Sweet Love and Ginger

Summer

Simple Burst Sun Gold Sauce

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So. Many. Sun Golds.

Aren’t they beautiful? They are so sweet and delicious. I’m
thinking of all kinds of ways to use them in all kinds of recipes. This one so
far is one of my favorites.
This is probably the simplest sauce I have ever made. I don’t
even know if you can call it a sauce, since it’s pretty chunky, but it lent
itself well to pasta so I guess it’s a sauce. I just had so many sun golds that
were supremely ripe and ready to be devoured so I decided to roast them, easily
with some flavor boosters and because I like them in their oozy burst state I
decided not to blend them. Again so easy.  

I’m sure this recipe would work with nearly any type of
tomato, but I like the bright color and super sweet taste in these babies.
For the ravioli I made those about as simple as possible. I
have been experimenting with varying pasta dough recipes to find my favorite. I
used this recipe this time around and found it to be difficult to work and
a bit dry, but that could have also simply been the heat in this tiny kitchen
in the summer. The filling was plain old ricotta, with nothing else, again because
we were going simple here. I also served it with a Pinot Grigio for good measure.
I’m thinking that this sauce at least may make itself into
rotation for our dinner parties, it’s just too easy. We might even have to try
it over some chicken, or with rice or something. Experiments are always fun.



Burst Sun Gold Sauce (Serves 4)

1 quart sun gold tomatoes
½ a medium red onion, sliced thin
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 sprigs of thyme
Chopped basil for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375. Combine tomatoes, onion, salt,
pepper and oil in a large baking dish. Toss well to combine and spread evenly. Bake
in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to burst, and release
juices. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Apricot Pork Kabobs

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 A quick and easy recipe for Apricot Pork Kabobs, that is a fun and flavorful for summer.
Apricot Pork Kabobs
Sometimes I get stuck in a rut when it comes to pork. I can dress it up Asian style, or with apples (such as here, and here), but other
than that I always seem to fall back on the simple rosemary and garlic staple, or shake & bake that I know a lot of us in the north east grew up with. I
have been trying to break that mold lately and it’s working out surprisingly well.
This recipe is so far one of my favorites. With only 4 ingredients it comes together super quick, and super inexpensive. Here it is
made for the grill, but it can just as easily be broiled in the oven as kabobs or even a whole loin. I did notice that the final product need extra sauce, and that some people (think Chuck) liked to use the sauce to dip their veggies in, so this recipe makes enough for that as well.

As for what to serve with it, the options are pretty much endless. A big green salad is perfect, since the sauce can act as a dressing,
and it goes wonderfully with blue cheese crumbles. Basically swap out the barbecue chicken in this recipe for these kabobs. I have also served it with simple roasted potatoes, or you could try a basic rice pilaf like this one. Since there is so much flavor in this recipe I think basic sides are a good
option.

Apricot Pork Kabobs
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 6 oz apricot preserves
  • 1 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp ground garlic
  • 1 lb pork loin, cut into fist size pieces
Instructions
  1. In a small sauce pan over medium heat add preserves, soy sauce, and garlic and stir well to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the preserves have liquefied and the sauce has thickened.
  2. Remove from heat and pour about 3/4 of the sauce over pork, reserving the rest and cover.
  3. Let the pork marinade for about 30 minutes (up to 1 hour) before placing it on pre-soaked wooden skewers.
  4. Place kabobs on a preheated grill over medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side basting with leftover marinade.
  5. Once cooked through remove from heat and baste with reserved marinade. Serve warm with reserved sauce on the side.
PS: Check out my newest post over on the Charming Blog; 10 Super Easy ways to Eat Healthier Now without Trying too Hard

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A Million Reasons to Try Lamb Kofta

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Lamb Kofta Recipe

Oh the goodness. I cannot even begin to tell you how delicious this recipe is. From the intriguing flavor of the spiced lamb, to the cooling effect of the tzatziki, and the light fluffy texture of the pita there is so much awesomeness going on I can’t even describe to you.

It’s surprisingly not spicy, I say surprisingly because Middle Eastern food makes me think spice, but maybe that just goes to show that I need to step out of my box more.
Don’t leave out a single spice, they blend together so well that I can’t imagine any of them not being together. Also don’t skimp on the spices, they are completely necessary to make this thing work. Though you can use whole ginger (about ½ inch piece peeled) I opted for Penzys Dried ginger because I never use up a whole root before it goes bad, and it’s a waste. Also Penzys cinnamon is the bomb just saying. In fact you should probably just go check out the entire store and stock up on everything there. Here is a store locator. No this is not a sponsored post, I just love that place.
Lamb Kofta Recipe

You could potentially use beef if lamb scares you, or is too expensive, but honestly I think the flavor of the lamb is what makes the spices work so well, and it the perfect vehicle, so really don’t mess with that either.

 Tzatziki is awesome, enough said.
As for the pita, please, please don’t break them open. Simply toast them up a bit and fold that beautiful round thing like a fluffy taco to hold all of your lamb-tzatziki goodness.
Toppings are simple, a bit of tomato, and arugula for a bit of brightness and crunch.  Then go right ahead dig on in. Let the juices run down your hand and make a big old mess. It’s good. So good. Go ahead and enjoy it. You know you want to.
Lamb Kofta Recipe



Kofta Kabobs (Recipe Adapted from TheBlackPepercorn.com)

1 lb lean ground lamb
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and hand knead until well
combined (Note: if using wooden skewered soak them in water for 15-20 minutes
before using them). Break the meat into 4 equal sections and form long thin egg
shaped balls. Thread them onto a skewer and place them onto a preheated grill.
Cook for 12-15 minutes, turning regularly until the center is no longer pink.
Remove from heat and serve with pita, and tzatziki. (Serves 4)

Lamb Kofta Recipe

 

Tzatziki (Recipe Adapted from Food Network)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, shredded, & drained
1 cup of Greek yogurt
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh dill
sprinkle fresh ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.
Serve chilled.
So maybe I didn’t actually list a million reasons, but I think I praised it all well enough to make you see the light.

Recouping with an Early Summer Abundance Bowl

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Despite the craziness of our July Fourth holiday we still manage to indulge.
Some of us really enjoyed the John Daily’s, maybe even a little too much; we
won’t talk about that though, I was having a good time. There was also lots of
food, as there always is at these kinds of things. Hamburgers, hotdogs,
sausages, bowls and bowls of creamy macaroni and potato salads, brownies, baked
beans, a friends signature cocktail meatballs, chips upon chips and dips are
just a few of the things on the list of indulgences.

After all of the cocktails and heavy food both Chuck and I were in
need of something with a little more freshness to it; you know something with
some green.
Luckily when we got home our gardens were over flowing. There was broccoli
that desperately needed to be cut, radishes that needed pulling, more lettuce
than we could ever hope to eat, and peas galore. There were even a few tomatoes
ready to be eaten, but they didn’t make it out of the garden, my tummy couldn’t
wait.
With all this fresh bounty I decided to make a very simple meal,
with mostly raw ingredients. I really love the concept of these wonderbowls
that Sarah from My New Roots has been posting; just using whatever you have on
hand, that is in season, and fresh and tossing it together into a big bowl for
the taking.

I made some wild rice with half water and half vegetable broth to
add some heft, and a bit of saltiness to the bowl; we wanted this thing to be
filling after all. I also added an apricot that I picked up from an organic
farm stand at a rest stop on the highway. There are some benefits to having to
take a day trip here and there for work. I also got some dried corn and kale chips
and dilly beans (so good!).
Chuck claims that it doesn’t need dressing but I’m sure there is a
few who would disagree. So I’m adding the recipe for the simple dressing that I
made, despite us not using it. The cool thing about this dressing is that it
can very easily be used as a marinade on chicken or seafood as well.
Simple Garlic and Ginger Dressing
½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp honey (or agave syrup)

Whisk all ingredients together and serve. Will
keep in the fridge for about a week.