Hawaiian Steak Feast with Grilled Zucchini & Whipped Feta

Celebrate island flavors at home with this Hawaiian Steak Feast with Grilled Zucchini & Whipped Feta. A tropical-inspired dinner that’s surprisingly easy to make and perfect for a special occasion—or any night you want a little getaway.

Hawaiian Steak Feast with Grilled Zucchini & Whipped Feta

Our wedding anniversary just passed, and it stirred up some beautiful memories. We were married on a beach in Hawaii, waves crashing softly in the background, and the scent of the ocean carried into every part of that magical day. Ever since, Hawaii has held a special place in my heart—not just for the stunning scenery, but for the food that wrapped itself around every memory.

This past month, I’ve been cooking Hawaiian-inspired dishes to relive a little of that time. One recipe in particular reminds me of our celebration dinner: Hawaiian Steak Feast with Grilled Zucchini & Whipped Feta. Juicy, marinated flank steak grilled until perfectly charred, tender zucchini with a smoky kiss of flame, and a creamy base of whipped feta that ties it all together.

At first glance, the ingredient list might seem a little long, but don’t let that fool you—this dish is wonderfully easy to prepare. The marinade does most of the work, infusing the steak with bright pineapple, mango, and ginger notes while you simply grill and blend. In less than an hour of hands-on time, you’ll have a tropical dinner that feels both special and effortless.

Every bite takes me back to the island breeze and that unforgettable evening. Whether you’re celebrating something big or just want to treat yourself to a little taste of paradise, this Hawaiian steak dish is the perfect way to bring the aloha spirit home.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this tropical-inspired dish:

• Flank Steak – tender, lean, and perfect for soaking up marinade.

• Soy Sauce (low-sodium) – the salty, umami base of the marinade.

• Pineapple Juice – brings natural sweetness and a touch of acidity.

• Brown Sugar – balances the savory flavors with a hint of caramelized depth.

• Rice Vinegar – adds brightness to the marinade.

• Fresh Ginger & Garlic – bold aromatics for that signature island kick.

• Onion Powder & Black Pepper – simple seasoning to round out the flavor.

• Mango Purée – sweet and tropical, pairing beautifully with the pineapple.

• Zucchini – sliced lengthwise for grilling; smoky and tender.

• Olive Oil & Kosher Salt – essential for grilling the vegetables.

• Feta Cheese & Heavy Cream (or milk) – blended into a creamy whipped feta to serve as a luscious base.

Substitutions and Variations

Make this recipe your own with a few simple swaps:

• Steak Alternatives: Try skirt steak or sirloin if flank isn’t available. Both grill beautifully.

• Feta Swap: Goat cheese or cream cheese can replace feta for a milder whipped base.

• Dairy-Free Option: Blend feta with a splash of olive oil instead of cream, or use a plant-based feta substitute.

• Veggie Twist: Substitute zucchini with eggplant, bell peppers, or even asparagus for variety.

• Fruit Boost: Add grilled pineapple slices or fresh mango chunks alongside the steak for extra tropical flair.

• Heat Lovers: Stir in a pinch of chili flakes or a drizzle of sriracha into the marinade for a sweet-spicy balance.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Marinade Time: Keep it between 4–8 hours. Too short and the flavors won’t penetrate; too long and the steak can become mushy from the fruit enzymes.

• Pat the Steak Dry: Before grilling, blot the meat with paper towels. This helps achieve a good sear instead of steaming.

• Grill Hot & Fast: Flank steak cooks best over high heat for a short time—this keeps it tender and juicy.

• Slice Against the Grain: This is key! Cutting thin slices against the grain ensures the steak is tender, not chewy.

• Make-Ahead Tip: The whipped feta can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge. Just bring it to room temp before serving.

• Serving Idea: Spread the whipped feta on the platter before topping it with sliced steak and zucchini—it makes for a beautiful presentation.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad

Yum

Hi there!  Is everyone having a great summer so far?

We certainly are.  The heat is on and we have decided that this is the summer of salads.  We love eating the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables available to us now and what better way to showcase them than by salads (plus the fact that MGG can't go a day without a salad...#rabbitatheart). 

I've joined on the salad band wagon with him but I like my salads with some sort of protein in them to consider them a main dish.  That usually means some form of chicken for me and being summertime grilling the chicken is my go to method.

On Sunday, MGG and I visited our local farmer's market and found the best salad greens.  This particular vendor grew only greens and they had baskets of loos salad greens to mix and match.  Love it!  So we grabbed a few bags full and went on our way to see what else we could find.  An hour later we came home with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, melons, and bell peppers, and on and on....

On Monday I was working at home and decided to put the salad greens and bell peppers to good use and make a salad for lunch.  I decided to create a Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad.  So I grabbed my favorite marinade, Organicville's Island Original Teriyaki sauce, and some cashews, and pineapple to create this salad that reminded me of a great teriyaki bowl.  Oh it was soooo good.  I tell you, MGG missed out on this one!

The dressing is a combination of the teriyaki sauce mixed with rice vinegar, some pineapple juice (so save the liquid in the can) and some olive oil. Yum!  This dressing is light and tasty and the perfect topping.

So grab all your fresh veggies and make a wonderful salad for your lunch.  No need to share...I won't tell anyone.  But if you do find yourself in a generous mood you can just double, triple etc..this recipe and make enough for the family.

Enjoy!

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad

serves 1

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup teriyaki marinade (such as Organicville's Island Original Teriyaki sauce)
2 cups of mixed baby greens
1/3 cup of sliced red and orange bell pepper
1/4 whole cashews
1 8 oz can of pineapple chunks, juice saved for dressing   

Salad Dressing:
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 Tbls rice vinegar
2 Tbls olive oil
2-3 Tbls pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple rings)
To prepare chicken marinate the chicken breast in the marinade for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile prepare the salad ingredients by placing them on a platter or in a medium bowl.

Prepare the dressing.  In a small bowl or mason jar add the teriyaki sauce, vinegar, olive oil, and pineapple juice.  Shake until combined.  Set aside.

Heat a gas grill to medium high.  Add chicken, discarding remaining marinade.  Cook covered about 5 minutes per side or until it reaches 160 degrees internal temperature.  Remove from grill and all to rest 10 minutes.  Slice chicken into slices and add to the salad.

Drizzle salad with dressing, toss to coat.  Serve.





Another recipe using Organicville's Island Original Teriyaki sauce:  Teriyaki London Broil

Slow Cooker Meal: Hawaiian Style Chicken

Sometimes you don't have time to "cook" a meal.  You know what I mean?

These days are busy for everyone.  The holidays are coming and there are so many things to do. Planning the big day meal becomes a project in itself.  Plus there are just everyday life things that get in the way, like work, errands, kids activities, chores. You know the drill.

I had a day like that the other day.  We had just returned from vacation.  I didn't get to the grocery store before the new work week started so I just needed something I could cook for Monday's dinner that was fast and super easy using a few ingredients that I had on hand.  Something I could just dump and go.

That's where the slow cooker comes in to play.

It's a godsend I tell you!

You can prep a meal the night before in the crock and put it in the refrigerator, or do it the morning of, turn it on a go. When you come back 8 hours later BAM! you have a wonderful dinner waiting for you.  

So I found frozen chicken which I thawed overnight, and a few fresh veggies and a couple of pantry items and I was all set to make a Hawaiian Style Chicken.  This is a super easy version of teriyaki chicken.  All you have to do is make the rice and a salad when you get home and dinner is served!

Now don't be put off by the lack of ingredients in this dish.  It is super flavorful guaranteed. Something the entire family with enjoy and very kid friendly.  Sometimes simple but flavor punching ingredients are the best.  You'll end up with a sweet and savory dish that's great over rice but would be perfect as sliders on a Hawaiian roll.   

Enjoy a quick and easy dinner!




Hawaiian Style Chicken

serves 4

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 15 oz cans of pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
1 onion, sliced
2 orange or red bell peppers, diced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 c soy sauce
cooked hot rice for serving

To a slow cooker add the chicken, pineapple with the juice, onions, bell pepper, brown sugar, and soy sauce.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Break the chicken into chunks if needed.  Serve over hot rice if desired.

Food in Paradise

Hi everyone!  I'm glad to be here posting today because I have some exciting dishes to share with you.

MGG and I just got back from a wonderful relaxing trip to paradise! Paradise being Hawaii that is.
It's been such a long time since we had a real honest to goodness vacation full of luxury and pampering, plus a huge dose of relaxation.

I love Hawaii and haven't been back for many years, so it was time.  Plus, MGG had never been before so we had decided on a spur of the moment trip, pulling out all the stops and went 1st class all the way from the plane ride to the resort.  Wow, talk about being spoiled!  I certainly resisted coming home.  I was thinking of all kinds of sneaky ways to get us to stay..a day, a week more, or.like forever!

But unfortunately my antics didn't work and we had to return home.  Totally relaxed, but not ready to go back to work.  Dang work....who made up that duty anyway?

One of the best things other than the views, was the food, which is what I wanted to share with you today. We stayed at a resort that had about 8 different restaurants.  This was perfect because we had a choice of gourmet tropical restaurants, Asian cuisine, and some down home favorites such as burger joints, ice creamery (excellent homemade ice cream!) and even pizzas (with a Hawaiian twist as well).  

A friend of my highly suggested that we try CJ's New York Style Deli for downhome diner style breakfasts. The first day we headed over there and found it was a wonderful quaint deli style restaurant that was open air style.  Everything over there is pretty much outdoors.  The best thing about this restaurant was the hidden talent of the chef!  Wow!!!  The food was so good that we ended up eating there several times.  You can tell by my pancakes below, and MGG's french toast that the food is generous.  These were both so light, tender, and fluffy that I knew I was in heaven just by the food.  Oh and bringing in the 'tropicalness" to the dish was the coconut syrup they served with the dishes.  Man oh man!  Excellent stuff, not overly sweet like you would think.  I have to recreate that for sure.

Walking around the village we ran across a great little store called The Honolulu Cookie Company.  The make homemade shortbread cookies.  They are darling little cookies shaped like pineapples and they come in all sorts of flavors.  From standard shortbread, to lichee fruit flavored ones.  This was a gem of a store.  We picked out a sample of our favorites to take back with us as you see here.  Pineapple happened to be may favorite and MGG likes the dark chocolate dipped ones.

We also took a day to tour the island.  This was just fabulous, seeing the more rural side of Hawaii. Stopping at roadside beaches, hiking, and touring temples made for a fun filled day.  When we returned we sprang for a huge salad.  This Chinese chicken salad we picked up at a local restaurant was outstanding.  Again enough food fro two to eat.  And we did!

We ate a variety of dinners while we were there.  From Japanese food served Benihana style to upscale tropical cuisine.  Hawaii is full of gourmet dining.  The fresh fish was outstanding.  MGG had a field day eating the sushi, and mahi mahi.  This particular night we dined at the Tropics restaurant on the beach.  Watching the sunset I had to partake in some tropical libation.  My dinner consisted of a heavenly steak that was so tender and juicy.  Served with garlic mashed potatoes and island vegetables.  MGG had mahi mahi this night and I forgot to take a picture of it because I was so enthralled with my steak.  Oops!

We were so full from dinner that we ordered a dessert to go. After a late night evening in the resort bar listening and dancing to Hawaiian music (love it!) we headed back to the suite for dessert out on the lanai. We shared a key lime cheesecake adorned with a mango sauce and another shortbread cookie.  Sublime!

So if you ever find yourself in Hawaii take the time to enjoy the cuisine.  All the chefs are outstanding and the food is absolutely deslihhhh!