Spicy Sprouts - Food for Thought (Season 1)
Be Healthy, Be Strong
I believe that everyone should be and can be healthy and be strong. Through these videos, I hope to inspire everyone to have a healthy mind, body and a positive outlook.
Steamed Seasoned Eggplant (Korean: Gaji Namul Variation)
In Korean, Gaji is Eggplant and Namul means seasoned side dish. Eggplant for this preparation is steamed. There is no one way to make any dish. Since I have allergies to sesame and nuts, I tweaked the recipe of the traditional Gaji Namul.
Hope you have fun watching the video and be adventurous to make it your own.
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Want to know some fun Eggplant facts?
Scientific name - Solanum melongena
Eggplant is also called aubergine or Guinea squash. It’s a species of nightshade, grown for its edible fruit.
Botanically, eggplant is a berry, just like blueberries, watermelon, or tomatoes. In botany, a berry is a fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible, relatively soft pericarp.
Culinarily, it’s a vegetable, as it’s used in main dishes and not eaten for sweetness.
Its origin is considered to be India where it continues to grow wild. This spiny, bitter, orange, pea-sized fruit has been cultivated throughout India and China for more than 1500 years
Steamed Broccoli - I am every mom’s superhero!
I prefer not to eat certain vegetables if it isn’t cooked in a certain way. I am not allergic to them, but my taste buds act out. Your’s truly is a well respected food connoisseur. LOL!
As I was saying, some of these vegetables, even when cooked properly, tend to leave an odd feeling in my mouth. One such food is cooked plantain (weird, right?) and others include beetroot and radish.
Broccoli “Bob” has had a bad reputation for a long time. It’s time to give him a chance to show how cool he is. Broccoli is a beautiful flower. Don’t hate this awesome, nutritious, superpower flower for no reason. Watch the video to see how much fun it is to have broccoli in the kitchen and on the menu.
A very very simple and delicious way to add broccoli to your food repertoire. Try the steamed broccoli anytime you feel like snacking or have it with your meals.
Colorful Vegetable Soup - Medley of good food
The smell of hearty vegetable soup feels warm and cozy, anytime of the year. For me, the best part of making this recipe is the time are the the lively conversations with my parents while chopping all those vegetables. Also, it’s a magnificent sight to watch the soup boil with vibrant and colorful medley of vegetables in it. Kind of reminds of a caldera of an active volcano. See the fun for yourself.
Simple colorful and heartwarming vegetable soup with tofu.
Veggie jokes anyone?
Why did the Tomato go out with a prune? Because he couldn’t find a date!
What did the father tomato say to the baby tomato whilst on a hike? Ketchup
Where do the veggies go for a drink on a hot day? The Salad Bar
What vegetables are a sailors enemy? Leeks!
What horror movie do all vegetables love? Silence Of The Yams
Why did the tomato blush? Because he saw the salad dressing
What is corn on the cobb’s favorite song? A-maize-ing Grace
Why do potatoes always argue? Because they can never see eye to eye
Why shouldn’t you tell secrets in a cornfield? There are too many ears!
What's the coolest vegetable? A rad-ish!
Chicken or Veggie Taco - New “Taco Kid” on the block
In Santa Barbara, we have some really amazing taco places and they serve up some of the best tacos on the central coast. I am inspired by the remarkable versatility and variety of this Mexican dish and I started making my own version of tacos at home. So, when we can’t go out for tacos, I always have the option to make them at home. Watch the video to see how. It is not hard, you can make your own too!
Here are some awesome places to get Tacos in Santa Barbara
Corazon Cocina SB
Los Agaves
Mony’s Mexican Food
Super Cuca’s Taqueria
Taqueria El Bajio
La Super-Rica Taqueria
Banana Bread - Did you think there is no dessert?
I love banana bread. I learnt this recipe when I wanted to have some banana bread and the only ones available in market were banana bread with walnuts or some other kind of nuts. I cannot have any kids of nuts because of my allergy. It limits the dessert choices for me. I took matters in my own hands. Now I make my own dessert, sometimes more than I can eat in a week. These days, I even buy extra bananas and plan in advance to ripen them for my recipe. Watch the video to see what I mean by that.
Random fun facts that everyone should know
The scientific name for banana is musa sapientum, which means “fruit of the wise men.” Did you know, my name actually means - “wise man or sage”!
February 23rd annually recognizes a well-known food holiday, National Banana Bread Day.
More bananas are sold than any other fruit in the United States. Believe it or not, 96% of American households purchase bananas at least once a month!
When ten or more bananas grow on a single stem they are known as a hand. Individual bananas, it follows, are called fingers.
Alexander the Great conquered parts of India in 327 BCE and "discovered" bananas. Archaeological record clearly indicates that the banana had been cultivated well before that, but his is considered to be the first written record of this delightful fruit.
Bananas float in water.
Hawaii is the only place in the U.S. where bananas are grown commercially. The majority of the bananas we eat in US come from countries in Latin America and South America, including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, and Guatemala.
The Banana Club Museum, located on Highway 111 in Mecca, Calif. (just south of Palm Springs), houses the world’s largest collection devoted to any one fruit. It contains more than 17,000 banana items, most of which have been donated by members.
