SZECHUAN SHRIMP

Most Americans are familiar with the Cantonese style of Chinese cooking in most restaurants. The foods of China are influenced by regions. So the Cantonese style is the ones most people are accustomed to. The flavors are sweet, simple, focusing on fresh seafood, with rice and noodles as the starches. However in Szechuan cooking it is more of a spicier persona. And in some districts this style is presented very uniform and elegant. So as I blog on Chinese foods in the near future, we'll get to know a little bit of the different takes on China and their cuisines.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. peeled and cleaned shrimp
1 1/2 tbsp of ketchup
1 1/2 tbsp. of Sambal Oelek (chili paste)
1 tbsp. of sherry wine/ or rice wine
1 1/2 tbsp. of Yamasa Soy Sauce (or other brand)
1 1/2 tsp. of raw sugar
Dash salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. of peanut or canola oil
4 green onions fine chopped
1-2 tbsp. minced ginger
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic

DIRECTIONS

Mix the ketchup, Sambal, wine, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper flakes, with cornstarch in a small bowl and mix well.

Heat up your wok over high heat, add oil, drop flame to medium high, add oil, swirl around wok, add green onions, ginger and garlic, and cook for few seconds, then add shrimp, still fry for about 2 minutes, add a small amount of water to prevent from sticking until shrimp turns pink.

Add in the sauce, stirring until the sauce thickens, and voila! You have it done! Was this simple? Yay!

READY MADE GRAVIES

There's the simple people in this world, uncomplicated, love life, no worries, no peer pressure. Their world is easy. So easy when you're with them, you feel good. If someone is better than them in anything in life, well...they don't give a shit. LOL. Seriously. Have you ever hung around easy going people? Aren't they just great to be around? While you're worried about the collectors calling you, they're like, "Eh...let them call, I just let the dang phone ring, when I get the money, they'll get the money, hahahahaha."

Yes easy going people are good to be around, no hangups, nothing. These dear humans make kitchen work easy. Hanging around fun simple people is great for the hypertension disorder. I have a friend that just cooks great food using ready made items. He'll fry the chicken, but as for gravies, he just purchases it at the supermarket. "Ah, I don't know how to make gravy, I can fry the chicken, but gravy? Shit...too much work!" I like that, he can fry the chicken but making the gravy is too much work. It's like saying, "I can take a shit, but I don't want to wipe my ass, can somebody else wipe my ass?" No just kidding, I don't think that's even a close resemblance of an analogy.

One of the best instant gravies is produced by Mc Cormick. Turkey Gravy or Brown Gravy, just follow the directions and voila, gravy you can put over meatloaf, or roasted turkey.

Another good gravy comes from Cambell's, the soup people. Markey, my bro, he'll use these brands all of the time. "Doesn't matter, I don't even think, I just pick one of these brands up. It doesn't matter, packet or can, as long as I don't need to work with drippings."

As you can see, my buddy loves to cook easy style, nothing difficult. And even though I was taught to make gravies from scratch from my mom and brother who was a chef. I don't mind using these two brands. And you can jack up the flavors if you like, I usually add this to some of the drippings off of the roasting pan. It works.

So if you like to fry your own chicken, roast your own turkey, just use instant gravy if you hate making stuff from scratch. No worries.

Ron Sambrano Blogger

        

© 2016

QUICK KINE QUESADILLAS (Kalua Pork)

This is a full on local Hawaii style Quesadilla, simply using food items that's already made. And one of the foods we love is kalua pork, and we don't make it if we don't have to, we just buy it. Most supermarkets do sell containers of it frozen, either in an 8 0z. or 16 oz. container. Simply thaw it and microwave it, voila!

INGREDIENTS

6- 8" flour tortillas, warmed in a pan or microwaved for a few seconds
2 cups of grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced onions
2 lbs. cooked kalua pork. (approx. 4 oz. each tortilla)
Chili powder to sprinkle to taste
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

- Lay each tortilla flat, spoon 4 oz. of cooked kalua pork on 1/2 of tortilla, top with some Monterey Jack cheese, topped with some tomato and onions, then sprinkle some chili powder, salt to taste, then wet the edges with some water, and fold and seal tight.

- Heat up a 12" non-stick skillet with some oil, cook each quesadilla until each side turns brown a little and cheese melts.

Serve with black beans and sour cream, or refried beans, garnish with some chopped cilantro.

Ron Sambrano Blogger

        

© 2016

EGGPLANT PARMESAN ROLLATINI

If you love eggplant parmesan, try this out. I got this from a friend who loves to cook. So if you do make this call me up, and I'll stop by to eat it.

INGREDIENTS

4-5  tbsp. olive oil
2 large or 3 medium round eggplant, sliced lengthwise
Sea salt and pepper
2 cups ready made marinara sauce
2 whole eggs
1 lb. container of ricotta cheese
2 12 tsp. dried oregano
2 1/4 cup mozzarella
2/3 cup parmesan

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450° F. and divide the oil between 2 baking sheets. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheets and turn to coat in the oil; season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Bake eggplant, rotating  baking sheets halfway until soft and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool. Reduce heat to 400° F.
3. Meanwhile, in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch or a 3-quart baking dish, spread ½ cup of the marinara sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, oregano, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
4. Place about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on one end of a slice of eggplant, roll it up, and transfer it to the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices and ricotta mixture.
5. Top the eggplant rolls with the remaining cup of marinara sauce and the remaining cup of mozzarella. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.
6. Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Ron Sambrano Blogger

        

© 2016

GHOST PEPPERS (Bhut Jolokia)

The wicked devil that the Lord spoke about is a foe to be reckoned with. He comes unannounced, disguising himself as a sheep, but soon he is found out to be a wolf that is ready to devour any soul in his path.

The Ghost Pepper is a wicked little heat blistering dynamite, some pepper aficionados claim this little monster is the most wicked of all. Have you ever tried it? This little one is packed with fire, if one isn't wearing gloves, he will possess your soul.

Some pepper experts will claim that the Ghost is the hottest pepper around, while some will claim the Trinidad moruga, or the Carolina Reaper as Satan's top sizzlers, the Ghost is still a force to be reckoned with. This pepper originated in India is a pure source for the HOT in foods coming from that region.

In Hawaii we are famous for our own chili pepper water, utilizing our Hawaiian chili pepper that is common in most back yards. It is a small pepper that is sliced so the seeds will come out hence producing the heat. Water is added along with spices, generally garlic, and Hawaiian sea salt. It is left in a jar and covered for many days, producing a spiced hot water. Depending on the chef at hand, he or she may add many peppers that will leave a 12 oz. jar with only 4-5 oz. of liquid but hot.

However the Ghost Pepper is a giant among many peppers the common foodie has experienced, the more in depth a foodie gets into sampling new horizons, those common peppers...hold no candle to the ones mentioned here, The Ghost is powerful.

Sure others have an intense heat factor, but if you were so used to your basic pepper, step up to the Ghost, and then see about the other ones that claim to have a better intense heat. After all you need to crawl before you walk, walk before you run. You smell the pepper?

Ron Sambrano Blogger

            

© 2016

Cooking Hawaiian Style - Episode 4 - Onda-Pasta - Kahuku Shrimp & Fresh Pasta

Enjoy this Cooking Hawaiian Style episode.

Produced by local producers 

A mellow cooking show

Ron Sambrano Blogger

           

© 2016

FRENCH BREAD PEPPERONI PIZZA

Simple cooking is what the average person needs, something easy to prepare from almost scratch. Now, if you are a parent that works 9-5 and want to cook a pizza but don't want to mix the dough for the crust, or grate the cheese, and mix the sauce. There's a better way to make pizzas. And I've blogged this similar recipe before, so if you've seen this in the past few years or so, I apologize, sometimes good things need to be posted again.

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf of your favorite French bread, sliced in half lengthwise
1 can of readymade pizza sauce
1 tsp. of Italian seasonings
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. minced onions
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
2 x 2 cups of shredded mozzarella
1 package pepperoni

DIRECTIONS

• - Preheat oven to 400 deg f.
• Grease a large enough baking sheet with vegetable oil
• Spread sauce on to both pieces of French bread
• Spread 1/2 tsp. each of Italian seasoning on each slice
• Spread 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder on each slice
• Spread 1/2 tbsp. each of minced garlic on each slice
• Spread 1 tbsp. each of minced onions on each slice
• Spread 1 tbsp. each parmesan cheese on each slice
• Spread 1 cup each of mozzarella cheese on each slice
• Place pepperoni on each slice, as much as you want
• Note: If you want you can top the pepperoni with more cheese.
• Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until cheese has melted.
• Slice each piece into thirds and enjoy
• TURN OFF STOVE!

Ron Sambrano Blogger

          

© 2016