Best I've Ever Had...Sloppy Joes that is.

Because I eat a good amount of meat at work, I like to cook a decent amount of vegetarian style dishes at home on my off days (if I have them). Last week I decided I wanted sloppy joes but with no beef, pork, or anything of a meat nature but I still wanted that meaty component. So I chose to add meatless crumbles and of course beans and mushrooms, which are a vegetarians best friend.

Below is an ingredient list:
- 1 pkg. of meatless crumbles (I like the Morningstar because they are usually semi or all the way unfrozen and that just leads to a more even thawing process)
- Rainbow carrots (if you live in Florida, Publix has finally had a genius moment and introduced smaller portions of various veggies/cheeses and has these guys in that section)
- Sweet Onion (yellow onion)
- Garlic
- 1 Scotch Bonnet
- 1 can of small red beans
- Bok Choy (I personally don't care for celery because it's stringy and breaks down too easily, bok choy holds itself very well and I like the leaves too, that is of course if you use them)
- 1 pkg. Bella mushrooms
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 large can of Dei Fratelli tomato sauce (I do enjoy San Marzano but they aren't always available at certain stores or affordable for some people)
- Tomato paste (if you are lazy and don't use it often then get the can, but the tube works great and you can put in whatever amount you like and put the rest in the fridge)
-Ketchup (I only use Heinz)
-Worcestershire Sauce
- Sriracha
- Various spices (pepper, flakes, cumin, chili powder, whatever fits your fancy). You can use salt if you like, but I only used a pinch when I was sweating the onions and mushrooms.

I cooked the "meat" and then put it on a paper towel to dry. I then took the onions and sweated them a little bit and then added the garlic and mushrooms and the peppers. After this, I then added the liquids and the beans and threw the "meat" back in. I just let it simmer for 20-30 minutes until everything was incorporated and then served over a whole wheat bun.

As with anything, I, like most people, read a bunch of people's recipes and make my own making substitutions here and there. But these are the ingredients I used and the method I used to cook.

An Asian doing sushi, hold the applause please.

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything, so I apologize. (I will try to be better...mental note). For the past 4 months, I've spent a significant amount of time learning the ins and outs of all things sushi. I must say that working in sushi has taught me a patience level for failure that I didn't know I had within me.

This picture is one of a few rolls that I made and we feature at my restaurants. The one at the top of the picture is a Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll and the one below is a Sex on the Moon Roll. The Spicy Crunchy Tuna has tuna, kimchee sauce, tempura flakes, rice, and masago all within the seaweed . My all-time favorite is the Sex on the Moon, I love the crunchy texture of the shrimp tempura and the avocado with the eel and the cream cheese (which is weird, because I am not a huge fan of cream cheese or eel). The sauces you see are kimchee sauce and eel sauce, and they are followed by tempura flakes, scallions, masago, among other things.

Day trip to Miami...BBQ and all.

Took the Tri-Rail down to Miami yesterday to meet up with Eva to play frisbee golf (otherwise known as frolfing) and get some BBQ from a popular local joint. First of all, I highly recommend taking the tri down to Miami provided you have a way of getting around once you get there, it saves you a ton of $ in gas (it's only $10.65 for a roundtrip weekday ticket, and buying roundtrip saves you $2), saves you from being caught in rush hour traffic, and for me, it saves me from getting lost. But I would recommend bringing cash for the machines, yesterday they weren't accepting credit/debit cards.

We went to lunch at a BBQ joint, Shorty's, that's been around for 60 years. When you walk in, it's a seat yourself restaurant and has picnic benches throughout the place so chances are you will be sitting near someone you don't know. I had the BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich and an appetizer of Fried Okra, it automatically comes with a side of coleslaw as well. There are a few BBQ sauce selections but my personal favorite is the one that came with the sandwich, it's a vinegar based sauce. The sandwich itself had a good bun, my only issue with the brisket was it was slab style as opposed to some brisket that I've had where it's been shredded and chunky...the slabs had good flavor but it would have been nice if it was a little warmer. But overall, good sandwich. The okra was good and from what I hear, fried is the way to go in terms of taste and texture. It also came with a buttermilk ranch sauce. If you've read any of my previous blogs, you will know how I feel about coleslaw...this coleslaw didn't have too much mayo (which was nice), cabbage had a decent shape/cut to it, but it was a little heavier on the liquid than I like. I like my coleslaws to have a little more body to it. But I would recommend checking it out if you're in the area of Shorty's, they have multiple locations including Boca, Davie, Doral, etc.

Went to a local park down in Kendall called Kendall Indian Hammocks to play the frisbee golf. The park itself was beautiful and although we didn't get a chance to go down the nature trail, it's definitely a place I'd like to check out in the future. The only complaint I had with the park was the frisbee golf course, I'm not sure if they didn't have the proper layout or ran out of room or what, but I would recommend scouting it out otherwise you may want to just walk away from it after playing 6 holes. In terms of the course, it had a decent amount of difficulty to it by the location of the branches and the trees and various other obstacles...definitely check it out whether you are planning a picnic or birding or frisbee golf.

http://www.shortys.com/davie_bbq_menu.php

http://www.miamidade.gov/parks/parks/kendall_ind_hammocks.asp

Slightly hidden, cute spot.

Had a Living Social coupon to try out the Backyard Bar in West Palm. It's a cute spot and has a good amount of outdoor seating, but in S Florida...I wouldn't count on it not raining. If it is raining, there is bar seating but it is very limited. We went on a Tuesday and it had Happy Hour all day but when using a coupon like this, they charge you regular prices.

We had their spareribs with a garlic bbq sauce, stuffed mushrooms, charcuterie plate and a cheese plate. If you are looking for a strong garlic flavor I would recommend tempering your expectafions on the bbq sauce but overall it was a good flavor. The charcuterie plate was good, the salami had good flavor and the ham was decent...although the little biscuits they provided with the crackers didn't really work.

Overall, it's a great little spot to try something different from the rest of West Palm but if you are looking for a decent wait when ordering your food...you may want to go somewhere else. Their kitchen is tiny and if they have over 10-15 ppl ordering, your wait will seem like years. Remember, it is also a bed n breakfast that hosts wine parties as well.

Payathai Restaurant

Last night, the girls and I went out to this local Thai restaurant, Payathai. I had never been and you know me when it comes to trying out new places.

Susan and I started out with trying a Thai beer called Chang (pronounced Chung). I would say it is a light beer and if you are looking for something heavier then I would recommend taking a try at a different beer. It does not have an overpowering flavor to it, which is nice. For food, I ordered the sushi roll known as Sex on the Moon, which is their most popular option. It has the following items in the roll: Shrimp tempura, eel, crab, cream cheese, asparagus, cucumber, avocado I/O with tuna, tempura crunch, scallion, flying fish roe, eel sauce, and spicy mayo on top. And for the main course, I had ordered their Hot and Sour Seafood Noodle Soup which, to be honest, was nowhere near Hot or Sour. I had to add in 4-5 spoonfuls of chili paste into the broth to make it somewhat spicy. The soup had imitation crab chunks, mussels, shrimp, scallops, noodles, green onions, etc.

Overall, it was a good meal. I would say the menu was very competitive in terms of price, but the service...was good, not great. The server could have come around for drink refills a little more frequently, but in terms of food...I'd go again.

http://www.payathairestaurant.com/

Dinner with the girls.

Headed down to Deck 84 in Delray last night for dinner and drinks. When going to Delray, be careful about where you go if you are on  particular budget restraints, as Delray can get pricey (quick).

Tuesdays at Deck 84 is Unlimited Taco night for $13. The girls I went with last night drink Michelob Ultra and, outside of Happy Hour, run you $5 a bottle. For the tacos, they serve you 3 at a time (1 of each unless you ask for a particular selection, and there are 3 types) and then if you order more, they come 2 at a time.

I, of course, tried all 3 plus 4 more...needless to say it was decent. They have a chicken, shredded pork shoulder, and a steak taco. The chicken was my least favorite, it was dry and chunky which made eating it a little more difficult. The pork taco had pickled red onions on top along with a few drops of pineapple, delicious. The steak tacos were good but overall, I don't know that I would write home about them.

Overall, between the ambiance of being on the water and dining with friends, I had a great time. They have a slightly tilted menu towards seafood but do serve burgers, salads, etc. (And as a side note, I highly recommend ordering their guacamole). The other perk to being out on the deck is that they provide treats and water bowls if you bring your dog.

Delray Beach Restaurant - Deck 84

The Office.

I went to The Office today in Delray Beach, which happens to be my food haven. Gotta check it out, but be careful what you order.

For starters, I ordered a few Blue Moons (of course with an orange slice). And for food, I ordered their Chicken Shu Mai Dumplings. They came in little wonton wrappers and had chicken bites inside the wrappers. On the side, they had sweetened soy sauce. You get a serving of 6, but for Happy Hour...it is definitely worth checking out.

THE OFFICE | Prime Burgers, Craft Beer