BLT

Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich

Simple dinner last night - BLT. Lots of bacon and mayonnaise. I fried up a package of bacon and will freeze the rest, good to have on hand. Also like to make grilled bacon and cheese sandwiches.

One thing, for taste cannot beat American bacon. Thank goodness for the commissaries here. Must be the cured, smoke flavor. What better smell then frying bacon, then the crisp crunch and taste! Ate a couple pieces while frying, then piled plenty onto the sandwich. Japanese bacon does not come close!

Hone Jiru

This is one of my favorites, if not THE favorite dish here on Okinawa. It's hone jiru or pork backbones in soup - just like Hawaii oxtail-style. You get bowl of backbones with blanched greens (grated ginger on top) in dashi with a couple konbu knots, bowl of rice and daikon tsukemono. Delicious! I always save some rice to put in any remaining soup and slurp it up!

This is from a restaurant in Chatan on Kokutai Dori (Rte. 23) called Gajimaru. The place opens at 11 AM and by 1 PM they are usually out of the hone jiru, sometimes earlier, until dinner time I guess when they have cooked another batch. As you sit there and eat, you can see more than half of the dishes coming out of the kitchen are hone jiru. Went last week (picture is of what I ate). And it's only 500 yen.

Christmas Breakfast

Merry Christmas everyone!

My breakfast this morning - sunny-side eggs, Portuguese sausage and toasted King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread to be eaten with butter and guava jam.

And my little Christmas tree sent to me by my grand daughter (pix in profile, eating at Jimbo in Hawaii), but no decorations yet, next year. Got a real good cookbook from her too. Received everything on Friday - just in time!

Zippy's-Style Beanless Chili w/ Portuguese Sausage

My Zippy's-style beanless chili that also has Portuguese sausage from Hawaii in it, with King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread rolls for my Christmas Eve dinner. Comfort food of home. In Hawaii I love to eat it with cornbread.

Ham Steak with Guava Jam

Doesn't look too good but it was really tasty! Bought a ham steak and then baked it with a mix of butter, brown sugar and guava jam. Delicious! Saw a recipe from Hawaiian Sun (Hawaii-made brand) and since I bring back a lot of their guava jam and jelly, thought I'd try it. Usually in Hawaii they put pineapple chunks over.

Why do I bring back the guava jam and jelly? It's my favorite on toast, especially on King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread that I'm fortunate to get on base.

Jook

My lunch today - plain jook with lots of condiments. From the top - pidan, Szechuan pickles, green onions, rakkyo and chung choi. Plus some char siu ribs from the other day.

Bad news - no Chinese parsley (hard to find in Okinawa).

Good news - coworker found a place that sells pidan and told me about it. But kinda expensive.

But after couple bowls jook (it was so good), had to take a nap after eating.

Egg Yolks, Rice & Lup Cheong

My easy, fast and a favorite comfort meal. Fresh hot steamed rice with raw egg yolks mixed in (no whites), with side of lup cheong steamed with the rice. And always drizzle oyster sauce all over.

When there was the scare of too much eggs being bad for you a few years back, my mother used to scold me and tell me not to eat it too often. But the egg yolk has been vindicated! And I enjoy it often.

Also tastes great with the previous char siu ribs!

Char Siu Baby Back Ribs

More of my favorite - Char Siu Ribs!

Beer/Miso/Shoyu Chicken

This is a common recipe throughout Hawaii. Taught to me by a friend over 15 years ago. Simple, easy, very, very good tasting! Best done on a hibachi, but have to do here on grill pan. But result is still good. Great for BBQs and picnics!

BEER/MISO/SHOYU CHICKEN

5 lbs. chicken thighs, deboned, skin on

12 oz. tub shiro miso
12 oz. tub sugar
12 oz. tub shoyu
12 oz. tub beer

1. Combine sugar, shoyu, miso & beer.
2. Marinate chicken at least couple hrs., best overnight.
3. Grill chicken on hibachi, skin side first, basting throughout cooking w/ marinade.
4. Cook until chicken is deep caramel color, almost 'koge'.

Note: Can make any amount marinade, keep equal proportions of ingredients to make smaller amounts chicken.

Lunch Bento

A bento I made to take for lunch at work - char siu ribs with shrimp fried rice.

Wuntun Min

Have to make do here, so this is my wuntun min Hawaii-style. Used local fresh ramen, broth is made from S&S soup base brought back from Hawaii, wuntun are my own which I make a lot of then freeze, then topped with pieces of Spam and chopped green onions. Hits the spot!

Spaghetti Casserole

This is a recipe I got from the Honolulu Star Bulletin years ago (1998). A creamy baked casserole topped with sour cream, cream cheese and lots of cheese. My Okinawan friends really love it, never have leftovers unless I make for myself like I did this past weekend. Must be OK healthwise as it's from a hospital!

SOUR CREAM & HAMBURGER LAYERED CASSEROLE
Queen's Medical Center Food Service Dept.

2 lbs. lean hamburger
2 Tbs. butter, divided use
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.)
1 tub sour cream (8 oz.)
3 cups cooked narrow pasta
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
paprika, to garnish

1. Brown hamburger in 1 Tbs. butter, breaking up.
2. Add garlic, tomato sauce, salt, pepper & sugar, simmer ~20 min.
3. Beat cream cheese w/ fork until fluffy, add sour cream & green onions.
4. Using remaining butter, grease 9" x 13" x 2" baking dish.
5. Layer ingredients: hamburger sauce, pasta, cream cheese mixture.
6. Top w/ grated Cheddar, lightly sprinkle w/ paprika.
7. Bake at 350° F (175° C) 25~30 min. or until bubbly. (6 servings)