Copycat Ono's Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

 

When we were stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona, we were lucky to live in an area that provide many restaurant options.  We never ran out of a good place to go try out, and we never got sick of eating the same thing.

By far, one of our favorite spots to go was Ono Hawaiian Barbecue. 

Y'all, if you've never been to one, and have one nearby, go.  Go, go, go!

I can't even tell you how good it is.  Best chicken, which by the way, I already have a recipe here on the blog that is pretty close to the original.  Check it out, Ono's Hawaiian Grilled Chicken.

Their meat was amazing, but their macaroni salad was one of our favorites too.  Soooooo good.

Thankfully, it is pretty easy to recreate and it's often one of my kids most requested side dishes when we are grilling.

 

Ono's Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

 

 

Ingredients:

1 pound macaroni 

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

2 carrots shredded 

1/4 cup onion shredded

2 1/2 cups Mayonnaise Best Foods or Hellman's mayonnaise 

1/4 cup milk 

2 teaspoon sugar 

kosher salt and pepper to taste 

 

 

Instructions:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain, pour into a large bowl . 

 

While macaroni is still hot, sprinkle on vinegar and add carrot and onion. Toss together until well combined.   Add in the mayo, milk and sugar until evenly coated.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, best overnight.  

Sauteed Kabocha Squash

The past few weeks, I've been trying to add more vegetables to our meals.  My kids for the most part, eat every vegetable I give them, but there are some they either don't care for, have never tried or don't want to try.

As with any other kid, and I say lightly because my son is turning 17 next month and my daughter is turning 21 next month, as well, I sometimes need to push them to eat veggies.  In other words, if I don't make it, they won't ask for it.

Typically I always add at least a salad to every meal, but that becomes a bit boring, and the extent of my veggies used to be steamed broccoli or cauliflower, or mixed vegetables.

It became quite boring, so I've been on a mission to add different vegetables that I normally wouldn't serve.

One vegetable we all love, is squash.  I bought a Kabocha Squash when I went grocery shopping, and aside from roasting it in the oven, I hadn't made it any other way.  I decided to sautee it and threw in a little of this and a little of that.

The result?  Absolutely delicious, kids and hubby scarfed it down and my son even claimed it may just be his favorite now.
 

Sauteed Kabocha Squash

1 kabocha squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (I use a potato peeler to peel the squash, you don't have to remove the skin completely, you can leave some behind)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
chili flakes, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley and cilantro
1 teaspoon paprika
boiling water


Wash the kabocha squash, cut in half and remove all the seeds.  Using a potato peeler, peel as much of the skin as you can, but don't worry about getting it all as it is easily cooked and very tasty.   Be careful however, if you've never cut squash, it is extremely hard and quite difficult to cut through.
Cut into 1 inch chunks.

In a saucepan add oil and garlic.  Fry garlic for a few seconds, constantly stirring. 

Add the kabocha squash, and then season with the remaining ingredients.  Stir well to combine, and sautee for 3 to 5 minutes stirring often so it doesn't stick.  Add boiling water until it covers squash about an inch above.

Pop the lid on and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, on medium heat, until fork tender. 

Pressure Cooker Beans with Bacon

If you're looking for a quick and simple, but fantastic bean recipe, you have found it.  It is incredibly easy to put together and with the help of the pressure cooker, you will have fantastic flavorful beans, in no time at all.

Pressure Cooker Beans with Bacon

1 pound of pinto beans
1 small onion, finely diced
6 slices of bacon, diced
Crushed garlic, about a tablespoon
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheiro Verde 
Olive oil
Bay leaf
Water


Wash your beans well, then soak in water overnight.  Throw out any bad beans, little stones, or any beans that float to the top.

Before cooking the beans the next day, give them a good wash until the water runs clear.

Add a little drizzle of olive oil to the pressure cooker, and set to Saute.  Stir in the garlic, salt and pepper and bacon and cook until crispy.  Click the cancel on the pressure cooker.

Next goes in the beans and the water.  You need to add water to at least 2 finger widths above the beans.  Some people add 3 cups of water for ever cup of beans, but I usually just do as I said above. 

Set the pressure cooker to Manual High and cook for 35 minutes.  When the time is up, do a quick release and check the beans.  If they are not yet cooked, add more water and return to the pressure for another 10 or so minutes.

I don't usually have a problem with the beans not cooking, especially the pinto beans.  You will notice at this point that the beans may seem kind of runny, at this point I turn the pressure cooker back to the Saute function, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a little bit of water, and add that back into the beans, stir and let it cook until thickened.

You can recheck the seasoning at this point, add more salt if needed.

Fried Okra

Crunchy, golden brown, delicious Okra.

There really is much you can say about this yummy side dish, or appetizer, whatever you wish.

Again, I had no clue what Okra was until I moved to the States, it's not a vegetable that is available in South Africa or Portugal, but boy is it one of my favorite things ever.

Okra is a pretty sticky vegetable to work with which actually makes it quite easy to coat.  You will find a lot of variations and recipes for making the fried okra.  Family recipes, favorite recipes all using either flour, or breadcrumbs or panko crumbs, some using just cornmeal, but I like to use a mixture of both flour and cornmeal.

Fried Okra

2 lbs Okra, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Buttermilk
Garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
Vegetable oil to fry

Drizzle some buttermilk over the okra, just enough to coat it well. Sprinkle on the flour and mix well to ensure that it's all coated. Sprinkle on the cornmeal and once again give it a good stir until all the okra is coated and doesn't stick together.

Fry until golden brown, remove onto paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve.

Zucchini and Squash Casserole

I am a huge fan of Zucchini and any kind of Squash, and  if I can pair those up with some cheesy goodness, then I'm one happy girl.

This is such a quick and easy casserole to throw together, makes a perfect side dish when you're looking for something quick.

I use Zucchini and whatever Squash I can find at the store, this time it was yellow squash.  I don't have a set amount of either to use, it just depends on what I am in the mood for.  If you prefer Zucchini certainly add more of that in, or if you prefer the yellow squash then add more of that one.

Zucchini and Squash Casserole

4 zucchini, washed and sliced
2 yellow squash, washed and sliced
Fresh basil, chopped
Green onions, sliced
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Flakes
Oregano
Shredded cheese
Olive Oil

In a big bowl, combine all the ingredients, pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until zucchini and squash are tender and cheese is melted.

Sausage Gravy Potato Bake

Ok this just came out of nowhere.  Well, not exactly nowhere, somewhere in my mind, and all because I wanted some sort of potato bake, to go with the ribs on the grill last night.

Not having any cream on hand and wanting some sort of creamy gravy to bake them in, I decided to use what I had on hand and so this dish was born.

My husband and kids raved about it, my husband, for once, paid more attention to the side dish than the meat itself.  That is something you don't often see.

Anyway, here is how I made it.  Please keep in mind that I eyeball when I cook, very rarely do I use measurements, unless I'm following a specific recipe.

Sausage Gravy Potato Bake

Potatoes (washed, peel left on, thinly sliced)
Onion slices
Green pepper sliced thinly
Salt and Pepper
Garlic powder
Sausage Gravy (I used about a cup and a half as I was making a small casserole)
Parmesan Cheese

Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of potatoes, followed by some onions, green pepper, salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste.  Repeat layers until you have as much as you want.

Pour the sausage gravy over the potatoes, cover with foil and bake in a 375 degrees oven until potatoes are fork tender. 

When done, remove foil, sprinkle with some Parmesan Cheese and pop back in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Serve!!

Golden Diced Potatoes

A fun twist on simple fried potatoes.  You know I get tired of the same old side dishes and for some reason I just never think to try new things out.  Something I definitely have to change.

To go with my chicken tonight I didn't want to make mashed potatoes or rice and I didn't feel like any kind of pasta, so I gave my cookbooks a quick look through and found these, from Taste of Home, of course :)

Golden Diced Potatoes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup butter

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients. Add 1/2 cup potatoes at a time; shake to coat.

In two large skillets, melt butter. Add potatoes; cook and stir over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Yield: 6 servings.

Cheese and Bacon Oven Baked Rice

This is a really good way of using up leftover rice, which seems to be quite a usual occurrence in my household.

I either make this oven rice as a side dish for another meal, or I make rice pudding.  One thing is for sure, rice never goes to waste in this house :)

Cheese and Bacon Oven Baked Rice

4 cups of cooked rice
4 slices of bacon, diced
parsley
3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar or any other cheese you have on hand
salt and pepper
2 eggs
1 cup of milk


In a bowl, mix the rice, bacon and parsley.  Transfer to a baking dish greased with butter.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, cheeses and salt and pepper.  Pour over the rice.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Arroz de Forno - Oven Baked Rice

One of my favorite ways to make rice, especially when in big quantities.

I also like the fact that I can pop in a chicken or roast in the oven and put the rice right along with it, have everything cook together.

This is a pretty common Portuguese recipe and the best part is that you can use beef or chicken or even vegetable stock.

Here's how I make mine.

Arroz de Forno - Oven Baked Rice

4 cups water
2 cups rice
1 beef bouillon cube
1 garlic clove, cut in half
salt to taste


In an oven proof dish, add the water, the rice, the bouillon cube crumbled, the garlic and some salt, give it a good stir.

Bake at 375 degrees until done.

Now, sometimes it takes 45 minutes for me, other times it takes an hour, there is no set time for this, just keep an eye on it and remove it when it's cooked to your liking.

What I like the most is that it creates this crust along the sides, it's nice and crispy. Yum!

Note: Some people cover the dish with aluminum foil to help the cooking of the rice. I've done it both ways and they both work, so it's completely up to you :)

Light Cheesy Cauliflower

One of my favorite vegetables is cauliflower.  I just love it and feel like I don't eat it near enough.



Thing is, my favorite way of eating it is with a cheese sauce which can be quite a killer on the calories, so with that in mind, I tweaked my usual recipe to make it lighter.

This one comes out to about 173 calories per serving and it serves 4 people.  If you make 6 servings out of it, like we do, then it's only about 115 calories.

Light Cheesy Cauliflower

Servings 4 - Calories 173 per serving

1 medium head cauliflower
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 cup Hellman's Light Mayo
1 cup shredded Kraft Cheddar Light 2/%


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash cauliflower, remove leaves and trim stems.  Cut into bite size pieces.

Add water to a large saucepan;  place cauliflower in pan.  Cook, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes;  drain.

Spray a medium baking dish with cooking spray.  Layer cauliflower in dish.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over top.

Combine mustard and mayo in a small bowl.  Spread over cauliflower.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Bake until bubbly;  about 10 minutes.

Cheesy Mixed Vegetable Bake

I'm lucky in that my children love vegetables.  I do try to serve some with every meal, but truthfully sometimes I get tired of the same thing over and over.


I first made this casserole about 7 years ago and since then it's become a favorite, especially with the kids.  Threw in what I had on hand and it turned out really yummy.

Cheesy Mixed Vegetable Bake

1 (16 oz) package frozen mixed vegetables
2 Small sweet peppers, chopped (I like using the little ones that come prepackaged)
1 (10 oz) can condensed cheddar soup
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
French-fried onions
shredded cheese


Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease a large casserole dish.

In a big bowl, combine the veggies, peppers, cheddar soup, sour cream, salt and pepper and some french-fried onions.  ( I add about 1/3 cup)

Pour into the casserole dish and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Sprinkle the remaining french-fried onions and some shredded cheese on top and bake for a few minutes longer.

Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  I have also made it using mushroom soup which is really yummy as well.

Homemade Coleslaw

Yes I know, there are tons of different versions out there.  I choose to use a very simple way of making the coleslaw, I want it easy, I want it simple and I want it tasty, and I think I've been able to keep it that way for many years.

There really is nothing to making this Slaw.

Homemade Coleslaw

Shredded Cabbage
Shredded Carrot
Diced Onions
Mayonnaise
Vinegar
Sugar

I don't measure, and I don't have specific amounts for this.  As I've said many times before, I learned to cook with my greatgrandmother and she was all about eyeballing and tasting and going with the flow.

Combine the shredded cabbage, carrot and the onions in a bowl.  Add in mayonnaise to taste, stir well until combined.  Add in a little bit of vinegar and stir, taste and see if you need more mayo or vinegar, again this is all according to what you and your family like.

Sprinkle in about a teaspoon of sugar, give it a good stir and then taste.

Keep adjusting the ingredients until it's right for you.  Pop in the refrigerator for about an hour for the flavors to combine.

I actually like it even better the next day :)

Baked Potato Rounds topped with Herb Mayonnaise

So remember I made the Herb Mayonnaise the other day???

I love that stuff, it's so good, even my 9 year old boy loves it and he's the mayo man in the house, if it's not good mayo he won't touch it.
I was craving potatoes today for lunch so I quickly threw this together and they came out really good.

Now don't think I'm giving you this great new recipe, I'm sure most of you already know how to do this yourselves, but I just wanted to share anyway :)

Baked Potato Rounds

Medium Red Potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion flakes
rosemary
shredded cheese
bacon bits
Herb Mayonnaise


Cut the potatoes in half, place them on a paper plate and then pop them in the microwave.  Just follow the directions on your microwave for cooking potatoes.

Check on them halfway through, you don't want mushy stuff, you want them to still have a little bite to them.

Pull them out and then carefully slice each half in half again.  You want potato rounds, or slices :)

Spray a baking pan with some non stick spray and lay the potatoes on it.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste, garlic powder to taste, onion flakes and then a little fresh rosemary.

Next, add a little bit of cheese and top with a few bacon pieces.  I prefer real bacon but bacon bits work in a pinch.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melting and the potatoes are a little brown.

Remove from the oven, add a dollop of Herb Mayonnaise and enjoy.

I think if I had to, I could easily live off potato salad and bacon, for the rest of my life.  Nothing more.

I do have to be careful because Potato salad goes straight to my hips and thighs, but goodness, I can't help it, it's like a plate of joy that needs to be inhaled.

This Potato salad is pretty basic, the only thing that makes it different is the addition of crumbled bacon and some fresh chives.  You can use the bacon bits too but I don't like those, I call them fake bacon because they can't hold a candle to the real thing, but they do certainly work in a pinch.

Bacon and Chive Potato Salad

 

2 and 1/2 pound small red potatoes
1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon
Fresh snipped chives
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Mustard to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Cut into smaller chunks.

Add bacon and chives, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Some don't like broken up potatoes and mushy salad....I do, so when I stir I really am not looking to keep the potatoes in one piece.

If you are, then just mix the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper in a separate bowl before adding to the rest, then stir gently to combine.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Slow Cooker Cornbread

If I told you this was really easy would you think me crazy?



I will admit that there are certain things, that I never imagine trying in the slow cooker, until I actually do and then I'm shocked at how it took me so long to try.

Let me just show you how super easy this is to make....you can use a homemade cornbread recipe or you can use the boxed mix from Jiffy.  I've tried it both ways and it always turns out great :)

Just one thing, the timing is a little iffy in the sense that some will tell you to cook it on high for 3 hours, others will say for 1 hour.  What I do is check it after one hour and usually it's done for me, but just keep an eye on it and when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, you know it's ready.

Slow Cooker Cornbread

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (or homemade)

Spray the inside of a 2 and a half quart slow cooker pan.

Mix the ingredients according to package directions.  Pour into the pan and cook on HIGH for an hour or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

That's IT!



Just perfect for some chili :)

Slow Cooker Potatoes Dijonnaise

Great side dish, it's almost like a mustard hot potato salad.

Another one from Gooseberry Patch. The only thing that went wrong for me is that I put everything in the crockpot and then totally forgot to turn it on, went back 3 hours later and nothing. I could have kicked myself, so I ended up having to pop the dish into the oven. *sigh*

Potatoes Dijonnaise

1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
6 potatoes, cubed
1 onion, chopped

Blend mustard, oil and vinegar in a medium bowl; add salt and pepper to taste. Add potatoes and onion, stirring to coat.



Transfer to a slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, or until potatoes are tender. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Squash and Tomato Gratin

Oh I love veggies and thankfully so does the rest of my family, kids included.  Now aside from the tomatoes, which my kids loathe, they will eat everything else.



Funny story with the tomatoes, when I was a child I would eat them like apples and then I guess I ate too many because I soon because so sick of them that I refused to eat them at all.  The only way I could handle tomato would be in sauce or cooked, I couldn't handle raw tomato....this went on for years and years, until about a year ago and then suddenly my love for tomatoes returned and now I'm back to enjoying them whichever way I can find.

And all that just to tell you that I included tomatoes with this Gratin.  Haha!

This recipe is adapted from one over at Delicious Dishings.



Squash and Tomato Gratin


Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used a teaspoon of jarred minced garlic)
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 cousa squash, sliced
salt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup garlic bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 20 minutes.



Slice all of the vegetables in 1/4-inch thick slices. (Discard ends.)

Combine zucchini and cousa squash in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, and season with salt.



Drizzle tomato slices with olive oil, and season with salt.



Combine Parmesan, bread crumbs, and remaining thyme in a small bowl.

Divide onion mixture among baking pans, and spread it to cover the bottoms of the pans. Then begin layering the vegetables. Make a row of overlapping cousa squash slices, and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.



Next make a row of overlapping summer squash slices, making sure they slightly overlap the zucchini slices. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.



Make a row of overlapping tomato slices, making sure they slightly overlap the squash slices. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.



Repeat with the veggies. Sprinkle a layer of breadcrumb mixture over it all. Repeat with the other pan.



I was able to make two pie size pans with the veggies. Bake until veggies are tender, then pop into the broiler to get the breadcrumbs nice and brown. I usually don't need to do this because mine brown nicely while cooking.