Japanese Chicken Curry Stew

Japanese Golden Curry Sauce Mix is a meal saver. I try to always have a box in my pantry for a quick hearty meal. You can have a pot of chicken curry stew on the table in about 30 min. This is a must have pantry item for a fast satisfying meal.

Kono's Curry Sauce

Shrimp Curry

Oh for the love of curry!  That’s what this recipe is. The kind of curry I grew up with in Hawaii.

Back in the day… we didn’t have the variety of curries that are available today. We just had one and this was it!

This recipe makes about 8 cups of sauce which could mean a large family sized pot of stew or 4 meals for a couple. I make this sauce ahead of time and freeze it into containers to pull out whenever I have a hankering for curry. This sauce makes wonderful chicken curry stew with carrots and potatoes as well as sauce to go over katsu, for curry katsu or as pictured, shrimp curry.

Chicken Paprikash or Paprika Chicken

Chicken Paprikash or Paprika Chicken

When I Googled, How many chicken paprikash recipes are on the internet? I was shocked to discover that there are over 4 million and only a little over 1 million for beef stew recipes. Really? This fact goaded me to do more research on this simple one pot Hungarian comfort dish. No, I didn’t read all 4 million recipes, but I did read quite a few.

Which got me thinking, if over 4 million people felt the need to share their recipes, I was certain that I needed to add it to my recipe collection. It doesn’t matter what you call it - Chicken Paprikash or Paprika Chicken, it’s delicious and easy.

Guacamole Salsa Stew

The first time I tasted this green colored sauce was at a food stand in Puerto Vallarta. It was served in a bowl along with a couple other salsas, chilies and limes. I hesitantly dabbed a little on my taco, took a bite – smiled – then proceeded to spoon it on like gravy. I could not get enough of it and needed to find out what this delicious green stuff was.

Lentil, Kale, Zucchini and Sweet Potato Stew

Are you feeling the bloat in your belly that comes like clockwork this time of year?
I Sure am!
To put it lightly... it's Un-comfortable.

So in preparation of the belly breaking holiday meals behind and ahead of me. I went in search of a recipe that would lighten me up and at the same time taste good.  Is it even possible?

Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)

The first time I tasted the flavor of cooked kimchi and pork together was at my favorite (hole in the wall) Korean restaurant - almost 20 years ago (they are now closed).  The dish was appropriately named Kimchi Pork, which was cooked in thickened spicy gravy - I craved this combination and ate it at least once a week, for 10 years – until they closed.

White Beans and Beef Smoked Sausage Stew

I haven’t had beans in a while and I do like beans.  So tonight I went in search for something new, but not too difficult or exotic.  I wanted something comforting.

Pork Guisantes (Filipino Pork and Peas)

In Hawaii we enjoy many different cultures and the one common thread - is in the sharing of food.   Pork Guisantes is yet another one of those comfort foods that's simple to make and satisfying to eat.

In Spanish, guisantes [gee-sahn’-tay] translates into peas.  

What a beautiful way to say something so plain.

Filipino Pork and Peas is a one pot meal with tender bites of pork in a garlicy tomato sauce. 

Pork Guisantes (Filipino Pork with Peas)

2          pounds            pork butt, sliced

2          cloves              garlic, minced

1          med                 onion, chopped

1          8oz. can          tomato sauce

1          8oz. can          water

1          bay                  leaf
1         Tbs.                 patis (fish sauce)

1          tsp.                  kosher salt

¼         tsp.                  black pepper

1 ½      cups                frozen peas

4          oz. jar              pimentos or red peppers, sliced thin

1.    Heat about 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Add onions then garlic and sauté for 1 – 2 min.  Then add pork until browned. 

2.    Add tomato sauce, water, bay leaf, patis, salt and pepper; bring to a boil; lower heat and cover.  Cook for about 30 minutes or until meat is tender; stir occasionally.

3.    Add peas and pimentos or red pepper; cover and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes, just to heat the peas.

4.    Serve with rice.

Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew

This easy one pot meal is a definite keeper.  Hearty pork and hominy together in a flavorful broth that is neither thick nor soupy.  We sopped up the broth with a stack of homemade corn tortillas.  Delicioso!

Ken's Hot Dog Chili

Its game day and Kono requested that I make Ken's chili sauce.  So I quickly read over the recipe and started to prepare for the game day meal. 

The inspiration for this chili sauce came from our friend Ken who is originally from New York.  He cooked up a batch of his mother’s legendary hot dog chili for a bbq this summer.  It was not like any chili dog that I have had before.  After experiencing Ken’s chili sauce, I was sure that this is how a chili hot dog was intended to be eaten.  This style of dog is better known as a Coney Island Dog which has a natural casing hot dog topped with a spicy bean-less chili and a squirt or two of yellow mustard.

My Pinakbet

I was at the Asian market and saw long green beans next to the eggplant and immediately started to crave pinakbet, or at least a more subtle version of it.  I love the flavors and textures of this dish.  I’m not Filipino or very fond of bitter mellon or okra which I know is traditional but I love the stewed vegetable combination flavored with fish sauce.

Chile Verdes

Chile Verdes with boiled potatoes

The delicious fork tender chunks of pork swimming in a bath of spicy green tomatillo sauce is truly an addiction for me.

My not so secret to this recipe is a can of Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce jazzed up with onions, garlic, chilis and oregano. My favorite way to eat chile verde is simply with potatoes and cheese. A spoon in one hand and a tortilla or a quesadilla in the other. I'm a simple woman.

I also like to wrap the chile verdes, potatoes and cheese in flour tortillas, burrito style and grill them in a lightly greased non-stick pan so they get crispy. And if you have leftovers, pre-wrap burritos and freeze them for a quick microwave meal.

CHILE VERDES

2          pounds            pork butt or shoulder, cubed small

¼         tsp.                  dried oregano

1          tsp.                  kosher salt

¼         tsp.                  black pepper

1          large                onion, chopped small

2          cloves              garlic, minced

1 -3      large                serrano chili, minced

28        ounce can       Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

1. Cut the pork into small cubes.  Chop onions and mince garlic and Serrano.
2. Heat a heavy bottom pot over med high heat and add 2 Tbsp. oil.  Brown meat on all sides and season with oregano, salt and pepper.
3. Add onions, garlic and serrano.  Cook until onions are soft and fragrant.
4. Add green chile sauce; bring to a boil; cover and let simmer for 1 hour or until pork chunks are fork tender.  Uncover and let cook for another 15 minutes to let the sauce thicken.

NOTES:

•  If you are serving this with potatoes - cube up 3-4 medium sized russet potatoes and boil in salted water for about 8 minutes. Drain and add to your pork or place potatoes in a bowl and spoon chile verde over. Any potato will work but I prefer russet potatoes because they are dryer and flakier which makes them thirsty and ready to soak up the spicy green tomatillo sauce.
• Depending on what your spice meter can handle will determine how many serrano's you need to add to this dish. One medium serrano chili will give you a mild finish, two will give you a medium spicy, while three will defiantly give you a fiery finish. I prefer to remove the seeds because I have a wimpy spice tolerance, but if you like it HOT, leave the seeds in.

Colin's Awesomely Easy Pot Roast

This is my nephew Colin’s Awesomely Easy Pot Roast recipe and it is everything that the name states. The one thing that is left out of the name is that it is also “delicious”. A quick stop in California resulted in a hot home cooked dinner and a recipe.  Thanks to our nephew’s recipe and his mom’s culinary skills I have a new and easy recipe to share.

Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup

Don’t make that face… it’s a lot better than it sounds.

Back in 1934 the Campbell Company introduced cream of mushroom soup which started the casserole craze that we all crave, but try to avoid. Everyone has a ghastly tuna casserole story that they would like to forget. But, there is one dish that always warrants me having an emergency can of cream of mushroom soup in my pantry and that dish is fried pork chops or chicken smothered in a deliciously easy sauce that makes for a quick one pot meal.

Kimchi Pork

Kimchi pork is one of my favorite Korean one pot… or should I say one wok meals.  There is no mystery to this dish.  The title describes it perfectly, kimchi and pork.

Hawaiian Chinese Spaghetti

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My husband named this Hawaiian Chinese Spaghetti because you won't get it anywhere else except from someone who is Chinese who grew up in Hawaii.  At least that is what he thinks.

Short Rib Stew

Hawaiian Style Short Rib Stew

My family loves stew and I make my stew the way all Hawaiians do with a tomato base that marries with the rich beef flavor that release itself with the caramelized browning of the beef.

Pot Roast Beef

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I don’t really have a recipe for pot roast and have never tried to write one.  It’s more of a feel than an exact science.  It all depends on the size of the roast.  My meat cut of choice for pot roast is a well-marbled chuck that is about 3 – 4 inches thick.  I like this cut because it has a little more fat than other cuts which results in a juicy fork tender roast.

Chicken Panang Curry

Panang curry is my new favorite Thai curry. It has a mild flavor that calls me to want more. If you prefer a spicier version add a minced serano chili or two when cooking the paste and or increase the amount of curry paste.

Steamed Chinese Black Bean Spareribs

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Tonight I made my mother in law’s sweet & sour spareribs by request from my husband. While I was shopping for the ribs, one pack wasn’t enough and two was too much. So I decided to make a batch of black bean spareribs to go along with tonight’s dinner. The crazy thing was that I had all the ingredients on hand and it seemed like a good idea thinking that both would make great leftovers.