Author Archives: Amber

Flavors Announced for the Barr Street Market

We can’t wait until tomorrow morning! Come see us at the Barr Street Market between 9 am and 1pm.

Here’s what we are serving:

Toasted Coconut

Coconut milk is added to our cream base and blended with an abundance of lightly toasted coconut.

Chocolate Cayenne

Dark chocolate ice cream blended with Vietnamese cinnamon and finishing with just enough heat to send you back in for another bite.

Strawberry Cheesecake

Flavored with fresh strawberries, this rich cheesecake tasting strawberry cream is layered with homemade strawberry syrup.

Bananas Foster

A rich and creamy ice cream infused with real banana, accented with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Heath Bar Crunch

Natural vanilla bean ice cream combined with pieces of chocolate covered toffee.

Mocha Reese’s

Creamy ice cream with Starbucks French Roast coffee, Hershey’s chocolate, and chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

 

All flavors will be served in our tasting size for $3. We hope to see you there!

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Tilapia Fillets with Bok Choy, Cilantro and Lime

Bok Choy

As we gear up for summer, my appetite for fresh veggies sky rockets. When we saw the fresh baby bok choy at the grocery store a few weeks ago, we simply couldn’t pass it up. The mild Tilapia complements the bok choy, cilantro and lime in this dish that give it a nice, refreshing kick. It’s also incredibly easy to make and it’s even tastier as leftovers the next day because the fish soaks up all the flavor from the spices.

Fish

Ingredients

  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced peeled ginger
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound baby bok choy (2-3 bunches), cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup sake or dry white wine
  • 4 4-ounce fillets tilapia

Preparation

Preheat to 400°F. Combine scallion, 1/4 cup cilantro, and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season cilantro-lime sauce with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Working in batches if needed, add bok choy and sear until golden brown, 2-4 minutes per batch. Remove pan from heat. Add sake. Season tilapia fillets with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer over bok choy. Roast in oven until fish is just cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

Spoon sake sauce from skillet into the bottom of 4 shallow bowls, dividing evenly. Add bok choy to each bowl, dividing evenly; top each bowl with 1 fish fillet. Spoon some cilantro-lime sauce over fish and garnish with cilantro sprigs. Serve remaining cilantro-lime sauce alongside for drizzling.

Vendors Announced for Opening Weekend at Barr Street Market

Opening day for Barr Street Market is this Saturday and we are so excited to be joining the following vendors to kick off the season:

Naturally Homegrown Farm
The Old Fort Soap Company
The Ginger Kitchen
Lincoln Ridge Farms
Buffalo Chip Creations
Hardy’s Farm Market
Sarahmics
Aunt Lora’s Caramel
Old World Fudge
Country Garden Farm & Market
Plough and Stars Farm
Garden of Ellen

Kernel Coladas Gourmet Popcorn
Knotty by Nature Hemp Designs
Cupcakes & Company
Body Alchemy Candles
Mike & Carol Miller (honey & beeswax)
Marcia Stauffer
Utopian Coffee
Graber Organic Farms

We will announce our flavors later this week, so check back for more information. We will be on hand with our $3 sample sizes and will take ice-cream-0f-the-month orders.

The Market will be open on Saturday from 9am to 1pm at the corner of Wayne and Barr Streets. RSVP on Facebook if you plan to attend. We hope to see you Saturday.

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Ice Cream at the Barr Street Market

ylniWe are excited to announce that we will be a part of this year’s Barr Street Market!

Barr Street Market is organized by YLNI and takes place every Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM throughout the summer in the heart of downtown on the corner of Wayne and Berry Streets. It offers fresh and unique local produce, plants, meats, baked goods, and homemade crafts… and this year, Ginger Kitchen Ice Cream.

 

Those interested in receiving updates about available flavors for the Barr Street Market should follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook. We will announce them during the week leading up to the market.

Opening weekend is just around the corner. We hope to see you!

May 25

June 1

July 20

August 17

 

 

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Black Beans and Rice with Ginger Chile Salsa

Black Beans

In the weeks leading up to my half marathon, I was ravenous for flavorful and healthful meals and stumbled across this recipe. It’s simple and packed with a palate pleasing array of spices. I love the heat the fresh ginger adds to it — and of course, we topped ours with Sriracha. What I like most — it’s scrumptious whether served hot or cold and makes a great lunch.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, chopped, divided
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or water
  • 2 red jalapeños, stemmed, halved, seeded
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon chopped peeled ginger
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 avocado, halved, pitted, chopped
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  • Lime wedges (for serving)

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 of onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add 2 cups water and season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is just tender, 40-50 minutes.

Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. Fold in 1/4 cup cilantro; season with salt and pepper.

While rice is cooking, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 2/3 of remaining onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

Add coriander and cumin; stir 1 minute. Add beans and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, occasionally mashing beans, until thickened, 8-10 minutes.

Pulse chiles, garlic, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and remaining onion in a blender until a chunky sauce forms. Season salsa with salt.

Serve rice with beans; top with salsa, avocado, cheese, 1/4 cup cilantro, and lime wedges.

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Paleo Friendly: Zucchini Spaghetti with Italian Sausage Meatballs

Last night’s dinner was inspired by a desire to cut out pastas and unnecessary grains from our diet. Now that my week of total indulgence is over and I am back on my training program (see my running blog for more details), it’s time to start really paying closer attention to what we are putting into our bodies. This meal has 4 main ingredients- yes 4, and is incredibly simple. I didn’t have high hopes in the taste department, but it turned out extremely well. I will definitely make this again.

Zucchini Spaghetti

Ingredients

4-6 servings

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 zucchini, julienned
  • 1 jar tomato sauce (we used homemade sauce we canned from last year’s garden)
  • 1 lb. italian sausage
  • salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat oil in skillet. Roll Italian sausage into balls and drop into hot grease, browning each side. Add tomato sauce to pan with meatballs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, cooking 5-10 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

Meanwhile, julienne the zucchini and place in a large bowl. We don’t have the right tools, so I used a potato peeler, and it worked just fine. Cover bowl and heat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain excess water, toss with salt and pepper.

Divide zucchini into bowls and top with sauce and meatballs. Viola!

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Ginger Kitchen Ice Cream hits the streets!

This has been a big week for our ice cream business. We passed our health inspection with flying colors and all of our permits came through for our mobile unit. This means, we can fling open the doors to the general public. So far, our private ice-cream-of-the-month club has been booming, with over 75 members to date. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. Your positive feedback and encouragement have given us the courage to move forward and invest in this business.

So what now? We will launch our website soon where people can sign up for 3, 6, or 12 month ice-cream-of-the-month club memberships. If you are interested in learning more about this, please don’t hesitate to email us at thegingerkitchen@gmail.com, otherwise, keep checking back for the official launch of our new website at this web address.

This Friday, you can get your hands on some of our ice cream at two events. We will be out and about with our mobile bike unit, selling single servings of our Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Cayenne, Orange Lavender with Dark Chocolate flecks, and Strawberry for $3.

Here’s where we’ll be:

logo-circleThe Bike to Work After Party at Fort Wayne Outfitters & Bike Depot

5-7PM

Fort Wayne Outfitters & Bike Depot will host the Bike to Work Day After Party. There will be music, food, door prizes, and stand-up paddle boat demos… and ice cream, of course.

 

 

DJ MSG + Sankofa + You = Fun at Wunderkammerwunderkammer

7-9PM

Our friends Sankofa and Dan Swartz have invited us to join them for this all ages event where DJ MSG will spin some tunes, Sankofa will rap, and you will smile.

We can’t tell you how excited we are to bring our product to the masses. We hope you can stop by one or both of these events on Friday to say hello and sample some delicious ice cream.

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Whole Wheat Pancakes with Strawberries and Toasted Coconut

pancakes

After running the Indy Mini on Saturday, I wanted to EAT ALL THE FOOD! Sunday morning I woke up and had a hankering for pancakes, which happens NEVER, so I whipped up these easy whole wheat pancakes and topped them with fresh strawberries and toasted coconut. So simple, and so so good.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries, sprinkled with sugar
  • 1/4 cup toasted coconut
  • Indiana maple syrup

Preparation

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add milk, egg and melted butter. Mix until smooth, adding milk as needed to desired consistency.

Heat counter-top griddle or lightly oil skillet and pour batter, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot. Top with strawberries, maple syrup and toasted coconut.

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Bento Box Soup

Bento Box Soup

Jon and I love Asian food- we especially love shopping at the Asian Market on the corner of Pontiac and Calhoun just south of downtown. The staff is extremely helpful and willing to explain items we are not familiar with. We’ve made it a tradition to visit every weekend while we make our grocery shopping rounds. Many of the ingredients in this recipe are from the Asian Market, supplemented with items from George’s International and 3 Rivers Co-op. Grocery shopping is a big deal in our house- we visit at least 4 stores to get the items we need, ensuring we pick up the freshest ingredients- no big box store shopping for us.

The Bento Box Soup is delicious. I love the contrast between the crispy fresh spinach and the soft soba noodles. The broth is phenomenal- saturated with miso and green tea, offering a tangy and savory base. I don’t particularly like mushrooms, but they complement the flavor in this soup nicely.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces soba noodles
  • 4 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil or hot pepper sesame oil
  • 3 green tea bags
  • 1 carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 cup stemmed and sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • 4 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1/4 cup white miso
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced diagonally
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups loosely packed baby spinach

Preparation

Fill a soup pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt and the soba noodles and decrease the heat to medium. Cook, stirring gently on occasion, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse well under cold water to remove the starch. Immediately transfer to a bowl, drizzle with 1/4 teaspoon of the sesame oil and toss gently to coat.

Put the broth in the same pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low, add the tea bags, and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove the tea bags with a slotted spoon. Add the carrot, mushrooms, tofu, tamari, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Put 1/4 cup of the hot broth in a small bowl, add the miso, and stir with a fork until the miso is dissolved. Stir the mixture back into the broth, then stir in the scallions, lemon juice, and remaining sesame oil.

Distribute the soba noodles and spinach among six bowls and ladle in the soup.

 

 

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Brussels Sprouts and Steak Stir Fry

Brussels Sprouts and Steak Stir Fry

Between my Indy Mini training (which is Saturday!!!) and Jon and I getting Ginger Kitchen Gourmet Ice Cream up and running, I’ve had little time to share our scrumptious recipes with you. This week’s recipe is simply too good to keep to ourselves. If you’re looking for a flavor-packed, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare meal, this one is for you. You can tone down the heat by omitting the Serrano peppers and scaling back the ginger. If you’re a paleo fan, you can omit the rice- the stir fry is substantial enough to stand alone. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
  • 8 ounces sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 scallions, whites chopped, greens sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 1 Fresno Serrano, sliced into rings
  • Steamed rice (for serving)

Preparation

Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; set sauce aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; wipe out skillet.

Season steak with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add steak in a single layer; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds. Add to Brussels sprouts. Drain skillet if necessary.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, adjusting heat as needed. Add carrots and Serrano pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until carrots are slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

Return Brussels sprouts and steak to skillet and add reserved sauce. Cook, tossing occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with scallion greens.

 

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