From amritaveda.com: Ginger is probably one of the world’s favorite medicines and cooking ingredients. A perennial herb native to China and India, ginger root has been used for centuries in Asian cooking and for its therapeutic properties. Its many different varieties are cultivated throughout Asia, Australia, South America, Jamaica and the U.S. Its delicate green leaves, resembling baby spinach, can be eaten in salads, but the roots of the plant, called rhizomes, are where the benefits of ginger root lie.
Aids in Digestion – Ginger is perhaps the best herb for digestion. It helps break down proteins to rid the stomach and intestines of gas. It also aids in the digestion of fatty foods.
Alleviates High Blood Pressure – Ginger’s warming quality improves and stimulates circulation and relaxes the muscles surrounding blood vessels, facilitating the flow of blood throughout the body.
Treats Nausea and Morning Sickness – Ginger has been widely shown to prevent as well as treat motion sickness, relax the stomach and relieve the feeling of nausea.
Lowers LDL Cholesterol – Studies demonstrate that ginger can lower cholesterol levels by reducing cholesterol absorption in the blood and liver. Its extract can help reduce the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the body, reducing the risk of developing heart disease.
I thought I would share some recipes that are (imho) GINGER-IFIC!!!!! ENJOY!
Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins
Recipe Courtesy of About.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 3/4 cup mashed baked sweet potato, cooled
* 1/2 cup fat-free milk, at room temperature
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
* 3 Tablespoons canola oil
* 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat twelve 2-5/8 by 1-1/8-inch (about 3-ounce) muffin cups with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger.
In another bowl, stir together sweet potato, milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla, until blended. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add milk mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in crystallized ginger.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove muffin pans to wire rack. Cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups; finish cooling on rack.
Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Optional: Serve with Candied Ginger Butter.
Pho (Ginger Beef Soup with Noodles) Vietnamese Soup
Recipe Courtesy of Epicurean.com
Ingredients:
Soup bones with marrow
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. beef for stew
1 tbsp. sliced gingerroot
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Water
1/2 lb. fine egg noodles
2 tbsp. nuoc mam (fish sauce)
1/2 tsp. pepper
Directions:
Place the bones, meat, gingerroot, onions and garlic in 3 to 4 cups water to cover. Cook over low heat till meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (The nuoc mam may be put in at the beginning, but many prefer to minimize the odor by adding it at the end with the pepper.) Cook the noodles in boiling water till just tender. Drain noodles and strain the meat broth. Add noodles to broth together with nuoc mam and pepper. Chop the meat and marrow and return to broth. Bring to boil, adjust seasonings, and serve. If you can find pea-starch noodles the dish will be more authentic. If using pea starch noodles, cook in boiling water 30 min. let stand another 30 minutes in the same water before draining and adding to the broth.
8 servings.
Caramelized Chicken with Ginger and Coriander (Cilantro) (Ga Xao Gung)
Ingredients :
875g chicken thigh fillets (tenderloins)
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp caramelized sugar
2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
2 spring onions (scallions), chopped
a few red chili peppers, chopped - optional
Method :
Cut the chicken thighs into two across the thigh if using large ones, leave whole if using small ones. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl with the ginger, garlic and fish sauce. Leave to marinate for about 1 hour. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok for frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the chicken and its marinade. Stir fry for 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is nearly done. Add the caramelized sugar, black peppercorns, coriander and spring onions. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is well coated with the pan juices. Serve hot, garnished with the chopped red chili peppers (if using).
Caramelized sugar : Put 2 tablespoons of sugar and 185ml of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. When the sugar starts to color, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring continuously, until the syrup is dark brown. Remove from the heat and add another 185ml of water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir thoroughly and return to the heat. Simmer for a minute or two, then remove from the heat once again. Use as required.
Caramelized sugar gives this dish a very glossy finish. Make sure the caramel is golden brown in color, and not burnt.
Serves 4 - 6
Homemade Ginger Ale
Recipe Courtesy of Simply Recipe
Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe
Ingredients
Ginger water
1 cup peeled, finely chopped ginger
2 cups water
Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Club soda
Lime juice
Lime wedges
Method
1 Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add ginger. Reduce heat to medium low and let ginger sit in the simmering water for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Discard ginger pieces.
2 In a separate saucepan, make the Simple Syrup by dissolving 1 cup granulated sugar into 1 cup of boiling water. Set aside.
3 Make individual (tall) glasses of ginger ale by mixing 1/2 cup of ginger water with 1/3 cup of Simple Syrup and 1/2 cup of club soda. Add a few drops of fresh lime juice and a lime wedge to each glass.
Makes four servings.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment