Pork and Asparagus

Tonight's dinner was pork with red wine pan sauce and asparagus with a side salad of romain lettuce and ginger dressing. I used pork rib meat (boneless). The pan sauce was sucs, butter, garlic, shallots, red wine, and chicken broth. The asparagus was coated with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, then baked for 15mins @ 425F. A little green onion was added on top of the pork.

Chicken Masala

Chicken Masala with rice and veggies

I bought a Masala mix at HK2 and followed the directions on the box. I added 1/2 red onion diced up and a couple cloves of diced garlic. I stir fried some Chinese broccoli and spinach in another pan with garlic and ginger and a little chicken broth. I ran out of Jasmine rice, had to make the Japanese rice today.

Masala package


Simmering it all together


Topped off with fresh basil leaves and green onions - Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Ramen Yukino Ya

Ramen Yukino Ya in Rowland Heights. There seems to be an influx of ramen places around Industry.
Not a bad thing as long as they don't taste as bad as Ojiya's ramen attempt. Yes Ojiya's Ramen on Colima is bad...

They have 3 different soups to choose from. I went for the soup without seafood.

Yukino Ya Tonkutso Ramen with Wavy noodles - The pork is very soft/tender/good. The soup is a tad salty.


Yukino Ya Shoyu Ramen - Too salty


Pork Rice


We'll be sticking to Foo Foo Tei or Ajisen.

Ramen Yukino Ya
18230 E. Gale Ave.
Industry, CA 91748

Chicken Meatballs and Pasta

Chicken Meatballs and Pasta

The meatballs were mixed with diced garlic and red onions. I cooked using olive oil Meatballs were removed and diced red onions and yellow bell peppers were added in. Deglazed with white wine then reduced down. Added in chicken broth then reduced. The De Cecco pasta was boiled in salted water for 6mins then finished in the pan mixed together with the meatballs.

Topped with fresh basil leaves

Stir Fried Chicken

Stir Fried Chicken with Jasmine rice and kale.
Cooked with garlic and ginger.

Getting back into things after a week of being on vacation. The name Cook Islands isn't synonymous with "cooking" at all...

Last meal in the Cook Islands

Our last meal on Rarotonga was at the Aquarius hotel where we had a day room booked to rest before our midnight flight back home. There are a lot more dining options then Aitutaki but nothing was close enough to walk to. We ordered the New Zealand Steak. I was expecting better as I have had NZ steak before in Tahiti and remember that meal well. I was disappointed.



South Pacific drink - A little too sweet for my taste buds



Fruit Smoothie


Our last sunset....

First dinner in Aitutaki

Monday night was quite busy at the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa. We were too tired to stay up to watch the fire show. It felt like it took an hour to receive our meal.

Thai Beef Salad - Good but the salt was way too salty.


Prawns, I believe they described them as giant prawns, which don't exist there?

Lunch in Rarotonga

Lunch from some food huts in what they call the main town, Avarua. Avarua is very small, but it's the only real town as you circle the island.



Inside


Curry Chicken $10 NZD


Fruit Smoothie and Fish Burger

First meal in Rarotonga

The flight from LAX to the Cook Island of Rarotonga lands at 6AM. We had to kill time as our transfer flight was at 3:30. We booked a day room at the Aquarius hotel across the street from the airport. Our first meal:

French Toast


View from the back of the hotel:


View from the front:

Pork Spaghetti

Pork Spaghetti with Bok Choy

3/4lb pork filets
1/2c flour
3 heads Bok Choy
thin spaghetti
salt
pepper
4 cloves garlic
light olive oil
1/2c chicken broth
sesame seeds

Cut pork into small pieces, dip in flour
Dice garlic
Wash/dry then cut up bok choy

Pre heat pan, when heated, add oil. Once oil is ready, add pork. Cut for a few minutes, turn pork over. Boil water for spaghetti. After a few minutes, remove pork to plate, tent it.
Add salt to boiling water, then spaghetti. Add oil to pan, then garlic. After 1-2mins deglaze with broth. As broth reduces, add bok choy. Add pork back, mix together. Drain spaghetti then add to pan. Add olive oil and mix well. Serve on warm plate. Add sesame seeds. Add salt/pepper to taste.

Steak Kabobs

Steak Kabobs and a side of Butter Lettuce with Bouchon house vinaigrette. Click here to see the vinaigrette recipe. I am looking for their light salad dressing if anyone knows it! The steak kbaobs were from Vons. Seared on a grill pan first, then baked for ~60mins in the oven at 425F. 2 carrots boiled until soft. Lettuce served with dressing, sea salt, pepper, fresh thyme.

Searing


Out of the oven


On the plate


Salad with avocado

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Pan Sauce

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Pan Sauce, Roasted Red Potatoes, and Boiled Broccoli

Stir Fried Chicken

Chicken marinated with lemon, stir fried with garlic, onions, rice wine, soy sauce, bok choy, and a side of jasmine rice.

1/2lb chicken thighs
1 lemon
1 small red onion
1 garlic clove
2TB soy sauce
1/8c rice wine
oil
3 stalks Bok Choy
salt
pepper

Chicken Cutlets with Grape-Shallot Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Grape-Shallot Sauce

From EatingWell, see the recipe here.

I made two servings and reduced the recipe by half. I used chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Served with steamed rice and boiled broccoli. The rice was molded with a ramekin.