Fresh ginger! It's one of our very favorite things. Here are five ways we eat a lot of ginger. What about you — how do you like to eat ginger?
Fresh ginger, ready for hot ginger tea.Fresh ginger is good for so many things. We love how crystallized ginger safely and naturally soothes an upset stomach. We love ginger, strong and spicy, in hot tea. We really love it in pumpkin pie. When buying ginger look for full, plump roots that are juicy and not dried out on the ends at all.
Here are a few ways we eat ginger.
- In hot tea - We drink literally gallons of hot ginger tea in the fall and winter. We just cut up a hunk of fresh ginger (no need to peel) and pour a lot of boiling water over it. A little honey, a little lemon, and it's the perfect winter tonic. You can add bourbon, too and call it cough syrup for grownups.
- Soup! - Fresh ginger, grated or pureed, brings wonderful zest to hot, creamy winter soups. Try this Indian-spiced carrot soup with ginger or this sweet potato soup with miso and ginger.
- With fish - We really like spicy ginger with tender, flaky fish. Try this recipe for Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia; full of flavor, and it only takes a few minutes to bake.
- In stir-fries - Almost every stir-fry could use a little grated or even minced ginger to spice things up.
- In sweet things - It's baking time, and there are lots of sweet things that are great with fresh ginger. Try steeping milk with ginger for these caramels. Or try ginger hand pies or pumpkin pie with fresh ginger.
What are your favorite ways to eat fresh ginger?
• D.I.Y. Recipe: Crystallized Ginger - Great for upset tummies.
• Fresh Ginger Tips from Steamy Kitchen
• Video: Ginger from Spices of Life
• OXO's Good Grips Ginger Peeler
More 5 Ways to Eat Posts:
These posts are all ingredients paired with Social Workout's daily exercise over at their Fall Challenge.
(Images: Faith Durand)
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Mmm I just started making my own caramel sauces at home and I am DEFINITELY going to try one with ginger in it now!
Ginger scones slathered with raspberry jam is one of my very favorite things in the world.
My husband makes ginger syrup that we mix with bubbly water for instant ginger ale! Extremely refreshing.
It's great in many vegetable soups. I usually grate some in while the garlic and onion are sauteing; it creates a lovely base.
Onepot
http://onepot.wordpress.com
I really, really love the Genji Ginger Miso dressing, the one by the sushi at Whole Foods. It's really expensive, and I hate buying prepared foods, does anyone have any recipes?
Fresh grated ginger in sauces and meat marinades are always a good idea!
http://immortalpeaches.blogspot.com/2008/11/peanut-butter-noodles.html
Fresh ginger lemonade or fresh ginger iced tea http://bit.ly/3LOBhT or apple ginger stack cake http://bit.ly/328qRq. I also recommend brewing a pot of homemade ginger root tea at the first sign of a cold, because it normally prevents the illness from progressing, or if you don't catch it in time, the ginger tea helps to shorten the duration of the illness. Just mince a piece of fresh ginger root the size of your thumb and drop it into about 8 cups of water. Boil it for at least 20 minutes or until the tea becomes amber brown in color. I like to drink it straight up, but for those who aren't accustomed to the warmth/heat, add a touch of lemon and honey. This blend is far more therapeutic than any cough syrup or other chemical concoction!
I second the ginger scones.
Two more words: ginger martini
I love grating raw ginger to eat with thin slices of fresh pears.
Yes, I'm liking the ginger cocktails. Lemongrass syrup, grated ginger, lime juice, and vodka. Yum!
Great suggestions, all.
I'd like to add marinades and this re-creation of the Benihana salad dressing to the list: http://www.recipezaar.com/Benihana-Ginger-Salad-Dressing-1985
Ginger with garlic in anything.
ABreadADay.com
Ginger tea, as you mentioned, and also in a concoction my co-conspirator makes -- make a paste with honey and cinnamon, add water, and top with apple cider vinegar. Grate in ginger to taste. I also like the idea behind gingerbead lattes topped with candied ginger, but have yet to find one I can really get behind (generally too cloyingly sweet for me.)
Molly Wizenberg @ Orangette recommends adding candied ginger to banana bread. I haven't tried it, but it sounds great!
Martha Stewart has a recipe for ginger brownies that uses ginger powder and 1 tbsp of fresh grated ginger. They are fantastic! Even my friend that hates chocolate (I know) loves them.
Ginger soy sauce sugar a little flour chicken nibbles. Fry in a hot pan until brown (10 minutes), add half a cup of water and cover. Turn heat down low and cook for 10 minutes, checking to make sure the water doesn't all evapourate. Add another half a cup of water and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the cover and turn the heat up until the sauce is good and sticky. Serve with rice and chinese greens.
One of my favourite weekday recipes. Cheap too! Less than $5 to feed 2 adults.
Oh weird, all my plus signs disappeared...
perfect together: ginger & green onions
-ginger & green onions with meat stir fry
-ginger & green onions, vegetables strips noodles = vegetarian chow mein
-ginger tea
Three ginger related tips:
1. most of the taste and heat is just underneath the skin, so if you can avoid it, don't peel your ginger
2. ginger freezes well and also makes it easier to grate
3. if you just want the juice of the ginger use a garlic press
All the suggestions above are great by the way! The only one I'm missing is nibbling on preserved ginger (the ones you get with sushi). I love it!
I am a fiend for ginger!
But special soft spots for:
Martha Stewart's recipe for chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies. Truly one of her classics. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chewy-chocolate-gingerbread-cookies
Extra-fine julienne of fresh ginger for eating with dumplings, a la Shanghai soup dumplings. Dip dumplings in sauce, take a bite, stuff a little (or big) wad of the julienned ginger into the dumpling. Eat.
Another Chinese specialty...Shawan-style ginger milk pudding. Ginger, milk, & sugar come together for pure gingery goodness. Buffalo milk to be authentic but back here in the States, I just use milk.
In soup! And curries...it's even great in veggie chili.
I like to put some fresh ginger in smoothies-- it gives it a nice refreshing bite!
i use ginger in a ginger-garlic butter concoction i make when i'm sick. It's great to spread on toast, and it helps knock out a nasty cold.
http://www.shutterbean.com/premium-wrapped-garlic/
I love a ginger in a dark chocolate cake. Or the infamous ginger beer!
One of my absolute favorites for ginger is the Cranberry Sauce with Pears and Fresh Ginger from Cook's Illustrated. I don't even need a holiday or special occasion to make it; I eat it by itself, or over ice cream or yogurt, or on pancakes/french toast/waffles. My mouth is watering right now!
(Just tried getting the link for you from their site but unfortunately my membership has expired and it looks like it's a members-only link. If you have or know someone with a membership, print it and try it right away!)
I have been juicing for several months. Fresh ginger is fantastic mixed with apple and pineapple based juices.
I also make a ginger simple syrup to add to mixed drinks. Could also be used to make a home made ginger ale I suppose.