Quick Chicken & Fish Marinade

Happy 4th of July!

With the temperatures soaring and the summer holidays just around the corner, I've been grilling a ton. It's a healthy, easy, clean way to cook. I also love the whole process—standing outside, smelling my food cooking, pulling it off the grill and having a whole meal ready to go.

More than anything else, I love grilling fish. I've shared my homemade marinade receipt with my FaceBook friends on many occasions. It finally occurred to me that I should post it here.

I made it with salmon (as pictured above). It's great for chicken and fish. I throw the meat in a dish and cover it with organic raw apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids or gluten-free tamari (a type of soy sauce). That's just the beginning. Then I add Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning (but any sort of BBQ rub will work), fresh thyme, and fresh grated ginger.

It's kind of an everything but the kitchen sink deal.

Got other fresh herbs? Throw them on there. Got other spices you want to try out? Add them in. Don't have apple cider vinegar? Try white wine or even lemon juice. Want to go vegan? It's great on tofu too.

After I marinade the meat for about half an hour or longer, I throw it on the grill. I often make grilled vegetables to go along with the protein for a complete meal.

Quick Chicken & Fish Marinade
Makes about 2 portions
Gluten free; dairy free
Prep thyme: about 5 minutes

Marinade Ingredients
2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Bragg's Amino Acids or Tamari (soy sauce)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning or other BBQ Rub

Marinade Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and Bragg's or tamari. Pour over the meat until well coated in the sauce

2. Next season the fish with the seasoning, thyme and ginger. Let marinade for about thirty minutes to an hour, occasionally spooning the marinade over the top.

3. Fire up the grill and cook to perfection!

Sesame Tamari Bok Choy

The other day, I got a wonderful gift in the mail:

A huge box of greens.

Now many a child might cry had they opened this box to behold the packages of kale, beet greens, spinach, pea tendrils, chard, and bok choy. But not me. If I cried, they were tears of joy. The samples came courtesy of Cut 'n Clean Greens and Jade (both from San Miguel Produce).

Usually, I'm very picky about what products I will sample, but if I am anything, I am a greens aficionado, so these products fit right in my sweet spot. Many of their greens are organic. I also love that they come pre-washed and lots of them are already cut for you (hence the name Cut 'n Clean Greens). One of the best things that anybody can do for their health is to eat more green stuff, and any product that removes the impediments to doing so gets a huge gold star from me.

For example, the chopped up rainbow chard could be quickly cooked up in a pan, or tossed into soups or pasta dishes with no prep work required. I loved the mix of beet greens and spinach. Though it's advertised as salad, I ate them voraciously alongside eggs for breakfast a few mornings in a row.

And that leads me to the baby bok choy.

I'm quite obsessed with this vegetable. And the bok choy that they sent me might have been the most beautiful that I'd ever seen—tiny, delicate, dark green. I almost didn't want to eat it it was so lovely.

I love bok choy for breakfast. I saute it up in my cast iron skillet with olive oil, tamari, and sesame seeds. Yup, it's that simple but also that delicious. I'll eat this along with a piece of Ezekiel toast and an organic egg every morning. This can also be a great side dish.

Sesame Tamari Bok Choy
Serves 2 people
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients

• 4 cups baby bok choy, chopped with white parts separated from leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon tamari (if you're not gluten-sensitive, regular soy sauce works, too)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add the bok choy stems (the white parts) and saute until beginning to soften (about two to three minutes).
3. Add the leaves and stir to combine. Saute for a minute, until beginning to wilt.
4. Add the tamari and the sesame seeds and cook for another minute or two, until the bok choy is tender. Enjoy!