GREAT EATS HAWAII

Friday, May 29, 2015

TURKEY MEATLOAF

TURKEY MEATLOAF

DINNER AT HOME

Had more Ground Turkey left from one of those two packs you can buy at Costco. Did Turkey Burgers one night and then decided to do Turkey Meatloaf with the leftover meat. I went to my blog and pulled up a Turkey Meatloaf recipe that I posted in 2008 when I first started blogging. The link to the original recipe is below. I had to improvise a bit and use what we had in the refrigerator but this version came out excellent. The Meatloaf was moist and very flavorful. Adding vegetables and mushrooms helped flavor the dish and also made the ground turkey go farther. Loved the Ketchup glaze and all the veggies in the meat. Would make this recipe over and over again.

Click link below to see the original Turkey Meatloaf recipe posted in 2008;

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2008/08/low-fat-turkey-meatloaf.html

TURKEY MEATLOAF

SAUTE ONION, GARLIC, BELL PEPPER, CARROTS AND JALAPENO IN OLIVE OIL.
SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER. ALSO ADDED FRESH THYME HERE

COOKED DOWN THE VEGETABLES AND ADDED A SMALL CAN OF CHOPPED MUSHROOMS BECAUSE WE HAD AN ENTIRE CASE IN THE PANTRY

ADDED CHICKEN STOCK, WORCHESTERSHIRE SAUCE AND TOMATO PASTE

MIXED EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND REMOVED FROM HEAT. LET STAND UNTIL MIXTURE CAME TO ROOM TEMPERATURE

ADDED SEASONED BREAD CRUMBS AND VEGETABLE MIXTURE TO ABOUT 2 LBS OF GROUND TURKEY. WOULD HAVE ADDED AN EGG HERE BUT WE WERE ALL OUT

ADDED FROZEN PEAS BECAUSE I HAD SOME IN THE FREEZER AND LIKE THEM IN MEATLOAF

POURED EVERYTHING INTO A OVEN SAFE DISH

COVERED WITH KETCHUP AND THEN BAKED IN 325 DEGREE OVEN FOR ABOUT 1.5 HOURS
OR 160 DEGREES INTERNAL TEMPERATURE

AFTER 1.5 HOURS THE MEATLOAF WAS COOKED AND LOOKING DELICIOUS

MADE A NICE MEATLOAF SANDWICH A FEW DAYS LATER

Thursday, May 28, 2015

TURKEY BURGERS

TURKEY BURGERS
DINNER AT HOME

I have had some success dropping a few pounds the past two months. Wanted to keep it going so I used Ground Turkey to make some burgers. To kick up the flavor of the Turkey, I sautéed finely diced garlic, onion, carrots and a little bit of jalapeño and then mixed it with the Ground Turkey. Added a tablespoon of Worcestersire Sauce to the Ground Turkey and mixed in one egg before making my patties. Seasoned the patties with salt and pepper and then placed on the grill pan.
These burgers were moist and very flavorful. Actually was as good as a beef burger.

DELICIOUS TURKEY BURGER

HAVING ISSUES WITH MY GAS BBQ SO I HAD TO GRILL INDOORS

Monday, May 18, 2015

GRILLED MARLIN WITH PAPAYA SALSA

GRILLED MARLIN WITH PAPAYA SALSA

DINNER AT HOME

Shocked to see super fresh Hawaiian Marlin for $3.99 per pound. This is a super low price for some super fresh fish. Three thick filets cost a total of $6 so this dinner was a bargain. Grilled the Marlin on an Indoor Grill Pan and then finished in a 350 degree oven for around ten minutes. The Marlin was moist and delicious. So important not to overcook Marlin as it will get tough. We had a light pink middle that was perfect. Since Marlin has a mild flavor you need a good sauce or in this case a fresh Papaya Salsa with Tomato, Onion, Cilantro and Papaya. Added a bit of Balsamic Vinegar to the Salsa to increase flavor. This Salsa is a perfect compliment to the Marlin and also tastes great with rice. Served with Jasmine Rice and Baby Bok Choy sautéed with shallots and garlic. This was an absolutely delicious and healthy meal for three that was under $10 total.

GRILLED MARLIN WITH PAPAYA SALSA

ANOTHER DAY AT THE MARKET AND MARLIN WAS STILL $3.99 PER POUND

SO FRESH AND INEXPENSIVE

GRILLED MARLIN WITH WHITE WINE, BUTTER, CREAM, SHALLOTS AND GARLIC SAUCE.

AWESOME MEAL FOR THREE FOR UNDER $10!

Sunday, May 17, 2015

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

2301 KALAKAUA AVENUE

HONOLULU, HI 96815

808-924-5001

HOURS: Monday thru Thursday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Sunday 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM

www.thecheesecakefactory.com

I usually avoid The Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki because there is always a line and I am not a big fan of big mainland restaurant chains. As we walked down the famed Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki one weekend day my Daughter said that she wanted to try the place. I questioned her choice and asked if we could eat elsewhere. She said "c'mon Dad - I want Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert". Now that sounded good to me and was enough to get me in the place. We approached the front entrance just past noon and I said to my daughter that the wait will be at least thirty minutes. We were quickly greeted by the hostess who grabbed two menus and seated us within a minute of entering. I was amazed. When you enter from the bright sunlight of Waikiki the place seems dark. It is a maze of tables going in every direction. Feels like eating at one of those huge theme restaurants at Disneyland with all of the employees wearing matching uniforms. The employees are well trained and service is good. The one thing that I do not like is that they have row after row of tables for two that are lined up with about 18" of space between the tables. This means you can have two couples on each side of you and it feels like you are sitting at their table. Every word from the table on each side can be heard and every bite of food you take can be watched by total strangers. I hate this. My back was to the isle so I really never saw our waitress. The space is too tight for her to come to the side of the table so she stands behind you. All I caught were arms coming over my shoulder to pour water and deliver food. I honestly never got a good full image look at our waitress. After our drink order was taken we were brought some really good breads. Fresh and served with butter. You need this little appetizer of bread because it may take awhile to go over the 20 page menu. The menu here is a book and it is filled with advertising which really sucks. I don't want to go out and pay top dollar for a meal and have print ads in my face. Rolling through a 20 page menu gives you lots of selections. From breakfast to pasta, fish and steak they have it all - and then some. My Daughter did not spend much time looking over every page. She saw Fettuccini Alfredo and made her choice. I saw a Pizza and Salad Combo on the Lunch Menu and went for that. The Lunch Pizza and Salad ($13.95) includes a small Pizza and Salad. I upgraded to a Caesar Salad for $1 more bringing my lunch to $14.95. The Caesar Salad was large but very bland. The dressing and Parmesan Cheese were flavorless. I ordered a Hawaiian Pizza with Canadian Bacon, Red Onion and Pineapple. You could taste the Canadian Bacon but the Red Onion and Pineapple were like they were not on the pizza. The Pineapple pieces were tiny and kind of mushed. Not much flavor in this pizza. I stopped eating it. The lunch portion of the Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken ($16.95) seemed to please my daughter. The kitchen made a mistake and they gave her the full menu portion at the lunch portion price. This was a huge plate of carbs covered in cheese with large pieces of white meat chicken. I tasted it and it was good. My Daughter mowed the dish and got about half of it down before she threw in the towel. The highlight of our meal was the Cheesecake. We ordered the Oreo Dream Extreme ($8.50). This was the bomb! So good. Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake, Rich Chocolate Frosting and Oreo Cookie Crust. Worth the trip to Disneyland for this creation. Lunch for two with one slice of Cheesecake and tip was just over $60. While I like the place, this is just too much for lunch and I don't think I will be going back anytime soon unless I want a piece of Cheesecake only.

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY ON KALAKAUA AVENUE IN WAIKIKI

ENTRANCE TO THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY WHERE THERE IS USUALLY A LONG LINE

LOVE THE RAGS TO RICHES STORY OF CHEESECAKE FACTORY

PIZZAS AND LUNCH SPECIALS

WE WENT FOR THE LUNCH SPECIALS

GREAT TASTING BREADS SERVED WITH MEAL

CAESAR SALAD

HAWAIIAN PIZZA

FETTUCCINI ALFREDO WITH CHICKEN

YOU GOTTA TRY THE CHEESECAKE

WE ORDERED THE OREO DREAM EXTREME CHEESECAKE

MORE SWEETS

OREO DREAM EXTREME CHEESECAKE

20 PAGE PLUS MENU INCLUDES ADVERTISING

Monday, May 11, 2015

SMITH AND KINGS

69 N. KING STREET

HONOLULU, HI 96817

808-537-2222

HOURS: Monday thru Thursday 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM

Closed Sunday

Literally stumbled upon Smith and Kings in Chinatown while looking for a place to eat. We took a look inside and it looked clean and hip. There was a large hand written menu of beers, drinks and food over the bar so we took a peak at the menu posted at the entrance. Lobster Deviled Eggs, Burgers with Fois Gras Pate, Flatbreads and Pork Meat Balls caught my eye. My friend said "lets try it" so we went inside to find a few people at the bar and one table of people having lunch. There was what appeared to be a homeless person in a pretty messed up mental state at the bar that the staff was monitoring closely. After a few minutes the police were summoned but the lady had already left. Welcome to downtown Honolulu and Chinatown. At the moment we sat down, a smiling waitress approached our table and introduced herself. She was friendly and very polite. Always smiling and making sure we were happy. She really seemed to care about the restaurant and the guests. So refreshing to find employees like this especially in Chinatown. We were quickly given ice water and the waitress asked if we had any questions about the menu. We told her that there were a lot of things that sounded great. She said the food was good and she was right. We got right into ordering with the Lobster Deviled Eggs ($4). The rich creamy flavor was amazing and then the taste of lobster. I could eat a dozen of these eggs. Next up was the Charcutterie ($12) with Salami, Corned Beef,

Pickles, Pate and Mustard. When you put the Corned Beef, Pate and Mustard together on a piece of the bread you have a taste of heaven. This was delicious. What a perfect appetizer. Loved it!

I think my friend liked the House Made Pickles as I only got one piece. It was good.

The Pork Meatballs with Proscuitto Ragu ($9) served with Baguette bread was also very good.

The Meatballs were moist and very flavorful when topped with the Ragu. The Chopped Salad ($9)

missed the mark for me but my friend absolutely loved it. I thought it was overdressed to a point where it was soggy and not crisp. The dressing also was a bit too sweet for me. Again though my

friend loved it. The waitress was nice enough to split the salad into two different bowls. Even with two bowls of salad we had leftovers. The Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Flatbread ($8) was light and fresh. I was just too full at this point to enjoy it. My friend went for the

King Burger ($14). This was a huge burger topped with Roasted BBQ Pulled Pork and Applewood Smoked Bacon. My friend said he liked it but at this point in the meal could not finish it. I tasted the meat and really liked the flavor. I also enjoyed a few the House Frites which were delicious. If only they could have been more crunchy. During our meal the waitress brought us a couple of refreshing drinks. They were a mixture of Lychee and Lemonade along with just a hint of Gin. One of the owners came by our table to ask us if we liked the food. We told her that it was really good. She explained that she met the Chef who is from Chicago and along with others bought what was a dive bar and cleaned it up. The place is clean and fresh. She explained that her passion was to bring back a speakeasy type place that celebrates the prohibition era with a wide variety of Gin. She said that Gin had a lot of history and she wanted to impart some of that history on Honolulu. She is very knowledgable and I wish her and her partners great success. I am not a bar person and would not come here to sit at the bar and drink. Just not my style. I WOULD however come back here to eat and highly recommend the food to my readers. Liked this place enough to want to take my Wife and Daughter here to eat on a future Saturday afternoon.