Hawaiian Baked Rice

1 cup sliced ham, chopped
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 cup rice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup water/broth
1 cup pizza sauce
mozzarella, to taste
salt and pepper

Lightly brown the ham in an oven safe pot (wide/shallow is best), transfer it to a bowl then add the juice/water or broth. Cook the rice, then add the pineapple, ham and stir, reserving some of the ham and pineapple for topping if you want. Spread the pizza sauce on top. Put the cheese on top, as much as you like, and the toppings. Bake at 425 until just browned. Eat.

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Love this, it's so easy and spectacular. I got the idea when I read this post from Noob Cook (got idea=stole idea). It couldn't be simpler and it's wicked good. Wiffy uses cream of mushroom soup instead of pizza sauce, which I'm sure is lovely, but I wanted to make it more pizza-y so I used sauce. I don't see any reason that you couldn't use other things instead. You could use gravy and make it like Hawaiian haystacks, I bet that would be good. Or maybe a garlicky white sauce. Whatever floats your boat. So, shall we? Lets.

First, I took my ham and fried it up a bit. Gives it a little color and also adds some fond for extra flavor to the rice. Then I added the juice and water and let it come to a boil. Then the rice. Wiffy used a rice cooker, but I don't have one. Plus this way it's all done in one pot which makes for easier clean up, which is always good. Then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until done. Mix in most of the ham and pineapple, leave some out for topping if you like. Next, sauce. Spread that stuff around. Then cheese and toppings. Mmm, cheese. I don't care for bagged shredded mozzarella but I also hate shredding it myself. So I don't usually bother, I just chop it up. Much easier and it works just fine. Now into the hot oven until brown and delightful. Doesn't it look good? Yes it does.

Now another part of the recipe that I changed from Wiffy's is she added garlic to the rice. I didn't because my pizza sauce is pretty garlicky, but there's nothing stopping you from doing it. Hell, there's nothing stopping you from changing it up however you like. This here is a concept, not an absolute and don't let anyone tell you not to experiment. If you need ideas, stay tuned. I'm going to be making more baked rice, I enjoyed it very much.

Product Review: Pitaya Plus (Dragon Fruit Juice)

Wow, how long has it been since I've done a real review? Long enough to distract you all from the fact that I haven't posted the thing I said I would? Doesn't help when I mention it... er, anyway I didn't get to make it. But hopefully I will soon. In the meantime, Pitaya Plus! It's dragon fruit juice. They sent me a case (a case!) of samples to review.

I'm not getting paid, blah blah, disclaim, etc.

So, how is it? Well, it's good. It's not too sweet (which I think is a plus) and doesn't have a very strong flavor, but it does taste good and has a nice, slightly thick texture. A hint of coconut from the coconut water, but hardly overpowering. It makes claims of an antioxidant and fiber bearing nature, but unfortunately I don't really know anything about that kind of thing. I put a link to their website up top and I'm sure they would be delighted to tell you all about it. Heh.

I drank one bottle, to see what it was like and what I should do with it. I immediately thought it would be perfect for a vinaigrette. Some shallots, tarragon, rice wine vinegar so as not to overpower the flavor, awesome. But when I went to make it I realized I had drank it all. Turns out I really enjoy it in the morning and I enjoyed it more frequently than I thought I had... Whoops. So, once I can find it in the store I'm going to make that vinaigrette and it's going to be great. In the meantime I guess I'll just say that I liked this stuff a lot. Apparently. Heh.

Chocolate Chip Dulce de Leche Banana Bread Bundt Cake

Or something like that. It's banana bread, but I baked it in a bundt pan since I have no idea where my bread pan is. I know, once again I know I've promised beans and am posting something else. But when I mentioned I made this to my sister she threatened me with stern retribution if it wasn't the next thing I posted about. So in the interest of family togetherness, here it is.

The recipe is simple, it's the same one I've always used and I didn't even make my own dulce de leche, so I'm afraid my sister is going to be a bit disappointed that it's nothing new. Oh and the next person who tells me to open a can of ddl and "pour it" is going to get a dope slap. I glooped it with a spoon and then tried to swirl. Mostly I got pockets, but really it's not something to complain about.

But! I now have a table, which means prep space which means not just cooking, but also more pictures since the table is right in front of a window. Nice. Of course this is all assuming I can convince a certain someone that the table is mine, not his. I think just keeping him off it while food is on will be the goal. Heh.

Pineapple Teriyaki Burger

Seems like it's been some time since I've posted a burger on here and that's just not right. So, in order to fix that I'm going to post about a burger right now. I know, I know, it's an extreme solution, but I'm a man of action and these types of things appeal to me.

Ok, that's a lie. I'm not a man of action. But I do enjoy burgers and this one did appeal to me quite a bit. The specific flavor combo was requested by my girlfriend and I must say it was quite nice. I whipped up a teriyaki sauce and mixed a couple tablespoons into the beef, then I seared the pineapple (and a little sliced shallot for myself) to give it some extra pizazz. You'll note I'm not posting the recipe for the teriyaki sauce. That's because while it was adequate it really wasn't anything special.

So this is what I need from you guys: an awesome teriyaki recipe. I've made several, but none of them have really wowed me. Who has a good one they want to share?

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pudding

A while ago a buddy of mine came over and brought a couple mini banana breads. We ate one while he was here and the other on got wrapped up and, sadly, forgotten for a week. So it was pretty stale by the time I rediscovered it. I certainly didn't want it to go to waste, so I decided to make some bread pudding out of it. You might have already figured that out by the title. Heh.

Now, I'm not known for following recipes, especially when I'm doing something on a whim. And this was no exception. Also it was quite a while ago that I made it, I really kind of tossed it together and frankly, I don't have any idea what I did. But I'm going to post about it anyway because I have the pictures.

What I do remember is that the banana was frozen, so it put out a bunch of liquid when I thawed it. And I remember there was about two cups of bread cubes. Ah, photography. So much better than my memory. Anyway, I put it together like you would any kind of bread pudding. Eggs, sugar, milk, mixing. Pouring the goop, which I should have made more of, onto the bread and chocolate chips. Then baking the whole thing until it's cooked through and brown on top. It was good, but not great. Needed more goop, like I said before. Tasty though it may be, it isn't really very pretty once you scoop it onto a plate. Heh. The concept is sound though and I'll be doing it again. Maybe even with a recipe.

Weird, I just went to look at the other time I made bread pudding, when I did a croissant one, and it was posted on December 23rd. Apparently something about the end of the year makes me think about bread pudding. Hm.

Anyway, I'm definitely making it again soon and I'd love some advice. Who wants to share their favorite bread pudding recipe with me?

Huli Huli Pizza

1 cup shredded pork
1 cup huli huli sauce
~1 lb pizza dough
pineapple chunks
chopped onion
mozzarella

Preheat oven to 450. Combine the shredded pork and huli huli sauce in a small saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Roll out the dough, cover it with the pulled pork mixture and top with cheese, pineapple and onion. Bake until browned and crispy.

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I have to admit a certain amount of surprise that no one guessed I would be making pizza with the huli huli sauce, although Joanne did say pulled pork so that counts for something. Heh. But pizza is what I made and it was good, although honestly I like regular tomato sauce better. This was a bit too rich and sweet for my taste. My girlfriend liked it, although she also thought it rich too. Maybe the half pound of pork had something to do with that... hm.

A while ago I slow cooked and shredded a pork shoulder that was seasoned with just salt and pepper. Then I froze most of it in various portion sizes, one of which was about a cup worth. That's what I'm using here.

I poured the huli huli sauce in a skillet and heated it up a bit. Then I just plopped in the frozen pork, even though I really should have defrosted it first. I tossed it around over low heat until it had thawed and the sauce had thickened a bit. At which point it would be great for a sandwich or burrito. Just saying. But what I did was spread it on some pizza dough, generously topped it with cheese, onion and pineapple and tossed it in the oven. A short time later, I took it out. Lovely, isn't it? I did it in a pan because my peel broke some time ago and I was out of parchment paper. But it gave it some nice crust bits and really it's all good. This pizza was serious business, I could only eat half of it and that's really not that much for me. I've done pizzas with shredded bbq stuff before and it's always been good. And there was nothing really wrong with this one, it's just not a "why don't I sit down and eat an entire pizza by myself" kind of thing. More a "I'll have a couple slices, a salad and a nap"situation.

So I've met people who can't even take the thought of pineapple on pizza and people love it, where do you guys stand?

Grape and Rosemary Focaccia

Just a quickie today kids, something I saw over at Noble Pig and had to make for my girlfriend since she loves grapes. I made a few minor changes, mostly due to stuff I didn't have. Like Romano, so I used a little mozzarella. It's really not the same, but it gave the focaccia some of that crispy, browned cheese texture. Plus I didn't have fresh rosemary, so I made a quick infused oil to use instead. I figured dried wouldn't work, too crunchy. It came out well, my girlfriend loved it. Turns out I'm not a big fan of roasted grapes, but you don't know until you try, right? Heh. So, looking for a different focaccia and like roasted grapes? Give this a shot.

A Quick Sandwich and an Announcement

First, the sandwich. This is my regular bbq pulled chicken with bacon, but I added about a third of a cup of orange juice to it at the end and let it reduce/absorb into the chicken. It was a great addition, added some nice brightness to what is otherwise a really rich dish. Plus that's an asiago bagel it's on, which makes it insane. That was a really good combo.

Now, my announcement. I am on Facebook. This is something I had actually been resisting for some time, but I figure that right now I have all this free time so it's the perfect time to do it. Heh.

Charred Pineapple Salsa and a Cookbook Review

-2 tsp canola oil
-1 can (20oz) pineapple rings, drained, 2 tbls of juice reserved
-1/2 small red bell pepper, finely diced
-1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
-2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
-juice from 1/2 a lime
-1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
-1/4 tsp sugar
-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
-1/4 tsp salt
-freshly ground black pepper

Pat the pineapple rings dry with some paper towels and lay them in an even layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops with oil and broil each side until lightly charred. Chop them into 1/2" pieces and mix everything together. Chill for at least an hour, preferably overnight.

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In my kitchen I have a stack of cookbooks maybe two-three feet high. Now, that's not a lot to most cooks, I know. But bear this in mind: I haven't paid for a single one. That's right, I have never in my life bought a cookbook. Weird, huh? Especially for someone who cooks as much as I do.

Now, some of the cookbooks were presents, like the America's Test Kitchen one that has all the recipes and stuff from ten years worth of the show. My brother gave me it for Christmas, it's frigging awesome. Some were rescued when people were moving and were going to get rid of them, like the Julia Child one I got from my parents. Which is also awesome, but in a different way. And some have been sent to me since I started blogging in exchange for a review. Which is, again, awesome. I mean, c'mon, who doesn't want free cookbooks? This is one that's been sent to me for a review. That's my disclaimer.

The cookbook that we're talking about today is called Dollars to Donuts by Dawn Welch. Apparently she was the inspiration for Sally in the Pixar flick Cars. Now I'm not a fancy big city book reviewer, but I know what I like. And I like clear directions and good pictures. Because really, what's a cookbook without those? This one has all of that. Big, glossy, color pictures, great recipes and lots of tips. She also gives suggestions for combination of sides and main dishes for some of them, which is nice. All in all I really like it, I'm already planning on making many of the recipes. One of them, I already have.Charred pineapple salsa, baby. This was a great recipe, nice and easy and the charred pineapple is a great touch. We had it with some pork tacos that I'll post about when I find the recipe and they went really well together.

The salsa is sweet, a little spicy and tangy with a great balance. I'm definitely going to be making it again. The recipe doesn't say to, but I would make this at least a few hours in advance, maybe even the day before you want to use it. After a day in the fridge the flavors had mingled really well and it was even better than the day it was made. Not really shocking, I know. Heh. I made it just like the recipe said to, except I used crystallized ginger instead of fresh, since that's what I had. This would go great with all kinds of things; fish, chicken, any kind of Mexican food, hell I'd put it on burgers. That would be awesome too. So, looking for a non tomato salsa? Maybe for the Superbowl? Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

Blackberry Jam Crumb Cake

I'm afraid this is one more without step by steps or anything. Mostly, this time, because I was making it at night and I just can't get decent pictures at night in this place. Yet. But it was so good I had to share it. The recipe is here, although I saw it over the The Hungry Dog. It's a very simple cake that uses melted butter instead of softened, which is great for whipping it up on the fly. I used some blackberry jam that one of my sisters made. I've had it sitting in a cupboard for months, trying to decide what to do with it. I could just make pb&js with it, but that seems kind of like a waste, you know? So I used some of it in this cake. Good times kids, I highly recommend it if you are looking for a cake that's not too sweet. It's perfect for breakfast and it's easy to put together, what more do you want from a crumb cake?

Fruit Compote with Cheese

1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
Dash gray sea salt
1 cup Granny Smith apples, diced 1/4-inch thick cubes
1 cup pears, 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 wedge sharp Cheddar
1 wedge Gorgonzola

In a 4-quart saucepan or pot bring the first 6 ingredients to a simmer. Stir slowly to dissolve the sugar in the liquid. Add the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and the cheese. When the liquid comes to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes to marry the flavors and soften the fruit. Turn off the heat then stir in the lemon juice. With a slotted spoon remove the fruit to a bowl. Bring the remaining syrup to a simmer and reduce until lightly thickened or when the bubbles formed on the top become small. Remove the syrup for the heat and when it is cool pour it over the fruit. The compote can be held in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

from here

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A recipe! For real! I know, it's been a while. Of course, it's not mine, I didn't make it and there aren't any step by steps. But, this is that compote my sister in law made on Thanksgiving. It was wicked, wicked good. We ate it on crackers with sharp cheese. The contrast between the cheese and the sweet, spiced compote was just awesome. I could have filled myself up on that alone if my basting duties didn't remind me of what was to come. So that's really it, no rambling, no babbling. Just make this stuff and watch it disappear.There will probably be at least one more cleanup post, but I've got a few things in the works. There will be more recipes next week, I promise.