Make your own. Woo-hoo!!! No more making that little bit that comes with your sushi stretch until the last bite.
Ingredients
8 oz ginger root, peeled – young ginger preferred but any ginger ok
1 ½ tsp sea salt
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup white vinegar
¼ – 1/3 cup sugar
Directions
Put ginger pieces in a bowl with salt and coat evenly. Let sit about 30 minutes.
Rinse salt well from ginger pieces and pat dry. Slice very thinly using a sharp knife, mandoline or y-shaped veggie peeler.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add vinegar and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat and put in ginger slices, stirring so they don’t stick together, for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and place ginger and liquid into a jar. Secure lid and store in the refrigerator for up to a week before serving, although some folks say you can enjoy it the same day…up to you!
Note: A reaction between ginger and rice wine vinegar may turn ginger slightly pinkish color.
These are great for snacking, or as an unexpected side for your next barbecue.
Ingredients
1 lb red or green grapes
1 cup red wine vinegar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar – white or brown
1 shallot, cut into slivers
1-inch piece peeled ginger, chopped
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 ½ tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 star anise pod
1 dried allspice berry
Directions
Make sure all the grapes you’re using are firm and unblemished. Leave whole or cut in half (for greater absorption of pickling liquid) and place in quart-size Mason jar.
Add all other ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until shallot is softened, about 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, cool 15 minutes.
Pour liquid over grapes, gently swirling so spices incorporate. Let jar sit on counter until it reaches room temperature and then cover and refrigerate 2 hours to one day before serving. Should keep up to one month in refrigerator.
Use underripe avocados for this one, and you can use the brine more than once!
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups vinegar – distilled white, apple cider or rice wine
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp kosher salt
½ tsp brown mustard seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp chili flakes
2 cloves garlic, smashed and rough chopped
2 underripe avocados
Optional: Additional sliced hot chili peppers, like jalapenos
Directions
Add vinegar and water to a saucepan and stir in salt and sugar. Add spices and herbs and bring to a boil. Once salt and sugar have dissolved, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Peel and slice each avocado into ½-inch wide slices.
Divide garlic, fresh chili slices (if using) and avocado slices between two wide-mouth pint-sized jars.
Stir vinegar mixture once more and pour into jars to cover avocados. Close jar lids and put into the refrigerator for 2 – 24 hours for flavors to combine.
This traditional Ashkenazi stew is sometimes made with meat, but this one is all vegetarian. Sweet and comforting, it is a favorite dish served at Jewish holidays, and might become your favorite too. Feel free to sub out your favorite yam or Japanese sweet potato for the tried-and-trues.
Ingredients
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into ½” rounds
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
2 cups veggie broth
2 Granny Smith apples
¼ cup dried currants
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped roughly
¼ cup mild flavored honey
½ tsp each salt and pepper
2 oranges, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp potato starch
2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook carrots and sweet potatoes in the broth for about 10 minutes, until slightly tender. Remove from heat, drain.
While the root veggies are cooking, peel and core the apples, cutting into ½” wedges. In a small bowl, mix the dried fruit, honey, juice and zest, salt and pepper and potato starch. Pour root veggies and apples into a casserole dish and pour juice/fruit mixture over. Drizzle olive oil over. Bake for 30 minutes or until crispy and golden.
Go on, throw the entire garden in there! Celery and apple lend juicy flavor, while you’ve got all kinds of creaminess from the avo and yogurt or cashews.
Ingredients
2 English cucumbers, diced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, or raw unsalted cashews soaked for 2 hours and drained
½ green apple, cored/diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 avocado
½ tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp coriander powder
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup basil leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional garnish: Grillo’s Pickle de Gallo
Directions
In a high-speed blender, combine 1 ½ cucumbers, yogurt (or cashews), avocado, apple, celery, coriander powder, lemon zest, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, garlic, green onions, 3 Tbsp each dill and basil, 2 Tbsp olive oil and a few pinches salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Adjust salt/pepper and add remaining lemon juice if needed. Blend again briefly and chill 4-8 hours.
To serve, shake well, top with reserved cucumber, chopped fresh herbs, drizzles of olive oil and Pickle de Gallo (if using).
