Gyudon Recipe

While in South Korea, my youngest son loved eating Gyudon, which is actually a popular Japanese dish.

It seemed easy enough to make at home, so I found a recipe online and worked with what I had or bought so I could make it for him.

I took 1 lb of shabu shabu beef, since it was already thinly sliced, and cut it into 2-3" pieces. 

I mixed 1 cup dashi (I tried the Foodland Umami Dashi), 2 T sugar, 2 T water, 2 T mirin, and 6 T soy sauce.  

I poured the sauce in the bottom of a pan, placed onion slices (1 large onion) on top, and then the beef on top of the onions.

I then covered it and cooked on medium heat until browned, skimming the fat with a strainer.

Once everything was cooked and mixed, I poured some sauce over hot rice, then added the meat and onions.

I topped with green onion curls and an onsen egg!

It was quick and easy, and turned out super delish!

You can find the original recipe here at Just One Cookbook.

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Pepperoni Chaffles

Chaffles, or cheese waffles, are another breakfast hack that's been popular on social media.  It's really simple too - just mix together eggs and cheese (1 egg + 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese), place in a waffle maker for approximately 5 minutes, and that's it!

My waffle maker is on the larger side, so I used 2 eggs + 1 cup of cheese for a single waffle.

You can add all sorts of ingredients to your chaffle, and I ended up adding pepperoni and sprinkling on some parsley.

What would you add to your chaffle?

 

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Foodland Farms Ka Makana Ali`i Has Everything You Need for a Quick and Easy Meal

I love how Foodland has evolved over the years.  From grocery pick-up service, in-store dining, and meal kits, Foodland continues to come up with innovative ideas to make life easier.  

Foodland Farms Ka Makana Ali`i recently opened up, and last week I was invited to attend a virtual cooking demo with Corporate Chef Keoni Chang to make Fusion Street Tacos with an Elote Inspired Salad.

I received all of the ingredients complimentary courtesy of Foodland, and you can find the fresh local produce, Chef Essentials dressings, and everything else you need (including the recipe) at Foodland Farms Ka Makana Ali`i (they have convenient Foodland To-You pick-up service!).

Foodland Farms makes it EASY for you to create a delicious, hearty meal for your family.  I was very impressed with how quickly and easily the dishes came together.  

The pre-marinated meats and the flavorful dressings make it simple for even novice cooks look myself to create a delicious meal. 

The Fusion Tacos were bursting with Korean flavors from the marinated pork belly, and the accompanying Elote Salad, with a Kim Chee Caesar Dressing, complimented the tacos nicely.

Head on over to Foodland Farms Ka Makana Ali`i to see what other great meal ideas they have to offer.  

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Hawaii's Best Hawaiian Mochiko Chicken Mix

Mochiko Chicken is a local favorite here in Hawaii, and it's fairly easy to make.  You can make the marinade from scratch, or you can take a short cut by using Hawaii's Best Hawaiian Mochiko Chicken Mix (available at stores in Hawaii or online).

All you need to add to the mix are two eggs, and 1/4 cup of water. That's it! 

Add cubed chicken thighs (uncooked) to the marinade, and refrigerate for 20 minutes, then fry. I prefer to cut the chicken into small cubes (no larger than one inch) so that the chicken cooks quicker and all the way through. 

Each bag makes up to 2 1/2 lbs of chicken. Refrigerate the leftovers for snacking on the next day!

Hawaii's Best also makes other mixes, including their signature haupia and butter mochi mixes.

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Calabash: Meal Kits by Foodland - Perfect for Busy Parents!

Although I primarily work from home, getting dinner on the table every night for me is a challenge. Not only do I feel I just don't have the time to make a decent dinner, but I also don't have any culinary skills whatsoever.

But thanks to Calabash: Meal Kits by Foodland, busy parents (or those, like me, who can't cook), can get a delicious meal on the table fast.

Last week I attended a media event where Foodland's Corporate Chef Keoni Chang, Chef de Cuisine Brian Nagai, and Sous Chef Rebekah “Bekah” DeCosta explained the concept behind Calabash, as well as all of the thought that went into each kit to make meal time easy for the consumer. 

 

“Calabash is our way of making meal planning and preparation easier, so our busy customers can spend more time with their families or doing what they love most,” said Chairman and CEO Jenai S. Wall. “The name Calabash pays homage to the humble, wooden calabash bowls that graced Hawaii’s dining tables over past centuries, serving as the centerpiece for family gatherings and the sharing of culture and experiences.”

No shopping (other than for the meal kit) is required. All you'll typically need are basic staples (e.g. salt, pepper, oil), and supplies (a frying pan, knife, spatula, etc.). Easy-to-follow directions are on the back of each kit's label.

And the meals are really a cinch to make. I know - because the media event turned into a surprise cooking challenge, where we paired up and cooked a Calabash Meal Kit.

My partner (Kelli @ Frolic) and I cooked up Sesame Pineapple Cauliflower "Rice."

All we had to do was cut up some vegetables, mince garlic, throw everything into a pan, saute, season, garnish, and that was it!

Here is a sampling of other kits the media cooked, as well as those that the Foodland chefs cooked:

Pork Hash Loco Moco with Shoyu Mustard Gravy

Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts

Ti Leaf Baked Fresh Catch

Spicy Beef Stir-Fry with Basil and Long Beans

The Calabash kits come in Mains or Sides, so you can easily mix and match dishes. And it's great that you can really show your personality through your dishes, as evident through the different plating styles of the Pulehu Steak with Spicy Sambal Hamakua Mushrooms:

Calabash Meal Kits are currently available for purchase at Foodland Farms Ala Moana in the store’s produce section – or via Foodland to You for curbside pickup or delivery in the metro Honolulu area. The colorful design and look of the Calabash kits were designed by Welcome Stranger, a Hawaii-based brand identity and experiential design studio led by Scott Naauao and Jesse Arneson. Kits range in price from $13.99 to $17.99 for mains and $6.99 to $7.99 for side dishes.

Follow Calabash on Instagram (@eatcalabash) and visit the website (www.eatcalabash.com) for information on the kits.

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Flavors of Kauai Dressings, Sauces, and Marinades

Miso salmon made simple with Flavors of Kauai Miso Marinade and Dressing!

If you ask my kids what they want to eat for dinner, they’ll most likely answer Spicy Ahi!  They are referring to a restaurant we frequent in Aiea that serves my favorite spicy ahi.  But, what we all order is our own miso salmon.  We just love it!  Many times at home when we have salmon for dinner, the kids request miso salmon.  I’ve tried about three times to replicate miso salmon and through a combination of lack of time and know how, was ultimately unsuccessful. 

Fast forward to the Kauai day trip we went on last month where we visited many family owned and operated small businesses.  One of those businesses was Dani’s Restaurant in Lihue where we first stopped for breakfast.  I noticed right away on the menu a misoyaki salmon entrée and was so tempted to order it, but went with something I never had before - the delicious bacon cheeseburger loco moco.  Lucky for me, Danny Morioka – owner of Dani’s – gave us some Flavors of Kauai sauces and marinades to take home including the Miso Marinade and Dressing.  What’s really cool is you can sample their products at the restaurant before you make a purchase.  They use the Miso Marinade & Dressing in the Miso Salmon entrée and salads; the Garlic Marinade and Sauce in their Garlic Chicken and Furikake Ahi; their Flavor-Burst Dressing & Sauce is available with any of their green salads or with the fish and soba bowl specials; and their Ponzu Citrus-Soy Sauce is used in their pork chops entree.

 So now when I am short on time, which is quite often, I can quickly broil some salmon and serve it with Flavors of Kauai Miso Marinade and Dressing and everyone is happy!  It’s even become my daughter’s favorite lunch to bring to school.  Thank you Flavors of Kauai for making life easier for this mom!

 For more information on Flavors of Kauai, visit their website at www.flavorsofkauai.com   

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