 I learned to make these from Chris' father Bunny when he was here for Amanda's ( Araya's mom) baby shower. I did not write down the ingredients when he was here so I sure I am missing some. Anyway this is the basic idea you can add and subtract as you wish. Like the sushi I made, my rolling technique needs work. I had to use 2 wrappers for each spring roll or they would just fall apart.  To make this vegetarian you can leave out the shrimp. 1 package spring roll wrappers 1 lb shrimp (peeled and cooked) cellophane noodles - cooked as directed bean sprouts shredded carrots cilantro cabbage lettuce or spring greens Sweet and hot chili sauces. Cut up vegetables and set aside (see picture bellow). Get a plate pour enough water on the plate to cover it. Place one spring roll wrapper in the water. Leave till limp (about 45 sec to 1 min). Move to rolling surface. Place vegetables, noodles and shrimp on the wrapper and roll like a buritto (you may have to than roll this in another wrapper like I usually did). Place on the side. It also helps to keep placing the wrappers in the water as you take on out. This way you are not waiting to long for a wrapper to be ready. You have to serve with the sweet chili sauce (it is so good). For the more daring crowd you can also serve a hot chili sauce (use sparingly - it is hot).  
 I am finally listed on Google, Yeah! Now my site search will start working.
 I saw a picture of a salad similar to this in the news paper the other day (it was an article on tomatoes). I figured I would try to reproduce it. I think it came out pretty good. I got some nice fresh Ahi steaks to sear. I am cooking away and Joshua started crying (I went to check on him) and ended up cooking most of the way through. They were still a little pink, but I would have liked them to be more raw in the middle. 2 tsp sesame oil 1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips) 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 lb fresh Ahi steak(s) 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and chopped into small bits) 1 shallot (chopped into small bits) 2 tbsp cilantro (pulled from steam and chopped very fine) lettuce or spring greens 3 tomatoes (1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange, sliced) 1 cucumber (cut into thick slices) olive oil and balsamic vinegar (to dress salad) 2 tbsp fresh basil (torn into little strips) salt (to taste) 4 oz goat cheese (crumbled) Heat the sesame oil in a skillet. Cook red pepper few minutes (till they soften some) and place them on the side. Place soy sauce in a bowl. Place jalapeno, shallot and cilantro on a plate. Dip tuna in the soy sauce (for 1 minute each side) coat with spices and place in skillet. Cook fish until outside browns. Remove and cut into strips. I mixing bowl mix red peppers, cucumber, oil, vinegar, basil and salt. Place lettuce on plates. Arrange tomatoes on top of lettuce. Pour dressing over tomatoes. Top with Ahi than goat cheese.
 I know there are some of you think this is just a sandwich anyone could make that. Well... 1) This sandwich was awesome 2) It only took me 5 minutes to make this meal 3) It is what I had for dinner 3) It is my blog and I can post what I want 4) This sandwich was Awesome! To make this vegetarian you can leave out the bacon. 2 Pieces toasted seeded rye bread 1/4 avocado 2 large slices of tomatoes slices of cucumber 2 strips of bacon cheddar cheese lettuce mayo a bit of garlic salt Other great things I would have put on it if I had them: alfalfa sprouts and shredded carrots
 Growing up, whenever there was pot luck or other function someone would always bring shoyu chicken. This is probably because it is so easy to make and tastes so ono. This is Kalani's mom's recipe. Kalani made this for us Friday night. This is her kind of recipe (no more than 5 ingredients). 1 1/2 cups shoyu (soy sauce) 2 tbsp sugar 2 tsp ginger 1 tbsp garlic 2 lbs skin on chicken Heat oven to 350. Mix the shoyu, ginger, garlic in a bowl. Place the chicken in a baking dish. Pour shoyu mixture over the chicken. Bake for about an hour (till chicken is cooked all the way through).
 This recipe takes a bit of work since there are a few phases of cooking. It is worth it. 8 oz package udon noodles For Shrimp:1 lb raw shrimp Peeled and de-veined, but leave the tails 1 large egg 2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups ice cold water oil or frying For Soup:1/2 cup mirin (sweetened sake) 1/2 cup soy sauce 4 green onion sliced 3 1/2 cups water 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt In a sauce pan mix all ingredients for the soup. Bring to a bowl than reduce heat to low while you cook the rest of the food. Cook the noodles as directed on the package. Heat oil in wok. In a mixing bowl mix egg and ice water. Add the flour and stir (leave it a bit lumpy). One at a time grad a raw shrimp by the tail, dip it in the tempura batter than place it in the oil. Fry for about 2 minutes or till golden brown. Portion out the noodles into serving bowls. Pour soup over the noodles. Right before serving place shrimp onto of soup (they will get soggy if left in bowl too long).
 This is a great everyday recipe. It only takes a few minutes to make and you can use any vegetables you may have left over. Tonight I used a zucchini and a red pepper, but all kinds of vegetables taste great when you roast them. 2 cups un-cooked pasta 1 cup your favorite pasta sauce. vegetables (Squash, eggplant, red onion, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus....) Boil the pasta and drain. Grill the vegetables over low heat for about 10 minute (until they look roasted). Mix pasta, sauce (and some garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar won't hurt) and vegetables in a pot over low heat. Serve with some good garlic bread. Get a fresh loaf from your bakery of your favorite variety. Here Haris Teeter has this awesome olive oil and rosemary. Slice bread and spay it with olive oil and top with garlic salt. Cook this on the top grill for 2 - 3 minutes on each side. yummy
 Grilled Ahi is something we make quite a bit. It is easy to put together, you should eat deep water fish atleast once a week for your health and it taste really good. I made this last Sunday (It is now Wed. that work thing is always getting in the way :) ). I over grilled it a bit so it was a bit dry and the picture also came out a bit blurry. You cannot make them all winners. For the Marinade 1/2 cup soy sauce 2 tbsp mirin (sweet sake) 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp fresh cilantro 1/2 tbsp crushed or jarred garlic 1/2 tbsp crushed or jarred ginger 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp crushed red pepper 4 Ahi (tuna) steaks Mix the marinade in a small mixing bowl. Place fish in a small baking dish. Pour marinade over fish. Marinade for an hour or so. Heat the grill on low. I like to cook the fish for about 3 minutes on each side. You can cook it for longer if you like it white all the way through. Enjoy
 Yesterday was Pasha's last day here, so for dinner I made my favorite tofu recipe. It came out OK. I think I stir fried the vegetables a bit too long, they could have been crisper. This recipe is a bit of work, but it is worth it. Here it goes... 1 package extra firm tofu Marinade: 1 cup soy sauce 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp crushed fresh or jarred ginger 2 tbsp crushed fresh or jarred garlic 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, pulled from the stems 2 green onions, sliced 1 tsp sesame oil 1 zucchini 1 small sweet onion 1 red bell pepper 1/4 cup shredded carrots 1/4 cup bean spouts 1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced Spring greens mix Ginger Pesto 1/4 cup Pesto (I used a store bought jar, but you can insert your favorite pesto recipe) 1/4 cup crushed fresh or jarred ginger 2 tbsp Asian sesame salad dressing Mix tofu marinade until sugar dissolves. Cut tofu into 1 inch slices. Place slices in a baking dish. Pour marinade over the tofu. Marinade for an hour and a half. Turning every 20 minutes or so. Slice vegetables into strips and stir fry in sesame oil. Grill tofu 4 minutes on each side. Mix pesto and ginger. Toss greens in salad dressing. Cut tofu into chunks. Arrange greens on plate. Add a layer of vegetables followed by a layer of tofu, another layer of vegetables and the remaining tofu on the top. Splash with ginger tofu. Walla
 To make this vegetarian you can use veggie sausage or leave the meat out all togeather.Growing up in Hawaii we would have Sushi all the time. But I had never made it myself till a year or two ago when Kalani's cousin Shannon lived here. I still have some work to do on my rolling technique :). A very common way to make sushi is to make Nori (rolls). There are all kinds of stuff you can put in Nori. That is what I made today for lunch. 1 portion su-meshi 1/2 small Japanese eggplant 1/2 cucumber 1/2 avocado 5 sheets nori (seaweed) 6 shiitake mushrooms 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tbsp crushed ginger pinch crushed red pepper Mix soy sauce ginger and red pepper. Cut eggplants and mushrooms into strips. Soak eggplant and mushroom. Cut remaining vegetable in strips. Place rice on nori (wet your hands when spreading the rice, so that it does not stick to you). Place vegetables on rice (see picture bellow). Roll (again I am no expert here). Cut it into slices and serve with ginger, soy sauce and wasabi. You can see the amount made from this recipe ( I also had left over vegetables).  
 Before you can make any type of sushi you need to start with the rice. You need to get a short grained rice (technically Oryza savita japonica, but on most bags it will say sushi rice). 1 1/2 cups Sushi rice 2 cups of water 3 tbsp rice vinegar 5 tsp sugar 2 tsp sea salt Cook rice with water in a rice cooker. In a small bowl mix vinegar, sugar and salt till sugar and salt dissolves. Transfer rice and vinegar mixture to a mixing bowl. With a wet wooden spoon blend well. Let cool before making sushi.
 Vatrouska is a Russian version of a cheesecake. It is not quite as rich. It tastes like a mix between custard and a cheese cake. Yum Yum. This is another recipe made by my mother-in-law. Also see the Piroshkis. 2 pie shells from Graham crackers Filling: 1 pound cottage cheese 4 eggs 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla Blend ingredients in food processor or blender. Fill pie shells and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until filling is done. Serve cold.
 Last night we made blackened cat fish. We had our friend Eric over. I cannot tell you all of the recipe because Pasha brought they blackening season from a friend of hers in Hawaii. To go with it, I made fried okra (from frozen) and dirty rice (just some rice mixed with sautayed onions, beans, canned tomatoes and Cajun spices). Pasha also made some stuffed peppers I will need to get the recipe from her. Serves 4 4 Catfish Filets 1/4 cup Cajun Spices (paprika, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, onion powder, etc...) 1 cup corn meal 1 egg 1/2 cup of milk 3 tbsp hot sauce (I like Texas Pete) 1/2 a stick of butter Mix the corn meal and the spices in one bowl. The egg, milk and hot sauce in another. Melt the butter in a frying pan. One by one coat a filet in the liquid mixture, cover with dry mixture and put it in the frying pan. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side (till done).
 My mother-in-law Pasha made these on Monday night. Here are the instructions she wrote up for me.... Piroshki are little pastries filled with meat or vegetablesÂthe Russian way of using leftovers. This variant is relatively quick, because Pillsbury did the work of making the dough. They can be eaten hot or cold, as an appetizer, with soup or as a main course. They are sometimes served with sour cream. INGREDIENTS 2 packages pre-made dough, large buttermilk biscuits Beef filling: ½ lb. ground beef 1 small onion, chopped fine 2 T. cold water ½ t. salt 1/8 t. pepper 1 T. flour 1 T. oil for frying 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped fine Mix first 5 ingredients and let stand for 10 minutes. Fry in large skillet. When meat is no longer pink, sprinkle in flour to absorb excess moisture. The filling should not be runny. Cool and add chopped egg. Flatten each biscuit and put 1 or 2 tablespoons of filling in center. Fold closed and pinch edges together. Bake as directed on package; 400 degrees, 10 to 13 minutes.
 This is the best Baba Ghanoush recipe I have had. The key here is the heavily grilled eggplants. It brings out a good smoky flavor. Even if you do not think you like eggplants you really should give this a try. Pair this up with the other Greek and Mediterranean dishes. I made this dish with a Hummus recipe, a Greek salad, lot of pita bread (spayed with olive oil and garlic salt than cooked on the grill) and some grilled chicken (marinated in lemon juice, a little olive oil and Greek spices) when we had our friend Brian over for dinner. What a feast. Should serve 6 as a side dish or appetizer. 2 small eggplants 1 tbsp crushed garlic 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp kosher salt fresh group pepper 3 tbsp plain yogurt Grill the eggplants till skins are blistered (15 - 20 mins). Place on the side to cool. Place all the other ingredients in a food processor. Cut eggplants and add internal meat to the blender. Serve with pita bread.
 This is a really good basic Hummas recipe. I think it is the fresh lemon juice that really makes this dish. Pair this up with the other Greek and Mediterranean dishes. I made this dish with a Baba Ghanoush, a Greek salad, lot of pita bread (spayed with olive oil and garlic salt than cooked on the grill) and some grilled chicken (marinated in lemon juice, a little olive oil and Greek spices) when we had our friend Brian over for dinner. What a feast. Should serve 6 as a side dish or appetizer. 2 cups cooked chick-peas (1 16oz can) 4 tbsp tahini (ground sesame seeds) 3 tbsp warm water 4 tbsp olive oil Juice of 2 large lemons 3 cloves of garlic 2 tsp salt 2 tsp cumin fresh ground pepper Combine in a food processor. Blend till smooth. Serve with pita bread.
 This is a recipe that I have been making for years. This time I doubled the bellow recipe (only one portion pictured) and gave the other halve to our friends Chris and Dianne who had just had a baby. This recipe is a bit of work to make since you have to fry it once and than bake it. Ofcourse since the chicken is fried it is not the healthiest of meal. All that aside it is worth it. Yum Yum. Serves about 4 2 lbs. Chicken breast, skinless bonless, cut into 2 '' strips 3/4 cup flour tsp salt tsp pepper 2 eggs beaten oil for frying 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup honey 1 tbsp dry sherry 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed 1 tsp fresh ginger 2 tbsp sesame seeds 2 celery stalks, sliced Heat soy sauce, honey, sherry, garlic and ginger in a small pan over medium heat. Once fully mixed turn heat to low. Heat 1/2'' oil in wide frying pan. Combine flour, salt and pepper. Dip chicken in eggs than coat with seasoned flour and place in oil. Cook chicken till golden brown. Allow 6 - 8 minutes. As chicken is done, drain briefly than dip in honey mixture and place in baking pan. Once all chicken in is the pan sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 250 for 10 minutes. Add celery and brush everything with honey soy sauce glaze. Cook another 10 minutes.
 Kalani made this dish I just shu chefed a bit. This came out great. The orange flavor added to this noodle dish really adds flavor. This recipe serves about four, but I sure you could double or triple it for larger groups. 1 package (9 ounces) fresh whole wheat angel-hair pasta 2 cups shredded carrots 2 tsp vegetable oil 1 lb shrimp (could be replaces with chicken, pork or tofu) 2 garlic cloves crushed 1 medium orange 3 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp grated ginger 1 tsp sugar 1/8 ground red pepper 4 large radishes, thinly sliced 1 red pepper, sliced green onions, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted Boil noodle in a pot of water. Add carrots to the colander. Pour pasta over the carrots to drain. Saute shrimp, red pepper and garlic, until shrimp is pink. Add to pasta mixture. In a bowl grate 1 tsp of orange peel and squeeze 1/4 cup of juice. Add vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sugar and ground red pepper. Add vinaigrette and remaining vegetable to pasta. Toss and top with sesame seeds.
 This dish is sooo delicious the picture cannot do it justice. I have made it a few times and it has always come out great. Here we ate this for lunch. You can also serve this on more bread in smaller slices as and appetizer or at a party. 1 medium eggplant cut into 1/2'' slices Kosher salt 1 small yellow onion cut into 1/2'' slices 1/2 cup olive oil 1 medium tomato. Chopped 15 Kalamata olives 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil 1 tbsp capers 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp garlic Finley chopped fresh ground pepper 8 slices Italian or other course country bread 4 oz fresh goat cheese Place eggplant slices on drying rack over sink. Rub with salt and let sit for 15 minutes (this is to draw out the eggplant's bitter juices). Rinse and repeat on the other side for 15 minutes. Grill eggplant and onion over medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes. Coarsely chop eggplant and onion. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Grill the bread for 2 - 3 minutes. Divide goat cheese and spread over the bread. Spoon the caponata over the goat cheese and serve.
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I learned to make these from Chris' father Bunny when he was here for Amanda's (Araya's mom) baby shower. I did not write down the ingredients when he was here so I sure I am missing some. Anyway this is the basic idea you can add and subtract as you wish.
