EASY BEEF AND GREEN BEANS RECIPE FOR THE SINGLE DUDE OR DUDETTE

Here's a simple recipe using beef, and green beans, and some simple seasoning you should have in your cupboard, if not, go rip some off from your older brother or sister, hahahahahahaha!



TOOLS: 12" Stainless Steel Fry Pan, 1 metal spatula, and some plates and mixing bowls, go figure that out yourself..are you that freaking hopeless?

INGREDIENTS

1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup chopped round onions
1/4 cup chopped green onions
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1lb. of flank steak, trimmed, and sliced thin across the grain so it will be easier to chew.
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsely
3 tbsp. virgin olive oil.

In a bowl, mix the sliced meat with ingredients, and set aside at room temperature for about 20 minutes, covered with foil.

1 1/2 cups of trimmed and cut green beans (fresh).
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup of low sodium canned tomato sauce

1. Heat up pan over medium high heat for about 2 minutes, add oil, and sauté the garlic for a few seconds, then add in the round onions, and green onions, cook them for a minute and remove them.

2. Add a little more oil in pan heat for a minute over medium high heat, add in the sliced meat and cook it 3/4 way, let it release all the juices, add in the trimmed green beans, soy sauce, and tomato sauce. Cook it for about 5 minutes, add in the onions and green onions, toss well in pan, cook one more minute. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with rice, potatoes or bread.

Until the next blog post have a great life.

Ron Sambrano

                 

© 2014

KITCHEN TIPS (KEEPING FOODS FROM STICKING ON A STAINLESS PAN)

ALOHA FROM MAUI! On this blog post I'll go over some tips on using a stainless steel fry pan. You see there's a time for non-stick pans, and times for stainless steel pans. For one, if I'm making omelets or a healthy sauté I'll use a non-stick pan which allows a cook to use less fat, such as oils. However there are good healthy oils to use like polyunsaturated oils or monounsaturated oils. Here are the differences. Animal fats contain high doses of cholesterol, which can be very unhealthy in large doses, we call these saturated fats. While the other oils mentioned comes from vegetables or are plant based. Olive oil falls under the monounsaturated oils category and is healthy to use. Okay, now that we got some of that scientific stuff out of the way let's get to the fun part. And that's how to keep a stainless steel pan from sticking.

1. Make sure that your stainless steel pan is preheated well before cooking.
2. Make sure that your food is well marbled, meaning there's some natural fats on there, like a well marbled prime ribeye steak for example, or a nice well marbled pork chop. You don't need any fats or oils if it is well marbled.
3. Use some poly or monounsaturated oil if your food isn't marbled or contains natural fat.
4. Once it is preheated, place your food into the pan, and do not move it.

a. if it's a piece of prime beef cut steak, you want to sear it well.
b. if it's a piece of pork do just the same.
c. fish? it's up to you, but more than likely if it's a fine piece of tuna (ahi), you want to just sear it quickly leaving the inside rare. (this is where a nonstick pan comes into play I never use stainless pan for fine cuts of fish).
d. let the oils from the well marbled cuts of meat render out, then flip it. And serve it hot.

Note: What if it still sticks? Okay maybe for some reason only God knows, something went wrong, that prime cut of beef is sticking… "Hey Ron, you said it was going to work." Well, here's the deal, sometimes shit happens. Remove the pan from the heat and using a metal spatula, pry the meat off of the pan and flip it on to a plate. Using the same spatula, scrape the stuck portions of meat from the bottom of the pan to the side of the pan, don't throw it away it can make good stuff for a sauce or gravy, we call this the fond.

Return pan to heat, add a little oil (canola or vegetable) creating a thin layer, heat it well but not smoking. Return meat to pan, and cook the uncooked side until it is ready to your liking. This is just to recover from a mishap. 

Always remember these few things when using a stainless steel frying pan, you should do fine. Until the next blog post, have a great life.

Ron Sambrano

           

© 2014

MJ's FINAL TWO TEQUILAS

Men's Journal Magazine's © last two tequilas on their top 18 list are listed here. Note, these are copyrighted information, and I am not making money by blogging about these two tequilas. This is to share with foodies information that is pertinent to food and drink.

Casamigos sits at NO. 17, and according to the MJ Staff taster testers, this blanco is aged up to two months while most blancos aren't aged that long at all. So it does have influence of oak right away, with pronounced vanilla and cocoa aromas and flavors. But if you're a fan of ultra-smoothness you will enjoy this tequila. The Casamigos distillers slow-cook the pinas (the sugar-rich heart of the agaves) for three days instead of the typical 36 hours or less.
$50.00

Cuervo Reserva de la Familia comes from the Cuervo family, they were in the tequila game since 1795, and to celebrate the company's bicentennial, it created a limited "family reserve." For this special offering, the choicest agaves are distilled and tucked away for at least three years in the family's private cellar. Then, before being bottled (each one is numbered and dated), every batch is tested by a Cuervo family member. Each new vintage delivers a different and distinct flavor, but you can always count on a velvet texture and deep, masculine flavors.
$130.00

This rounds out the last two of MJ's 18 Top Tequilas. What's my take on this? Well for one thing I did learn something about the finer brands, and when it comes from a source such as Men's Journal, hey it can't be wrong, I mean only the men of the world read this mag right? Honestly my drinking days are over, at 50 I'm slowing down, but with this knowledge I can purchase some good to fine tequilas when there's a gathering or something, you know, to turn on other foodies as we dine, hey nothing wrong with that at all. And yes, I'll probably take a shot of one of these for sure, for that special occasion.

Thanks for stopping by the blog and have a safe day, and a great life!

Ron Sambrano

           

© 2014

BRUNCH AT MERRIMAN'S KAPALUA

Brunch at Merriman's Kapalua Bay is something because of the views the blue ocean in the bay, a light cool breeze, a pre-season game on the flat screen and friends makes it good.

The prices are typical for a restaurant with a million dollar view, and the food is executed right, the service is good too. Here are two of the dishes I sampled.

The top picture is the French Toast that was good, and the bottom picture is the Keahole Lobster Benedict, it has a Jalapeño Hollandaise, poached eggs, resting on two lobster cakes instead of English muffins or any bread, light though filling, and a lobster claw.

And our hostess was nice and friendly.

Overall experience it was awesome.

Recommended? Yes.

Casual? Yes.

Swimming? Yes.

Vistors and Locals? Yes.

Until next time take it easy!

Ron Sambrano

          

© 2014

KITCHEN TRICKS

Tricks are for kids silly rabbit. Remember that commercial for…for… that cereal when I was a kid… I think it was, hey I'm 50 so my mind isn't as sharp.


Here are some tricks for you to do when you are prepping some ginger. Now if you look at a piece of ginger root, it looks kind of F d up… I mean it isn't smooth, it has a lot of freaking irregularities, and some of you may have tried to peel that sucker with a paring knife or vegetable peeler with less than perfect success, but have no fear, use a spoon. "What?" Yeah you heard me junior, go get a teaspoon from your drawer, and use it to scoop off the skin from the ginger.

Also, for garlic, have you ever tried to peel the stupid skin off of those cloves? Here's what you do, take that whole bulb and toss it in a bowl of cold water, the water will wilt the skin somewhat and you can just peel that off exposing a naked bulb of garlic and you can just pull apart the cloves that you'll need.

If you really want to get simple.. just buy the ginger or garlic minced, or chopped, they sell it at the markets, and I'm sure if you go to Costco you can get a full jar of it already prepped saving you time, and zero knife work. That's the beauty of ready made ingredients, I love it. Who cares what chefs or other foodies would say, to me it's all about simplicity. We used to do that all the time on our cooking videos on cable access, haha, we were just having fun, we'd have the camera on the cutting board, and I would start out by using a cleaver mincing, then all of a sudden we'd cut the tape, and put some ready made minced garlic and ginger and it was the cleverest of camera tricks. Hahaha, they do that in cooking shows that's taped, it's all Hollywood. But who cares if your knife skills aren't up to par,it's all about putting your meal together fast!

Until next time Ron.

        

© 2014

MJ's TOP 18 TEQUILAS Continued

Here it is the next few tequila's from MJ Men's Journal©, and again I am not making money off of this blog post, all content is from Men's Journal's website, re-written for this writer.

Qui is a tequila that is called a platinum extra anejo. It is an extra anejo that is redistilled and filtered nine times, and that process accentuates smoothness while still retaining the character provided by the oak. Hints of vanilla, butterscotch, and honey. According to the MJ Staff Taster Testers, it works well sipped or added to a light mixed drink.
$55.00

Pueblo Viejo according to the MJ Staff Taster Testers, it has a fruity, clean, citrusy, and floral flavor. It is an extra anejo, under the name San Matias Gran Reserve, is aged three years in French oak, and, at veritable well-spirit prices, is among the best bargain tequilas.
$20.00

Kah tequila is a reposado, with sweet caramel flavors, it is distilled to a whopping 110 proof-maximum allowed by U.S. law-yet somehow goes down as smoothly as Kah's ultra-sexy, coffee-and-cigarettes-evoking anejo, along with an 80 proof blanco. What separates this tequila from the rest is the bottle, Day of the Dead skull bottles are collectibles in their own right.
$60.00

I'll blog the next few later on, but look at that Kah tequila bottle, that's great for a Halloween party. Especially at 110 proof, do you think it could flame up? Just have fun with tequila, sample as many as you can, and be responsible like, don't beat up anyone if you're all jacked up on it… don't go molesting girls…or boys..shit, just chill out, if you are a rowdy mother f…r! maybe you shouldn't be drinking. Until next time.

Ron Sambrano

© 2014

MJs 18 BEST TEQUILAS (THE LAST FEW)

MJ's 18 Best Tequilas are being blogged here, and it's the last few on their list. Not an expert on tequilas I'm always looking on what's happening. So, as I explore via my friends that love tequila to Men's Journal Magazine, learning about food and drink is fun, and since we all got to eat and drink, learning about the top stuff is always good to have in your mind. If you're socializing with tequila aficionados you'll have some info to inject. Like, "Hey guys..seriously I'm not an expert like you guys, so I'm learning, by the way I read in MJ that 123 Organic Tequila's all organic…I mean, what do you guys think…I mean like I said guys, I'm not an expert, so just saying…" You see, when you join in on a conversation like this, your expert friends will love to share with you their knowledge, especially if it's the guys, it's all about pride, and (I'm a guy, hey you're cool rookie, let me take you under my wing). So without any further delays, I'm gonna write.
MJ (Men's Journal) is a ©, this writer is merely rewording some of their content for this blog. www.mensjournal.com and not making any profits from this blog post, merely sharing information.

Siembra Azul''s is the next tequila on the MJ's list, and listed at $34.00 a bottle, it looks to be not too bad as far as the price. According to MJ, the tequila comes from the highlands of Jalisco, and Founder David Suro-Pinera produces this tequila only in the winter when fermentation is slower, and according to their website produces more complex flavors. During fermentation, Suro Pinera plays music from the classical composers such as Mozart and Vivaldi "to reduce environmental stress" while the yeast works their magic on the open vats of bubbling juice.
$34.00 

Don Julio 1942 in this pic, is a two-and-a-half-year-old near extra anejo. The 1942 is like a fine cognac, with fiery spice balanced by notes of salted caramel and creamy tropical fruit. The price is less than the Casa Dragones.
$125.00

Milagro has this ultra smooth, triple distilled tequilas. It spends a month in French oak, the results walk the sweeter side of blanco-the spice is clove, not jalapeño-but with a sharp, tangy edge.
$56.00

These are the latest tree from MJ's staff tester tasters, again all of the content is MJ Men's Journal ©, rewritten for this blog.

© 2104