VEGAN ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL PRODUCTS

If you eat beef, pork or chicken but want to curtail your intake with something lighter and without the cholesterol you should make a trip to your nearest health food store, and take a look at what products they have.

Morning Star makes some delicious frozen meals and healthy as well. Check some of their products.

Italian herb chik patties

Beef flavor burgers

Buffalo Wings

Amy's is also in the game and very popular.

Enchilada

Vegetable Korma

There's more varieties if you're looking for vegetarian/vegan foods that are ready to be heated up at home. I tried both brands and both are exceptional alternatives to eating animal meat. You should stop by your closest health food store and see if they got these two brands, I know if you hit Whole Foods you should find something there.

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©2016

VEGAN MUSHROOM BURGER

This is a vegan recipe, so there's no ground beef patty that was grilled with sautéed mushrooms on top with melted mozzarella cheese. 








Vegan Mushroom Burger no animal byproducts.

1 lb. of white mushrooms, minced and set aside.
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and parboiled to soften the mashed
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions

1. In a medium size mixing bowl add the minced mushrooms and mashed potatoes, mix well.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients, and form 4 burgers.

3. In a nonstick pan, heat up some safflower oil and fry each burger until a brown crust is developed on both sides of each patty.

Serve with brown rice, or on toasted burger buns, garnish with kale, tomatoes and onions, use a vegan mayonnaise like Vegenaise, and organic yellow mustard.

Until next time
Ron Sambrano Blogger

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© 2016

BROCCOLI TIPS TIPS

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables, the tops for salads, or in stir fries like beef broccoli, or in soups. Broccoli has a lot of good nutritional properties like Vitamins A, C, B-6, D, B-12, as well as Iron and Magnesium. And that's raw not cooked. But if you were to just follow some of my advice on broccoli to retain most of its nutrients, here is what you do.

In its raw state of being, broccoli and most cruciferous plants will retain all of its nutrients, organic would be your best bet for full healthy eats. But here is what you do if you are going to use broccoli in a cooked dish.

Stir Fries & Soups

     The best way to use broccoli and retain a lot of its nutritional value is to blanch the broccoli tops or tips quickly in hot water. Just boil the water really hot, and quickly add the broccoli in the boiling water for about 20 seconds and remove it. Slice it thin before you add it into your stir fry. Add it in last so all you will be doing is tossing the broccoli in the pan or wok just to incorporate it. Or slice it thin in its raw state, and garnish your stir fries. Or add it in last into soups.

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TELL ME WHERE TO EAT IN YOUR HOMETOWN (Bibimbap House, Salem, Oregon)

Today on Maui I met two young ladies from the state of Oregon. And I asked them the question, "Tell me where to eat in your hometown." I was informed that they love to eat Korean and Japanese food.
Hey that's right up my alley I love Korean and Japanese food, there's nothing like a good meat jun with kimchi, or some japchae, or kalbi. Or a good katsu don, or some sukiyaki, saimin, or ramen. And sushi accompanied with miso soup... I love this conversation.

So my two new friends Holly and Casandra from Salem, Oregon told me that if I ever get to Salem anytime soon they'd take me to this dive called Bibimbap House.

"This place is really good," said Casandra. She wore a dark green tee shirt with a yellow O, I guess she's a Duck fan. "I grew up in a neighborhood with Asian families, so we're familiar with that kind of cooking. I'm a pretty good cook, and I cook some of the dishes with Korean influences." 

"I really don't like spicy Korean food, I favor more of the Japanese flavors," said Holly. "I've never had Asian food until Casandra turned me on to this place." Holly didn't wear any sports fan clothing, I took it she was more of the artistic liberal type. Nothing wrong with that just saying.

So what are their favorites?

Holly went first. "Like I said, I'm not into spicy Korean, but I love their Teriyaki Beef with veggies, in fact I'll mix it up on different visits, I'll do Teriyaki Pork too, or chicken. And their sushi is pretty amazing as well, like their New York Roll, Alaska Roll, and my favorite is the California Tempura Roll with teri sauce.. mmmm. I did like their Japchae noodle thing though. I guess I can learn to love Korean food, it's like Japanese almost."

Sheeze these girls are making me hungry.

Then Casandra stepped up to the plate, and she went off. "I love their Kalbi Short Ribs with rice. And I can't pronounce it but their spicy tender pork (Dae Ji Bul Go Gi). The tofu stew with seafood and veggies (Soon Doo Boo), Steamed Man Doo (dumplings). I like their Bibimbap with chicken, and sometimes I'll take the Bul Go Gi Combo to go, and the broiled mackerel."

Hmm, I like these girls. You see my friends, some girls are so picky when they eat, "Oh I can't eat that, I don't like that ooo can't do that, can we go somewhere else?"

Holly chimed in, "Hey their Soju is good, and they got beers too." Ah ha, so I know who the wild one is. Soju is an alcoholic beverage shared amongst Koreans. Made from rice, wheat, or barley.

So I thanked the ladies as they were on their way to get tickets for a luau. So now it's time for me to hit the computer and Yelp or Google search this place they spoke of, this, this... Bibimbap House in Salem, Oregon.

This is what I found.

Bibimbap House, 635 Chemeketa St. NE Salem, OR 97301. (505) 585-1530
Click this link for all of the information  BIBIMBAP HOUSE

statesman journal.com

yelp.com

trip advisor

This is a bottle of Soju

Go online and visit the website, there's more awesome pics. So then, if you ever get to Salem, Oregon the place to go for lunch or dinner is Bibimbap House.

Until next time

Ron Sambrano

Blogger

            

© 2016

TELL ME WHERE TO EAT IN YOUR HOMETOWN (Huntington Beach, So. Cal)

Another day on Maui, and meeting my friends visiting the island is lots of fun. Earlier today I met Fred and Clarita from Huntington Beach, Southern Cal. No pics like most of my peeps they don't trust me just yet haha. So my thing is this I walk up to them unannounced, with a ski mask on and a fake Glock 9mm and ask them "Excuse me, tell me where you from, and where should I eat if I go there?"

FRED: You like Mexican food Ron?
ME: Hell yeah, I like the soups, torta, everything man.
CLARITA: There's a place we go to just minutes south of where we live it's called Avila's El Ranchito.
FRED: They got good stuff. Look them up online.
ME: So what do you like to eat there Fred?
FRED: Hey brah, don't get me started. 
CLARITA: Yeah, he'll eat the whole kitchen.

Mind you these two are probably in their late thirties, and they got two kids back home, two boys 8 and 12 years old.

FRED: If it's the weekend we'll go for breakfast, I'll eat several items depends. One would be their Chorizo con Huevos, it has rice and beans. I love Chorizo. Or menudo. Or the Mexican Omelet with Chorizo.

CLARITA: I like their Chilaquiles.

RON: Okay for lunch or dinner?

FRED: Lunch would be a Fiesta Burrito with grilled chicken, with beans, pico de gallo and rice. 

CLARITA: For lunch I'll get Enchiladas or Quesadillas maybe a Flautas.

RON: Okay dinners?

FRED: The half pound steak grilled Mexican style, the Carnitas is good, or Steak Fajitas.

CLARITA: I like the Shrimp in garlic butter, and the salads are awesome too.

FRED: Really reasonable priced, great desserts too.

So I said goodbye, and now I'm on my MacBook Pro Googling the place. Hey they're on Facebook. And yeah they weren't kidding the prices are reasonable.

Fred didn't have his smartphone with all his foodie pics so I went online and got some of these from Avila's.

avilasranchito.com

yelp.com

trip advisor.com

yelp.com

So there's a few photos that looks really nice, for more information on this chain in So Cal, check out AVILA'S EL RANCHITO MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Until the next TELL ME WHERE TO EAT IN YOUR HOMETOWN 

Ron Sambrano

Food Blogger

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SINIGANG NA BAKA

This is a simple beef, with veggies with tamarind based soup. Very easy to prepare, and will take about an hour to prepare and cook. Filipino cooking is simple, soups are made quickly without roasting bones.

Ingredients 
Serves: 6 

2 tbsp canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1    inch cubes
• 1 quart water
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1/2 lb. trimmed green beans
• small head boy choy cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
• 1 bunch of broccoli tops cut into halves
• 1 fl oz tamarind juice
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Directions
Prep:15minutes   

Cook:45minutes to1hour 

1. Heat oil in medium stock pot and saute onion and garlic until tender. Then add beef to pot, and saute until browned. Pour in water and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Place tomatoes and green beans in pot, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in bok choy, broccoli and tamarind juice. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

         

© 2016

LOCALS LOVE FRIED MENPACHI

Photo from Yelp, Fresh Crispy Menpachi for Broke Da Mouth Grindz.
Note: This blogger is not making money off of this blog post.

Locals love to eat fish, small fish, midsize fish, large fish, humongous fish. We love us some fish. 

My favorite fish is Ahi, no doubt. Ahi raw is the best, of course the primo grade ones. Even the Big Eye Ahi is kick ass. Now as far as that other tuna the Skip Jack, not too many people like that fish. However, that fish is more potent than the Ahi, where the Ahi is sweeter, the Aku is more... gamey. But if you dehydrate Aku and make jerky, that's good for drinking beer during Super Bowl Sunday. Or fried Aku bones with shoyu and sesame oil and lots of ginger and green onions, that's a winner. Though some stuck up chefs can't stand Aku, well most chefs are anal holes anyhow, I can't stand those bastards! Haha.

But, in this blog post I'm going to talk about one of my favorite small reefers, and that is the Menpachi, These little guys are tasty fried. Fishermen in Hawaii will use light tackle to catch them usually by whipping. The Menpachi by nature is nocturnal hence his big eyes. The eyes to catch his prey. 

Most local cooks will clean out the fish, and heat up a hot wok outside of the house especially of there was a huge catch, and by frying in a large wok it makes good for drinking and talking story or conversations with cold brews.

After frying to a crisp, a drizzle of shoyu, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and green onions would suffice. However Hawaiian chili pepper water is always a favorite. Or Tabasco works well, or fish sauce too. Served over white rice with some lomi salmon is epic all of the time. Try it out if you get a chance, and the best place to eat this is at someone's house where the  men go fishing and the men are the outdoor wok fryers. As we say here in Hawaii, "No can beat!"

              

© 2016