Shoyu is the Japanese word for soy sauce, and Shoyu Pork is a Hawaiian plate lunch staple. This is a version that I put together for my crock pot ’cause I had many important things to do. Like sit on my couch and watch Cake Boss…

The smell that fills your house will bring you joy forever. Well, for a few hours anyway.

ingredients:
one 3-4 pound pork butt
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
4 slices of ginger

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar and water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.

Butcher down your pork into pieces, I’d say about 2-1/2 to 3″. Keep some of the fat to cook along with the meat, you’ll take it out before you serve it.

Cut your ginger into slices, about 3-4 is all you’ll need and sliced about 1/4″ thick.

Place the pork in the crock pot and pour the sauce over it. Add the ginger slices, pushing them down into the mixture. Set the pot on low for 6-7 hours.

The pork will get a very dark brown as it nears the end of the cooking time, it should be tender and fall apart. It is GREAT served with hot white rice and some mac salad – voila, my own in-house plate lunch!

This is a great quick dinner that you can throw together in the morning and come home to without a care in the world. Warm and flavorful, you’ll look forward to dinner being fully prepared!

ingredients:
8 chicken thighs
1 onion, chopped
6-8 tomatoes cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
14 ounces chicken broth
1 cup water

Fresh tomatoes straight from the garden make a world of difference. I know not everyone has access to that – but wow, the flavors are amazing. Luckily a little Fairy dropped off an abundance of them on my doorstep.

Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the diced onion, minced garlic and then the tomatoes.

Sprinkle the onion powder, salt, pepper and oregano on top.

Pour the chicken broth and the water along the side of the crock pot wall, carefully not to disturb your spices too much.

Cover and cook and low for 8 hours. Serve this over rice.

The smell of this cooking all day will fill your house with deliciousness. My kids love the fact that the chicken is so soft and moist. A great meal with virtually no prep or clean up!

In my old Hawaii cookbooks I came across a recipe for ‘Ono Chili’ only it didn’t give actual measurements for the ingredients! ~sigh~ so I cobbled together my own version and you know what – they weren’t kiddin’ it turned into some ONOLICIOUS chili! (I’m sure using three meats has a lot to do with it…)

ingredients:
4 slices of bacon
1 Portugese Sausage
1 pound ground beef
3 stalks of celery
1 medium onion
1 bell pepper
1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon water

Hold on to your heart attacks – 3 different kinds of meat? Yes. Chop the bacon into small pieces – (I like to do this raw so I don’t have to chop it afterwards – up to you) cook in a large stock pot until crispy, set aside and drain.

Drain off the fat from the pot, then in the same stock pot, brown up the Portuguese sausage – this is a Hawaiian staple and will add so much flavor. Brown the Portuguese sausage, then drain and set that aside.

Drain the stock pot of excess fat AGAIN, then go ahead and brown the ground beef until no longer pink. set THAT aside – there’s a lot of setting aside going on here.

Drain off the excess fat from the pot just one more time. Add the celery, onion and bell pepper. Cook until soft.

In a small bowl combine all the seasonings so you can just throw them in evenly later: bay leaves salt, pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, stir together and then set aside.

Now if you are a fool like me and bought whole tomatoes by accident – the simple solution is to 1) read the labels more carefully or 2) get a clean pair of kitchen shears, shove them in the can and cut away. An easy fix for chopping. Now – back to the stock pot – to the onion mixture add the stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir.

Add the seasonings you’ve mixed together, as well as the three meats: bacon, Portuguese sausage and ground beef. You can see how it’s starting to get some really nice flavor combinations going already. Cook on a low simmer for 1 hour.

Make a thickener using the cornstarch and water. Stir it together until it’s well combined. Add that to the stock pot – stirring it in well, and also you can now add the kidney beans. Simmer for another 15 minutes and you’re ready to serve!

This is a longer recipe than I’d like, I usually like to make them simpler to follow, but all these steps lead to a really fantastic tasting chili that is well worth the chopping and setting aside – great for cool summer nights!

I had this Sweet Chili Sauce leftover from when I made lumpia. It’s so sweet and delicious, with just the slightest bit of heat. It goes GREAT mixed into these burgers. Of course I couldn’t resist making them into sliders to put on my FAVORITE King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread rolls!

ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup Sweet Chili Sauce“>sweet chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sweet Chili Sauce“>Sweet chili sauce comes in a large bottle and can be found in the Asian section of the market or at an Asian supermarket. It’s pretty good…on anything.

In a bowl mix together the ground beef, garlic and sweet chili sauce. Add the salt and pepper to season.

Form the meat into patties. When I make burger patties I like to slightly indent the center so that it cooks evenly with the outside edges.

Put the burgers on the grill and cook to your likeness.

I like to serve these on King’s Hawaiian rolls not only because of the size, but also the sweet bread compliments the chili sauce flavor really well. Sure these are perfect appetizers but I serve them for dinner!

This is an Ina Garten recipe, you KNOW I love her and you KNOW her recipes are always perfect. The fact that there is only 4 ingredients makes this the easiest dish ever – I didn’t change a thing – it tastes amazing!

ingredients:
3 salmon filets about 2-3 pounds
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 clove minced garlic

In a small bowl mix the dijon, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic. Place the salmon in a pan and pour the sauce over it.

Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for just 15-20 minutes. Ina’s recipe says 10 mins, but I’ve found that just a touch longer (not too much) is perfect.

While the salmon is marinating, prep your grill. I used an indoor grill cause it’s all I had, and it worked just fine.

Take the salmon out of the pan and place on the hot grill, skin side down. (Throw away the marinade, people! We don’t food poisoning up in here.) Depending on how thick the fish is, grill for about 5-8 minutes before flipping it over. I suggest using a large flat spatula so the salmon won’t break up. Once flipped, grill for another 5-8 minutes. Let the fish rest for about 10 minutes before you serve.

I’ve found that this recipe is great hot or cold, it’s just so tasty and good quality fish makes all the difference too, of course. The kids love this and always ask for seconds – which is all any mother could ask for!

Inari is so versatile, you can fill it the traditional sushi way with rice or you can fill it with pork or stir fry, but I like it this way – with noodles!

ingredients:
1 bundle somen noodles
1/2 cup char siu sliced in thins strips
1 egg, fried crepe style & sliced in thin strips
1/2 cup kamaboko sliced in strips
1 stalk green onion, chopped
2 T sugar
2 T sesame oil
2 T vegetable oil
1 T rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 package aburage aka tofu pouches

Boil somen for according to package for just two minutes, rinse and drain. Set aside.

You can get canned aburage, but I like these in the refrigerated section the best. Boil the aburage package according to directions, set aside.

In a small bowl combine the sugar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and mirin.

In a large bowl toss the somen noodles with the cut char siu, eggs, kamaboko and green onion. Pour the sauce on top.

Stuff the aburage pouches with the noodle mixture. Chill and serve!

The kids love this, both as a main dish and a side. It’s a great cool recipe for the summer!

My mom made lasagna a lot when I was a kid. I remember loving the combination of flavors melting together and eating it with crunchy garlic bread. My kids love it too, and it’s the perfect comforting dish to end a long day.

While you can change the recipe up a number of ways, this here is the basic…

ingredients:
1 box lasagna noodles

1 pound ground beef
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 eggs
salt
pepper

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
5 cups marinara sauce (make your own or buy, whatever)

Boil the noodles according to package. Drain and set aside. (*note: I am not a fan of no boil noodles. Old skool is best. The end.)

In a pan brown the ground beef with the garlic – season with the salt, pepper, oregano and onion powder. Mix with 2 cups of marinara sauce. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. (There is a lot of ’setting aside’ going on here…)

Ok, FINALLY, time to assemble. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 9×13 inch pan by greasing it with olive oil.

On the bottom layer, spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce. On top of that place one layer of noodles, 1/3 of your ricotta cheese mixture, and then half of the ground beef mixture. On top of that sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Next layer: lasagna noodles, 1/3 of ricotta mixture, another 1 cup of sauce.

Third Layer: another layer of noodles, the rest of the ricotta cheese mixture, and the rest of the meat mixture.

Final layer (you’re almost there!): The last of the noodles, 1 cup of sauce, and then sprinkle 1 cup of parmesan cheese.

Cover the pan with foil and place it on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over. Bake for 50 minutes, uncover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Let sit, and then serve.

The kids love lasagne – the Kid and I prefer vegetarian, but if the Baby has any say – this ground beef version is the way to go.

DOMO is my muse.

I first made him as a cupcake (recipe, here) – and I’ve been sketching out ideas for something else ever since…

Yes you read that right…he makes a perfectly deliciously cute little meatloaf!

ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup bread crumbs
2 TB brown sugar

red bell pepper
one slice white cheddar cheese
sliced olives (just the ends)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a baking sheet lined with foil on the bottom and then a wire rack on top. This will let the fat drip off the meatloaves. Ew, I know.

In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, milk, eggs, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic and bread crumbs.

Form little loaves, squarish, and flat. Remember this is going to be a Domo…

Place them on the wire rack on the baking sheet. You should get four nice sized rectangles. Rub the tops of each with the brown sugar. Bake 40 minutes or until juices are clear.

While the meatloaves are cooking, start making the DOMO mouths. Cut a piece of red bell pepper into a square shape. Try to find a flat ’side’ of the pepper, pressing it down a bit to get is really flat.

For the teeth, cut a 1/4″ strip of the white cheese, then cut out triangles to form the ‘teeth’ – try to keep it joined at the top…

…so that way you can just lay it on the bell pepper!

When you take the meatloaves out of the oven, use a paring knife and cut out a small rectangle in the middle of the loaf. You are trying to make a space for the bell pepper ‘mouth’ to fit into nicely. (It looks better than just laying the ‘mouth’ on top, trust me.)

Once you have your opening, slide the bell pepper into the cut out rectangle.

Finally, use the ends of sliced olives for eyes.

There you have it, Domo Meatloaves! The kids thought these were hilarious and they were a lot of fun to make.

I even posed the DOMO meatloaf with his DOMO family, though I don’t know why he looks like the drunk cousin in a family picture….

I am a firm believer in getting your kids to eat fish. It’s a healthy protein, the omega 3s it’s just downright good brain food. When you are stuck for something to make for dinner, make this. This recipe couldn’t be simpler.

ingredients:
2 boneless skinless salmon filets
2 Tablepoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Teaspoons honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
salt
pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and garlic.

Place the fish filets in a greased or foil lined baking sheet, and pour the liquid mixture over the fish.

Sprinkle with the paprika and season with salt and pepper.

Bake in the oven for approx. 20 minutes or until the center is pink and cooked.

This is a very quick dinner with very simple ingredients. The kids eat it up!

I always thought alfredo sauce would be hard to make for some reason, but after seeing how easy it was in Giada’s Everyday Italian cookbook, I thought I’d give it a go. I changed her recipe a bit, but my gosh was it delicious and the kids just loved it.

ingredients:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 Tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons lemon zest
16 ounces fettuccine
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper+
1/4 teaspoon salt+

In a large pot boil water and add the fettuccine. Cook about 10-12 minutes, then drain. DO NOT RINSE.

In a large skillet stir 1 cup of the cream (saving the other ½ cup for later) together with the lemon juice. Add the butter and melt over medium high heat. Once the butter melts, take the pan off the heat. Stir in the lemon zest.

To the mixture add the drained pasta, the other 1/2 cup of cream, the parmesan cheese and the salt and pepper.

Turn the pan onto low heat and stir until the sauce thickens and comes together. Add more salt and pepper if you like.

This tastes amazing when served immediately. The kids loved and the clean up was WAY easier than a red sauce. How does the Baby get pasta sauce IN HIS EARS I’ll never know…