Love and Olive Oil

Loco Moco

Asian-Style Loco Moco from Breakfast for Dinner

So, if you had to pick, what’s your favorite recipe in the book?

Throughout this entire process, that question comes up over and over. And when I was promoting The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook, I had a hard time answering it. I mean, it’s kind of like choosing a favorite child, right?

For Breakfast for Dinner, however, despite the fact that each and every recipe deserves to be a favorite in its own right, one recipe stood out above the rest.

Yep, we both agree (shocker! I know!) that our hands-down favorite recipe in the whole book is our take on the Hawaiian classic, Loco Moco.

The original dish typically consists of a generous portion of white rice topped with a hamburger patty—or grilled Spam—and a sunny-side-up egg, plus lots of brown gravy. Our version takes the basic rice/meat/egg concept and elevates it with coconut-infused sticky rice, savory ground pork, and a sweet-and-salty soy sauce reduction.

I apologize if we’ve offended any loco-purists out there, but man oh man is it good.

Crazy good, in fact, and entirely worthy of its name.

Asian-Style Loco Moco from Breakfast for Dinner

It’s been just over a month now that the book has been out in the wild, and we couldn’t be more pleased at the positive feedback we’ve been getting. Seems like we are not alone in our love for breakfast for dinner.

Breakfast for Dinner Enhanced eBook

And now (exciting news!) Breakfast for Dinner is now available as an enhanced eBook! We’re so excited that Quirk chose our book as their first ever enhanced ebook, full of cool interactive features like step-by-step instructions, recipe notes and ingredient tips, menu ideas, recipe finder, a shopping list, and more. And it’s on sale now for only $14.99 in the Apple iBookstore. Just don’t spill on your new iPad, mmmkay?

Of course, if you’re one of those people who has to hold a physical book in your hands (I totally get it), you can still purchase a copy at your local bookstore, on Amazon, or grab a super special autographed copy in the L&OO shop. :)

Loco Moco

Did you make this recipe?

Ingredients:

For Coconut Rice:

  • 1 cup white sticky rice*
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk

For Soy Reduction:

  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce**
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon sriracha

For Pork:

  • 1/4 pound ground pork
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For Topping:

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

  1. Combine rice with 1 cup cold water; cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. Pour rice and any remaining liquid into a saucepan. Stir in coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 10 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; keep covered and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, brown sugar, and sriracha. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by half, 6 to 8 minutes.
  3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown, about 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
  4. Carefully wipe out skillet (it may be hot) and return to medium heat; brush with vegetable oil. Crack eggs into opposite sides of the pan to keep them from running together. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. If you prefer firmer yolks, cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Divide rice between serving bowls. Top with ground pork and a fried egg. Drizzle with soy reduction, sprinkle green onion and cilantro on top, and serve.

*Sold as Sho-Chiku-Bai sweet rice, or sometimes just called sweet rice, white sticky rice can be found at specialty grocers and Asian food stores. You can use sushi rice instead, though it may need more liquid and a slightly longer cooking time.
**Regular soy sauce won’t work here; it makes the reduction too salty.

Recipe from our book, Breakfast for Dinner.

All images and text © / Love & Olive Oil

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31 Comments

  1. Oh my god this looks SO delish! I can’t wait to make it for me and my boyfriend on a Friday night to have with a beer or two! 

    Issie x

  2. Curious as to why you soaked the rice

  3. Congrats :) You must be so proud! And you deserve it :D
    Your eggs look to die for! I am honestly very bad in two things: making eggs and making salad dressing… Is that odd? I think so… would love to be able to make such perfect looking eggs ;)

  4. Yes, my husband and I both love breakfast for dinner as well :) this looks awesome!

  5. wowza! This sounds sooooo good! We went to Hawaii for our Honeymoon in 09′ and my hubs fell in love w the original dish and has wanted to recreate it many times w my response always being ‘ick, i’ll pass’. NOW though I think I might enjoy it!

    BTW I’m local and if you ever need some new buds to try foods on I’m more than eager and willing! Thank you so much for this variation!

  6. I love this twist on loco moco! There’s a restaurant that serves Hawaiian cuisine in my neighborhood, and I always order the loco moco, without fail. I will have to try this version of the dish!

  7. Wow I would love to get this book!

  8. That egg is just perfect, as Is the whole kaboodle! Love it..

  9. I feel so lucky to have tested the loco moco for you and Taylor. OMG it was TO DIE FOR. So so good :) you did it justice!!

  10. This looks amazing! I make coconut sticky rice ALL the time and have even made a sweetened version that I love with mango. :)

  11. This book may be the reason I Finally get an e-reader. I am so down with soft eggs on top of rice. Best Br-inner ever!

  12. Yum! I love how the egg looks :)

  13. Congrats on the ebook. I was looking for a rice recipe to make tonight. This will be a perfect addition to dinner

  14. wow thanks for sharing your fav recipe….i’ve never had or heard of loco moco…but love the ingredient list…can’t wait to put it on our family dinner menu!!

  15. SO cool! Love the enhancements :)
    And I love Loco Moco too (no spam, your version is much more appealing to me)! Anything with an egg on top is a winner in my book :)

  16. Such a gorgeous and delicious looking breakfast dish, Lindsay! Thansk for sharing your recipe. Congratulations on the e-book, too!

  17. I had a real Loco Moco in Hawaii in 2008 and this looks 1000 times better. :) :) I’m sure it tastes a million times better!

  18. Thanks for sharing your fave recipe and fun that you both liked it and immediately agreed! Congrats on the kindle version!

    • Thank you! :) To clarify, the enhanced version is only for iBooks at this time. Amazon does have a kindle version available but it’s just a digital version of the book, nothing fancy. Still cool though. :)

  19. This looks so delicious! I love using coconut milk as the liquid in rice…it’s just heavenly.

  20. LOVE the eBook Lindsay!!! Your Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook is a highly treasured cookbook of mine – I love perusing through it. :) I have a feeling I’d love all this loco moco business :)

  21. Ok…so I grew up in Hawaii! And loco moco is a staple in the islands, its comfort food classic! When I used to be a waitress, all the bar hoppers and security guys would order it with 2 eggs and fried rice. haha It is sooo good! And I am so glad you did a twist on it but still kept it “ono”. Thanks, now I need to make this! I miss my Hawaiian grinds ;)

  22. Congrats on the ebook! This dish looks incredible!

  23. Congratulations on BFD being chosen as the Quirk Books first ever enhanced ebook.
    Now your fabulous recipes can literally be at my fingertips at all times!

  24. This sounds like a perfect riff off of my favorite [woah..lots of fs] breakfast – longanisa [sweet/salty Filipino pork sausage], garlic fried rice and an over easy egg. Loco Moco’s going to have to make it into our breakfast rotation!

  25. Oh that e-book is calling my name!

  26. Wow, that sounds amazing – but I don’t eat pork! Would ground beef work as well? Somehow that sounds better to me than a hamburger patty. Thanks!

    • Sure, I’d think so! You want to let the ground meat get a little crispy on the smaller bits, but I think that would work fine with beef too.

  27. OH i love this!! I have a huge thing for asian foods right now so I am very excited about this! Loving the E-book!

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