Fresh ginger, an explosion of flavor

Most kitchens have a jar of ground ginger at the ready for a gingerbread recipe. For baking, the fineness of the commercially ground spice makes sense, but using that jar of ground ginger for just about anything else is a culinary crime. The gingerbread men are taking names.

Ginger is a fragrant spice. Young ginger is juicy with a mild taste, perfect with sushi. Mature ginger is nearly dry and extremely potent. Many Asian cuisines wouldn't be the same without it.

Easy to buy, store and use

In the produce aisle, mature ginger is sold in big, flaky-skinned "hands." For someone who usually buys ginger in small jars in the spice aisle, that can be daunting.

Don't let the size scare you, there's no rush to use it all up. Ginger can be placed in a plastic bag and refrigerated for three weeks or stored in the freezer for up to six months. And ginger's odd shape can be easily peeled and chopped for cooking.

Cut off enough ginger from the hand for each recipe and wrap up the remainder for the next dish. Remove ginger's flaky skin with the back of a spoon or vegetable peeler. If the skin isn't coming off easily, turning the ginger around will often make the difference.

Once peeled, use a microplane grater or take a knife and slice thinly across the ginger's fibers; then chop to get the desired size of pieces for your recipe. Slice in 1/2" layers and letting a food processor do the rest will work for most recipes.

Cooking with ginger

For a subtle taste, add ginger at the beginning of the cooking process. For more punch, add it toward the end. In the stir-fry recipe below, unpeeled ginger is used simply to flavor the oil and taken out before the veggies are thrown in.

Substitute fresh ginger for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 to 1.

Ginger-Lime Tea

Ginger tea can be made with a gentle hand or a powerful punch.
Use fewer slices when aiding digestion or easing stomachaches.
   Keep on slicing to ante up the taste, because the same flavor that
         makes a great soda can be brewed in a cup. Drink it hot to
                  soothe your cares away, or pour it over ice for a hot day's
                              delight.

Ingredients
5 to 10 thin slices raw ginger
3 cups water
1 lime
1 tablespoon honey

Directions

  1. Bring water to a boil.
  2. Add ginger to the boiling water and continue to boil for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove ginger water from the heat and add the juice of one lime. Pour into 2 cups and add honey to taste.
Serves: 2
Prep time: 20 minutes

Caribbean Red® Papaya Ginger Chutney

Tantalizing as a side dish, this chutney can also top fish or pork. For versatility, top a brick of cream cheese with the chutney and surround it with crackers for a party appetizer that demands attention.

Ingredients
1/2 Caribbean Red papaya (about 2 cups)
1" ginger piece chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Directions

  1. Chop the Caribbean Red papaya into cubes.* Place cubes in strainer and strain over a bowl in the refrigerator.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the fresh ginger, olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar and rice vinegar.
  3. Toss together the fresh ginger mixture and chopped Caribbean Red papaya in a large bowl.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Toss again before serving.

Makes: 2 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes plus 2 hours of refrigeration.

* For an easy way to chop papayas, go to
http://www.brookstropicals.com/chopCRpapaya/

Broccoli
Ginger Slaw

                                                                          That package of julienne-cut broc-
                                                                 coli is a sauté delight. Broccoli florets are
                                                        too big for quick cooking and awkward to slice.
                                        Freshly grated ginger gives this vegetable dish an advan-
                                 tage with a Southeast Asian treatment. It's quick and perfect
                            served when stir-fry or fish is on the plate.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2" ginger piece grated (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 package of julienne-cut broccoli slaw
2 tablespoons fresh fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Directions

  1. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Carefully roll the oil/ginger/garlic combination around the pan to coat the pan's sides.
  2. Add the broccoli slaw and stir, coating the broccoli as much as possible.
  3. Add the fish sauce and rice vinegar, stir to coat. For a crisp dish, cook stirring frequently until broccoli is heated, about 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately. To serve instead of rice or noodles, turn down the heat to low and cover for up to 10 minutes, replenishing the rice vinegar occassionally.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes

Ginger Vinaigrette

It would be tough to combine ginger with other salad dressing ingredients and not come up with something that tastes great. Substitute freely in this recipe, except for the ginger. Over time you'll find yourself adding more and more ginger to this salad dressing.

Ingredients
1 lime
2" ginger piece grated (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, add the juice from one lime and then whisk together the remaining ingredients.
  2. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Mix again just before tossing with salad greens before serving.

Makes: 1/2 cup
Prep time: 15 minutes

Ginger Stir-Fry

No collection of ginger recipes would be complete without a stir-fry main dish. Stir-fry's a great way to up the vegetable ante in a meal. Marinating the dish's chicken or tofu gives the protein a star quality without it hogging the plate's real estate.

The recipe uses fresh ginger in two ways. In the stir-fry, the ginger requires no peeling. And if you've ever used a wok's lid as a splatter shield when chopped ginger (and its juices) hit an oiled and heated pan, you'll appreciate this trick.

Ingredients

Marinade
1 lime
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
2" ginger piece chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon habanero pepper, chopped finely
1 package firm tofu cubed (or 4 cooked chicken breasts)

Stir-Fry
4 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil
1 1/2" ginger piece
1/3 red onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 stalk of broccoli, cut into florets and then halved
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup snow or snap peas


Directions

Marinade

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the tahini, juice from the lime and the water, adding the water to the tahini a little bit at a time. Once they are combined, add the rest of the marinade ingredients, except for the protein (tofu or chicken).
  2. Tofu If using tofu, drain the tofu retaining the container. Place several layers of paper towels on a counter top. Spread the tofu cubes over the paper towels. Cover with several more layers of paper towels. Place a large weight (skillet) on top of the paper towels. Let stand for 20 minutes. Uncover tofu cubes and put back into tofu container. Pour marinade into container covering all the tofu. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
  3. Chicken If using chicken, chop into 1" cubes. Put into a microwavable bowl and cover with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  4. Have the tofu or chicken with marinade ready to microwave during the stir-fry.

Stir-fry

  1. Slice the ginger root (with peel still on) into 1/4" rounds.
  2. Using medium-high heat, put the oil and ginger rounds into a large skillet or wok. When heated, remove the ginger rounds.
  3. Add the red onion and garlic. Stir until slightly golden.
  4. Add the remaining vegetables. Stir to coat. Continue to cook while microwaing.
  5. Microwave the tofu or chicken cubes covered in their marinade for 6 minutes on high.
  6. After microwaving is complete, add the tofu or chicken cubes and marinade to the stir-fry. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 minutes plus 2 hours of refrigeration

Brooks Tropicals

www.brookstropicals.com
contact: Mary Ostlund
maryo@brookstropicals.com 305.247.3544