Basic Baked Tofu

1 block firm or super-firm tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce (optional)

This recipe makes a basic baked tofu that you can then flavor with any of your favorite sauces for a source of healthy protein with an unlimited amount of taste variations. You can refrigerate the baked tofu and pull it out later in the week to add to stir fry and hot stews. Baked tofu is also a great protein addition to cold sandwiches or as a snack.

Preheat the oven to 350º. Remove the tofu from its package and place in a colander to drain for a few minutes or press the tofu block firmly between paper towels. Slice into strips lengthwise and drain the tofu again by placing the strips between a few layers of paper towels and patting to remove excess water. Cut the strips into medium bite-sized pieces and place them on an oiled baking pan. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the tofu pieces and toss to coat them well. Space the tofu pieces evenly and bake for about 20 minutes or until tofu is lightly browned. If you want, remove the tofu from the oven after 15 minutes and sprinkle with soy sauce or Bragg’s, then bake another 5 minutes. Do not over bake the tofu or it will become chewy. Check the tofu during baking time and if the pieces begin to swell up, that is a sign to take them out immediately. Let cool and enjoy with your favorite flavoring!

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated or minced)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sweetener of your choice (sugar, honey, maple syrup, fructose, Splenda, etc.)
2 tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Heat the soy sauce and fresh ginger over medium heat in a skillet or saucepan. Stir in the garlic powder and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add a touch of your favorite hot sauce if you want a spicy teriyaki sauce. Add 3/4 cup water and the sweetener and stir until dissolved.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch (or other thickener) in an equal amount of water until completely dissolved, and then slowly add to the sauce while stirring continuously. Keep stirring over medium-low heat until the sauce starts to simmer and begins to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and thoroughly mix the baked tofu pieces into the sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion and toasted sesame seeds.

http://www.tastyandmeatless.com/bakedtofuteriyaki.htm

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The ukulele is small, light and much easier to play then the guitar. Although it takes time to learn to play it, it has a beautiful sound once mastered. It does take practice to learn the different keys but it also takes a good ear to master the different ways to tune your uke. There are great musicians who offer classes to the public and there students range from 5 year olds to 60 year olds plus.

The ukulele is a very popular instrument not only in Hawaii but all over the world. There are master craftsmen who take pride in producing beautiful and great sounding instruments. Today there are different types of uke’s produced. The types are the concert, tenor, soprano and baritone. The soprano is more widely used but gaining in popularity is the concert uke.

The uke’s also varies in size. The concert uke which is my favorite is around 23 inches long; the soprano which is the smallest measures in at 21 inches, the tenor is 26 inches long and the baritone which is the largest of them all measures in at 30 inches.

The popular ukulele’s in the 60’s was the Kamaka ukuleles and the Martin uke’s. Both are still popular and very high quality. There are a lot of different craftsmen nowadays who produce custom uke’s that offer you different selections of woods from koa to mango. The custom uke varies in price range depending on what you require. You can select the wood and type of uke you want. Different craftsmen offer different shapes and finishes. You need to shop around for the type, shape, finish and sound quality that you want. Price range for good quality uke’s can run from $200 to $3000+ for your custom uke’s.

You can find a wide range of prices and types of uke’s on eBay.

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This Hawaiian Man is Israel Kamakawio’ole.

His ever growing success, Israel Kamakawio’ole, is a true Hawaiian vocalist known to all as “Bradda IZ”. He has a lifelong success with his beautiful Hawaiian voice and gentle captivating music.

Bradda IZ will always be remembered as a True Talented Hawaiian Man with a Heart of Gold. He gave so much to the people of Hawaii with his beautiful music. At the young age of 38 Bradda IZ left us but will always be in our hearts. His music stretched across the ocean when his album Facing Future was released in 1993 with his medley “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World”, which was featured in several films, TV programs and commercials.

You will find a wide selection of Uke’s on eBay!

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Each island holds its own beauty in scenery, its people, music and lifestyle. You will find a wide variety of culture and customs but always the “Spirit of Aloha” will show the true lifestyle of Hawaii’s people.

Hawaii has a lot of talented musicians that represents our true culture. Their music written with love of their heritage tells stories of the beauty of our aina (land) and the people. “Ki ho’alu, is a style of Hawaiian slack key music that is very popular in Hawaii. The young generations are mixing the Hawaiian Slack key guitar tuning and reggae sounds and calling it Jawaiian. It’s different but it sounds great!

We have a lot to share with you and would like to be part of your life. Stay with us and each week we will bring you interesting articles along with pictures and video’s of our beautiful Hawaiian Islands.

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