Hawaiian Dinner

 Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Serves 6

• 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni
• ▢1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢1 carrot peeled and grated
• ▢2 tablespoons grated onion (it will be liquidy)
• ▢1 ¼ cups Best Foods or Hellman’s mayonnaise (I use Light Hellman's—same great taste, less calories!)
• ▢2 tablespoons milk
• ▢1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni according to package directions (see notes). Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar over the top, add the carrot and onion, stir, and let it cool slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, and sugar. Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the macaroni, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Gently stir before serving, and if needed thin it out with a teaspoon or two of milk or a little more mayo.

• The locals tend to overcook the pasta until it’s soft and fat. I prefer to cook until tender but not really overcooked. This is a matter of personal preference.
• You absolutely must use Best Foods or Hellman's brand mayonnaise for the dressing. These are the only brands of mayo that are traditionally used in this dish. They are technically the same brand, but have different names depending on the US region where you purchase them.
• The serving size for this recipe is based on an ice cream scoop of salad per plate. You can even halve the quantity in the recipe, and it is still plentiful. If you desire more macaroni per person, make the full recipe, or even double it for a party or potluck.
• You can include this fantastically simple Hawaiian mac salad on a classic plate lunch. This terminology refers to a plated meal consisting of a serving of protein, steamed rice, and mayo-based salad. Make your own classic Hawaiian plate lunch by pairing this easy Hawaiian mac salad with another standby:

Hawaiian Huli Huli chicken

Serves 4

 

For The Marinade:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
• 1 1/4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For The Chicken:

• 4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts
• Olive oil (use to oil the grill before adding chicken)
• 1 stalk green onion , chopped (use the green part), for garnish

Instructions

1. Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a large covered container, until fully combined. Set aside about half of the marinade in a separate container (cover and refrigerate the reserved marinade until ready to grill).

2. Add the thawed chicken pieces to the large container; turn to coat in the sauce. Make sure container is covered. Refrigerate chicken overnight, or at least 4-6 hours.

3. Prepare BBQ. Lightly oil the grill with the olive oil. When coals are hot and ready to go, add the chicken pieces. Discard the marinade that the raw chicken was in. 

4. Grill the chicken until done (larger pieces of chicken will require longer cooking time). Use the reserved marinade (from step #1) to baste the chicken continually while it cooks. When chicken is fully cooked (approx. 20-25 minutes or so, depending on size), remove chicken from grill to a serving platter. Garnish chicken with sliced green onions. Serve and enjoy!

Kalua Pork

Crockpot Kalua Pork

All Recipes
Original recipe 12 servings

1 (6 pound) pork butt roast (or chicken)
1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt
1-3 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring (depending on the strength of the flavor you want)

1 onion and celery (3 stalks) Chopped (optional)

Pierce pork all over with a carving fork. Rub salt  over meat. Place roast in a slow cooker. Add chopped celery and onion.
Cover, and cook on Low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cooking time. A few hours before the meat is being served I add liquid smoke.
Remove meat from slow cooker, and shred, adding drippings as needed to moisten.

Serve with rice

Serve with either Macaroni salad or green lettuce salad

To serve (20-30 people)
3 pork boneless roasts weighing about 4 lbs each
2 onions and celery (3 stalks) Chopped (optional)
salt
2 containers of liquid smoke

For our extended family we made this.  Begin cooking a whole day before the event.  Put pork, salt, onion, and celery in the crockpot on high the first 8 hours then put it on low for 8 more hours. A few hours before the meat is being served I add liquid smoke (b/c it makes our house liquid smokeyness).

 I have used butt roast or shoulder roasts before and it works out just fine.

Leftovers!!!!!  (day 1) Kalua pork, served with sticky rice & mac salad; 

(day 2) Pulled pork - add BBQ sauce & nuke, serve on buns; 

(day 3) Carnitas - crisp up the pork in a skillet with a squirt of juice from a plastic lime, sprinkle of cumin, & fresh cilantro if I have it, served with guacamole & salsa. 

Serve Macaroni Salad with this pork/chicken recipe