The Ginger Kitchen

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.

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.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Pamela and Kit for an article about Immunity Boosting Foods for Glo magazine. Among many healthful foods, both recommended Kale. I love Kale prepared in a variety of ways, but Kit shared a recipe for Baked Kale Chips, so we gave them a try last weekend. Jon was skeptical, but they turned out well; very light and crunchy. They make a great snack to have around the house. We served them as a side dish with Corned Beef and Roasted Carrots. Delish.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. With a knife or kitchen shears, carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale. Spread kale onto cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

I remember the exact moment I first tasted quiche. I was 8 or 9 and attending a baby shower with my mom. Among the smorgasbord was a yellow and green pie(ish) dish, and I plopped a piece on my plate to try. When that spongy egg concoction hit my tongue, I almost spit it out. My eyes darted around the room to see if my mom was looking, fork still perched at my lips. I knew I would mortify my mother if I spit it out, and sure enough, her eyes were drilling right into me as if willing me to chew what was in my mouth. So I chewed and chewed and chewed that cold rubbery egg and spinach quiche until I couldn’t chew anymore and was forced to swallow the bite.

That was my first bite of quiche and I thought it would be my last. This week, I didn’t say anything about my quiche experience when Jon told me it was on the menu. After all, I’ve been known to simply decide I don’t like something (ahem, mushrooms) without any reasoning to back it up. Jon knows this and has systematically disproven all of my dislikes – red peppers, cilantro and broccoli among them. And now, we can add quiche because this crustless ham and swiss quiche is absolutely delightful. I know I overuse the word savory (it’s my favorite foodie descriptor), but this dish truly is a savory treat. Salty ham and cheese and fluffy eggs- it just couldn’t get any better, and because it’s crustless, it’s so easy. Mix, pour, bake and eat. That’s it.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fine dry plain bread crumbs
• 1 cup frozen chopped onions
• 1 cup diced cooked ham (1/4 pound)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 (8-ounce) package shredded Swiss cheese (2 cups)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Butter quiche dish, then sprinkle all over with bread crumbs.

Cook onions with ham in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 5 minutes. Spread in dish, then evenly sprinkle cheese on top.

Whisk together eggs, cream, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pour over cheese. Bake until top is golden and custard is set in center, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

Earlier this week, my friend Kristin jogged my memory about the existence of Joy the Baker’s blog, a beautiful and inspiring food blog. I’ve been a fan for a long time- not only are her pictures beautiful, but her writing is so refreshing. Somehow she fell off my radar (likely because there’s so much noise on the internet these days- it’s hard to keep track of the good ones). I am grateful that she’s back on it, hopefully to stay.

Browsing her site, I was inspired by many of her creations, but a recipe for Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cookies seemed as if it were written for Jon. He loves a good grown-up cookie and the flavors in this recipe are very mature. It calls for smoked salt, but sadly, I was unable to find any at our local grocery so I used sea salt instead. They turned out very well, but I am interested in trying them again with the smoked salt. Joy describes the flavor like a campfire in your mouth… not sure if I’d like that or not, but it’s worth a try. Luckily, my friends at the Great American Spice Company have it in stock.

I absolutely love the texture of these cookies. They are loaded with dark chocolate and pistachios, so eat bite contains a nice crunch. I expected them to flatten out like Joy’s pictures show, but mine stayed thick and chunky. I think I prefer them that way.

For the full recipe, visit Joy the Baker’s blog.

Sticking with our vegetarian trend, I whipped up these yummy wraps last weekend. The sweet from the peaches, combined with the tangy of the homemade balsamic vinaigrette is outstanding. Add in avocados and fresh basil and this meal was absolutely perfect. It’s super easy too and took under 15 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 small peach, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• handful of fresh basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard

Preparation:

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar and dijon mustard. Warm wrap on stove top in a skillet. Toss your peaches and basil with dressing. Fill wrap with peach/basil mixture and avocados. Roll wrap and slice.

Looking for an easy week-night meal? This dish takes less than an hour and is super tasty. The spicy chicken is tempered by the chill from the salad, which contains just the right mixture of spices and cheese. Grilling the corn and cutting it from the cob adds a texture and flavor you wouldn’t get from canned corn.

Chipotle Lime Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chipotle Tobasco*
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons mild honey

Preparation:

Stir together lime juice, oil, salsa chipotle, and salt in a liquid-measuring cup. Place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and tenderize from the center out using a meat mallet. Put chicken in a large sealable bag and add 1/3 cup marinade (reserve remainder in cup). Seal bag, forcing out excess air, and marinate chicken at room temperature, about 15 minutes. Stir honey into remaining marinade until dissolved to make sauce.

Grill chicken (discarding marinade in bag) on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning chicken over occasionally and moving it to avoid flare-ups if necessary, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes total.

Brush both sides of chicken with some of reserved sauce, then continue to grill, turning over once, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Serve chicken drizzled with remaining sauce.

*We couldn’t find chipotle Tobasco, but at George’s, we found salsa chipotle that served well as a substitute. 

Grilled Corn on the Cob Salad with Garlic Butter

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 2 heads of garlic, roasted
• 4 ears corn in husk
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or mild feta
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
• smoked sweet paprika to taste
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Set butter out until it is room temperate. Roast the garlic. Remove garlic from husk and mash with a fork. Mix into butter.

To make the corn, heat your grill to high. Place the corn on the grill, close the grill hood, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until husks are burnt and corn is charred. Allow to cool. Unwrap the husks from and cut from cob. Mix with lime juice, queso, chives, paprika, butter, and salt & pepper. Chill before serving.

Jon made this for dinner on Sunday evening to accompany burgers and coleslaw. He found the recipe in the June 2012 issue of Bon Apetit. There’s one word for this: fresh! Without any additives, this “juice” allows the natural flavor of the cantaloupe and basil to shine. Other Agua Frescas in that issue include Chia Limeade, Watermelon & Grapefruit, and Tamarind & Date. I hope we get to try them all!

Preparation:

Working in batches, puree 15 cups chopped cantaloupe (from about 3 1/2 lbs. melons) in a blender until smooth. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl; line sieve with cheesecloth. Strain puree into bowl; gather cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze and remaining juice into the bowl. Repeat process with fresh cheesecloth, straining into a large pitcher (makes about 5 cups of juice). Add 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, and 2 cups cold water to pitcher. Let steep at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Fill glasses with ice. Divide among glasses. Serves 8.