Chinese mustard greens, also known as gai choy in Cantonese, is a type of mustard plant. Chinese mustard greens are common green vegetables served as a side dish or appetizer. They are full of nutrition and low in carbs. You can braise, saute, blanch, or pickle them.

Chinese mustard greens are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K. They are high in antioxidants and fiber, help lower cholesterol, detox liver and blood, and packed with phytonutrients. Read more about their nutritional profile here.

Preparation

Because of it’s peppery and bitter mustard flavor, kai choy is often blanched in boiling water first to remove some of the bitter taste. The best way to clean is to first, dice it into roughly 1-inch sections, and then thoroughly rinse them in running water.

For storage, place the greens in a sealed bag or container and store for up to three days.

What else is in the bag?

Try out these recipes!

Limes (Citrus Aurantifolia) are a fruit in the citrus family. Limes are believed to have originated in the Indonesian archipelago and were first grown on a large scale in southern Iraq and Persia. They are now grown worldwide in tropical and subtropical areas. The fruits are edible and the acidic juice and the fruit’s zest (the outer layer of peel) are used for its flavor in cooking or beverages.  Limes are high in vitamin C and interestingly limes exceed lemons in both acid and sugar content.

Preparation

Tips for squeezing the most juice from citrus:

• Use a reamer or other citrus juicer
• Rolling the fruit on the counter helps burst some of the individual segments
• If the fruit has been in the fridge, putting the fruit for 20-30 seconds in the microwave on high helps the juice flow more easily. Let it cool for a minute before juicing.
• Cutting the fruit lengthwise instead of crosswise makes the fruit easier to grip and squeeze by hand

Tips for zesting citrus:

• Wash the fruit before zesting then peel only the outside colored part of the peel (the white part is more bitter)
• For strips/ ribbons use a micro-plane zester
• For larger strips use a peeler or knife
• For very fine pieces use a grater

Interchangeable substitutes:

• 1 tsp fresh lime zest
• 2 Tb fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp dried lime zest
• 1/2 tsp lime extract
• 2 tsp grated candied peel

What else is in the bag?

Try out these recipes!