Hawaiian Haystacks

INGREDIENTS
Coconut Rice
2 cans reduced fat coconut milk
2 cans* jasmine rice
*use the coconut milk cans to measure rice

Chicken Gravy
1 can coconut milk, divided
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded chicken**
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup whole milk

Toppings

Pineapple tidbits
Sliced black olives
Crunchy chow mein noodles
Shredded coconut
Slivered almonds
Shredded cheese
Shredded carrots

Mandarin orange segments
Frozen green pees, thawed
Diced bell peppers, green, red
Diced tomatoes
Diced green onions
Diced celery

**Make this as easy or involved as you like. Rotisserie chicken is delicious, and so is frozen chicken made in the instant pot and shredded. I guess you could even go the canned chicken route.

DIRECTIONS

In your rice maker, combine jasmine rice and coconut milk, and cook according to package directions. The rice will be moist, and has the potential to burn on the bottom.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 can coconut milk and sour cream. Whisk until combined and then set aside.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter.

Add the garlic, continually moving garlic around until lightly browned. Add flour, and whisk in the pan for 1-2 minutes. The longer you cook this portion, the more flavor you will impart on your gravy.

Add salt, black pepper, and onion powder, milk, and half of the coconut milk.

Whisk until combined, and bring to a simmer.

Cook until gravy starts to thicken up, about 2-3 minutes.

Whisk in remaining coconut milk, and the sour cream.

Add chicken, and stir until the gravy has warmed through.

Place all of your toppings in individual bowls, or in rows on a sheet pan for people to pick their own toppings.

To Serve:

Bed of coconut rice, top with chicken gravy and pile toppings as high as your tummy will let you.

Sweet 'n' Spicy Baked Beans

Recipe from Brian Ballou

INGREDIENTS

1 lb thick sliced bacon, chopped
3 large sweet onions, diced
5 bell peppers, diced
12 hot links, sliced into half moons
3/4 lb light brown sugar
18 oz BBQ Sauce, sug: Sweet Baby Ray's*
2- 55 oz cans Bush's Baked Beans Homestyle*
1- 55 oz can Bush's Baked Beans Original*
Vinegar (optional)**

*Use whatever ratio or brand you want, this is just what I have always used, and it works.
**If you find that the beans are too sweet, throw in a dash of vinegar to cut the sweetness.

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, over medium heat cook bacon until crispy.
Remove from pot, and leave rendered bacon fat in pot.
Add onions and peppers, and cook until soft. Add hot links and brown.
Return bacon to pot, add brown sugar and BBQ sauce. Mix thoroughly.
Stir as you add baked beans to mixture. Cook over medium heat until beans are warmed.
Remove from heat and serve.

I used to work at an oilfield chemical company, and every year we were tasked with catering the API Golf Tournament Lunch for the Friday flights every year. I had joked that we needed to do catering on the side, because we'd kill it. This recipe for baked beans will make the crankiest of old men happy to see you. They will also keep them coming back for more, even if they just ate or are about to eat, a crap ton of food on the course. They are spicy, they are sweet, they are delicious. I'm certain I will find true love someday while serving these baked beans.

Cowboy Caviar

Recipe from Culinary Hill

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 ounce) can super sweet corn, drained (see notes)
1 red onion, diced
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup chopped cilantro (1 bunch)

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, sugar, white wine vinegar, chili powder, cumin and salt.

Add tomatoes, black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, onion, bell peppers and cilantro. Mix to combine.

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight to let the flavors marry. Serve chilled with chips.

Lilliana and I went to the store one Saturday to purchase some strawberries to make strawberry ice cream. Next to the strawberries was some samples of what looked pretty dang gross, but it had a corn chip, so we decided to try it. And then our love for Cowboy Caviar was born. We paid the outrageous price of $2.69 for a cup of it, and then shoveled into our mouths as fast as we could, because other family members would try it, and would also fall in love. Today when I went to the grocery store, they did not have any of that delicious Cowboy Caviar, so I found a recipe, and hot dang, I am gonna live off of this stuff!