Grazing with Gary: More favorite Hawaiian recipes to honor Maui

Aloha!! From the island of Maui. We did not cancel our trip. Instead, we are here to support the people of Maui, who need support from tourists to stay alive. The restaurants need tourists, and the servers need tourist tips to afford to live. The housekeepers, janitors and entertainers all rely on tourist dollars to survive. We will be visiting the Humane Society, and they have a program where you can check out shelter dogs for a day and give them some loving and maybe a burger before we return them. This week, we continue with some of my favorite Hawaiian recipes. First, we have a Hawaiian snack mix. This is almost like the Christmas Chex party mix, but this has a Nori flavor to it. Pack it in the kids' lunch or take it to work to snack on. Second, we are making kabobs. We still have a few weeks of summer left and these kabobs are a great dinner. You can even send the cooked ones to lunch with the kids. Last, it would not be a Hawaiian meal if you don't have a good mac salad. This is a simple salad and can be served with any meal. Mahalo!! Furikake Snack Mix Ingredients · 1 box Wheat Chex · 1 box Corn Chex · 1 box Honeycomb cereal · 1 bag (any size) Fritos · 1 bag (any size) Bugles · 1 bag (any size and shape) pretzels · 1 cup butter · ½ cup Karo Syrup (or honey) · ⅔ cup sugar · ⅔ cup vegetable oil · 2 tablespoons soy sauce · 1 bottle Nori Goma Furikake Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 250F. 2. In two large pans, divide the Wheat (or Rice) Chex, Corn Chex, Honeycomb cereal, Bugles, Fritos and pretzels evenly between the two pans. Set aside. 3. Now make the syrup. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once melted, add in the Karo Syrup (or honey), sugar, vegetable oil and soy sauce. Stir to mix. 4. Pour the syrup over the two pans of Chex mix, make sure to divide the syrup equally between the two pans. Using two big spoons/spatulas, toss the Chex mix until all the pieces are evenly coated with the syrup. 5. Then pour in the whole bottle of Nori Goma Furikake, split between the two pans. Stir until the furikake is mixed evenly. 6. Bake at 250F for 1 hour. Take the pan out every 15 minutes to toss/mix to make sure it cooks evenly. 7. Remove from oven, let cool. Then divide up into bags/containers and share. Everyone loves Furikake Chex Mix! Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs Ingredients Marinade: 1/3 cup ketchup1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce1/4 cup canned pineapple juice4 tbsp olive oil , divided, plus more for brushing grill1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar4 garlic cloves , minced (4 tsp)1 Tbsp minced ginger1/2 tsp sesame oilSalt and freshly ground black pepper Kabobs: 1 3/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast , chopped into 1 1/4-inch cubes3 cups (heaping) fresh cubed pineapple (about 3/4 of 3 lb. pineapple)1 1/2 large green peppers, diced into 1 1/4-inch pieces1 large red onion, diced into 1 1/4-inch pieces Instructions 1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Stir in 3/4 tsp pepper and season with salt if desired. 2. Place chicken in a gallon-size resealable bag. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade in refrigerator then pour remaining marinade over chicken. Seal bag and refrigerate for 1 hour (meanwhile, soak 10 wooden skewer sticks in water for 1 hour). 3. Preheat a grill over medium heat to 400°F. Meanwhile, drizzle the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil over red onion, bell pepper and pineapple and toss. Season red onion and bell pepper with salt and pepper, then thread red onion, bell pepper, pineapple and chicken onto skewers until all of the chicken has been used. 4. Brush grill grates with olive oil then place skewers on grill. Grill for 5 minutes then brush along tops with 1/4 cup of remaining marinade. Rotate to the opposite side and brush the remaining 1/4 cup of marinade on opposite side. 5. Allow to grill about 4 minutes longer, or until chicken registers 165°F in center on an instant read thermometer. Serve warm. Hawaiian Mac Salad Ingredients · 1 pound macaroni · 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar · 2 carrots shredded · 1/4 cup onion shredded (optional) · 2 1/2 cups mayonnaise Best Foods or Hellman's mayonnaise (no substitutes!) · 1/4 cup milk · 2 teaspoons sugar · Kosher salt and pepper to taste Instructions 1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well and place macaroni in a large bowl (I like to use a Tupperware bowl with a lid so I can easily refrigerate later). 2. While macaroni is still hot, sprinkle on vinegar and add carrot and onion. Toss together until well combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until cooled. 3. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together mayo, milk, and sugar. Fold mayo mixture into the macaroni until all the noodles are evenly coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (best if overnight). Gently stir before serving, add a little more milk if needed, no more than a tablespoon or two.