Ginger is a plant native to the Far East. In order to grow it needs a temperate and humid climate, therefore it is cultivated mainly in Indonesia, China, Africa, the Caribbean, Jamaica and Australia, although lately even Europe has recently started cultivating ginger crops.
The spice that is commonly used is obtained from the rhizomes, ie from the roots. The taste is pungent and the aroma is refreshing .
On the market you can find both fresh ginger, in the fruit and vegetable department of almost all supermarkets, or among dried and reduced powdered spices.
Recipes with fresh ginger
Fresh ginger looks like an ocher-colored root, with a squat and gnarled shape and various branches.
It can be used whole, after washing and scraping, or roughly peeled.
We discover its use in some simple and healthy recipes.
Sweet apple and ginger graten
Ingredients for 4 people:
> 4 large rennet apples;
> 2 tablespoons of olive oil
> soy cream to taste
> 30 grams of cane sugar or barley or honey malt
> 2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger.
Preparation : peel the apples and cut them into slices, arrange them in a baking pan with high sides lined with parchment paper. Prepare the cream with soy cream, sugar (or barley malt or honey) and grated ginger. The quantity goes to personal taste: those who prefer it drier can decrease the dose up to a few tablespoons of cream, since the apples, by cooking, release part of the juice.
Pour the cream over the apples. Sprinkle with a little ginger powder or cinnamon. Bake at 180 degrees for half an hour.
Ginger fennel graten
Ingredients for 4 people:
> 2 fennels;
> 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
> 1 tablespoon of turmeric;
> 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger;
> 1 tablespoon of soy cream;
> salt;
> pepper.
Preparation : wash, dry and cut the fennel into slices. Sauté them in a pot with oil. Add a little water to stew them, until the preferred degree of cooking and crunchiness, leaving all the water to dry. Turn off the heat and add the cream, ginger, and other spices. Stir and pour into an oven dish previously greased with oil. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and baking powder and bake for 15 minutes at 180 °. it can be served with cous cous or basmati rice.
Warm salad of potatoes and lentils
Ingredients for 4 people:
> 200 grams of lentils;
> 1 onion;
> 5 potatoes;
> olive oil;
> 1 tablespoon of soy sauce;
> 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger;
> pepper and salt to taste
Preparation : after having boiled the lentils (you can use the already cooked ones) and the chopped potatoes, they are sauteed in the pot with the onion and the oil. Separately prepare the sauce with ginger, pepper, salt, soy sauce and oil, stirring in a bowl. To make it more dense you can add soy cream.
Add the lentils, potatoes and sauce to a salad bowl and mix. This dish can be eaten warm, or fresh, adding at the end a sprinkling of ginger and untreated and grated lemon peel.
Candied ginger, how do you do it?
Recipes with ginger powder
Powdered ginger has a less pungent taste than fresh, and can replace fresh in fast recipes.
It is used mainly for desserts, because it melts more easily and blends better with the dough.
Pear and chocolate ginger tart
Ginger goes very well with bitter and dark chocolate. Try adding it in powder to puddings and dough, it will open the taste buds to the nuances of chocolate taste.
Ingredients for 6 people:
> shortcrust pastry (you can make it at home or buy it ready-made on the roll);
> 8 Williams Pears;
> 80 grams of sugar (or other natural sweetener);
> 25 cl soy cream;
> 80 gr of dark chocolate at least 70% cocoa;
> 25 grams of flour;
> 1 teaspoon of ginger powder.
Preparation : peel the pears, cut them into slices lengthwise and cook them for a few minutes in a little water and sugar. Melt the chocolate in the cream in a bain-marie. Add the flour, sugar and ginger, and mix. Roll out the pastry in a baking dish and pour over the warm chocolate cream.
Arrange the pear slices in a radial pattern or according to the design you prefer, dipping them half in the chocolate cream. Bake at 180 degrees for twenty minutes.
You can serve the tart accompanied by vegetable whipped cream.
Gum and orange plum cake yogurt
Ingredients:
> 125 gr of cane sugar;
> 150 ml of soy yogurt;
> 200 grams of flour;
> 1 sachet of baking powder;
> 1/2 glass of soy milk;
> juice of a squeezed orange;
> 1 teaspoon of ginger powder.
Preparation : pour the solid ingredients (flour, sugar and yeast) into a bowl and mix. Add the liquid ingredients (yogurt and milk) and lastly the orange juice. Mix well, being careful not to form lumps. An electric spoon or kneader can be used. Line a plum cake mold with baking paper, pour the contents, and bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
Pasta with tricolor vegetables
Ingredients for 4 people:
> 350 gr of whole wheat pasta;
> 2 medium zucchini;
> 2 carrots;
> 1 shallot ;
> bean sprouts;
> 1 teaspoon of ginger powder;
> chilli pepper oil;
> oil;
> salt.
Preparation : cook the pasta. Apart from washing the carrots and courgettes, clean the carrots. Fry the finely chopped shallot in a little oil. Grate the vegetables in julienne strips, cook them together with the fried shallots. Add the ginger powder and mix well, stewing lightly with a little soy cream (1 tablespoon) or water.
When cooked, add the bean sprouts and sauté for about two minutes over a high heat. Season the pasta with the vegetables and pepper oil. Sprinkle with additional ginger or nutritional yeast.
The healing properties of ginger
Its properties are not limited to the culinary aspect. It also has healing qualities:
stimulates the appetite;
stimulates digestion;
supports the liver in its functions and in its maintenance;
relieves nausea;
heats and tones, due to its spicy taste;
can help in regulating cholesterol levels;
antibacterial and antimicrobial;
anti-inflammatory when used in external tablets.
Oriental culture uses ginger in both sweet and savory recipes, while Western cuisine still has little familiarity with this slightly bitter and spicy spice.
With a bit of curiosity, it is possible to insert ginger in the recipes that are used most frequently.
Enjoy your meal!
