Posted in July 2012 …

Jul 30 2012
2 Comments
From the Garden, Vegetarian, We Eat Well

Sesame-Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry

Last week, Jon went on vacation with the boys and left me alone to fend for myself. Last time he went out of town, I made a big batch of chili and it lasted me the entire week. I do like to cook, but I don’t like to do it everyday. So, this week, I prepared a huge batch of Sesame-Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry. Quick, easy and super tasty!

Ingredients:

  • 1 package whole wheat organic Angel Hair pasta*
  • 4 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 package organic, firm tofu
  • 1 package fresh stir fry mixed veggies: broccoli, carrots and snow peas
  • 2 tablespoons ginger
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • soy sauce to taste
  • Sriracha to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preparation:

Prepare Angel Hair pasta according to package instructions. We always add a splash of olive oil to the water as it boils. Drain pasta and toss with 3 tablespoons sesame oil and lemon juice.

Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large pan. Place tofu in pan and sprinkle with ginger. Cook tofu until browned on all sides. Add veggies and fish sauce, cover and cook until veggies are soft. Toss tofu-veggie mix with pasta. Add soy sauce and Sriracha to taste. Top with sesame seeds.

*Normally I’d use organic Soba Noodles, but I couldn’t find them in the grocery store this trip so I substituted angel hair pasta.

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Jul 30 2012
5 Comments
From the Garden, Seafood, We Eat Well

Salmon Bulgogi with Bok Choy and Kale

We had a VERY lazy Sunday, watching the Olympics and napping. Okay, mostly napping. So when we woke up late in the afternoon, we were too tired to go to the grocery store before dinner. While Jon mowed the lawn, I took inventory of what we had on-hand and came up with this yummy and healthy Salmon Bulgogi dish. Bulgogi is a Korean dish that typically features beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil and other seasonings. We substituted salmon and it turned out great. We used chives and bok choy from our garden. I’ve never cooked bok choy before and had a lot of fun doing so.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled, divided
  • 1/3 cup chopped chives
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry cooking Sherry
  • 1 tablespoon powered ginger
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
  • 1 lb wild caught salmon filet
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large bok choy, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips (about 7 cups)
  • 1 bunch kale
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:

Blend 1 garlic clove and next 7 ingredients in mini processor. Arrange salmon in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon marinade over. Let marinate 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Arrange fish, with some marinade still clinging, on rimmed baking sheet. Transfer any marinade in dish to small saucepan. Roast until just opaque in center, about 11 minutes. Bring marinade in saucepan to boil; set aside and reserve for glaze.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add bok choy, kale, green onions and garlic powder. Stir-fry until bok choy is wilted, about 6 minutes.

Divide vegetables among plates. Top with salmon. Drizzle with remaining marinade.

 

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Jul 27 2012
4 Comments
From the Garden, Vegetarian, We Eat Well

Pickled Banana Peppers

This year’s garden is full of various types of peppers, and this weekend the banana peppers were ready to go! Like last year, we planned to pickle them. What we didn’t plan on is that it would need to be done while Jon is away with the boys at the lake. He did the grunt work last year, so I had no idea where to begin. I hunted around for his recipe, found a couple he had bookmarked and went to work. We absolutely love these and eat them with everything! I especially love them on top of my chive-infused cottage cheese or as a tangy addition to a fresh green salad.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. banana peppers
  • 4 cloves garlic (sliced in half lengthwise)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons celery salt

Preparation:

Wash the peppers, cut off the tops and remove as many of the seeds as you can. Cut the peppers into rings. Put the pepper rings, garlic and celery salt into a glass jar that has an air-tight seal when closed. In a medium saucepan, add the water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from heat and pour over the top of the peppers and garlic. Seal the jar and set aside overnight. After 24 hours, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

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Jul 23 2012
4 Comments
From the Garden, Vegetarian, We Eat Well

Panko-Crusted Eggplant Parmesan

I absolutely adore eggplant. For the second year, we are growing it in our garden. So far, we’ve had a pretty good crop despite the incessant drought. I like this recipe for it’s simplicity. Using canned tomato sauce from last year’s garden, Jon created a healthy, well-balanced, garden-centric meal.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium eggplants, sliced
  • 1 jar garden fresh tomatoes and veggies (you can use chunky tomato sauce from the store)
  • 3 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • vegetable oil
  • 1 package thin spaghetti
  • Parmesan cheese to taste

Preparation:

In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil. The oil needs to be deep enough that eggplant slices will be submerged when added to the pan. In the meantime, prepare eggplant: dip slice in egg, dredge through flour and then panko bread crumbs. Repeat for each slice. When oil is hot enough, place eggplant slices in oil, turning a few times, until brown on each side. Remove from oil and place on plate lined with paper towel to remove excess oil.

Prepare spaghetti per package instructions- we always add olive oil to the water. Heat tomatoes in a separate pan.

Divide spaghetti among plates, layer with tomatoes and top with eggplant. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

 

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Jul 22 2012
2 Comments
We Eat Well

GINGERKITCHENdog- Our Week with Brava’s Dogs

When I met Bo, the creative force behind Brava’s Dog, a few months ago to work out the details of our Picnic in the Park event to benefit Cancer Services, I was thoroughly impressed. Here is a young entrepreneur who is chasing his dream and making it work. Not only that, he also has an appreciation for quality food and a desire to introduce people to it. And he truly loves our city. I love meeting people who love our city. It’s so refreshing. I love our city and too often I run into people who want to get out of here. Not only is Bo staying, he’s revving up our culture by bringing us stellar food, as well… I can’t wait until he launches his food truck.

After our first meeting, Bo started reading our blog and would often drop me a line to rave about the yummy dishes we had prepared. I couldn’t believe it. I relished his feedback. To say I was blown away when he asked us to create a recipe for him is an understatement and I dove into the task, carefully crafting my “dream dog.” Eventually, I presented him with 3 original recipes to consider and together we chose a simple, yet powerful, mango salsa. With his permission, I am posting it here. We’d love for you to recreate the GINGERKITCHENdog experience for yourself. After all, it’s important to get close to your food, to know where it’s coming from, and to realize how easy it is to make a wholesome meal with quality ingredients at home.

Thanks again, Bo. That was fun. Let’s do it again soon!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large ripe yet firm mango
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced into small pieces
  • 1 medium Jalapeno, seeded and diced into small pieces
  • 1 small red onion, diced finely
  • 1 -2 tbsp lemon/lime juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Little sugar to sprinkle if your mangoes are not sweet enough
  • Few sprigs of cilantro, chopped
  • Few mint leaves (optional)
  • Sriracha to taste
Preparation: 
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Top your dog with the salsa and add a few drops of Sriracha.
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Jul 17 2012
2 Comments
Ice Cream, We Eat Well

Maple Ice Cream with Walnuts & Raisins

 

Our ice cream maker is going to ruin me. It’s a good thing I’ve been doing so much running or I would have gained 5 pounds just looking at this recipe. So sweet, creamy and buttery, Jon’s Maple Ice Cream kicks serious butt. The subtle hint of roasted walnuts and the chewy texture of the raisins take it over the top. Before serving, we sprinkled each bowl of ice cream with cinnamon. Absolute perfection!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup half & half
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
  • 1/4 cup raisins

Preparation:

Combine the heavy cream, half & half and syrup in a bowl and whisk to combine. Place cream mixture into ice cream maker and follow the instructions for your machine.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast walnuts in a pie pan for approximately 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Five minutes before ice cream is done mixing, add walnuts and raisins.

 

 

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Jul 12 2012
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Seafood, We Eat Well

Soba Noodles and White Fish

As I’ve mentioned before, occasionally, I take over cooking responsibilities; such was the case earlier this week. And as usual, I improvised and created an Asian inspired noodle dish… noodle bowls really are my specialty. In this case, I took inventory of what we had on hand: organic soba noodles, white fish, garlic, mint, lemons, and sesame oil. I googled Japanese noodles and fish, read through a couple recipes and put this together. It turned out better than excepted, especially considering I almost burned the house down when the oil caught on fire in the oven. Scary! But everything turned out well. The lemony sauce I created for the noodles paired well with the cumin-garlic rub I prepared for the fish. We are big fans of sesame oil in almost everything, and it fit especially well with this dish. The dash of mint, which I cut from the garden, added a unique flavor in the end.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp. garlic salt
  • 2 white fish fillets (we used cod)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • sesame seeds, for serving
  • Chopped fresh mint, for serving.

Preparation:

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse under cold water; drain well.

In a small bowl, combine lemon zest and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic. Mix well. Toss noodles with the dressing.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil.

Season both sides of the fish with remaining olive oil, sesame oil, cumin and garlic salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.

Divide the noodles among four plates and place the fish over the noodles. Garnish with mint and sesame seeds.

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Jul 10 2012
5 Comments
From the Garden, We Eat Well

Strawberry Basil Gelato

Last week, my friend Heather of He Cooks She Cooks informed me that I won a contest on her blog and would receive a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker! I was so excited. Jon loves ice cream and I knew he’d love making his own. We’ve often talked about the kind of ice cream we’d make if we had the right equipment. We even tried once, sans ice cream maker, and ended up with a pretty good avocado jalapeño ice cream. For our first go with the new ice cream maker, Jon chose Strawberry Basil Gelato. I give him bonus points for using herbs from our garden.

While the substance was churning away in the machine, I was skeptical that it was going to turn out, but just as the instructions said, “20-25 minutes in the machine,” and we had a creamy, smooth soft-serve-esque ice cream. I could tell Jon was disappointed at first; he was expecting a different texture, but the flavor was outstanding. And after an overnight in the freezer, the ice cream formed to a nice gelato consistency, while still retaining it’s refreshing Strawberry-Basil flavor.

Thanks for the opportunity Heather. This is going to be fun!

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1 cup plus 4 additional tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries – sliced
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of fresh basil

Preparation:

Whisk egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar together into the bowl of your mixer and mix together with your paddle attachment until light and creamy. While your egg yolks are mixing, add milk & heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar into a large sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves and mixture warms. Remove from heat.

Temper the egg yolk mixture by adding some of the warm milk/cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Gradually add the egg yolk mixture into the milk/cream mixture and stir well to combine. Return to medium heat and cook until mixture thickens/coats the back of your wooden spoon. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract. Allow mixture to cool in pan completely and then place into the fridge and chill completely (this will take several hours).

While the mixture is cooling, place the strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, balsamic and finely chopped basil into the bowl. Stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.

When the mixture is completely cool, blend the strawberry mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Add the strawberry mixture to the cream mixture and stir well. Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker! Voila!

 


 



 

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Jul 09 2012
6 Comments
Recker-mendation

Recker-mendation: Honey on the Table

I am embarrassed to admit that it took me this long to make it to Honey on the Table. It is in my neighborhood after all. But the good news is I finally made it. And, wow. I was immediately impressed with the menu. While it isn’t huge, it has just the right combination of sandwiches and salads to make it the perfect lunchtime stop. And while the space is small, it lends an intimacy to the entire experience. The owner was extremely helpful, explaining all of the menu items and pointing out her favorites.

I opted for the Great Granny Smith, a BLT with thinly sliced Granny Smith apples and cheddar on house-made raisin bread. The combination of the crisp apple, the salty bacon, the savory cheese, and the slightly sweet bread is outstanding. It’s so outstanding, I wonder why I haven’t thought of this particular combination before. It seems to go together better than peanut butter and jelly. I will definitely be stopping in again soon to have another.

My lunch mate, Sarah, chose the Boar’s Head Turkey sandwich, served deluxe with Havarti cheese and house-made peach pepper jam. While I didn’t taste it, I can attest that it looked delicious… and also humungous! Sarah was able to eat only half of it before giving in and saving the rest for later.

Honey on the Table does not offer fountain sodas, but they do have a nice selection of beverages in bottles and a large container of lemonade on the counter. The day that I visited, the lemonade du jour was ginger lemonade- it hit the spot on the 100+ degree day.

You can view the full menu online. I can’t wait to go back and try some of their salads. The baked goods looked amazing too!

Honey on the Table on Urbanspoon

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Jul 05 2012
2 Comments
Vegetarian, We Eat Well

Agua Fresca- Watermelon Grapefruit

As I mentioned last week, the current issue of  Bon Apetit included an entire section on Agua Fresca. If I am not careful, this could become an obsession. For the 4th, I made this one and just can’t get enough of it. It’s so refreshing. And I absolutely love that everything in it is natural. No sugar added!

Preparation:

Working in batches, puree an entire watermelon, chopped in a blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes, then spoon off foam. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large pitcher. Strain puree into pitcher (I did this process twice to remove excess pulp). Makes about 8 cups of juice. Add 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice. Fill glasses with ice. Divide among glasses. Serves 8.

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