Easter Dinner for Two: Spicy Sweet Ham, Raspberry and Walnut Spring Salad and Rosemary and Garlic Sliced Roasted Potatoes

Hello Everyone!
Gosh, today has been a busy day.  First,  I woke up at the crack of dawn so I could be a part of the "and Company" on Jeff and Company this morning on 103.3 so I could have fun and let people know about this post.  Then I went to the theatre where I work and worked on a few things for a while that I don't get a chance to do on a regular work day when the theatre is open and I have to answer the phone.  And finally, I had to go to some stores and get some last minute items for my husband's Easter basket for this year.

Although this is cute, it is not advisable to buy chicks for Easter.  Unless you plan on raising chickens,  you are just buying something that you really aren't prepared to take care of and keep alive.  Just sayin'.  And now, I'm stepping off my soap box.

We always try to get one another Easter Baskets.  They are really just an excuse to get one another presents. We usually fill ours with with fun, little "stocking stuffer" type items but in the Spring instead of for Christmas. It's like having a mini-Christmas! Plus, everybody knows that Christmas stockings are often the best part of Christmas so why not have a version for Easter.
And I did all of this before 2pm!
Then it was back home to water the plants, start some laundry, eat lunch, write down a few recipes I want to try to experiment with to change the serving size from 12 people to 2 people and then I could finally feel like I had earned the time to do a blog.

I don't know if you have noticed, but holidays, except for Valentine's Day, are not really scaled to be enjoyed by only two people.  And why should they be?  For most, holidays are an excuse to be with your loved ones, eat lots of food, and enjoy being alive.  But what about when you don't have big holiday plans? What do you do then?

This poor, sad, little guy is from Disney's cartoon The Ugly Duckling.

That's what is happening to my husband and me this Easter.  His parents moved to North Carolina last year and his sisters are both doing Easter with their husband's families.  My family has always lived out of state so we are not doing Easter with my family.  What were we to do?  Well, celebrate it of course!!!  But we would just have to scale back everything.

So I went to work creating a menu and figuring out how to create an Easter feast for two that wouldn't leave us with a ton of leftovers. And now I am sharing that menu with you, just in time for Easter!

We are having:
Deviled Eggs (Because you have to have Deviled eggs for Easter.)
Spicy Sweet Ham
Raspberry and Walnut Spring Salad
Rosemary and Garlic Sliced Roasted Potatoes
Hawaiin Rolls (Because my husband loves to make mini ham sandwiches.  These are purchased, not made.)
and
Bunny Shaped Citrus Cakes  (This recipe will not be posted today, it will be posted Saturday.  I have to see if I can make it work first.)

Spicy Sweet Ham

Yup.  I would say that she is sweet and spicy.

Smoked ham is a dish that is really already cooked.  So what you are really doing when you are cooking a ham is warming it up and adding a little flavor with a glaze or rub if you so desire.  I figured the best way for us to cook a ham for two people was to not cook an entire ham.  I got a boneless ham from Costco.  (If you read my blog you know that this is one of the staples in my freezer and that, depending on the size of the ham, I cut it up into 4 to 6 equal size pieces and then only make a little at a time.)  Then I cut the ham into 6 equal portions, wrapped five of them to go in the freezer and left one out to make the main dish for my Easter dinner.  It makes the perfect amount of ham for two people for a meal and leaves just a smidgeon over for sandwiches if you so desire, or you can put it in a quiche!

Ingredients
2-3 pounds smoked ham
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. brandy  (Please use brandy and don't try to substitute, it just will not be as good.)
1 1/2 tsp. whole grain mustard
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. all spice
1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (You can do less if you would prefer your ham be less spicy, how spicy I mine depends on my mood for that day.)
1-2 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce or Sriracha  (Again, taste it and if you want it spicier, do it!  I do sometimes.)
1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with foil and lay the ham on it.  (If you were doing a big ham, you would do this flat side down, so try to find a piece that you cut from the butt end, that you can do this with, but, if you can't, don't worry about it.  Just make certain that at least one side that is facing the oven is the skin side.)  Whatever you do, don't forget the foil or clean up will be a royal mess.
3.  Score the ham with cuts one inch apart and about 1/4 inch deep.  You want to do do this in a grid pattern going in two directions going diagonally one way and then going the opposite way so that you create "sqares" over the entire surface of the ham, excluding the side of the ham that is face down on the pan.  You know, this pattern:

This is not my ham, but until I could get you pictures from my Sunday dinner, I wanted you to have a visual for how to score the ham.

4.  In a small/medium bowl, mix all of the remaining ingredients to make the glaze.
5.  Rub half of the glaze over the surface of the ham.  Make sure to rub the mixture into the scores that you made in the ham.  Reserve the other half of the glaze for use later.
6.  Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.
7.  Pull the ham out of the oven.  Rub the rest of the glaze over the ham and place back in the oven for another 10-20 minutes. (The timing of this will depend on the weight of your ham.)  You will know the ham is done when the exterior is dark and crusty and the ham is heated all the way through and read 140 degrees with a meat thermometer.

Raspberry and Walnut Spring Salad

Ingredients
1/2 package of  torn mixed salad greens of your choice (I like romaine and baby spinache)
1-2 tbsp. chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cups raspberries (You can use frozen or fresh, whatever is available.  But if you use frozen, make sure they are thawed before you use them in the salad)
1-2 slices of red onion, thinly sliced  (You can dice them if you would rather and you would want about 2 tbsp.)
2 tbsp. chopped dates
3 1/2 tsp.  (Or more, depending on your dressing preferences) balsamic vinaigrette
(You can use a bottled balsamic vinaigrette you like, or you can make your own.  Here is one of my favorite recipes, just make certain that you use a good vinegar.  It makes all the difference in the word.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/balsamic-vinaigrette-234241))
Feta, crumbled  however much you would like

Instructions
1. In a small non-stick skillet cook walnuts and sugar over low hear for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted and walnuts are coated; cool and break apart.
2.  In large salad bowl, combine salad greens, raspberries, onions and dates.
3.  Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.  Top with the feta cheese and walnuts.

Rosemary and Garlic Sliced Roasted Potatoes

I make these in individual scallop dishes, but you can also make them in custard cups.

Ingredients
1 tsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dill
1 clove garlic (I usually do 2, but I really like garlic), minced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 - 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/8- inch slices (About two potatoes, and it helps for this recipe if you have a mandoline.)
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan Reggiano

Instructions
1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  In a medium bowl, stir together butter, olive oil, rosemary, dill, garlic, salt and pepper.
3.  Add potato slices to butter mixture.  Toss until all of the slices are thoroughly coated with the butter mixture.
4.  Pick up the potato slices by the handful and place the slices one on top of the other forming a small stack in your hand.
5.  Place the potato stack on its side in an ungreased miniature scallop pan or a custard cup.
6.  Continue making stacks and arranging them side by side in the dish to form potato stack "rows".  You should have about two rows, but you may have three depending on the size of your dish.  These rows need to be tightly packed slices.
7.  Scrape bowl for any remaining butter mixture and spread over the potatoes.
8.  Bake 30 minutes.
9.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
10.  Return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are fork tender and golden brown on top.
 Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

TIP: If you do not have a double oven and cannot cook your potatoes and ham at the same time, you can cook the potatoes ahead of time and put them in the refrigerator but you will want to skip steps 9 and 10.  Once the ham has finished cooking, cover the ham in foil, remove your potatoes from the refrigerator, change the oven temperature and proceed with steps 9 and 10 of the potato recipe.

I am going to post the Deviled Egg recipe and the bunny shaped cakes recipes tomorrow.  I am doing something a little different for each and I want to make them before I give the recipes to make certain my ideas are going to work. If they don't work, I will share my story of my epic fail.

Also, I will add pictures for the recipes on Sunday as I cook them.  I forgot to do this when I was doing the test recipes.

I hope you like these ideas for an Easter Dinner for Two.

Do you give out Easter Baskets in your home?  And, if you do, what are your favorite items to put in them?

Frugal Femme Two Week Menu #2: Week Two, Thursday: Muffuletta Pasta Salad

Hello Everyone!
Today's recipe is a simple one - as is this post.  At another time, I will show you a more complicated, and homemade version of this dish, but it is Thursday night and we just don't  have time for that.  This is one of the more expensive of the Frugal Femme meals.  All the ingredients combined total about $20.00, which is an average of $10.00 per person.  But this meal is also a 4 meal dinner or a "leftover dinner"-  as there will be enough left over for another two meals.  When you look at it that way, that makes it $5.00 per meal.  The cost is in the olives, its one of the reasons why I want to plan an olive tree in my back yard.

Muffuletta Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1/2 of a pound bag of tri-colored spiral pasta
1/4 pound ham, diced small
1/4 pound salami, diced small
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup Italian olive salad, tapenade or ripe olive bruschetta topping
1-2 tsp. (or more to taste) Sriracha sauce
1 cup Italian cheese blend

Instructions
1.  In a medium size sauce pan, bring salted water to a boil and prepare pasta according to package directions.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander and run cold water over the pasta.  This will cool the pasta and make it easier to mix the pasta in with the other ingredients.

2.  In a large bowl,  combine the ham, salami, onion, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sriracha sauce and tapenade.  Gently fold in with a spoon until everything is combined.

I know, I know, this looks a little oogie at this stage. But its delicious.

3.  Add the pasta and the Italian cheese blend and fold into the olive mixture.

4.  This can be eaten immediately or you can put it in the fridge and allow to chill for a few hours so that they flavors can combine.

Note:  This makes ALOT of pasta.  You can make it as a side dish, but you will be eating it for days. Make it as a main dish and eat it as a simple dinner.

Frugal Femme Two Week Menu #2: Week One, Tuesday - Pork "Steaks" with Curried Peanut Sauce, White Rice, and Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

Hello Everyone!
Today, I went to the farmers market to get some fresh, seasonal produce.  This is a rather new thing for me, as I only really started eating vegetables this year. And I only did so because I didn't want my husband to die from diabetes.  So I have been trying a whole slew of different recipes to try to convince myself that vegetables are delicious and I really do like them.  (It would be better if I could smother them in Velveeta cheese, but that would be negating the point of trying to eat healthily in the first place.)  Do I like vegetables yet? Still not my favorites, but I am working on it.

Doesn't that look pretty and healthy?

Also, my husband let me know that my laundry sorter table top he was making for me was finished!!!!  What is a laundry sorter table top you are probably asking yourself.  Well, it is a top that my husband made for me that sits on top of my laundry sorting hamper.
It was an idea that I came up with one week-end when I had done laundry for a whole day and I woke up the next morning wanting to die because my back was hurting so bad from bending over my bed so I could use the t-shirt folder that I am, just a little, in love with. (Thank you Sheldon for letting me know these things existed.)  So, after looking at my hamper, I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea:  put a "table top" on the hamper.  Then I wouldn't have to bend to fold my shirts. It already had wheels so  I could roll it to whatever room I wanted to so I could fold laundry in the living room if I was so inclined and I could use it as a desk in the bedroom for when I am writing my blogs and want to be in the same room while my husband plays video games.  GENIUS!!!   So I asked my husband if this was doable and he made me one.  Ta dah!!!

Well, not quite yet, this is my hamper without the table top, but with the baskets I keep on top to keep Laika from going into the hamper and eating our underwear.

Here is the hamper with the tabletop.  You can still sort of see the baskets. I didn't have to remove them!!!

This is the bottom of the table.  You can see the grooves that my husband did by hand so that it would sit gently and level on the bars of the hamper.

This is the table top in use!  You can see the t-shirt folder and the t-shirts I have already folded all fit nicely on the table.  I am so happy!!!!
 

Isn't that awesome?  I love having a husband who can work with his hands.

But now on to the next meal of the Frugal Femme Two Week Menu.

Tonight, I am making a meal made from the leftover pork and cauliflower we had from Sunday night's dinner and the left over white rice that we had from Monday night's dinner.  (The rice should be the only pre-cooked item.  All of the other items should still be raw.)

Pork "Steaks" with Curried Peanut Sauce

Ingredients
2 boneless pork "steaks"  (I cut mine from the pork roast that I had left over from Sunday. 
   I also had a few smaller pieces that I cooked as well.in case my hubby wanted a little more protein.)
2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter  (You could use crunchy if that's what you have.  I like creamy.)
1/2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Low Sodium Chicken base
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp.butter
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1 carrot, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tsp. curry powder  (I like to do two and I use two types of curry, but this is definitely a spice you should be careful with.  If you are not sure that you are going to like curry, start with one teaspoon and, after tasting, work your way up to another teaspoon.)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger  (or, if you have it, freshly ground ginger)
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Instructions
1.  In a small bowl, combine the water, peanut butter and Better than Bouillon base.  Whisk with a fork until well blended and set aside.

Not very exciting.  Or pretty.

Some prep pictures, before we start cooking.

I used just the white bulb and the light green part of one of these that I picked up from the Farmer's Market, but you can use any onion that you would like.

This is mid chop.  You can see how I chopped it into quarters.

I like using baby carrots for almost all of my carrot needs. That way I can cook with them and snack on them.

Minced garlic. Not sure why I took a picture of this but.....:-)

2.  Cut your roast into 1 inch thick pork "steaks".

Here is what is left of the roast.

And now they are "steaks".

3.  On medium high heat, heat your olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed skillet.  (I like using a cast iron skillet.)  Once the oil begins to "shimmer" and the butter begins to sizzle, place the pork steaks into the skillet.

4.  Cook steaks for about three minutes per side.  Each side should have a lovely golden color, but will not be cooked all the way through. Remove the meat from the skillet and put on a plate.

5.  Add onion, carrot, garlic and curry powder to skillet.  (You may have to add about a teaspoon more olive oil before putting the vegetables in the pan.) Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
 

These are the two types of curry that I like to use.  One teaspoon of each.  They both have different blends and taste different, so it actually makes a difference in the flavor of the dish.

6. Push the vegetables to the side of the skillet and return your pork steaks to the pan.  Scoop the vegetables on top of the pork steaks.

7.  Pour peanut butter mixture over steaks and vegetables.  Lower heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until meat and vegetables are tender.  Remove meat to a warm platter.

This is what it looks like when you first put the peanut sauce in.

And this is what it looks like once it has reduced.

The sauce should be thickened at this point.  If it is still a little runny, add 1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch to 1/4 cold water and stir with a fork.  Once this mixture is combined, add it to the peanut sauce and stir and the peanut sauce should thicken right up.

Serve pork steaks over a bed of rice and scoop vegetables and peanut sauce over the rice and meat.

 

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

I actually like this dish.  The broiling done in the last five minutes of preparation gives the dish a delicious crunch and flavor that I really like. 

Ingredients
1/2 of large head of cauliflower, separated into florets
2 tbsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
garlic pepper salt (to taste)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried dill

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.  Grease a medium size casserole dish.  I just pour a little olive oil in the dish and then "paint" it all around with a pastry brush.
3.  Place the olive oil and garlic into a large re-sealable bag. Add cauliflower and shake to mix. 

Here are the garlic and cauliflower before I added them to the bag.

4.  Pour into the prepared casserole dish.  Make sure that you use a spatula or spoon to wipe down the sides of the bag as plenty of garlic will stick to the sides of the bag and you want all that garlic goodness to go into your dish.
5.  Season with the garlic pepper to your taste. I do between three to four shakes of the container.

6.  Bake for 25 minutes, stirring about halfway through.
7. After 25 minutes has passed, pull the shelf that your cauliflower is on out of the oven, so that it is resting about the oven door.  Turn your oven to broil.  Top the cauliflower with parmesan cheese and dill and broil for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. 

(Depending on the size of your oven, to get a good browning, you may have to move the shelf your casserole was baking on up a couple notches so that your cauliflower is about 3-4 inches from your broiler.)

Tip: This is best served immediately after removing from the oven.  If it sits too long, it is still delicious, but it loses most of its yummy crunch.)

White Rice

For the white rice, I just reheated the rice I had made yesterday in the microwave.  Just add about a teaspoon of water and nuke it in the microwave for 60 seconds.  Your rice should be tender, fluffy and heated all the way through.

That is it for this post.  I'll be back tomorrow with yet another meal. 

Ham Frittata and Salad

Hello Everyone!
I love individual foods.  I love them even more if they are mini versions of larger food.  That is why I am going to show you two ways to do this Ham and Cheese Frittata dinner-  one normal size and the other as individual little servings. This dinner recipe calls for the use of some of the ham section that should be left over from the ham we did not use for pan fried ham night.

 

Ham and Cheese Frittata

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. onions, minced
1 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/4-1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (amount used is per your personal taste)
1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
Salt and pepper to taste OR Creole Seasoning and pepper to taste

Instructions (Mini Frittatas)
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  In a small non-stick skillet melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat.  Once butter is melted, add the minced onions and sauté until they are crisp tender--about 3-5 minutes.  You will know they are done when the onions turn translucent. Remove from heat.
3.  While the onion is sautéing,  whisk the eggs, milk, butter, thyme, dill, cheddar cheese, diced ham, salt/Creole seasoning (I prefer Creole seasoning.) and  pepper together until the eggs become smooth and golden yellow.
4.  After the onion has cooled a few minutes, add the onion to the egg mixture and stir to combine.  You want to make certain the onion is cool or it can start cooking the egg and you don't want that to happen.
5.   Spray two small custard bowls with cooking spray or lightly oil with a paper towel and olive oil. Pour half of the egg mixture into each bowl.  Set the bowls onto a baking sheet and put into the pre-heated oven. 
6.  Cook for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the egg mixture comes out dry.
7.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Directions (One Pan Frittata)
1.  Position a rack about 8 inches from the broiler and preheat.
2. In a small/medium cast iron skillet or oven safe frying pan, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the minced onions and sauté until they are crisp tender--about 3-5 minutes.  You will know they are done when the onions turn translucent. Remove from heat and put onion in a bowl reserving the skillet for later use- do not wipe away the grease.
3.While the onion is sautéing, whisk the eggs, milk, butter, thyme, dill, cheddar cheese, diced ham, salt/Creole seasoning (I prefer Creole seasoning.) and  pepper together until the eggs become smooth and golden yellow.
4.  After the onion has cooled a few minutes, add the onion to the egg mixture and stir to combine.  You want to make certain the onion is cool or it can start cooking the egg and you don't want that to happen.
5.  Heat the cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Pour the frittata mixture into the pan and stir to make sure the fillings are evenly arranged. Cook, stirring gently a couple times in the first minutes of cooking. Then let the mixture cook undisturbed until the bottom sets, about 5 minutes.
 6.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the eggs are just set and brown, about 3-5 minutes. Take care not to overcook or the eggs will be dry
7.  Remove from the oven, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes.
8.  Invert the frittata onto a large plate or platter. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Spinach Salad

This salad is a very simple salad that balances well with the frittata.  It is a side dish salad only, I would not try to make it a meal.

Ingredients
2-3 handfuls baby spinach (or more to personal preference)
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or balsamic, apple cider, rice, sherry, white, or other wine vinegar)
1 clove garlic, very finely minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of kosher salt. (To Taste)
A turn of freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)
1-2 tsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
1.  Put the baby spinach in a large bowl after cleaning the spinach and patting it dry.
2.  Grate parmesan cheese over spinach.
3.  In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper until combined.    OR Put all ingredients into a mason jar and shake until combined.
4.  When ready to serve pour the desired amount of prepared dressing over the salad and toss.

NOTE:  Since this is a vinegar and olive oil dressing, it will last in the refrigerator for two to three days.

Stirf Fried Pork Rice and Asian Cucumber Salad

Hi Everyone!
Tonight is a leftover night.  We are using some of the leftover pork roast that we had from Sunday to make tonight's dinner.  You do not need to use a lot of pork in this dish--only about 1 cup cut into one inch cubes.  This sounds like a lot, but it really is only about two 1/2 inch slices of pork.  In fact,  you should have some more pork roast left over for the barbeque pork that will be making later this week.

Stir Fried Pork Rice

Ingredients
1-2 eggs (depending on your feelings about eggs)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. butter

1 cup white rice
1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth or stock

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1tsp. butter
1 cup diced cooked pork
1/2 cup carrots chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 celery stalk chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

Instructions
1.  Cook one cup rice with 1and 1/2 cups chicken broth in rice cooker.  (Cook according to machine instructions or pot instruction on package.)
2.  In a small bowl, combine the eggs and the garlic powder and whisk with a fork until the eggs are combined and are a lovely yellow color
3.  In a small, non-stick frying pan, melt a 1/2 teaspoon butter on low heat.  When butter is melted, add the eggs and scramble until they are cooked thru but are still moist. 
4.  Remove from heat and set aside.
5. In a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed frying pan heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil.  You will know it ready when cold water flicked with your fingers onto the pan "dance" in the pan.  Add all of the vegetables except for the garlic to the oil. 
6.  Cook vegetables until the are crisp tender, about 5-7 minutes, constantly stirring.  About 2 minutes in to cooking, add 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce.
7.  After vegetables are crisp tender, add the pork.  Cook until pork is cooked through and warm, about two minutes.
8.  Add the minced garlic and scrambled eggs. Stir to combine and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
9.  Add the cooked white rice, 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce.  Stir until all ingredients are combined and liquid has evaporated slightly.
10.  Serve warm.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Ingredients
1 cucumber
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/8 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. grated fresh ginger

Instructions
1.  Wash the outside of the cucumber.  Pat dry.  Using a vegetable peeler, shave away the skin of the cucumber going lengthwise and leaving bits of  the skin between peels.  (Basically "striping" the cucumber.)
2.  In a large bowl, combine the salt, rice vinegar, white sugar and grated ginger, whisking until the sugar dissolves.
3.  Slice the peeled cucumber into thin slices.  (About 1/8 inch thick.)  Put the cucumber slices in the bowl with the rice vinegar mixture and toss to combine.
4.  Let marinate in fridge at least 15 minutes before serving. 

NOTE:  I usually make this dish first and let it marinate while the other meal is being prepared and cooking.