PORK SQUASH SOUP & OXTAIL SOUP

 

 PORK SQUASH SOUP & OXTAIL SOUP

 

 

Okay, now I'm really giving the good stuff away. Just like all the other dishes I have been creating, I was craving oxtail soup. I never really ate it much growing up in Hawaii but I decided to try something new. I traveled to Hilo to have some and sometimes on a yearly trip to Vegas stood in the long line to have some oxtail soup at the California Hotel.

I have searched and tried so many recipes but never seemed to quite come up with the perfect taste.

This is THE ONE...the one that I could eat every week in Washington in the cold winter months. It takes time, a good attitude, lots of love and care.

Please try, enjoy and let me know what you think.

 

I encooperated the pork and squash because the soup base is the same. When you don't have enough time to nurture the oxtail go with the quick pork and squash style. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED I PROMISE.

I forgot to get some pictures of the key ingredients so give me some time and I will get them to you.

To me the certain special ingredients really make a difference such as the sesame oil. I will be getting back to you on the oden sauce and squash.

 

Pork and Squash Soup & Oxtail Soup

Pork belly pieces (1 ½ -2 lbs.) or tray of oxtail about 12 small to med. pieces (depends how many pieces you want)

1 whole onion, sliced half moon

5-8 garlic cloves

1 thumb ginger

1 42oz. can chicken broth and 1 box

1 packet dashi

Few pieces dried shitake

2 cubes bouillon

 Oden

Shoyu

Sugar

Salt

Pepper

Splash sesame oil

1 long green squash (peeled and chunked)

GARNISH:

1 bunch chopped green onion

1 thumb zested/grated ginger

1 bunch chopped cilantro

 

1.       Cut pork belly pieces in thin slices, sear with a little oil and drain (may take a couple batches)

(for the oxtail boil few hours until slightly tender, drain)

2.       In the same pot add sliced onions and caramelize (scrapping all the goodness off bottom) you can deglaze with a little sherry or white wine.

3.       Add in pork or oxtail, dashi packet, shitake, garlic and ginger and 1 big can of chicken broth

4.       Simmer on medium low for 1 hour (Add more water if liquid gets low)

5.       Add in rest of chicken broth, simmer until pork is tender.

6.       Add in approximately 2 tablespoons of shoyu, 2 tablespoons of oden, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and pepper to taste. (you may need to add more shoyu if you like the taste dominate.)

7.       When the soup is to your liking in taste add in the cubed and chunked squash. (no squash for oxtail)

8.       Bring to boil and simmer 15-20 minutes

9.       Add a big splash of sesame oil

**garnish with green onion, ginger and cilantro

 

PORK & SQUASH

 

OXTAIL

 

 

 

 

Spam and string beans $4

Dam! I could eat this for days. Grandma taught me how to cook this. She made it alot growing up with all her wonderful side dishes. No matter how many times I have tried to master this over the years it will never come out as good as hers. Her secret was the black iron cast skillet that she oiled for years, plus her touch of love. I've kicked up my version a tad bit. Best thing about it is for me total cost of this meal is $4 (actually $3.80)!! That would be a winner in my book.

 

 

I can spam (cut horizontally then vertically)

1 ½ tsp. ground ginger

1tsp. garlic powder

2 big splashes of shoyu

Pepper to taste (optional)

1 bag string beans (cut diagonally, cut ends off)

*important to maintain crispiness

* this takes awhile and cramps your hand up..lol..well worth it..

1.       Heat little oil in a wok

2.       Fry spam and sprinkle with ginger until crisp

3.       Add in string beans

4.       Garlic powder, shoyu, pepper

SERVE OVER RICE :)



Coconut Curry Fried Chicken

 

This chicken is FABULOUS!! If you like coconut milk or even curry, you will definately want to give this a try. The only difference personally is that the next time I will do wings or drummettes. They tend to be more flavorful. The breast however was very moist.

 

 

 

 

Coconut Curry Fried Chicken

cookinghawaiianstyle.com

By: S. Kairod

Recipe from: cookinghawaiianstyle.com

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons curry powder, divided

 8 chicken pieces, rinsed and pat dry

 1 teaspoon salt, divided

 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

 2 cups flour

 oil for frying

 

Combine coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl. Place chicken in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Place remaining curry powder, salt, black pepper and flour together in a plastic bag.

Remove chicken from the coconut milk marinade and place in the plastic bag. Toss to coat. Allow to set for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 inches of oil in a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees.

Remove chicken from flour and shake any excess off. Fry in heated oil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking for 20 – 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.

Transfer to a cooling rack to allow excess grease to drip off.

 

* sprinkle with a little salt when comes out of fryer.

***update made the curry wings and it was good. I think I still like the breast still.*** 

pork and peas

Pork and Peas

1lb. pork belly pieces

1lb. pork butt (cut small bites)

6 cloves garlic

2 cans tomato puree

3 bay leaves

1 tsp. peppercorn

2 whole cinnamon sticks

1 can beef broth

Splash of shoyu

Water (as needed)

1 tbsp. sugar

1lb. frozen peas

1 small bottle diced pimentos

Salt/pepper to taste

1.       Heat oil in skillet, add garlic then brown pork. Drain.

2.       Add shoyu, sugar, peppercorn, bay leaves, cinnamon, tomato puree and beef broth

3.       Bring to boil, simmer 60-90 minutes.

*note during this process may thicken and dry out, add ½ cup water as needed)

4.       Add pimentos and peas

5.       Simmer about 10 more minutes

 

MISO TAKO POKE

 

 

Craving tako poke so today decided to whip up this bast from the past recipe. Reminds me of the good old days in Maui hanging out with friends for "pupu hour".

Kyle has never tried it and he loves peanut butter.

I know that in Hawaii they sell many kinds of tako poke in the poke bar area.

The great thing about the miso I choose to use is that the recipes are on the cover.

So enjoy ;)  I'm drooling....

 

 

Miso Sauce:

 

 

2 tbsp. miso

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. rice vinegar (mo'betta)

1 tsp. creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. water

 

 

cooked tako leg, thinly sliced

sweet onion, moon slice

chopped green onion

 

MIX ALL TOGETHER AND LET MARINADE FEW HOURS

 

 



 

kim chee fried rice

KIM CHEE FRIED RICE

This by far another favorite in my house that I always make. If it was up to me I would be making fried rice everything, everyday. Just as in regular fried rice there are so many variations and ingredients that you can use. The ones that I post for you is according to my palete or whats left over in the kitchen sink :)

 

 

 

1 pkg. bacon, sliced small

1/2 onion, diced

1 portuguese sausage, chopped

4-5 scrambled eggs

handful of favorite kim chee, squeezed, draind, chopped

1/2 c. frozen peas

1 bunch green onion

6c. day old rice

pepper to taste

 

fried sunny side eggs

furikake to garnish

 

SAUCE:

heaping tbsp. garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. oyster sauce

1/2 c. ALOHA shoyu

1/4 c. sugar

1 tbsp. sesame oil

**MIX WELL

 

1. fry bacon until crisp, drain 1/2, reserving some oil

2. add in onion and p.sausage, continue to fry few minutes

3. add in kim chee, fry 1 minute

4.add in rice, mix well

5. drizzle sauce slowly, mix well (don't drench the rice, you may not need to use all)

6. when encorperated well, add in pepper, peas, eggs and green onion

 

**in a serving bowl layer rice with sunny side egg and sprinkle furikake.

A WINNER!!!

 

 

 

 



 

NAMASU

 I was craving namasu one day and wanted to eat it so bad. I could not find a good recipe like I remember eating growing up. So after a few recipes of research I decided to create my own and I think it came out perfect. I just keep it in the icebox for up to 4 days. Not to sure how long you can preserve it in a jar.

 

Caroline’s NAMASU

3 cucumbers, thinly sliced

4 baby carrots, grated

¼ tsp. salt

½ can baby clams

½ c. wakame, softened in water, chopped into pieces

½ block kamaboko

½ sweet onion, sliced thin

1.       Slice cucumbers, sprinkle with salt, let stand 10-15 minutes

2.       Rinse cucumbers thoroughly

3.       Combine all ingredients.

4.       Pour sauce, mix well

5.       CHILL

Sauce:

1 & 1/2c. sugar

1 & 1/2c.rice vinegar

1 ½ tbsp.. lemon zest

Juice from 1 big lemon

1 ½ tbsp.. mirin

4 dried shrimp (ebi)

·         Mix well

 

Cake Noodle take 1

 

This is what I made experimenting with cake noodle dishes. It is basically any meat, seafood and veggies that you like to eat together.  The key to this recipe is just the sauce mixture. Try adding anywhere from 3 or more ingredients. Make it crispy gau gee mein by adding some won ton on the top.

 After making this, I realized that it was great just to eat over rice or even boiled noodles. You give it a try and see what you think. Heavyn was the best critic for this dish, she said "awesome mom, you are awesome cook". lol

 

Cake noodle take 1

½ lb. fresh Chinese egg noodle, or saimin noodles

8 tbsp. vegetable oil

Thumb ginger

4-5 Minced garlic (grated)

6 shitake mushrooms (soaked and sliced)

6 small bunches baby bok choy

4 flat chicken breasts (hmart)

1 c. char siu sliced

½ sliced onion

1c. won bok sliced

Handful bean sprouts

½ pkg. tofu puffs sliced in half

Bunch green onions

1.        Heat  2 tbsp.oil, ginger, garlic in wok

2.        Slice and brown chicken breasts

3.        Add in onion few minutes, sauté

4.        Add in char sui, stir fry few minutes

5.        Add all vegetables, stir fry few minutes (not tofu)

Sauce:

2 tbsp. cornstarch, 2 tbsp. shoyu, 4 tbsp. oyster sauce, 1 tbsp. sherry, 1 tbsp. sesame oil

·          Mix well, until no lumps

·          Pour in 2 ½ c. chicken broth, mix well

 

6.        Add in to vegetable mixture and bring to boil until sauce thickens

7.        When thick add pepper, salt to taste (I put splash of sugar)

8.        Add in tofu puffs, mix well

Noodles:

1.        Add little oil to boiling water

2.        Drop in noodles, mixing well constantly

3.        In about a minute check noodle to make sure soft but not hard

4.        Drain and rinse in cold water

5.        Pat dry with paper towel

(I did mine ahead of time and put in covered container in icebox)

6.        Heat wok or over medium heat with 4-5 tbsp. oil

7.        Lay noodles flat in pan (with about ½ inch thick layer)

8.        Fry about 4-5 minutes until golden brown, flip

9.        Fry remaining side another 4-5 minutes

10.     Drain and slice in squares

 

**scoop vegetable mixture over noodles and garnish with green onions..

 

 

Green Tea Somen Salad

8-10 oz. green tea somen style noodles, cooked according to package directions, drained

1 head thinly sliced iceberg lettuce

Aburage sliced thin

4 eggs, Prepared egg omelet style, thinly sliced

1 1/2c.  char siu, chopped

1 pkg. Oscar Mayer honey ham, thinly sliced

8 oz.  thinly sliced kamaboko

 1 bunch chopped green onion

Optional: bean sprouts

1 bottle Tropics Oriental "Sesame Seed" Dressing or make your own regular somen dressing