Category: All Recipes

HOT COCOA MIX

Rich, decadent hot cocoa is one of life’s simple pleasures! And it’s even better when you make it yourself, with just three simple ingredients.

My kids love hot cocoa! I drink my coffee in the morning; they drink their hot cocoa, everyone’s happy! One thing I struggled with for years, though, was finding a packaged hot cocoa mix that wasn’t loaded with “extra” ingredients – ingredients that I couldn’t even pronounce! When I would come across hot cocoa packets that I felt comfortable giving to my kids, I often found them expensive. Finally, tired of the frustration, I decided to make it myself. So through researching recipes and trial-and-error, voilà! HOMEMADE HOT COCOA MIX! It really isn’t rocket science. It’s incredibly easy to make, and I love that there are no mystery ingredients!

I like to make a batch and store it in a sealable jar. That way, the kids can make their hot cocoa in the morning without having to wait for mom to caffeinate up!

For this Recipe:

This recipe has three ingredients:

  • confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
  • powdered cocoa
  • salt. The salt brings out the chocolate flavor, so don’t omit it!

When making hot cocoa mix, it is important to sift all your ingredients together. Sifting helps to combine everything evenly and remove any lumps. 

Store in an airtight container; it will stay fresh for up to 6 months. But if your kids are anything like mine, it won’t last that long!

To Serve:

  • Stove Top: Mix 1 cup of milk with 2-3 tablespoons (depending on how sweet you like it) of hot cocoa mix in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Bring just to a simmer – but do not boil. Stir constantly, so the milk does not scald. Pour into a mug and top with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.
  • Microwave: Mix 1 cup of milk with 2-3 tablespoons (depending on how sweet you like it) of hot cocoa mix. Heat in the microwave until hot and steaming. Top with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.

**PRO-TIP (from my kids): Add a splash of French Vanilla creamer to the hot cocoa for a truly decadent experience!

Hot Cocoa Mix

Rich, decadent hot cocoa is one of life's simple pleasures! And it's even better when you make it yourself, with just three simple ingredients.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 20 servings (roughly)

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
  • 1 cup unsweetened powdered cocoa, regular or dark
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Sift the confectioners' sugar into a large bowl to remove any clumps. Sift the cocoa powder into the same bowl.
  • Add the salt and mix.
  • Sift the mixture one last time.
  • Store in an airtight container.

To Make a Cup of Hot Cocoa: (Single serving)

  • Stove Top: Mix 1 cup of milk with, depending on how rich and sweet you like it, 2-3 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Bring to a simmer – but do not boil. Stir so the milk does not scald. Pour into a mug and top with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.
  • Microwave: Mix 1 cup of milk with, depending on your sweet preference, 2-3 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix. Heat in the microwave until hot and steaming. Top with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.

Notes

Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
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LILIKOI LEMONADE

A lemonade that will have you believing you stepped into paradise with one sip…Yes, it’s that good! Lilikoi Lemonade is a combination of tart and sweet with the distinctly bold, tropical flavor that lilikoi (passion fruit) is known for.

It’s fall in Hawaii, and though it certainly doesn’t feel like fall or look like fall – the air is not cool and crisp, there are no leaves changing colors or falling off the trees – fall here means the lilikoi, or passion fruit, are ripening and ready to harvest. The lilikoi season will go from late summer all the way through January. If you have never tasted lilikoi, you are missing out! Lilikoi is both tart and sweet with a very strong, unique, and amazing flavor! It’s the perfect fruit to make incredible tasting desserts, sorbets, and of course, lemonade!

We have quite a few lilikoi vines growing in our backyard. The vines are covered with beautifully unique flowers during the late spring and early summer! And the more flowers we see, the more fruit we will have to harvest in the coming months. I freeze most of the juice we get from the lilikoi, so we enjoy the fantastic flavor year-round – it really feels like we are spoiled sometimes! If you want to read more on lilikoi, you can find the information here.

For This Recipe:

The most important step (and really the only step) in creating great lemonade is making a simple syrup. Also referred to as “sugar syrup,” simple syrup is a liquified form of sugar commonly used to sweeten cocktails, iced tea, iced coffee, lemonade, and other cold drinks. Because it is a liquid sweetener, it’s much easier to blend into cold beverages than regular sugar. For example, if you simply stirred granulated sugar into cold water and lemon juice, the sugar would sink to the bottom. As a result, you would end up with the top half of your drink being pucker-producing tart and the bottom being over-the-top sweet.

How do you make simple syrup?

Gently heat 1 cup of water with 1 1/2 cups of sugar over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir the simple syrup occasionally to help with the dissolving. This should only take a couple of minutes. You don’t want the syrup to boil. If you do, it will evaporate too much water, and you run the risk of burning the sugar. When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove it from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the simple syrup, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup of lilikoi juice into a pitcher. You’ll want to dilute the mixture with 4 cups of cold water, then allow your lemonade to chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. If it’s too strong, gradually add more water until you get just the flavor your looking for. Keep in mind that you’ll be adding ice to your lemonade, and it will further dilute the lemonade as the ice melts.

Lilikoi Lemonade

A lemonade that will have you believing you stepped into paradise with one sip...Yes, it's that good! Lilikoi Lemonade is a combination of tart and sweet with the distinctly bold, tropical flavor that lilikoi (passion fruit) is known for.
4.75 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 cup lilikoi juice, if you are not using fresh, make sure it is unsweetened.
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 cups water, to dilute

Instructions
 

  • Add 1 ½ cups sugar and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Juice enough lemons for 1 cup of juice. Typically, this would be 4 to 6 lemons. If using fresh lilikoi juice, juice enough lilikoi to equal 1 cup. **
    If you are using canned, bottled, or frozen lilikoi juice, make sure it is unsweetened.
  • Add the lemon juice, lilikoi juice, simple syrup, and a pinch of salt to a pitcher. Add 4 cups of cold water to the pitcher and stir well.
  • Refrigerate the lilikoi lemonade for 3-4 hours to completely chill.
  • To serve, add plenty of ice to the glasses. Pour over ice and serve.
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PUMPKIN CRUNCH CAKE

Soft pumpkin on the bottom and crunchy cake and pecans on top…This recipe has all the fantastic flavors of fall in one dish. Perfect for serving at your next fall gathering.

Fall is here! I absolutely love fall! I love everything about fall: cool crisp air, cozy sweaters, changing leaves, harvest parties, the anticipation of the coming holidays, and pumpkin everything–pumpkin pie, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bread – I could go on and on! And I am beyond excited to work on my delicious pumpkin recipes to share with you!

Funny thing, we don’t really have a true fall season in Hawaii. The leaves don’t change, and the air doesn’t get cool and crisp here, but having grown up in the Northwest and having experienced fall almost my whole life, it’s kind of ingrained in me. I have very vivid memories of fall; I can still smell the smells, feel the cold air, and hear the leaves crunching under my feet. So taking those memories, I recreate fall in our home, decorating with beautiful fall leaves and pumpkins and making delicious fall desserts! And here is one recipe that I make every fall.

For this recipe:

This recipe is really easy–it only tastes like it was a lot of work! But that will be our little secret.

  • In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix until completely incorporated and smooth. Then, pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared 9×13 baking dish.
  • With your hands, sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin. DO NOT STIR! Equally distribute the cake batter (you want it as flat and level as possible, so when you pour the butter on top, it spreads out evenly and doesn’t puddle).
  • Melt 1 cup of butter and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of chopped pecans, 1 tablespoon of melted butter (from the butter you just melted), and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir until the pecans are evenly coated. This creates candied pecans, which will have a nice, sweet crunch when baked.
  • Pour the remaining butter over the top of the dry cake batter. Without mixing it into the cake batter, spread it out evenly, avoiding large puddles of butter forming.
  • Evenly distribute the sugar-coated pecans on top of the butter.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, then check the cake. If the top is browning, cover with tin foil and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes (total of 50 minutes of cooking time). To check for doneness, insert a knife to check. If the blade comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
  • On a wire cooling rack, allow the cake to cool completely. Once cooled, place in refrigerator to chill and to finish setting up for a few hours before serving.
  • Top with whipped cream and chopped pecans (optional). Serve.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Soft pumpkin on the bottom and crunchy cake and pecans on top...This recipe has all the fantastic flavors of fall in one dish. Perfect for serving at your next fall gathering.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin
  • 1 (12 ounce) can of evaporated milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 box french vanilla cake mix, (you can also use yellow)
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter, melted

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  • Whisk together in a large bowl the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix until completely incorporated and smooth.
  • Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared 9x13 baking dish.
  • With your hands, sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin. DO NOT STIR! Try to get the dry cake mix as even and level as possible.
  • Melt 1 cup of butter and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of chopped pecans, 1 tablespoon melted butter (from the butter you just melted), and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir together until the pecans are evenly coated.
  • Pour the remaining butter over the top of the dry cake batter. Without mixing it into the cake batter, try to spread it out evenly.
  • Evenly distribute the sugar-coated pecans on top of the butter.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, then check the cake; if the top is browning, cover with tin foil, return to the oven and finish baking for an additional 10 minutes (for a total of 50 minutes). Insert a knife; if it comes out clean, the cake is done; if not, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Allow cake to cool on a wire cooling rack. Once the cake is cooled, place it in the refrigerator to chill and finish setting up for a few hours before serving.
  • Top with whip cream and additional chopped pecans (optional), and serve.
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GRILLED CHICKEN TACOS

Healthy, delicious, and satisfying…Those are the three words I would use to describe these chicken tacos! Not only that, they are easy to make!

I am so excited to share this recipe with you. This recipe is a family favorite in our home, and I’m confident it will be yours too! This recipe came together from a desire to feed my family healthy and delicious meals. The combination of the grilled chicken, fresh guacamole, and the fresh vegetables in the pico de gallo made for a dinner that I felt good about feeding to my family. Enough chit-chat; let’s jump right in!

About this recipe:

If you’ve spent much time on my blog, you’ve probably discovered I love to grill! And I really do! It’s a healthy way to cook your food while at the same time adding favor. Not to mention less mess in the kitchen; that’s always a plus in my book!

When grilling chicken, I always use thighs. This is because thighs are juicier than chicken breasts, and you are less likely to end up with dry chicken. But if you prefer to use chicken breast, it will work fine for this recipe. I simply season the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin. When I season the chicken, I always brush on the oil and add salt and pepper. I then pat a generous amount of cumin onto the chicken. I am generous with the cumin because when you grill, you will lose some cumin as the fat drips off the chicken, and you do want a reasonable amount of cumin flavor to come through.

Preheat your grill over medium-high to high heat. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side. Your grill temperature and cooking time will vary based on your grill and the thickness of the chicken. When grilling chicken, I ALWAYS use a meat thermometer to check if it is done. You do NOT want to eat undercooked chicken. Your chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165F. Allow the chicken to cool before chopping it into bite-size pieces.

This is a recipe that I think is enhanced by grilling the chicken, so I highly recommend it! However, I realize that sometimes grilling isn’t practical or possible, so I’ll provide stovetop instructions in the recipe notes below so no one misses out on this fantastic recipe.

Pico De Gallo:

To me, the pico de gallo is the star of this recipe! Look at those bright, bold colors! Pico de gallo is easy to make; all you do is dice the onion, tomatoes, pepper, and cilantro, stir in the fresh lime juice, garlic, salt, and voilà; you’re done.

The guacamole is almost as equally easy to make. The hardest part is finding a perfectly ripe avocado that’s as pretty on the inside as on the outside. I get so frustrated cutting open what appears to be a perfect avocado, only to discover that it has all kinds of black spots on the inside…I digress…Where was I? Guacamole! Add the avocado, lime juice, and salt to a small bowl and mash with a fork until you have the desired consistency. Taste test and add more salt if needed.

You are ready to assemble your tacos! Some suggestions for additional toppings – feta cheese, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce.

Feeding Kids:

Young kids aren’t likely to eat a taco; if yours do, you’re doing awesome as a parent…Mine didn’t, but an easy dinner solution was to make them chicken quesadillas. You already have the tortillas and grilled chicken; you just need some shredded cheese. Heat a pan over medium on the stove. Lightly butter one side of the tortilla and lay it butter-side down in the preheated pan. Quickly top with shredded cheese and cut-up chicken. Butter one side of another tortilla and place it on top, butter side up. Once the bottom tortilla is golden brown, flip the quesadilla over (trying not to fling chicken and cheese across the stove, good luck), and cook until golden brown and the cheese is melted. When the quesadilla is done, move it to a cutting board and slice it into triangles and serve with a side of sour cream (optional).

What to do With Leftovers:

I intentionally make extra of both the chicken and the pico de gallo. Not only do they make great tacos the next day, but they make a healthy and delicious chicken salad. I take any lettuce, spinach, or kale, that I have on hand, add some of the leftover chicken and pico de gallo, top with feta cheese and salad dressing, and done! You have a simple and healthy lunch or dinner with your leftovers!

Grilled Chicken Tacos

Healthy, delicious, and satisfying…Those are the three words I would use to describe these chicken tacos! Not only that, they are easy to make!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
 

  • tortillas, taco size
  • 2 pounds chicken thighs
  • olive oil
  • ground cumin
  • salt and pepper

Pico De Gallo

  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 1 whole onion, diced
  • 1 large green pepper, diced
  • 2 teaspoon raw garlic, minced
  • ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
  • salt, to taste

Guacamole

  • 1-2 avocados, mashed
  • 1-2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • salt, to taste

Optional Toppings:

  • feta cheese
  • shredded cheese
  • sour cream
  • salsa

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the grill on medium-high or high heat (depending on your grill). (See notes for stovetop instructions).
  • Trim fat off of chicken. Brush the chicken with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pat on a generous amount of cumin. Flip the chicken over and repeat on the other side.
  • Grill the chicken until well done, 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Remove from grill and allow the chicken to cool before cutting or shredding.
  • While the chicken is cooling, prepare the pico de gallo.

Pico De Gallo:

  • Dice the tomato, onion, and green pepper and add to a medium bowl. Add the minced garlic and chopped cilantro. Add the lime juice and salt and stir to combine everything well. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • Cut the cooled chicken into small pieces.

Guacamole: (Be sure to do last)

  • Add the avocado, lime juice, and salt to a small bowl. Mash with a fork until you have the desired consistency. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

To Assemble:

  • Heat the tortillas on the grill or the stovetop. **See notes
  • Fill the taco with chicken and layer on the guacamole and the pico de gallo. Add any additional toppings – feta cheese, shredded cheese, sour cream, or salsa.

Notes

On the stovetop, season the chicken the same way you would for grilling it. Heat your pan and 1 tablespoon of oil on the stove over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the pan and cook undisturbed for 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Cooking time will always depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
To heat the tortillas: I heat mine directly on the stovetop. You can do this directly on the burner or in a pan. Turn the heat to medium, giving it a few seconds to heat up. Then place the tortilla, either on the burner or in the pan. Flip the tortilla after 10 to 15 seconds; I usually flip 2 to 3 times. Remove from heat and immediately fill the tortilla. If you are heating several tortillas, place the warm tortillas on a plate and wrap them in a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Serve immediately.
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YAKI UDON

This dish is noodle-perfection! It’s an all-in-one meal in a bowl with a perfect blend of meats and vegetables! Not only is it fun to make, it’s fun to eat! Grab a pair of chopsticks and dig in!

Comfort food in our house usually involves noodles, in some form. When I discovered udon noodles at one of our favorite Japanese restaurants, it was love at first bite! Thick, chewy, and hearty – just look at them, what’s not to love!!

What are udon noodles? They are a thick and chewy wheat-flour noodle used frequently in Japanese cuisine and are a perfect accompaniment to soup or stir-fries like this one.

What is yaki udon? Yaki udon is Japanese stir-fried udon noodles mixed with meat and vegetables.

There are so many things to love about this recipe! Not only is it beautiful to serve – just look at those bright, bold colors – it’s fun to make and fun to eat! Even better, it is completely customizable: you can omit any ingredients you don’t like, add the ones you do, or add more or less of anything. The one thing that I wouldn’t recommend changing is the soup base. It gives this recipe such incredible flavor that it just wouldn’t be the same without it.

Some ingredients might be unusual and tricky to find, but this recipe is worth the extra effort! I would start in the Asian food aisle of your local grocery store, or even better, your local Asian market.

Ingredients:

Soup base (mentsuyu): This soup base comes together quickly and is so full of flavor. It really makes this dish what it is. The ingredients are unusual but necessary. You won’t regret using this soup base for your udon noodles!

  • Sake: Basically, it’s a Japanese rice wine common in cooking. You can find this in the alcohol aisle of your grocery store.
  • Mirin: It’s similar to sake but has more sugar and lower alcohol content.
  • Soy sauce: I think we are all familiar with this one…made from the fermented paste of soybeans.
  • Kombu (dried kelp): Edible kelp that is widely eaten in East Asia. Kelp is actually quite good for you; if you are new to eating it, I recommend giving it a try. Not only is it high in healthy iodine, but it also contains iron, calcium, vitamins A and C.
  • Dried Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi): This is another unusual ingredient, but one that we have really enjoyed using in multiple dishes because of its strong, distinct flavor. What is it? Katsuobushi is dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna. I usually use bonito flakes, which is a young bonito fish and an inexpensive substitute for skipjack tuna. 

Udon noodles: Typically, there are three ways to buy udon noodles: dried (like typical pasta), frozen, and fresh. And yes, some options are much better than others – way better, in fact! I would never recommend buying dried udon noodles. When cooked, they do not have the texture that udon is known and loved for. I actually would avoid buying udon altogether if dried was my only option. Frozen is a step up from dried and most brands are pretty good. But fresh udon is the absolute best way to buy udon. And I don’t normally promote brands on my blog, but Sun Noodles are by far the best I’ve found. Since they are fresh, they are sold in the refrigerated section. They will expire quicker than dried or frozen, usually within a couple of weeks of buying, so take note of the date. Follow the cooking directions on the package of whichever you buy. Fresh udon is only boiled for a couple of minutes, drained, and then rinsed in cool water to stop the cooking. Rinsing also removes some of the starch and prevents the noodles from sticking together. You’ll want your noodles to have a chewy texture, not mushy, so take care not to overcook them.

Meat: You have quite a few options for the meat…you could even make this vegetarian. I have made it with chicken, pork, and char siu. You could even do beef, cut into thin strips. Once I tried char siu pork, though, I was hooked, and it’s how I always make it now. What is char siu? It’s a Chinese version of barbecue pork, with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented tofu (red), dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sherry or rice wine. I buy mine already made in the meat section, but you can certainly make it yourself.

Kamaboko (or steamed fish cake): Many of you may be wondering what this is. If you frequent ramen restaurants, you most likely have seen it and eaten it. Basically, it’s a cured, processed seafood product of Japan. It is made of puréed white fish, formed into different shapes, including semi-cylinder loaves, and steamed until it becomes firm. High-quality kamaboko will contain as much protein as eggs and many healthy nutrients. It will also be low in fat and calories. However, it may be high in sodium, so when you are purchasing kamaboko, you will want to check the ingredients to ensure you are making a health-conscious choice. Color is often added to give it that bold, bright pink color. It certainly does look pretty in this dish, but if you prefer not to have the color additive, you can buy kamaboko without the pink color added.

Vegetables: This is where you can get really creative. You could add a variety of vegetables that I don’t have listed. I have seen people use mushrooms, bok choy, baby corn, asparagus, peppers, or snow peas. You are really only limited by your creativity!

  • Cabbage: I prefer napa cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage, for this dish. Cabbage will cook down to almost nothing, seriously! The first time I made this, I used 5 big leaves, and by the time I finished cooking the yaki udon, I could hardly find the cabbage. My husband actually said, “you know what would go good with this? Cabbage.” So the next time, I added more – a whole head, to be exact! Trust me; it cooks down! To prepare the cabbage, I remove the outermost leaves and discard them. I then separate the remaining leaves and cut out the thick rib in the center of each leaf, just using the tender outer edges of the leaves. You can either cut or tear the leaves by hand, but don’t make the pieces too small, or they will be nonexistent when cooked.
  • Carrots: I like to julienne the carrots (cut into long thin strips).
  • Onion: I use a sweet onion, roughly chopped. You could also use yellow onion.

Most of the work to make this dish is in the prep, making the soup base, and cutting up the meat and the vegetables. But once the prep is done, it comes together quite quickly. Don’t let the length of this post or the ingredients intimidate you. This is a dish worth making! I hope this will become a favorite in your home like it is in mine! If you make this, comment and let me know! How did you customize your yaki udon?

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my Curry Udon Soup.

Yaki Udon

This dish is noodle-perfection! It's an all-in-one meal in a bowl with a perfect blend of meats and vegetables! Not only is it fun to make, it's fun to eat! Grab a pair of chopsticks and dig in!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course

Equipment

  • wok

Ingredients
 

Noodle Soup Base, (Mentsuyu) :

  • ½ cup sake
  • 1¼ cup mirin
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 2×2 inch piece kombu (dried kelp),
  • 1 cup dried bonito flakes

Ingredients:

  • 28 ounces udon noodles, fresh or frozen (preferably 2 packages of fresh Sun Udon Noodles).
  • 2-3 tablespoons neutral flavored oil
  • 1 pound meat, (8 ounces to 16 ounces), char siu, pork, chicken, or beef, chopped.
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • 1 roll (6 oz.) kamaboko, (steamed fish cake), sliced
  • 1 head of Napa cabbage, cut out the center vein and use the soft leaves

Toppings (optional):

  • green onions, sliced

Instructions
 

Noodle Soup Base Instructions:

  • Gather all the ingredients. In a medium saucepan, add the sake and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Let the alcohol evaporate for 5 to 10 seconds.
  • Add the mirin, soy sauce, kombu, and bonito flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until it has cooled down.
  • Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and set aside until ready to use.

Instructions:

  • Gather all ingredients.
  • Roughly chop the onion.
  • Julienne the carrot (cut into long thin strips).
  • Remove and discard the first outer layer of cabbage leaves. Separate the remaining leaves. For each leaf, cut out the thick, hard vein from the center of the leaves, only using the tender outside of the leaves. Tear or cut into large pieces. Use most or all of the cabbage. It will seem like a lot, but it cooks down.
  • Chop your meat into bite-size pieces, set aside. Slice the kamaboko (steamed fish cake), set aside.
  • For udon: Discard any sauce that came with the noodles (you'll use the soup base you made). Follow boiling instructions on the package. After noodles are boiled, drain and rinse in cold water. Rinsing in cold water stops the cooking process and removes some of the starch so the noodles do not stick together. Set aside until ready to use.
  • Meanwhile, in a wok or deep frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add your choice of meat and cook until almost cooked through about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until translucent and soft. Add the carrots, kamaboko, and cabbage. With tongs, gently toss the ingredients as the cabbage begins to wilt.
  • Add most or all of the soup base (depending on how soupy you want your dish) to the wok or frying pan. Continue to toss with tongs to coat the vegetables evenly and heat up the soup. Add the cooked udon noodles, and toss gently to allow the noodles to absorb some of the soup, about 5 minutes.
  • Serve and garnish with green onions.
Keyword Noodles
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HOMEMADE SUGAR DONUTS

There is no better way to start your day than with a scrumptious, warm donut. With this easy, delicious recipe, you can whip up a batch of donuts in about 30 minutes. Serve with a cup of piping hot coffee or hot cocoa, and you are starting your day off right!

I will admit one of my weaknesses is donuts. Thank goodness there is not a donut shop in the immediate vicinity. Something about a warm, fresh donut and a cup of hot coffee makes me feel…well, happy! For years I never even thought about making homemade donuts; I assumed they were difficult to make and wouldn’t turn out as good as bakery donuts. Besides, I had a huge aversion to frying food! But as I began to follow more food blogs and saw other people making donuts, I thought maybe I could too! I started with baked donuts; I wasn’t ready to fry yet. They were good, some great even, but it wasn’t a bakery donut. One morning on a whim, I decided, I’M FRYING DONUTS! They were amazing! My kids loved them! My husband loved them! And I was hooked. Is frying food healthy…no, but “everything in moderation” is my new motto. I had a new mission to create an easy, delicious, and easily adjustable recipe, basically a great base donut recipe.

I was wrong about donuts being challenging to make. These donuts come together in about 20 minutes and fry up in about 2 minutes (per batch). You have warm, fresh, homemade donuts in about 45 minutes from start to finish! Now some donut recipes can undoubtedly be more difficult. Some recipes call for yeast, and of course, in that case, you need to allow time for the dough to rise. Yeast donuts can take 2 to 3 hours to make from beginning to end. Maybe someday, I will try my hand at yeast donuts, but for now, I love this simple recipe for donuts, and I’m excited to share it with you.

TO MAKE THESE DONUTS:

  • The oil will take a while to heat up, so get it started while making the dough for the donuts. Pour enough oil into a large pot to give you about an inch of oil. Heat oil to 365°F over medium-high heat. You must use a thermometer; no guesswork is allowed here! Use a frying thermometer or a candy thermometer to ensure proper temperature. While the oil is heating, you can prepare the donuts (keep an eye on the oil temperature).
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients; flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together all of your wet ingredients; buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter.
  • Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, and using a fork, mix just until combined. Do not over-mix. If the dough is too wet, you can add more flour. Start by adding 1 tablespoon and mix. If you still need more, repeat by adding another tablespoon of flour. The dough should be sticky but easy to work with.

 

  • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ½ inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. Then, using a 2¾ inch pastry cutter and a 1-inch pastry cutter (I use this cutter set), cut out donuts and donut holes, placing cut donuts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or cutting board. Re-roll as needed to use all the dough. You can use a bigger donut cutter, but keep in mind the recipe will yield fewer donuts than the recipe indicates.
  • Once the oil has reached 365°F, place no more than three donuts in the oil at a time. Add too many, and you run the risk of cooling your oil too much. Fry for about 2 minutes, flipping once after 1 minute. Donuts are done when they are golden brown on both sides. Move to a paper towel-lined cooling rack to cool.**Keep an eye on the oil temperature and adjust the heat up or down to maintain a temperature of 355°F to 365°F.** (See Tips and Tricks below for more information on frying).
  • Allow fried donuts to cool for 1 minute before rolling them in the sugar, be sure to coat all sides. If you allow them to cool too much, the sugar will not stick to the donuts.
  • Continue the process until all donuts are fried and coated with sugar.
  • Fry donut holes using the same method, frying no more than 12 at a time.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Tools: You need to be able to cut out your donuts. You can buy a donut cutter that will simultaneously cut out the donut and donut hole. These tend to measure from 3 inches to 3 1/2 inches, so you will get fewer donuts, as the cutter I use is 2 3/4 inches. You can find the cutter set I use here. Or you can use pastry cutters. I have a set of pastry cutters with 12 different sizes of circular cutters. I find that the 2 3/4 inch cutter and the smallest, 1-inch cutter make the perfect size donuts and donut holes. These are smaller than the large bakery size donuts, but then I can have two and not feel too guilty about it. You can always make larger donuts, but remember this recipe will yield fewer donuts than the recipe indicates. You can always whip up another batch if you need a few more donuts, as this recipe is so quick and easy to make.

Dough: Donut dough should be sticky but not so sticky that you find it hard to work with. The key is flour. If the dough seems a bit sticky, add a little flour, no more than a tablespoon at a time. Also, it is important that you lightly flour the surface you plan on rolling the dough out on, the top of the dough, and the rolling pin. Before you use the cutters, dip them in flour and after cutting two or three donuts, dip the cutters in flour again, to keep the dough from sticking. Once you cut the donuts, place them on a cutting board or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough will not stick to the parchment paper.

Frying: *Honest moment* Frying things in oil used to intimidate me. But I’ve done it enough now to be pretty comfortable with it. Just use common sense and be careful. But here are a couple of tips on frying.

  • First, the temperature is so important! When frying anything in oil, you have to use a thermometer or candy thermometer. You have to know your oil temperature to cook the food correctly. If your oil is not hot enough, your food will be under-cooked. If the oil is too hot, you will burn your food. For frying donuts, you want your oil to be between 355°F and 365°F. The hardest part in making donuts is keeping your oil between those two temperatures. You will discover that your temperature will drop as soon as you put the donuts in the oil. That is why you should never fry more than three donuts at a time because your temperature will drop too low. Just keep a close eye on your thermometer, and take the time to adjust the oil temperature. If you need to, wait a few minutes between batches to allow your oil to get back to 365°F. But you also don’t want to put your donuts in oil over 365°F because they will be overcooked on the outside and most likely undercooked on the inside. If your oil is getting too hot, you can carefully remove it from the burner for a few minutes to let the oil cool down.
  • Never drop the donuts into the hot oil. You will get splashed with hot oil, and you will get burned. Most people, myself included, assume that the oil will sizzle and pop and spit hot oil at you when you add the donuts, kind of like the trials of frying bacon. However, if the temperature is correct (not too hot), when you put the donuts in the hot oil, they will sizzle under the surface and not splatter or spit at you. The technique I use is simply laying the donuts gently in the oil. They will initially sink to the bottom, but they will float to the top after a few seconds.
  • You will flip the donuts after about a minute or when they are golden brown. You will need something to flip the donuts and remove them from the oil when they are done. A pair of forks will work, or even a large meat fork. They even make a tool called a spider strainer made for frying food. The strainer looks like a spider web, hence the name.
  • Don’t throw the oil out when you are frying your donuts! You can reuse it. Once you’ve finished frying, let the oil cool. When it’s reached a safe temperature, place a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth (even better if you use both) over the container you plan to store it in and strain the oil. Label the oil with the date and what you fried in the oil (You don’t want to fry donuts in oil that previously was used to fry fish…gross!). Store the oil in a cool, dry place for no longer than three months. Always check your oil before reusing it. If it is cloudy or rancid-smelling, throw it out!

The one downside to donuts is that they don’t make good leftovers. They just don’t taste the same the next day. I have tried heating them in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to see if I could revive them…It helped a little, but they were not as good as a fresh-made donut. So I would not recommend making these with the intent to have leftovers, but instead, make as many as you think you will eat for breakfast that morning.

**Another option for these donuts is to roll them in cinnamon and sugar. Use 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

Homemade Sugar Donuts

There is no better way to start your day than with a scrumptious, warm donut. With this easy, delicious recipe, you can whip up a batch of donuts in about 30 minutes. Serve with a cup of piping hot coffee or hot cocoa, and you are starting your day off right!
4.63 from 8 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Course Breakfast
Servings 15 donuts + 15 donut holes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 4-5 cups vegetable oil, for frying (see notes)

For Coating Donuts:

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • Pour enough oil into a large pot to give you about an inch of oil. Heat oil to 365°F over medium-high heat. Use a frying thermometer or a candy thermometer to ensure proper temperature. While oil is heating, prepare donuts (keep an eye on the oil temperature).
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter.
  • Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, and using a fork, mix just until combined. Do not over-mix.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ½ inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. Then using a 2¾ inch pastry cutter and a 1-inch pastry cutter, cut out donuts and donut holes, placing cut donuts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or cutting board. Re-roll as needed to use all the dough.
  • Once the oil has reached 365°F, place no more than 3 donuts in the oil at a time (or you run the risk of cooling your oil too much). Fry for about 2 minutes, flipping once. Donuts are done when they are golden brown on both sides. Move to a paper towel-lined cooling rack to cool.
    **Keep an eye on the oil temperature and adjust the heat up or down to maintain a temperature of 355°F to 365°F.**
  • Allow fried donuts to cool for 1 minute before rolling them in sugar, coating all sides.
  • Continue the process until all donuts are fried and coated with sugar.
  • Fry donut holes using the same method, frying no more than 12 at a time.

Notes

The amount of oil you need will depend on the size of the pot you use. You want the pot big enough for three donuts to float freely. So an easy rule of thumb is to use enough oil to have at least an inch of oil in your pot.
You can reuse your oil. Allow the oil to cool completely, strain (to remove any food particles), and store in an airtight jar.  I recommend labeling your oil jar with the date and what it was used for. 
I don’t recommend keeping leftover donuts. They just do not taste the same the next day. So if you need to, make half of a recipe.
****Another option for these donuts is to roll them in cinnamon and sugar. Use 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
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