Mochi beef stew/peanut butter rice krispies bars

Beef stew is a very popular dish in Hawaii. You can find it on plate lunch menus everywhere. As a child I always enjoyed eating my grandmother’s stew. It was one of her staple dishes that we often requested.


A lot of my early years of cooking, I really adapted and learned to play with flavors from Sam Choy. This recipe that I created is almost like his recipe. The mochiko thickener really is a Sam Choy trick that a lot of people do not know about. The mochiko also boots the flavor of the stew and gives it a unique taste and texture.

If you don’t like your stew thick than lessen the mochiko/water mixture and add as you go.

I use bottled garlic in this recipe as well as fresh. I like both. You can use all fresh if you prefer. The bottled garlic that I purchase has a slightly sweet taste to it. I like using it in poke too for the flavor.

Again, this is my version of beef stew that we love. Feel free to play with it.

I like eating mine with takuwan(yellow pickled daikon).

Mochi Beef Stew

3-4 lbs. cubed chuck meat

1 big can chicken broth (49 0z)

1 box 48 oz beef broth

1 can 16 oz beef broth

3-12 oz. glasses water

1-12oz. can tomato paste

2 packets of McCormick’s Beef Stew mix

4 beef bullion cubes

3 potatoes, cubed

5 stalks celery, chunked

½ bag baby carrots, cut in halves

1 whole onion cubed

(optional) 2 heaping spoonfuls of bottled garlic



All celery leaves from celery stock, chopped

Salt and pepper

6 garlic, crushed

½ chopped onion

½ c. flour for dusting

¼ c. vegetable oil



8 tbsp. mochiko flour

8-9 tbsp. water

**mix together to create a thickener, you can use any equal amount)

1. Heat oil in large pot, meanwhile dust cubed meat with flour.

2. Sauté in oil celery leaves, minced onion, crushed garlic and dusted meat. BROWN. Mix constantly to avoid burning.

3. Add salt and pepper to season the meat.

4. Once the meat is browned, drain excess oil.

5. Over high heat add in beef broth, chicken broth, tomato paste, water, bouillon and stew packets. Bring to boil and simmer on medium low for 1 hour or until meat is tender. (taste to adjust salt and pepper to your liking)

6. Add in carrots, celery, potato, bottled garlic and onion. Simmer for another hour.

7. Add in mochiko and water thickener to thicken the stew. Mix stew well.

(If not thick enough add more or if you like it thinner add less mochiko)

8. Simmer on low until ready to serve.



**Serve with hot rice.

Peanut butter rice krispies bars

2c. quaker oats

3 ½ rice krispies

1 ½ c. unsalted peanuts

1 ½ c. raisins

1 block butter

1 c. skippy peanut butter

1 16oz. bag marshmallows



1. Mix together oats, rice krispies, peanuts and raisins. Put in baking pan.

2. Bake 350 for 20 minutes

3. On low heat melt butter, peanut butter and marshmallows.

4. Mix in cereal mixture. Coat well.

5. Pat in a 9 x 13 pan, flatten down with wax paper. COOL!

6. Cut into rectangles and wrap in wax paper.

**you can add other things like dried cranberries or sunflower seeds as well.

Korean Style Candy Chicken Wings & Imitation crab potato/mac salad

This is one of my most requested recipes ever. The key to this chicken is getting the sauce just right. I called it candy because I caramlize the sauce so that it creates a slightly sticky texture when it cools. It is sweet but not overbearingly sweet. I always make it in big batches because the amount of leftovers will never do you justice. They taste so good the next day cold right out of the refrigerator.

The crab salad is just a fancy potato salad that I crave for sometimes. ENJOY!

Korean Style Candy Chicken Wings

1-10 lb. bag Tyson frozen or fresh

4 c. Flour in a Ziploc bag (add few shakes of salt)

Vegetable oil for frying (i use big costco size)



Sauce:

2 1/2 c. white sugar

2 c. aloha shoyu

6-8 garlic, crushed

1 big thumb ginger, peeled

1 bunch green onion, finely sliced (add in while simmering)

**BOIL until it bubbles; simmer on medium for few minutes (allowing thickening), drop to low. Leave the sauce on low heat until done coating all the chicken.

**this is a key stage because you want it to slightly caramelize & thicken.



• Thaw out the chicken wings

• Prepare the sauce

• Heat oil in a wok or deep pot

• Toss wings in flour mixture, shake off excess

• Deep fry until golden brown

• DRAIN on paper towel.

• Toss in hot sauce mixture

• Set in big bowl and garnish with fresh sliced green onions.



This recipe is slightly set apart from other similar recipes due to the trick in getting the sauce just right. You can add a little more sugar if needed.

If you make the sauce mixture right it will leave the chicken with almost a slight candied texture. It is A WINNER!
Chicken goes best with fried rice or musubi.
If you have any leftovers, it tastes great and still crispy right out of the refrigerator.

Leftovers are an ideal snack for a road trip or a picnic at the beach.

Imitation crab potato/mac salad

4 large boiled potatoes, peeled & diced

3 eggs, hard boiled, finely chopped

½ lb. imitation crab, shredded

1 cup mayo (roughly, it depends on how you prefer)

Chopped parsley to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ onion, finely chopped



Optional:

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 can sliced olives

6 baby carrots, grated & parboiled



• MIX & ENJOY



****This recipe can be made in many variations according to what you are in the mood for. I even recommend substituting the potato and eggs for macaroni. If choose to make it the mac salad variation cut the veggies a little bigger.

CHOCOLATE CRUNCH CAKE

This is my first posted dessert for my blog. I have never been quite the baker because I am not one who likes to measure things and usually go by eye or taste. Being said that is why I am much better at cooking rather than baking.


For years now I have collected composition books of recipes. I do want to share them all with everyone. However, I am slowly on the mission to fill my dream of printing a cookbook as well.

I enjoy eating desserts. For some reason I always thought that I would get to making more desserts if I had a PINK kitchen aid mixer. 

This week my husband has been craving chocolate and it put me on a quest to make a chocolate peanut butter thingy  He loves his peanut butter. He can eat peanut butter on everything. He even adds it in his chili, “I have never tried his recipe yet…lol!

This cake has been a childhood favorite of mine created my aunty. When we had family gatherings we would request this dessert.

I hope you try it…



CHOCOLATE CRUNCH CAKE

***this recipe makes 2 cakes



1 ½ c. peanut butter

1 12oz. pkg. chocolate chips

½ c. butter

1 box devil’s food cake mix

1 10 oz. pkg. mini marshmallows

6 cups rice krispies



1. Prepare cake mix according to the directions on the box. Pour into two 9x13 greased & floured pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

2. Melt peanut butter, chocolate chips, & butter in microwave safe dish (1-2 minutes at a time, stirring in between)

3. Top each pan evenly with marshmallows and then put back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Cool.

4. In a large mixing bowl, mix the chocolate mixer to the rice krispies. Pour over and spread evenly over marshmallow layer of the cake.

5. Refrigerate until firm.



**you can reduce the peanut butter to 1 cup if you do not want the flavor so strong or omit completely and add ½ bag more chocolate.

Hawaiian Style... KAU YUK

When my tastes buds and cravings get the best of me what does this “local” girl do in Washington? I crave and I mean crave dishes, ingredients and condiments that you can find only in Hawaii. Trust me; no one wants to be around me when I am hungry. I get very grouchy when I am hungry! I rather STARVE if I can not have exactly what I want to eat. A girl’s got to do what a girl has got to do and make it my dang self… I am left with the sudden desire to Goggle and search for recipes to make my own and satisfy that crave!


This recipe below was from a spur of the moment desire to settle my chinese red pork craving. Thanks to places like Sum Leung Chinese Kitchen; http://www.hiloeats.com/view/149, Kow's & Ling's.
When anyone goes to Hilo, Hawaii they need to have a plate from at least one of theses chinese restaurants.
http://local.yahoo.com/HI/Hilo/Food+Dining/Restaurants/Chinese+Restaurants

You know what I am talking about because Hawaii has a unique taste in Chinese cuisine that you can not find anywhere but in HAWAII.

KAU YUK



3-4 lbs. pork belly or side pork

Oil for frying

1 jar of red bean curd

1 piece ginger

4 cloves of garlic

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. white sugar

1 tsp. Hawaiian salt

2 tbsp. oyster sauce

2 tbsp. hoisin sauce

½ tsp. Chinese five spice powder

1-2 cups water



1. Cut the pork into 1 inch pieces.

2. Brown in wok or pot, drain.

• I separate them in batches to ensure a good sear.

3. In a large pot, dump the whole jar of red bean curd & mash.

4. Add ginger, garlic, sugar, salt, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce and 5 spice.

5. Whisk together and simmer.

6. Add pork, simmer on low heat for about 1 hour.

• Stir occasionally, the mixture will thicken and you need to add ½ cup of water at a time to ensure it does not burn.

** you can adjust the flavor as you go adding more sugar if you like it sweet or hoisin and oyster sauce flavor stronger..

Caroline's Gandule Rice

Being from Hawaii all of us "locals" love to eat a variety of ethnic foods. Patele's and gandule rice are very popular for being sold on the side of the road...Unfortunately, it is hard to get in local restaurants, there are a few places but why not make it at home.
After the first attempt of making it, I came up with this trial and error recipe. Everyone loved it. My family enjoys gandule rice leftovers in an omelet so try that with the day old extra's. I hope you like it...
COMING SOON..My recipe for PATELE STEW!!!!!



Caroline’s Gandule Rice




1 cup olive oil

2 to 8 tbsp. oil for browning

3-4 pounds pork butt & belly, chopped small

2- 1 oz. packets achiote (annatto) seeds

1 whole sweet onion, chopped

3 bunches cilantro, chopped

12 cloves garlic, few crushed & diced

1 tablespoon Hawaiian salt (Nori’s), kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

1 cube chicken bouillon

2 – 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce

1- 15 oz. can pigeon peas, drained

2- 12 oz. cans pitted black olives, drained

8 c. uncooked rice, rinsed (do not rinse prior until ready to use)

9 c. water

1-2 tsp. cumin

Couple shakes of garlic salt 

1 party size square tin pan



For the achiote oil:

2- 1 oz. packets achiote seeds

1c. olive oil or vegetable oil

• Heat the achiote seed and olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the oil has taken a reddish color of the seeds.

• Strain into a pyrex.

• Cool and store.



Directions

1. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in sauce pan over medium high heat, add pork, brown & drain.

(I separate them into 4 batches to ensure good sear on pork in a wok; adds crisp)

2. While browning the pork, prepare the achiote oil.

3. In a large pot sauté garlic, cilantro, onion & browned pork until translucent.

4. Salt & pepper to taste.

5. Stir in tomato sauce, achiote oil, peas & olives.

6. Simmer for 10 minutes

7. Add in cube of bouillon, 9c.water; bringing to a boil.

8. Simmer while you rinse and drain the 8 c. rice

9. Add uncooked rice to pork mixture, stir well, cover and bring to a boil.

10. Immediately drop to low heat, stirring and keeping the mixture covered; 10 minutes.

11. Remove cover, stir, replace cover & cook another 10 minutes.

(I keep doing this until the rice soaks up all the juices, no need to worry if rice is uncooked at this point)

12. Transfer to large party size foil square pan, cover with foil.

13. Bake in a 350 oven for 1 hour, stir well every 15 minutes.

(I add cumin and sprinkle garlic salt about half way through, to your liking)

HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!

Eat with Pateles :) A WINNA!