Innie or Outie

This is another simple and quick recipe for those with busy schedules.

Basic Meat Sauce

1 pound hamburger
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons white pepper
One 15 ounce can tomato sauce
One 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
One 4 and 1/2 ounce can mushrooms

Brown hamburger in a frying pan, then drain off excess grease. Stir in tomato sauce, tomatoes, onion, oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, garlic, tomato paste, muchrooms, and white pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Store in refrigerator for at least 8 to 10 hours.

This basic recipe goes well with pasta, rice, or cornbread.

Another alternative to add flavor as well as increased nutritional value to white rice is to use prepackaged grain mixes designed specifically for rice.

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10 Grain Rice

Simply prepare rice for cooking as usual. Add one grain packet on top of uncooked rice prior to cooking, then cook as usual. When cooking is completed, thoroughly stir grains into the rice and serve.

I like this type of rice with homemade thick-batter vegetable tempura, herb-marinated B-B-Q pork cutlets, or as the main ingredient of a quickie snack using butter, soy sauce, pickled turnips, and grated parmesan cheese.

In America when we want a quick bite of something we often get a slice of luncheon meat, some cheese, a little lettuce, two slices of bread, and throw together a quickie sandwich. On Okinawa, a quickie munchie can be a bowl of rice topped with ochazuke (an instant snack of green tea and seaweed diluted with boiling water).

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Another instant product that is very popular on Okinawa is instant miso soup ( sort of the Japanese equivalent of canned soups in America).

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On occasion I combine these two products (I can just see the locals going into shock!) and create my own quickie rice gumbo.

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Japanese-style Instant Gumbo

1 and 1/2 cup precooked white rice
1 packet ochazuke
1 packet (set) instant miso soup
1 umeboshi (pickled plum)
boiling water

Place rice in serving bowl and pour contents of ochazuke and instant miso soup packets on top of rice. Pour 1 – 11/2 cup boiling water over rice mixture, and let stand for approximately 3 minutes. Thoroughly stir all ingredients and top with umeboshi.

There are several varieties of these two products available, so you can try different versions to find the flavor that suits your own taste best. The ingredients should be available in your local supermarket’s Asian foods section. Also, if you want meat with this, precooked bite-sized tonkatsu (chicken-fried pork cutlet), chicken dog, shrimp, or even spam can be used.

As tasty as rice is, sometimes one can get tired of the same old plain white rice. This is a recipe I created to put a little variation on the dinner table.

Golden Rice

3 cups cooked white rice
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1/4 cup milk

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and place in the microwave oven for 2 minutes. This recipe is good for backyard B-B-Qs or with saucy meat entrees (such as Chanpuru-No Rules-Cooking☆Recipe#20).

This is a simple over-night or day before recipe. As with many spaghetti sauces and stews, this tastes even better when refrigerated for 8 to 10 hours after cooking is completed.

Tangy Shredded Pork Roast

1 one and one-half pound pork roast
1/2 large onion (julienned)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix paprika, brown sugar and pepper. Rub all over pork roast. Place pork and onion in crockette (or crockpot on low) and cook for two hours. After two hours turn pork over and cook for two more hours.

Mix vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, garlic paste, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Pour sauce into crockette and cook for 8 to 10 hours more.

While still in crockette, separate pork with fork and serve over rice or a bun. (For added flavor, place in a container and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours, then reheat and serve.)

Texiken Pasta

Guacamole flavored tortilla chips (crushed)
3 chicken breasts (precooked and sliced in bite-sized pieces)
1 large bell pepper (diced)
1/2 large onion (diced)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon red pepper powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic paste
4 slices sandwich-style cheddar cheese
Grated parmesan cheese
Dried parsley flakes
Cravattine or farfalle (bow) pasta

Preheat oven to 250 degrees centigrade.
Line the bottom of a 10 x10 x 3 inch slightly greased casserole dish with a thin layer of the tortilla chips.
Combine chicken, bell pepper, onion, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, mushrooms, tomatoes, red pepper, white pepper, and garlic paste in a large bowl. Pour mixture over tortilla chips in casserole dish. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove casserole from oven, top with cheddar cheese slices, put back in oven and cook for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to directions.

Place drained pasta into serving bowls, top with casserole, sprinkle with desired amount of parmesan cheese, and then sprinkle with parsley. Serve

This is a quick, simple meal and the whole process takes little more than 20 minutes.

Sea Chicken (Tuna) Pasta

1/2 small onion (diced)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 can tuna (in oil)
1 tablespoon oregano flakes
1 tablespoon basil flakes
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon red ginger (the julienned type that is more commonly used for Okinawan style soba)
Linguini

Begin cooking pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, and tuna (including oil) in a frying pan over medium heat for approximately five minutes.

After five minutes stir in oregano, basil, parsley, white pepper, and soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until pasta is cooked.

Strain pasta and add to the tuna mixture. Thoroughly mix pasta and tuna mixture, then mix in red ginger and lightly toss until red ginger is evenly spread through out the pasta mixture and serve.

This dessert was inspired by one of my favorite ice cream flavors.

Frozen Rum Raisin Yogurt

Per Serving

1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup yogurt
crushed almonds

Mix raisins, honey, rum extract, and vanilla extract in a food processor. Place raisin mixture in a blender, add yogurt, and blend until thoroughly mixed. Place in a serving cup. Place in freezer for at least one hour.

Aproximately fifteen minutes prior to serving, remove from freezer and sprinkle with crushed almonds.

This is a dish that combines German and Okinawan style cooking.

Crockpot German-Style Oden

3 medium potatoes (thinly sliced)
1 medium onion (sliced)
One 9 pack of frozen chicken dogs (can substitute regular beef hot dogs or pork sausage)
Two 16 ounce cans sauerkraut
2 tablespoons white pepper
Mustard

Place potatoes and onion in the bottom of crockpot. Put chicken dogs on top of potatoe/onion layer. Spread a layer of sauerkraut on top. Sprinkle white pepper over the sauerkraut layer.

Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Place each serving in a bowl and top with one teaspoon of mustard.

In a world where the majority of households do not have typical ovens, this is an easy and delicous way to enjoy one of my favorite dishes.

Crockpot Lasagna

1 pound hamburger
1/2 medium onion (diced)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
One 15 ounce can tomato sauce
One 41/2 ounce can mushrooms
One 15 ounce container small curd cottage cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
9 lasagna noodles (uncooked)

Brown hamburger in a frying pan, then drain off excess grease. Stir in tomato sauce, onion, oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, and white pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Line bottom of a lightly greased crockpot with 3 lasagna noodles (break the noodles in half if necessary). Layer with 1/2 of meat sauce and 1/2 of mushrooms. Spread 5 ounces of cottage cheese evenly on top. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella and 3/4 cup parmesan.

Repeat the layer of 3 lasagna noodles, meat sauce, mushrooms, and cheeses.

Top with 3 lasagna noodles and remaining cheeses.

Cover crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.