With the holidays upon us, more time will be spent in the kitchen preparing festive dishes. Our partners at the Honolulu Fire Department have excellent fire prevention tips to keep our household safe:

>> Stay in the kitchen while cooking. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the stove.

>> Keep a lid nearby to smother small grease fires. Douse flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the stove. To extinguish an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

>> Create a 3-foot zone around your cooking area to keep children and pets safe.

For more fire safety resources for the home and family, visit firesafehonolulu.com. This week, enjoy some favorite dishes from the Honolulu Fire Department’s ohana.

MOKU’S SIMPLE BEEF STEW

By Battalion Chief Kevin Mokulehua, Community Risk Reduction Branch, Planning & Development Division

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 pounds stew meat
• 1-1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian salt
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 4 to 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 8 to 10 cups water
• 4 to 6 bay leaves
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 4 large carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 large potatoes, chopped
• 5 tablespoons each cornstarch and water, to make a slurry

In large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat; add meat and Hawaiian salt, and brown on all sides. Add onions and celery and brown another 5 to 7 minutes.

Add water, bay leaves, bouillon and tomato sauce. Increase heat and bring to a rapid boil, then lower heat and cook until meat is fork-soft, about 2 hours. Skim fat and adjust seasonings if needed.

Add carrots and cook about 10 to 15 minutes. Add potatoes and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, then add slurry to thicken as desired.

Serve with rice and macaroni salad. Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including rice and macaroni salad): 400 calories, 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 1,300 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 52 g protein.

STUFFED ABURAGE

By Carl Otsuka, fire inspector, Community Relations Office

• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 medium fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• 1 large egg
• Half of a (5-ounce) can water chestnuts, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 10 pieces inari aburage (deep fried tofu; available in refrigerated case with Asian products in supermarkets)
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken or beef broth
• 3 tablespoons each cornstarch and water, to make slurry

In large bowl, combine all ingredients except aburage.

Stuff equal portions of mixture into each aburage.

In large pan, add broth. Place stuffed aburage in pan. Simmer on medium for 20 minutes.

Remove stuffed aburage to a serving dish.

Add slurry to broth, stirring continuously until it thickens. Pour over aburage.

Serve with rice or noodles. Serves 5.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on low-sodium chicken broth): 380 calories, 27 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 25 g protein.

BREAD PUDDING

By Capt. Cris Bartolome, Honolulu Fire Department

• 1-pound loaf French bread
• 1 quart whole milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 cup raisins (substitute 3 sliced bananas or 1 cup chocolate chips)
• >> Sauce:
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 3 tablespoons coffee liqueur or espresso, to taste (optional)

In large bowl, tear bread and soak in milk for at least an hour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour butter in 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

In medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add to bread; stir in raisins. Pour into pan and bake about 1 hour (or until inserted knife comes out clean). Cool, then cut into serving cubes. Set aside.

>> To make sauce: In small pot, melt butter on low. Add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Whisk in egg yolk and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add coffee liqueur, if using. To serve, top bread pudding with sauce. Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including bananas, chocolate or liqueur): 500 calories, 16 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 83 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 64 g sugar, 8 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.