Okinawan Shoyu Pork

Okinawan Pork Roast No. Four
4 pounds boneless pork butt
Brown garlic cloves in oil.  Remove.  Brown pork roast.  Place in slow cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients.  Pour over pork roast.  Cook for 8 to 10 hours in slow cooker.
Remove roast.  Let cool.  Slice.  Thicken sauce in pot with flour and water paste.  Pour thickened sauce over slices.  Cover and seal pan with foil.  Bake at 350 deg. for 1 to 1/2 hours.

Ingredients
4 pounds boneless pork butt
1 1/2 C shoyu
3 C water I used two pork loins.  This was a lot of water but I used the sauce to make a gravy.
1 C sugar
3/4 C brown sugar
3 T mirin
Sliced and chopped ginger
1 clove garlic or more
Sake?
Tomato sauce?
I tweaked recipe and added Chinese five-spice powder, sesame oil and green onions.  You can also add shiitake mushrooms.

Okinawan Pork Roast No. Two

3-5 pounds of pork butt, chopped into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 c. shoyu
1 c. brown sugar
1-2 c. water
1/2 c. mirin (sweet rice wine)
1/4 c. cooking sake
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 T. ginger, minced or grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the shoyu, mirin, sake, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.

Butcher down your pork into pieces and place them into the crock pot. Pour the sauce over them. Set the slow cooker on low, cooking for about six to seven hours. (The pork will turn a very dark brown, but the pieces should be fork tender.

Okinawan Pork Roast No. 3

Rafute

1-1/2 pounds belly pork
1/2 cup awamori, sake or whiskey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1-inch piece ginger, crushed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mirin

Cover pork with water in a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then simmer 10 minutes to remove excess fat. Drain and rinse pork; cut into 1/2-inch slices.

Combine liquor, soy sauce and ginger in pot; bring to boil. Add pork slices in a single layer. Cover and simmer 1 hour, turning occasionally so both sides are evenly glazed with sauce.

Combine sugar and mirin; stir into pot. Cook, uncovered, 45 minutes or more, until pork is glazed and soft. Serves 8.

Cuban-style turnovers

Ingredients:
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp water
1/2 of a 17.3 ounce pkg puff pastry sheet, thawed
4 tsp mustard
8 thin slices deli baked ham
8 slices Swiss or provolone cheese
4 kosher dill pickle sandwich slices
8 thin sliced roast pork
2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:
1.  Heat the oven to 400 deg. F.  Stir the honey and water in a small bowl.
2.  Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square.  Cut into four (6-inch) squares.
3.  Spread 1 tsp mustard on each pastry square to within 1/2 inch of the edge.  Layer each with 2 ham slices, 2 cheese slices, 1 pickle slice and 2 pork slices.  Brush the edges of the pastry squares with water. Fold the pastry over the filling to form a triangle and crimp with a fork to seal.  Brush the filled pastries with the honey mixture.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.  Place on baking sheet.
4.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.  Let cool.

Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps with Grapes and Pecans

Ingredients
1/2 C greek yogurt
1 tsp lemon zest
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 T chopped dill herb, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
3 C chicken, shredded
1 C red grapes, quartered
1/2 C toasted and chopped pecans
4 green onions, sliced
1 head Boston Bibb lettuce

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, mustard and dill.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in chicken, grapes, pecans, and green onions and season again.

Spoon chicken salad into lettuce leaves, garnish with dill.

Coconut peanut noodles with shredded chicken

Ingredients
1/4 C coconut milk
1/2 C peanut butter
1 T sesame oil
2 T shoyu
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 knob ginger, peeled and grated
1 T white vinegar
1 T sugar
1 pound cooked lomein noodles or spaghetti
1 pound shredded chicken
1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped
4 scallions, chopped

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, mix coconut milk, peanut butter, sesame oil, shoyu, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and sugar until well incorporated.

Toss noodles and chicken with coconut-peanut mixture.  Serve in a large bowl with cilantro and scallions.

You can doctor this up by adding vegetables!

Another version Made this version on April 7, 2017.  It turned out great!!
For the sauce:

• 1/2 C peanut butter
• 1/2 C coconut milk
• 3 T shoyu
• 2 T minced ginger
• 1 T honey
• 1 T fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

For the noodles:

• 1 pound soba noodles (other noodles will work too.  I made this with chow mein noodles.  I also added other veggies (won bok, bean sprouts, cucumbers AND did not saute the vegetables first but added them raw.  )
• 1 C frozen edamame
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 bell peppers (any color), thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 2 small handfuls of bean sprouts
• Cilantro, sesame seeds, and lime wedges to serve
  

Cauliflower Soup

3 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 1/4 C green cabbage, roughly chopped
 1/2 C leeks, roughly chopped
2 T garlic, minced
1/2 C parsnip, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp rosemary, minced
3/4 tsp thyme leaves
2 C coconut milk
2 1/2 C celery juice (or vegetable stock)
1 tsp salt
Black pepper, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil slightly in the stock pot, and saute the cauliflower, leeks, parsnips, garlic, rosemary, and thyme until the cauliflower is slightly browned.
2. Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk.  Let simmer for approximately 30 minutes, then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Blend until smooth, either using a handheld blender, food processor or regular blender.  

Cheesy Broccoli Bites

3 cups broccoli florets, steamed and blotted dry
2 T low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 large egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 deg. F.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone or foil muffin liners and spray with cooking spray.
2. Chop the broccoli florets into small pieces (no bigger than the size of a marble).
3. In a large bowl, add the broccoli, cottage cheese, parmesan, egg whites, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion.  Stir until everything is well combined.
4. Scoop two tablespoons of the broccoli mixture into each muffin tin and press down with your fingers.  Sprinkle each bite with mozzarella if desired.
5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until lightly brown on top.  Remove from oven and enjoy warm.