simmer until semi-tender. About 1 hour 15-30minutes. Skim foam and scum everynow and then. If pressure cooking, bring to optimal pressure and cook for a total of 30 minutes.
• While pork is cooking, prepare potatoes by peeling, cutting and soaking potatoes in cold water to prevent discoloration.
• Prepare cabbage and set aside.
• Add potatoes, cabbage and optional vegetables 5 minutes before pork reaches "off-da-bone" tenderness.
• Season to taste with the patis fish sauce.

Serves 4-6

This is my sister-in-law Cathy's favorite dish while my wife Aurora's fave is Sinigang Na Baboy. This dish is also called "Lauya" by Ilocano filipinos but has vinegar added to the taste and aroma of pork adobo.

Well this whole week it has been some kind of dish with pork hocks or in reality "pig's feet". Filipinos don't waste any part of the pig and its so apparent in all their dishes no matter the dialect or part of the Philippines. In future postings I hope to make dinuguan (tender pork in blood stew) and kare-kare (oxtail in peanut sauce stew).

The pork hocks were on sale at the Pearl Harbor NEX Commissary last week for an unheard of $0.58 per pound! I couldn't pass that up so I got four cryovac packs for us! A super great deal for fresh hocks!

Enjoy! Time fo kaukau!! :)

Tuna Scrambled Egg Omelette with Ampalaya (Bittermelon)

Ingredients:

12 large fresh eggs
1 whole fresh clove of garlic-smashed, peeled, and minced fine
1 medium round white or yellow onion-peeled, sliced, diced, and chopped fine
1 large ripe red tomato-sliced, diced, and chopped fine
1 green bittermelon=chinese cucumber=ampalaya-ends cut off, seeded, quarted, and sliced into strips
2 cans tuna fish packed in water
1 tsp MSG optional
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 pinch iodized table salt
3-4 Tbsp fish sauce=patis=nuoc mam to taste
canola oil for frying

Procedure:

• Prepare tomatoes, onions, garlic, and bittermelon by putting in individual little bowls and set aside.
• Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and remove any shell particles.
• Open 2 cans tuna and water from can into another small bowl. Use a fork to smash up the tuna into mashed tuna flakes.
• Add flaked tuna into mixing bowl with eggs and scramble with a wire wisk. Do not overscramble. Add MSG, salt, pepper, and patis and mix well. Set aside.
• Heat large frying pan and add enough oil. About 4 Tbsp or so.
• When oil is almost smoking add onions, garlic, tomatoes, and bittermelon. Saute until vegetables are cooked down and wilted. About 5 minutes.
• Add scrambled tuna egg mixture to frying pan. Use a spoon to mix eggs into vegetables.
• Continue to fry eggs and keep them moving. Use a spatula. Eggs will thicken and water will evaporate. Keep eggs moving hence "scrambled". This is not like an egg foo yung or omelette where it's folder like a crepe or pancake. This is a scrambled omelette!
• Add more oil if needed. Cooking will continue for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Serves 4

Kaukau with steamed rice! Good for a low carb meal at breakfast or lunch. Ok let's kaukau! :)

We used tabasco, soy sauce and ketchup!

Enjoy!

Crispy Pata (Deep Fried Pork Hocks)

Ingredients:

6 fresh pork hocks
1 pinch coarse Hawaiian or kosher salt
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 whole bay laurel leaves
1/4 tsp MSG (optional)
peanut or canola oil for deep frying

Dipping Sauce:

white or apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic fresh peeled and smashed fresh cracked black pepper
salt or soy sauce to taste
2 green or red Hawaiian chilis smashed

Procedure:

• Rinse pork hocks under running water and place in a large pot or pressure cooker. Cover completely with cold water.
• Make sure water is clear and not bloody.
• Add bayleaves, peppercorn, salt, and MSG to pot and cover. If using a pressure cooker secure lid tightly and time cooking when precise pressure is reached.
• Cooking time for pressure cooker is 30 minutes.
• Regular boiling time should be about 1 hour 30 minutes or until tender.
• Do not over cook too much or meat will fall off the bone. You want the meat intact on the bone to hold well while deep frying.
• Rinse under cold water and remove any particles stuck on hocks.
• Drain meat on colander and pat dry with paper towels. Remove all excess moisture. Let the pieces air dry by use of a running fan for about 15-30 minutes. The dryer the meat the crispier and crunchier the fat rind will become.
• Heat the oil to about 375 degrees until almost smoking then lower to 350. Use a deep fryer basket and lower pieces slowly into deep fryer. The oil will splatter so be careful. Use thongs, oven mitts, oil splashguard screen, and a cooking apron.
• Deep fry until golden brown and crisp. Usually about 10-15 mins. Use thongs at initial fry to separate and loosen hock pieces as they cook. They love to stick together. :)
• Combine vinegar, pepper, garlic, pepper, soy sauce in a bowl. Mix well.
• Take pieces out of deep fryer and drain on paper towels.

Serve warm and use dipping sauce!

Serves 1 hungry wife or 2 people. :)

ok let's kaukau!!

Enjoy!

Sinigang Na Baboy (Pork in Sour Tamarind Soup)

It's called Sinigang Na Baboy which means pork in sour tamarind soup and is a typical dish cooked in many filipino homes. There are a few other fruits that can substitute the souring agent for tamarind which are green guava and or green mango I'm told by my wife. As long it can get sour it's "sinigang"! My mom loves this also for the sour tangy flavor. As for my dad and I we prefer it less sour so you may cut down on the tamarind soup base to your liking.


Ingredients:

3-4 lbs fresh pork spare ribs or pig's feet shanks, cut into desired size pieces
1 whole ripe tomato quarted and sliced thin
1 round yellow onion peeled, halved and sliced thin
1 Tbsp coarse Hawaiian or kosher salt
3-4 green sweet whole chilis
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed and minced fine
1 inch ginger root, sliced in half and smashed
2 packages Mama Sita Tamarind Soup Base
3 long eggplants sliced 1/4 inch diagonally
1 bunch fresh ong choy or kangkong (swamp spinach)
3-4 small taro root (gabi=dasheen=araimo=taro) peeled and quartered
6-8 fresh okra, stems cut off and sliced into 1 inch sections
1 small Japanese radish or daikon, peeled and quarted
MSG to taste (optional)
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
4-6 Tbsp of fish sauce or patis=nuoc mam
fresh cold water

Procedure:

• Rinse pork and place in stockpot. Fill with fresh water just to cover. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes and skim off scum. Drain and rinse pork pieces under running water. Wash stockpot clean and return pork to pot. Once again cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook until tender about 1 hour and 15 minutes or so. Check tenderness with fork during simmer.
• While pork is simmering add onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and tamarind mix.
• Season with MSG, pepper, fish sauce and salt to taste.
• Add eggplant, gabi, ong choy, daikon, and sweet chilis about 5 mins before pork reaches tenderness. Bring heat to high to cook down the vegetables.
• Taste broth and adjust taste accordingly.

Serves 3-4
Eat with steamed fluffy white rice! Enjoy and let's kaukau!! :)

Just Hamburgers and Hotdogs...

Trying out Jensen Meat Co.'s premium ground beef patties we purchased from Sam's Club and Hawaii's favorite brand Redondo's Hawaiian Winners. As you can see in the pix it's just burgers and hotdogs and some assorted vegetables. I was too tired after coming home from work to prepare something gourmet so I peeked into the freezer and pulled some patties, hotdogs, and frozen vegetables to heat up. Everything was pan fried with Pam, fresh cracked blackpepper, Hawaiian salt, and Mrs. Dash. Condiments were catsup, Tabasco, and Aloha Shoyu brand soy sauce. Oops almost forgot the rice! :)

That was it. Time fo kaukau!!

The patties were lean and moist considering it was ground beef sirloin!

Jensen Meat Co.

Redondo's Hawaiian Winners

Pork Tabungao (Pork with Chinese Long Squash Soup)

Here is a dish my grandfather would cook for us when we were little. It brings back so much memories. The pork is soft and tender with the sweet taste of the squash. The broth is rich and delightful on a cold night. Heat the soup and add cold rice and you got a typical Ilocano dish easy to cook and prepare.
This dish is locally also known as "Pork Sari-Sari" as in a mix of vegetables.  The local Ilocano restaurants make a shrimp version also.

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs fresh pork chops, sliced thin (pork ribs is also good)
1 2 lb small Chinese long squash, peeled, cut lengthwise, then cut into 1/4" slices
1/2 round yellow union, sliced thin
1 whole red ripe tomato, halved and sliced thin
2 fresh cloves of garlic, crushed, peeled, and minced fine
1 whole bay leaf, ripped in half
2-4 Tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam or patis)
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
dash MSG to taste (optional)
1 Tbsp white vinegar
fresh cold water
vegetable oil for frying
Optional vegetables :
2 long eggplants, diagonal slant slices
1-2 lb. Chinese long beans or sitaw, cut in 2 inch length pieces.

Procedure:

Heat a 6 qt pot with cover. Add 2 Tbsp oil and heat til smoking. Add pork and stir fry. Brown and cook pork well done about 10-15 mins on high heat. Season with pepper and bay leaf while frying. Add onions, tomato, and garlic. Continue to stir fry until vegetables are translucent and wilted. Add additional oil if needed. Add 4-6 cups of fresh water to pot, cover and bring meat to a nice boil then lower heat to simmer. Simmer til meat is tender. Add fish sauce, MSG, and white vinegar to soup. Add squash to pot and cover. Cook til squash is soft. Add more pepper and patis to adjust to your taste. Serve with white rice.

This dish is closely similar to Pork Sinigang but without the tamarind powder mix.  The broth or sabaw is not tangy.  Also I add a Tbsp of vinegar to the broth so the dish keeps and doesn't "turn" or spoil quickly on account of the tomatoes.  It makes the sabaw acidic like how adobo doesn't spoil without refrigeration.

Serves 3-4

Chinese long squash or tabungao in Ilocano and Upo in Tagalog.

Let's kaukau!! Enjoy! :O)

Stir Fry Pork Ong Choy with Shrimp Sauce Revisited

Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh boneless country style ribs or pork chops, sliced into thin strips
2 Tbsp cornstarch1/4 cup straight whiskey or shaoxing cooking wine
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Canola or peanut oil for stir frying
2-4 fresh whole garlic cloves, crushed and minced fine (more if you love garlic!)
1 whole tomato cut in quarters and sliced thinly
1 whole round yellow onion, peeled, halfed and cut into thin slices
1 pinch MSG (optional)
Fresh cracked ground black pepper to taste
1 whole bunch ong choy (swamp cabbage/water spinach), cut into 1" sections. Separate stems from leaves.
2 Tbsp chinese fine shrimp sauce (Harm ha)
Fresh cold water

Procedure:

1. Add sliced pork into a mixing bowl and add cornstarch, wine, and soy sauce. Mix well and let stand to marinate for 30-45mins.

2. While meat is marinating prepare the vegetables as above and set aside.

3. Heat wok or big fryin pan. Add a Tbsp oil and wait til just about smoking.

4. Add marinated pork to hot oil and saute. Keep stir-frying until pork is browned and cooked evenly. Add more oil if needed.

5. Set cooked pork aside in metal colander to drain excess oil.

6. Heat wok again and add Tbsp oil. Heat til smoking then add onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir-fry saute the vegetables for 3 minutes and add ong choy stems, stir fry for another 2 minutes, add 1/4 cup water and cover to steam saute. Add leafy parts of ong choy thereafter. Vegetables should be cooked down before adding meat.

7. Incorporate drained pork into wok with veggies. Continue to stir fry. Add shrimp sauce and stir to mix evenly. Add MSG, pepper and green onions. Please note that sauce will become thick without adding additional cornstarch. Taste and adjust saltiness accordingly by adding more water.

Serves 3-4 people

Plate dish and it's ready to kaukau!

Enjoy!! Get your rice ready! Let's kaukau!! :D

Spicy Hot Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

My wife wanted drumsticks instead of wings if you're wondering...

:)

I haven't taken my wife to Hooter's yet and try their signature Buffalo Wings here in Hawaii but all my friends rave about how delicious the hotwings there are and as a gauge of authenticity. Another place here on Oahu is called Dirty Lickins and is supposed to be the most authentic buffallo wings you can find on the island. I bought my wife a few 15-piece plates a few months ago and from the very first taste she was hooked! I researched many variations of this recipe I came down with one that had all the ingredients in my kitchen pantry which made it easy.

Ingredients:

Enough Canola, vegetable, or corn oil for deep frying. Shortening may also be used.
40 chicken wings, and/or drummettes or 15 chicken drumsticks
2 teaspoons coarse kosher, Hawaiian rock, or sea salt

Dry Mixture
2 cups flour 1 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne pepper (hot!)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)

Spicy Sauce

1 cup butter or margarine (low fat ok)
1 cup Tabasco sauce (more if you want more heat)
2 Tbsp white vinegar (more if you want more tang)
1 Tbsp Hunt's tomato ketchup (more for color)

Instructions:

• 
  Thaw frozen chicken pieces and soak in fresh water. Refresh water after thawed and add salt to create your salt brining solution. Soak chicken in brine for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain in colander and do not rinse.
• Mix dry mixture ingredients in a mixing bowl with a wire wisk till blended well set aside.
• Heat oil in large deep frying pan or wok to 350 degrees F. Dredge each chicken piece in dry mixture, shake excess flour off and add to hot oil one at a time. Be careful not to overcrowd the frying pan/wok. I fried the 15 drumsticks in 2 batches. Cook chicken for 15 minutes till golden brown and crisp.
• Drain pieces on paper towels. While chicken is frying, bring the spicy sauce ingredients to a nice simmer in a big saucepan. Mix well with wire wisk. Bring about a consistency of Hollandaise sauce. The saucepan or wok should be large enough to fit all the fried chicken pieces.
• Incorporate fried chicken into simmering sauce and coat evenly by tossing the pieces in the saucepan or wok. Ready to serve.
  
• Serve with bleu cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks to make a definite pupu platter winner!!
  Enjoy!! My wife did! Let's kaukau! :)