Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki

Ingredients

• 1 can pineapple chunks with juice (15 oz.)
• 1 c. soy sauce
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• *1 Lb. skirt steak, sliced very thin (carne asada works GREAT)

Instructions

• Mix together all ingredients, excluding beef. Set aside about 1/2 c. of the sauce, cover and refrigerate.
• Place beef in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Press out all the air, seal, and marinate for at least 6 hours (overnight works great).
• Over prepared grill on medium-high heat, grill steak a minute or two on each size until cooked to your desired doneness (with the steak being so thin, you don't have to grill it for too long). Place beef in a large bowl, pour remaining sauce over the cooked beef and stir until well covered. Serve with rice (or grilled fresh pineapple).

Guacamole

Avocado lightly smashed

diced tomato

diced red pepper

chopped cilantro

salt 
pepper

cumin

lime juice

mix it all together and just adjust the seasoning to your personal preference

Chinese Fried Rice

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten 
3 drops soy sauce (I used about 1 tbsp)
3 drops sesame oil (I used about 1 tsp)
8 ounces cooked lean boneless pork or 8 ounces chicken (I used left over turkey - about a cup) chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot (very small)
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 cups cold cooked rice, grains separated 
4 green onions, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
2 tablespoons light soy sauce (add more if you like)

Directions:
1 Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add chopped onions and stir-fry until onions turn a nice brown color, about 8-10 minutes; remove from wok.
2 Allow wok to cool slightly.
3 Mix egg with 3 drops of soy and 3 drops of sesame oil; set aside.
4 Add 1/2 tbsp oil to wok, swirling to coat surfaces; add egg mixture; working quickly, swirl egg until egg sets against wok; when egg puffs, flip egg and cook other side briefly; remove from wok, and chop into small pieces.
5 Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add selected meat to wok, along with carrots, peas, and cooked onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes.
6 Add rice, green onions, and bean sprouts, tossing to mix well; stir-fry for 3 minutes.
7 Add 2 tbsp of light soy sauce and chopped egg to rice mixture and fold in; stir-fry for 1 minute more; serve.
8 Set out additional soy sauce on the table, if desired.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

Directions :

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.

Add salt and pepper to cornstarch. Coat chicken piece in this mixture.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through.

Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all the sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken.

Bake for 30-45 min, turn chicken every 15 min or so.

Potato Fennel Gratin

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• 2 small fennel bulbs
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish

Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.

Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline like I did. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.

Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

Crockpot Granola

Another good one from the ultra cool Stephanie, the crockpot lady


- 5 cups oats 
- 1/4 cup honey * (see note below)
- 1/4 cup melted butter * (see note below)
- 1 tablespoon flax seeds
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut 
- 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)

The Directions.

Put all the dry ingredients into your crockpot. 

Melt the butter in the microwave, and add. Add the honey. Toss well.

*note: if you add this amount of honey and butter, the granola will be cereal-like, and not trail-mix like. If you'd rather the granola clump together in pieces, you'll need to add more honey and butter. I tried it with the honey and butter doubled (1/2 cup each) and it still didn't clump much--so if you'd prefer your granola that way, you'll need to add at least 3/4 cup of honey. I didn't want that much sugar, and my kids are cool with eating it like this. 

Cover, but vent with a chopstick. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every so often.

If you can smell the granola cooking, go stir. It will burn if you don't keep an eye on it. But it won't burn as quickly as it does in the oven!

Dump out on some parchment paper and let cool. Eat with milk like cereal, warmed with milk like oatmeal, or as is. Seal well in an air-tight container or in a ziplock. Granola freezes well. 

Cinnamon Sugared Almonds

1 cup sugar 

3 tablespoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg white

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

I package whole raw almonds 

aluminum foil or parchment paper

Directions.

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set this bowl aside.

Whisk together the egg white and vanilla extract in the crock pot.  Add almonds and stir well to coat. Add your cinnamon mixture to the pot and toss with spoons to fully coat.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes or so to keep the almonds on the side of the crock from getting too crispy.

When the nuts are all hot and toasty, let them cool fully on a length of foil or parchment paper. When fully cool, store in an air-tight container.