THE FURIKAKE TREND

Foodies, in this post I'll re-visit the Japanese sprinkle that's actually making me sick. I'm not putting down this concoction, nor am I putting down Japanese culture. I love the Japanese culture, and I find the Japanese in general are the kindest souls to grace this planet. Of course we have good and bad of everyone, but I'm just saying. So furikake that sprinkle that is in sushi, and poke', it is now put on everything you can think of. Old news for some, yeah I get it. But man, do we have to have that on popcorn at the movies? Do we need it on french fries as a sports bar? I'm old. I'm a grouchy old ______er! Keep it on Japanese foods will ya? Back in my day.... blah blah blah. Haha.

So what is this? It is a dried seasoning, made up of dried fish, seseme seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and MSG. Some off brands will add other stupid ingredients in there. Again, that fusion thing right? 

Furikake over steamed rice, poor man's meal and it works.

According to Wikipedia

Gohan no Tomo is considered to be an early version of furikake.

One account of the origin of furikake is that it was developed during the Taishō period (1912–1926) by a pharmacist in Kumamoto prefecture named Suekichi Yoshimaru (吉丸末吉).^[7][8] To address calcium deficits in the Japanese population, Yoshimaru developed a mixture of ground fish bones with roast sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and seaweed that was made into a powder. He called this product Gohan no Tomo (ご飯の友 "A Friend for Rice") and is generally considered the precursor to contemporary furikake. A food company in Kumamato later acquired the product and was able to sell it commercially.^[7] It was initially sold in a flask-like container shaped with a narrow neck to prevent moisture from seeping into the product.^[8]

Years after Yoshimari's Gohan no Tomo, a grocery retailer in Fukushima City named Seiichirō Kai developed a mixture consisting of white croaker and powdered kombu and other ingredients simmered with a soy sauce-based broth. Kai called his product Kore Wa Umai (これは旨い "This Is Good"); it was popular on its release. Although Kore Wa Umai was initially considered a luxury item for the affluent who were able to consume white rice on a regular basis, it later was made accessible to the Japanese working class.^[8]

Availability of furikake in Japan increased starting shortly after September 1948 when Nissin Foods began to manufacture it on a large scale to address pervasive malnourishment. The product was commercialized on the basis that it provided a good source of protein and calcium.^[9] Furikake was made widely available as it was dispensed to those serving in the Japanese military starting in World War I.^[8]

The term furikake was used generically to describe the product starting in 1959 with the formation of the National Furikake Association. Since 1959, furikake products are usually differentiated by their particular ingredients, such as salmon furikake and sesame-and-salt furikake.^[8]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AD

www.goldensteerlasvegas.com

EYE ROUND BEEF ROAST

Hello foodies, let's do an inexpensive beef roast. We'll use the eye round of beef. A rather inexpensive cut. Deceptive to the eyes. On first appearance one may think it is a sirloin. Hah, wrong. It's a tougher cut, with mitigated marbling. But we'll do this low sodium, roast it for about an hour, and slice it thin. Make sandwiches with all grain bread, and lots of vegetables. Or serve it with steamed veggies. OK, this is so easy I love it. Ready?

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs. beef eye round roast. If your butcher can tie it fine, if not no big thing. If it is tied it holds its shape.

1 tsp. kosher salt

Garlic powder as much as you want

Fresh crushed peppercorns as much as you want

1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place roast into a pan lined with parchment paper. Rub olive over meat. Then mix all seasonings in a small bowl, then rub it into the meat. 

Roast it for about 45 minutes. Take it out, cover with foil and let it rest. The key is 20 minutes per pound. 3 lbs. x 20 = 60 minutes. But we'll take it out at 45 minutes, as it will continue to cook after it is removed from the oven.

Serve warm.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ad

Recipe not in conjunction with advertiser

www.goldensteerlasvegas.com

CHICKEN CRANNY SALAD

Hi foodies :), what's up? In this post we'll do a simple healthy Cranberry Chicken Salad, I will call it Chicken Cranny Salad. Cranberries aren't just for Thanksgiving, it's majestic any ol' time of the year for any culinary application. So let's get with the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

3 cooked chicken breasts chopped fine or shredded.

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red onion

Handful of basil leaves sliced

3/4 cup of dried cranberries

3/4 cup mayonnaise (that's right the real stuff)

1/2 lemon squeezed of its juice

2 tsp. stoned ground mustard

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl mix the cooked chicken breast, celery, red onion, basil, and cranberries. Then in a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon juice, stone ground mustard, salt, and white pepper.

Pour the dressing over the chicken, and mix well to coat all pieces. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour before service. If you will put this on a spread outdoors, place bowl over a bath of iced water to keep fresh.

WARNING: Because this has mayonnaise, it has to be kept cool, once it warms up at room temperature, it may spoil. Check on periodically, if it smells sour or looks livid it is time to throw it into the trash. Do not serve spoiled food.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

www.goldensteerlasvegas.com

EPIC MEAL TIME: OREO LASAGNA

One of my favorite You Tube channels is Epic Meal Time. I really can't put a finger on what type of cooking this crew from Canada does, but if you want entertainment, this is something you must see. They have countless cooking videos, and quite frankly some of what they do, or should I say most of what they do can leave one feeling sick to the stomach. I mean that. But they are totally funny in my opinion, and they are one of a kind. So in this episode, the crew goes out to a market and purchases all of the Oreo cookies they can get a hold of. Then head back to their kitchen to create a huge ass Oreo lasagna. Watch and be entertained.

www.goldensteerlasvegas.com

CHICKEN BREAST WITH CREAM SPINACH

In this post I'll be creating a simple dish using a boneless and skinless chicken breast, with cream spinach. It will be low in sodium perfect for highblood pressure, and hypertension. And the sugars will be low as well, if you are a diabetic this one's for you as well.

INGREDIENTS

1 large boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 garlic clove crushed

1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. Spike
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsps. curry powder

1 1/2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 package of frozen spinach (9 oz.) thawed

DIRECTIONS

In a large non-stick pan over medium high heat, heat up the oil, and garlic. Then add the cubed chicken, cook all pieces until it turns whitish. Then add in all of the ingredients from the white pepper to the curry powder, stir it around to coat all cubes. Then add in the vegetable broth, continue to cook stirring until it is heated through about 6-8 minutes.

Add in the heavy cream, and simmer for another 6-8 minutes over medium heat, not too hot. Then add in the spinach, cook for another 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve with all grain bread or brown rice, or steamed vegetables.

www.goldensteerlasvegas.com

TUNA (Ahi) SOBA NOODLES

Hi again my foodies, it is a nice morning so far here on Maui. Actually kind of chilly outside but nice. Just think in a few months it's going to be hot and humid, so we better enjoy these fresh crisp mornings eh? So today I'm going to share with you a dish called Tuna (Ahi) Soba Noodles. I'm not the one making it, actually our good friend master sushi chef Hiroyuki Terada will be demonstrating how to make it. Make sure you have a nice thin sharp slicing knife on hand. Or if you are already a sushi afficionado and have a sujihiki or yanigiba blade on hand, all the better. Just watch as chef slices the top portion of the tuna loin into thin sheets, and then he begins to slice thin strands into noodles. That's right. Noodles. He makes it and then washes it in an ice water bath, then for presentation puts the tuna soba on to a sushi rolling mat. Then garnishes it, and has a side of sauce made up of dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. Dashi is a broth made for miso soup as well, it is made up with either dashi granules for instant, or bonito flakes, which is a dried tuna that's salty. Mirin is a sweet sake, and of course soy sauce everyone knows what that is.

Watch the video it is interesting, and it is a rathr simple dish. Just purchase a block of fresh ahi loins, and practice your sushi knife skills. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

goldensteerlasvegas.com

RAW (vegan) BROWNIES

In this blog post I'll share with you a raw vegan brownie recipe. Why raw? For those who want zero flour in their diets. Make that gluten free. As far as sodium, this does not have a lot. However if you are a diabetic, check the sweetener which is pure maple syrup. You make the call. 

When I worked at a local health food store that had a deli, we served raw desserts. I had no idea what that was, but when I watched our vegan chef do her thing, and then sampled her creations I was totally amazed that you can make pies, cookies, and cakes without baking them. 

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cup walnuts

2 1/2 cup pitted dates

3/4 cup raw cacao powder

1 1/2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. sea salt

1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate

DIRECTIONS

Add walnuts to a food processor, and pulse a few times.

Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate and process until a thick dough is formed.

Add the chocolate and pulse a few times.

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, or wax paper then press the dough into all corners and make the top smooth.

Place the pan into your refrigerator, and let it sit to firm up at least 6-8 hours (covered). Cut into squares and serve.

www.whittleseabluecab.com