Grillin’ With Aloha

Aloha

Hola a me ka Hookipa Ana

(Hello and Welcome)

You Had Me At Aloha

Gordon Grillin’ us up Something Delicious

Me, Waiting to eat that Something Delicious!

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This blog post is about our love of Hawaii and the foods we ate there. Although we have many Hawaiian food blog posts on our website, this one is about the grill at home. Nothing necessarily authentic, just Hawaiian culture in nature. Hawaii is made up of several cultures, so this is our American influence on the foods we loved to eat during our 13 years of living there.

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Baked Pineapple Wrapped in Bacon w/ Coconut Glaze

Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Yams w/ Coconut Glaze and Grilled Spring Onions

Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Yam Topped with Roasted Coconut and a Coconut Glaze

I Love all the Orange, Green, Red, and Yellow

Excellent Pu-Pu’s

(Appetizers)

Our Old Hard Rock Cafe, Honolulu, Hawaii Souvenir Glasses

Saturday Night Pu-Pu’s and Drinks on the Lanai

Mango Salsa w/ Pineapple Chunks

(We didn’t make it, we opened a jar…, but Gordon did add the pineapple chunks.)

The Game of Mancala, of course.

Pineapple, Mangosteen, and Veronica’s Handmade Bowls and Cup

Our New Favorite Super Food, Mangosteen

Mangosteen looks like Garlic, but are Sweet, Beautiful Cloves

(It has many health benefits, so eat up.)

But First, Our Hawaiian, Pineapple, Mangosteen, Margaritas

The Pineapple and the Mangosteen

You first want to chop off the top, and bottom of the pineapple.

(You can plant the top of the pineapple in the ground and grow your own pineapples.)

Here Gordon is using a PINEAPPLE KNIFE to slice the sides.

I bought it at the Dole Pineapple Cannery in Hawaii. You can see the knife is curved.

Slicing all the “Skin” off the Pineapple

Now Slicing the Pineapple

The Drink Ingredients:

Fresh Pineapple

Pineapple Juice

2 Cups Ice

10 Mangosteen Cloves

2-3 Cups Chi-Chi’s Original Margarita mix (Comes with Tequila and Triple Sec)

If needed – 3 Shots Tequila

2 Tbsp Grenadine to bottom garnish the drink

Place your ice in the blender and add your fresh pineapple

Now, add your Margarita mix (and more Tequila if needed)

Then add your Mangosteen.

The outer shell that surround the mangosteen.

Sweet Cloves

Blend Well

Pour into tall glasses and add some Grenadine down the center.

It will settle at the bottom giving the drink a second color.

Place a wedge of pineapple on the drink for garnish.

We also added a fresh Bing Cherry.

Gordon Garnishing our Drinks

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The Bacon Wrapped Pineapple

I think anything is excellent when it’s wrapped in bacon, but there is just something very tropical and delicious about bacon wrapped in pineapple. Especially when there is a coconut glaze involved.

Gordon Cutting up the Pineapple

Cutting Off the Skin and Slicing the Pineapple

Cutting the Pineapple into Chunks

You do want to halve the bacon, a very thick cut bacon, to wrap around each pineapple chunk.

Gordon wrapping each chunk of pineapple with bacon, and securing with a toothpick.

Make sure to put your oven on 350F

Place the bacon on a cookie sheet, now add the glaze.

To make the glaze … In a small pot mix 1/2 Cup Coconut cream, and 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk.

Now add 2 tsp Powdered Ginger

Mix well with a whisk and add 2 Tbsp butter.

Cook the mixture on medium heat until thick…about 8 min.

Brush on the Coconut Glaze

Into the Oven they Go!

Cook them for about 30 min. or until the bacon is cooked.

Look How Beautiful When Done

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple

Perfect!

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Gordon on the Grill

Asian Pineapple, Pork Kabobs

Our Delicious Hawaiian/Asian Themed Dinner

Grilling the Pineapple, Pork Kabobs

Yams

Sweet Potatoes and Yams Grilling

(Most people don’t know the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. In color, sweet potatoes are beige, and yams are a bright orange. My ancestors in the south ate a lot of sweet potatoes and lived very long and healthy lives because of it.)

Grilling the Stuffed Scallops

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Asian Pineapple Pork Kabobs

Pork Marinade Ingredients:

2 Pork Tenderloin

2″ of fresh Ginger – sliced thin

3-4 Garlic Cloves minced

2 Tbsp Sesame Seed Oil

1/4 Cup Dumpling Dipping Sauce

1 Cup Pineapple Juice

1/2 Cup Aloha Brand Soy Sauce

Kabob’s

Bell Peppers, Onions

Peel your thumb of ginger with the edge of a spoon.

Slice it into rings.

Place all your fresh into a large zip lock bag.

Here, I sliced the garlic, then minced it.

I like to rinse the meat to get off the old blood.

Carefully, cut off the silverskin as it is chewy and not very tender.

Slice your tenderloins into half then into chunk sized pieces.

Place the pork chunks into the bag.

Now, add your wet ingredients… the sesame oil, and dipping sauce…

pineapple juice…

and soy sauce.

Close the bag tightly and mix well.

Just in case the bag rips, place the bag into a large container.

Let the pork marinade for at least 12 to 24 hours.

Now for the rest of the ingredients.

Slice the pineapple by removing the bottom then the top.

Now, slice off the outer skin of the fruit.

Slice the pineapple in half then in half again.

This will expose the inner core and slice some of it off as it is hard and woody.

Slice your bell peppers into 1/4 chucks as shown.

Slice your onions into 1/4 chunks leaving the root end intact.

Place the marinated pork, onions, and peppers, onto metal skewers.

Here, the scallions are going to be placed on the side once grilled.

Be creative with the placing of the meat and vegetables on the skewers.

If hungry help arrives…

put them to work!

Brodie and Justin Skewering

As usual, they did a great job!

Grill the skewers until the pork is cooked to ~145 ‘F

Gordon and His Grill

Here, I grilled the skewers first…

Look How Delicious

So tender. Our son, Brodie, claims that this is the best pork he has ever eaten. 🙂

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Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Yams with a Coconut Glaze

Ingredients:

3 Yams

4-5 Sweet Potatoes

Glaze Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Coconut cream

1/2 Cup Coconut Milk.

2 tsp Powdered Ginger

2 Tbsp butter

Place the Yams and Sweet Potatoes in cool water then turn the heat to boil them for about 20-25 min. or until fork tender.

Remove from the boiling water and place in a pot of cool water to stop the cooking process.

Slice into 1/2 ‘ rings leaving the skin on.

To Make the Glaze…

In a small pot mix 1/2 Cup Coconut cream and 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk.

Now, add 1/2 tsp Powdered Ginger

Mix well with a whisk and add 2 Tbsp butter.

Cook the mixture on medium heat until thick…about 8 min.

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Time to Tour the Lanai While we Wait

Our Favorite Room

On Our Lanai

It helps when you have somewhere nice to sit out and grill, and just enjoy.

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That would be MY spot! (To quote Sheldon)

Just some of our Aloha Memories.

A coconut cup I bought at the flea market, two of my vintage carved wood perfume holders that I found on The Big Island, and some black sand I picked up on the black sandy beach of The Big Island as well.

And some puka shells. Puka means hole.

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Some Pretty Things on our Lanai

Memories of Aloha

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Gordon Enjoying a Hawaiian Beer

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Now Back to Grillin’ our Sweet Potatoes and Yams

Gordon heating the glaze on the grill burner.

Here he is grilling the Yams and Sweet Potatoes and the Scallions

You want the nice grill marks so have your grill on Med. High heat.

You can lightly brush the glaze on the potatoes and yams on the pre-grilled side.

Doing this will keep them from burning do to the sugar in the glaze.

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Mango Coconut Shrimp

Rinse Your Shrimp

Using your grill, heat 2 Tbsp of butter in a cast iron skillet.

Add about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of shredded coconut.

Cook the coconut in the butter for about 3 -4 min.

Here, we used a mango coconut sauce…

Add the sauce to the buttered shredded coconut.

(Not everything has to be homemade.)

Whisk the ingredients together and cook for about 3 min.

Add your large shrimp … about 1 Lb.

Mix well and serve while hot!

I also grilled some pre-made stuffed scallop shells…

You will likely find them at your local store.

Grill them for about 8 min. over Med. High heat.

You will know they are done when the edge of the seafood becomes slightly black.

Mango Shrimp and Grilled Stuffed Scallops

Enjoy!

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At my desk looking outward.

I have the best view in the house. I can look out over my great backyard and see all sorts of wildlife to swoop in, wander in, fly in, crawl in, and slither in.