WHOLE FOODS PIZZA CRUST

WHOLE FOODS PIZZA CRUST

PIZZA AT HOME

I love Pizza but there are very few places in Hawaii that make it the way I like it.  I prefer a thin crust, minimal cheese and extra sauce.  Buying a pre-made Pizza Crust like the Whole Foods brand allows our family to customize a pizza to just the way we like it and not pay twenty to thirty dollars for a large pizza like they charge here in paradise.  When you can buy two 8" Pizza Crusts for $3.99 you are looking at a pretty inexpensive meal and you can use any toppings that you already have in your refrigerator.  I went with my favorite Jalapeño, Onion, Tomato and Basil while my daughter opted for the standard Pepperoni.  I simply topped the Pizza Crust with Bertolli's Tomato and Basil Sauce, added some Oregano and topped with our favorite toppings and some Mozzarella Cheese.  Both pizzas were delicious. 

WHOLE FOODS 8" PIZZA CRUST - 2 FOR $3.99

MAKING PEPPERONI PIZZA AND TOMATO, ONION, JALAPENO AND BASIL PIZZA

SPREAD A FEW TABLESPOONS OF BERTOLLI TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE ON PIZZA DOUGH

I LIKE TO ADD DRIED OREGANO ON TOP OF THE SAUCE

TOP WITH MOZZARELLA CHEESE

ADD PEPPERONI SLICES

SECOND PIZZA WITH ONION AND JALAPEÑO

TOPPED SAUCE, OREGANO, ONION AND JALAPENO WITH MOZARELLA CHEESE

ADDED FRESH ROMA TOMATOES

PEPPERONI PIZZA PLACED ON PIZZA STONE IN 400 DEGREE OVEN

TOMATO, JALAPENO AND ONION PIZZA ON PIZZA STONE

BAKED AT 400 DEGREES FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES

FINISHED PEPPERONI PIZZA

SLICED INTO SMALL PIECES - PERFECT FOR ENTERTAINING APPETIZER

CRUST IS SEMI THIN AND CRUNCHY

TOMATO, JALAPENO AND ONION PIZZA TOPPED WITH SOME BASIL

SLICE THE PIZZA AND ENJOY

REALLY GOOD PIZZA MADE AT HOME IN AROUND 30 MINUTES

COSTCO GOURMET SPECIALTY POTATO MEDLY

COSTCO GOURMET POTATO MEDLEY

DINNER AT HOME

Living in Hawaii, we don't eat potatoes like folks on the mainland.  This is a rice State and rice is on our plates for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  When I saw the Gourmet Potato Medley at Costco packaged so perfectly it caught my eye.  Those spuds on the package looked delicious.  What the heck I thought, we can have potatoes for a few nights.  I looked in the pantry and refrigerator and found an old Leek and Jalapeno that just had to be used.  Grabbed some garlic, shallots and fresh Thyme that a friend grew in her garden and threw everything in a bowl and added olive oil, salt and pepper.  Cooked in oven for about one hour at 400 degrees.  Most of the garlic, leeks and shallots burnt to a crisp but tasted oh so good with the potatoes.  These spuds were really good.  I loved them.  Served up with a nice Rib Eye Steak that cost about $13 at Costco.

COSTCO GOURMET SPECIALTY POTATO MEDLY

COSTCO GOURMET SPECIALTY POTATO MEDLEY

I JUST USED WHAT WE HAD IN THE HOUSE - SHALLOTS, GARLIC, FRESH THYME,
JALAPENO AND LEEKS

5LBS OF POTATOES

MIXED POTATOES WITH GARLIC, SHALLOTS, LEEKS, TYHME AND JALAPENO.  ADDED OLIVE
OIL, SALT, PEPPER AND SOME CUT UP BELL PEPPER FOR COLOR

BAKED AT 400 DEGREES FOR ALMOST ONE HOUR

SERVED THE POTATO MEDLEY WITH A NICE RIB EYE STEAK

BRUSSELS SPROUTS IN PRESSURE COOKER

THE BEST BRUSSELS SPROUTS

COOKED IN PRESSURE COOKER

If you own a Pressure Cooker and really want to use it to make great food fast you need to buy Bob Warden's Cook Book called "Great Food Fast".  The recipes in this cookbook are easy and deliver big flavors that time and time again have impressed my entire family.  Who would think that Brussels Sprouts in a Pressure Cooker would be good.  Well, I can tell you that they are delicious and took only two minutes of pressure to cook.  We picked up a 2 pound bag of Brussels Sprouts at Costco for cheap and had everything else on the shopping list in the refrigerator and pantry.   I followed the recipe below and in minutes had a great side dish.   I used pre-cooked bacon that we always keep in the fridge for breakfast or quick BLT sandwiches.  The entire meal shown below was done in 30 minutes!  You may buy the Bob Warden cookbook on Amazon via the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/Presents-Wardens-Ultimate-Pressure-Recipes/dp/1934193798

BRUSSELS SPROUTS COOKED IN PRESSURE COOKER

BOB WARDEN'S "GREAT FOOD FAST" COOKBOOK HAS GREAT RECIPE FOR BRUSSELS SPROUTS

PHOTO OF DISH FROM BOB WARDEN'S COOK BOOK

2 POUND BAG OF BRUSSELS SPROUTS FROM COSTCO.  RECIPE CALLS FOR 1 POUND

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, CHICKEN BROTH, BROWN SUGAR, LEMON JUICE, ONION, ONION POWDER
GARLIC, BACON, SALT AND PEPPER ARE ALL YOU NEED TO KICK UP A BAG OF SPROUTS

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH ENDS CLEANED AND HALVED

ONE SLICED ONION, TABLESPOON OF GARLIC AND 1 POUND OF BRUSSELS SPROUTS

SET PRESSURE COOKER ON "BROWN" SETTING AND HEAT UP

ADD ONE TEASPOON OF OIL AND WAIT UNTIL IT IS SIZZLING

ADD SLICED ONION TO PRESSURE COOKER AND BROWN

ADDED 1 TABLESPOON OF FRESH GARLIC TO BROWNED ONIONS

ADDED PRE-COOKED BACON TO ONIONS AND GARLIC AND COOKED FOR ANOTHER MINUTE

ADDED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND ALL OTHER INGREDIENTS

SET PRESSURE COOKER FOR 2 MINUTES

AFTER 2 MINUTES QUICK RELEASE THE PRESSURE

BRUSSELS SPROUTS COOKED TO PERFECTION IN 2 MINUTES

ALMOST AS GOOD LOOKING AS THE COOKBOOK PICTURE

SERVED WITH SALMON W/HOLLANDAISE SAUCE AND RICE

HAWAII RAINBOW

 RAINBOW IN PARADISE

LUCKY TO LIVE HAWAII

Truly a blessing to live in Hawaii.  I have traveled throughout the world and visited some of the most beautiful cities as well as the poorest cities.  From Manila to Cairo, London, Barcelona, Australia, Spain, Grenada, Virgin Islands, Jakarta, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing there are so many places that have provided this old dog with lasting memories.  It is Hawaii though that no matter what time of year seems to bring out the perfect weather, rainbows and feeling of home.
Click links below for more images of Rainbows in Hawaii;

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2015/03/hawaii-rainbow.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2013/10/rainbows-at-oahu-country-club.html

BBQ CHICKEN

 BBQ CHICKEN

DINNER AT HOME

Does not get more basic or simple than this.  BBQ Grilled Chicken with rice and vegetables.  My girls have been out of the country for three weeks.  They came home and I asked them what they wanted for dinner.  BBQ Chicken and rice was the answer.  I put some dry rub on some boneless skinless chicken breasts and then grilled them on the BBQ and topped them with some BBQ Sauce.  Served with steamed broccoli, carrots and rice.  Actually a very delicious dinner.  After eating everything on the plate, my daughter was out like a light on the couch.  Seems the time difference and jet lag caught up with her.  

TACO BELL SMOTHERED BURRITO

TACO BELL SMOTHERED BURRITO

LUNCH AT THE OFFICE

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I love Mexican food.  Could eat it every single day if we had a decent Mexican restaurant on Oahu.  Unfortunately we don't so I have to visit Taco Bell often to get my fix.  This week I saw a nice ad for the New Taco Bell Smothered Burrito.  The burrito looked great in the ad so I decided to try one for lunch.  I ordered the Marinated Premium Thick-Cut Steak version ($5.19) hoping that it would taste as good as the picture.  The burrito is filled with what the ad called "premium Latin Rice", hearty beans, creamy Chipotle Sauce and then topped with red sauce, loads of melted cheeses and reduced-fat sour creme.  The verdict;   Not bad.  Looked nothing like the ad but there was flavor.  Tasted mostly the beans, cheese and sour creme.  Not much steak in the one I got.  I found a few nice chunks about 3/4 way through the burrito.  The meat was dark black and a bit dry but it did have some flavor.  In Hawaii we gotta take what we can get when it comes to Mexican food.  This is not a bad burrito and much better than 90% of the Mexican restaurants in Hawaii.  I would eat one again and think I will soon.

THIS IS HOW THE TACO BELL SMOTHERED BURRITO ACTUALLY LOOKS

THE TACO BELL SMOTHERED BURRITO LOOKS GREAT IN THE AD

THIS IS HOW THE BURRITO IS MARKETED IN ADVERTISING.  LOOKS AMAZING.

WHERE ARE THOSE BEAUTIFUL LAYERS OF MEAT, RICE AND CHEESE

RICE AND A LITTLE BIT OF STEAK.  NOT MUCH STEAK IN THIS ONE