LOW CARB PEPPERONI AND JALAPENO PIZZA

LUNCH AT HOME

Craving a little Pizza so I made this delicious Pepperoni and Jalapeño Pizza using a low carb thin crust.  Topped it with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheeses, Pepperoni, Jalapeño, Red Onion, Bell Pepper and a sprinkle of Oregano and more Parmesan.

While I prefer the larger Zero Net Carb Pizza Crusts, these are ok for small individual size Pizzas.  This crust didn't have a good crunch so next time I will pre-cook the crust before baking with the toppings on top.

LOW CARB PEPPERONI AND JALAPEÑO PIZZA

PROTEIN ULTRA THIN PIZZA CRUST

9 GRAMS OF NET CARBS

THIS PIZZA IS READY FOR THE OVEN

 

LOBSTER, SHRIMP AND SCALLOP SALAD

DINNER AT HOME

Fridays during Lent mean no meat products for the Santos family.  Lucky for us I had Lobster Tails, Shrimp and Scallops in the freezer.  Made this beautiful and delicious Seafood Salad which really was tasty and satisfying.  Added Roasted Beets, Egg, Avocado, Green Beans and whatever other veggies we had in the crisper.  Made a Garlic Butter and topped the Lobster with it.  Then sautéed the Shrimp and Scallops in the Garlic Butter too.  As we enjoyed this meal on the outdoor lanai, I couldn't help but realize how blessed we are to live in Hawaii and have this great weather.

LOBSTER, SHRIMP AND SCALLOP SALAD

LOBSTER SALAD ON THE LANAI WITH GREAT WEATHER

 

FRESH AHI FISH TACOS

DINNER AT HOME

We had some more fresh Ahi so I made Fish Tacos.  These were some of the best Tacos I have ever made. So fresh and popping with flavor of the Seared Ahi, Pico de Gallo, Avocado, White Sauce and Avocado.  These were simple but with fresh ingredients and the White Sauce (Yogurt, Mayo and Lime Juice) these Tacos were better than any I have ever had in Hawaii or even the Mainland.  Low carb too since I used Mr. Tortilla 1 net carb Tortillas.  Amazing!

FRESH AHI FISH TACOS

SOME OF THE BEST TACOS EVER

EACH BITE FILLED WITH FLAVOR

 

GARLIC AHI

GARLIC AHI

DINNER AT HOME

After making some Poke from a huge Ahi block I purchased, My Wife made her famous Garlic Ahi.  This Ahi was so fresh that it literally melted in your mouth.  This was definitely a restaurant quality meal at home on our lanai.  Loved it!

GARLIC AHI

GARLIC AHI FOR THREE ON THE LANAI

FRESH AHI STEAKS AND A FEW INGREDIENTS

MY $6.99 PER POUND AHI BLOCK

 

AHI POKE WITH AVOCADO

APPETIZER AT HOME

I found Ahi for $6.99 per pound but you needed to buy a big slab to get that price.  I bought it and made a Ahi Poke with Avocado appetizer.  This Poke was so fresh and delicious.  Made a quick sauce using Shoyu, Honey, Wasabi and Sesame Oil.  Perfecto!

FRESH AHI POKE WITH AVOCADO

AHI BLOCK FOR $6.99 PER POUND

 

CARNE ASADA STREET TACOS

DINNER AT HOME

Taco Tuesdays still go on at Casa de Santos thanks to Mr. Tortilla 1 Net Carb Tortillas.

Staying low carb while eating delicious Carne Asada Tacos is a great thing and a dinner that the entire family loves.  On this night, I was the only person eating the low carb tortillas.  My Wife and Daughter enjoyed the real ones.  These Tacos are as good or better than anything you can get in a Hawaii Mexican restaurant.  Yummy!

CARNE ASADA STREET TACOS

TACOS AND BEER FOR TACO TUESDAY

CARNE ASADA HOT OF THE GRILL

FRESH GUACAMOLE AND PICO DE GALLO

MR. TORTILLA 1 NET CARB TORTILLAS

ALMOST AS GOOD AS REGULAR CORN TORTILLAS

 

TUNA SALAD CUCUMBER BITES

LUNCH AT THE OFFICE

Made these delicious little Tuna Salad and Cucumber bites for lunch.  Used my standard Tuna Salad recipe and just substituted Cucumber for the bread.  Actually really good but next time I will cut the Cucumber a little thinner.  Very refreshing lunch.

Click link below for the World's Best Tuna Salad recipe;

https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/03/worlds-best-tuna-sandwich.html

TUNA SALAD CUCUMBER BITES

LOW CARB LUNCH AT THE OFFICE

 

WHOLE FOODS CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE

DESSERT AT HOME

I picked this amazing little cake up at Whole Foods for $8.99.  Was not quite sure what to expect but after one bite it is now one of my favorite cakes ever.  Up there with the Chocolate Mousse Cake from the Kahala Hotel. This cake delivers big on Chocolate and Raspberry flavors.  So good and so hard to stop eating!

WHOLE FOODS CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE

LAYERS OF DELICIOUSNESS

 

SQUID INK PASTA WITH LOBSTER , SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS

DINNER AT HOME

My Wife requested Squid Ink Pasta for her birthday dinner so I made it the way I have done before.  A Garlic and Tomato Sauce with Lobster, Shrimp and Scallops.  Tasted so good this time but maybe that is because I have not eaten pasta like this in over a month since going low carb.  I only ate 1/4 of the pasta on my plate but made sure I finished the Lobster.  

This dish delivers on flavor and presentation.

Click link below for the recipe;

https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2020/08/squid-ink-linguine-with-scallops-shrimp.html

SQUID INK PASTA WITH LOBSTER, SHRIMP AND SCALLOPS

BIRTHDAY DINNER FOR MY WIFE ON THE LANAI

PREPPING FOR DINNER

LOTS OF DELICIOUS SEAFOOD

MAKING THE SAUCE

CAPRICE SALAD WITH AVOCADO AND CAVIAR

APPETIZER AT HOME

Made this simple appetizer with Vine Ripened Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil and a Balsamic Glaze.  Added a little Avocado and Caviar to kick it up a notch.

CAPRICE SALAD WITH AVOCADO AND CAVIAR

 

LA BIRRIA

LA BIRRIA

SOMEWHERE IN KAKAAKO

To my surprise, my lovely Valentine said she wanted to have Birria Tacos for Valentine's lunch.  Not being one to ever refuse Tacos even while trying to eat low carb I said sure lets go.  She got on her phone and looked for a food truck in Kakaako that she had seen days before.  La Birria's food truck was located on Cooke Street so we drove over to try them out.  We ordered the Birria Queso Pack ($12) which comes with (3) Tacos and Consomme.  I decided to also try the Hell Fire Tacos ($12) which comes with (2) Tacos and Consomme.  The guy in the truck recommenced we get a cool drink with the Hell Fire Tacos so we ordered a Pineapple drink.  So glad we did as the Hell Fire Tacos are HOT!  The burn comes on the back end after you take a bite.  I loved the burn but it was a bit too much for the Wife.  I found these Tacos to be delicious and of high quality.  Liked the cheese, onion and cilantro and the Consomme was much better than the last Birria Tacos we had in Kaimuki.  While I loved these Tacos, the Wife had a little indigestion afterwards and is now not a fan of Birria.  I however would go back and eat them again today if I were not going low carb.  

LA BIRRIA TACOS WITH CONSOMME

TRACKED DOWN THE FOOD TRUCK IN KAKAAKO

LA BIRRIA MENU

BIRRIA QUESO PACK

THREE BEEF TACOS WITH CHEESE, ONION AND CILANTRO

MADE TO BE DIPPED

GREAT TASTING CONSOMME

LA BIRRIA HELL FIRE TACOS

HELL FIRE CONSOMME PACKS SOME HEAT

GREAT TASTING BIRRIA TACOS

I WISH I COULD EAT A DOZEN OF THESE TACOS

 

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

DESSERT AT HOME

My Wife LOVED the Chocolate Mousse Cake at the Kahala Hotel.  In fact, the entire family went crazy over this cake.  Thought I would surprise her with a slice or two for Valentines Day so I called the Kahala Hotel and ordered some for takeout.  Added some fresh berries and a rose to make it look even more delicious.  

KAHALA HOTEL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

 

VALENTINES DAY DINNER - HOAKALEI COUNTRY CLUB

HOAKALEI COUNTRY CLUB

91-1620 KEONEULA BLVD

EWA BEACH, HI 96706

808-853-4343

www.hoakaleicountryclub.com

www.yelp.com/biz/hoakalei-country-club-ewa-beach

www.facebook.com/HoakaleiCountryClub/

www.instagram.com/hoakaleicc/?hl=en

My only complaint about Reflections Restaurant at Hoakalei Country Club is that it is a 45 minute drive from our house.  Otherwise I would be at Hoakalei several times a week.  This is the most beautiful golf course and clubhouse on Oahu and it just feels good to be there.  We did the day before Valentines Day dinner to avoid the crowds and it was perfect.  The staff was attentive and did their best to make sure our table was happy throughout the meal.  The Chef even came by to check on us and see if we were liking the food.  We all loved the food.  Great quality and portions.  The appetizers to start the meal were delicious.  I went for the Hamachi Crudo and thought it was great.  My gals loved the seaweed and devoured it.  My Wife loved the Spider Roll and wanted to order an extra plate of Sushi for the table.  She offered to pay for it so the waiter checked and said they couldn't do that.  This was lame I thought.  I was surprised to see a Falafel on the menu.   I decided to take a bite and it was actually really good.  My first few bites of the French Onion Soup tasted a bit burnt but after getting into it and mixing up all the cheese it was delicious and I probably could have eaten another bowl of it.   I went for the Steak and Lobster and loved it.  The Lobster was large and buttery.  Soft enough to cut with a fork.  The Steak was cooked perfectly and delicious.  What blew me away thought were the Au Gratin Potatoes.  Now this may be because I have been on a low carb diet for a month and haven't eaten many potatoes but these Potatoes were amazing.  The taste of the sweet onions and the sauce was magic.  I would order these Potatoes time and time again.  The Prime Rib was great but with the Au Jus was super great.  I tried a bite of the Short Rib Wellington and while good, it was a bit dry.  They were out of the Soufflé by the time we got to dessert so I went for the Basque Cheesecake.  This was a disaster and tasted like scrambled eggs.  Something that should have never been let out of the kitchen.  My Wife ate it though and said "she liked eggs".  All in all this was a fantastic dinner and time at Reflections.  Cannot say enough about the young staff who while a bit under trained for fine dining, did their absolute best to make us feel comfortable and take care of our needs.

VALENTINES DINNER AT HOAKA

REFLECTIONS RESTAURANT AT HOAKALEI COUNTRY CLUB

LETS SET THE VALENTINE MOOD

VALENTINES PRIX FIXE MENU 1

PRIX FIXE MENU 2

HAMACHI CRUDO

SPIDER ROLL

FRENCH ONION SOUP

CAESEAR SALAD

CHICKPEA FALAFEL

STEAK AND LOBSTER

PRIME RIB WITH GREAT AU JUS

SHORT RIB WELLINGTON

LOTS OF SHORT RIBS IN THERE

BASQUE CHEESECAKE

VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH BERRIES

HAPPY AT HOAKALEI

LUCKY ME

MY BABY VALENTINE