Tag: ginger

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Sauces

Two delicious Asian fusion sauces for fish, chicken or pasta

Belinda

Chilli-lime cream sauce

This sauce is terrific with either grilled fish or pasta. Thanks to Bon Appetite magazine back in 2005.
Makes about 2/3 cup

1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced shallot
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp *chili-garlic sauce
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan.
Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes or so.
Add the cream and boil until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, mix in the chili-garlic sauce. Add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking just until melted before adding the next piece. Warm through without boiling and serve.

* Chili-garlic sauce is available in the Asian section of the supermarket or at Asian supermarkets

Coconut-Curry Butter Sauce

A mixture of South Indian and Asian fusion flavors. Lovely with salmon.

3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Premium unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp Indian curry powder
2 bay leaves
3 -4 whole cloves
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, but keep chilled
Kosher salt to taste

In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce except for the butter and salt.
Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces to 1/2 cup.
Turn the heat down to low, then whisk in the butter until it is incorporated into the sauce.
DO NOT let the sauce boil at this point or it will curdle horribly!
Season to taste and serve

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Braised coconut spinach with chick peas and lemon

Belinda

Poured over a roasted sweet potato, this is powerhouse vegan comfort food, with loads of flavor and solid sustenance from the chick peas and sweet potato.

Serves 4 s a main dish or 6 as a side

2 tsp oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped. (If they’re in oil, drain them first.
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tbsp juice)
1 dried hot red pepper or a dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1lb baby spinach
15 oz can coconut milk
1 tsp salt, or more, to taste
1 tsp ground ginger

To serve

Whole roasted sweet potatoes
cilantro leaves, to garnish
toasted unsweetened coconut, to garnish

Directions

Heat the oil or ghee in a large deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high heat.
Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown.
Add the garlic, ginger, sun dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper, if using.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chick peas and cook ver high heat for  a few minutes or until they are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion/garlic mixture.
Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time, this will take about 5 minutes. Stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next lot.
When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger and lemon juice.
Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chick peas are warm through.
Taste and add more salt and lemon  juice if necessary.
Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes with cilantro leaves and toasted coconut to garnish.

Note

This is thick enough on it’s own to eat with a fork, it’s not terribly soupy, but it’s saucy enough to eat over pasta, rice, brown rice, quinoa or any other grain.

 

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Nuts

Asian lettuce cups with spicy ground turkey filling (CleanCuisine)

Belinda

This makes 4 to 6 servings

1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, you may need more depending on the size of the an you’re using.
3 tbsp minced red onion or shallots
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (I prefer the dark meat)
4 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
1 tbsp chile garlic sauce, or more if you like spicy food
1 tsp fish sauce
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
1/3 cup chopped peanuts (dry roasted are nice to use)
1 large head or 2 small heads of Boston or Butter lettuce as long as you can fill it well. (See picture)

Chop the onion and set aside.

Peel the ginger root then grate with the large holed side of a cheese .
Chop the garlic finely.

Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan, add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute or so.

Add the ground turkey to the frying pan with a bit more oil, if needed, breaking apart the meat and spreading it out in the pan, then add the soy sauce, chile garlic sauce and the fish sauce. Cook until the turkey is brown and crumbling apart and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

While the turkey cooks, wash, dry and chop the fresh cilantro making 1 cup. Remove the core end from the lettuce, separate the leaves and wash, drying gently in a salad spinner.

Chop the peanuts and put them in  a small bowl to serve at the table.

When the turkey is done, add the freshly chopped cilantro and mix well together, cooking for about 2 more minutes.

Serve the turkey filling and lettuce leaves in separate serving bowls alongside the chopped peanuts in the smaller bowl.

Each person takes a lettuce leaf, fills it with the desired amount of filling, tops it with some chopped peanuts then eats the mixture from the lettuce cup.

Sme people like to fold the lettuce over to resemble a taco, but be careful your lettuce id not the breaking sort and you are left with a large pile of filling on the table!

 

Curry · Fish · Gluten Free

Salmon with coconut sauce on a bed of curried onions and peas

Belinda1 Comment

This may not be the most beautiful picture, but the actual dish was tremendously flavorful and interesting with the different spices.
Although the onions I put underneath the salmon aren’t in this picture, it’s well worth doing instead of rice.

Serves 2

Ingredients
4 -6 tbsp genuine coconut oil, divided  (The healthiest oil there is, available from Wholefoods))
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cardamon seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tbsp ground coriander, plus 1/2 tsp to season the salmon
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes. (a good quality tinned one is okay)
1 cup coconut milk
salt and ground pepper to season
2 (6 ounce) fillets of wild salmon, skinned

For the onion dish
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
4 large onions
1 cup frozen petit pois, boiled till cooked
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp medium curry powder
1/2 tsp cardamon seeds
salt and pepper

For the sauce
Put 2 tbsp coconut oil into a large skillet over low-med heat then add the ginger.
Saute for 30 seconds and then add the fennel seeds, cardamon seeds, brown mustard seeds and ground coriander and cook for 10 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring well. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary.

For the onions
Slice the onions fairly thickly. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet to low-med and add the onions, stir frequently and add the turmeric, curry powder, cardamon seeds, and salt and pepper.
Slowly caramelize the onions, stirring for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the peas or petit pois and add them to the onions mixture in the last 5 minutes of the onions’ cooking. The dish will have a nice deep yellow color and be very flavorful with the cardamon seeds.

For the salmon
Sprinkle the 1/2 tsp ground coriander, salt and pepper on both sides of the salmon fillets. Heat the remaining coconut oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When it is hot, sear the salmon fillets on each side for 7 – 8 minutes total or until they are just cooked through.

Plating
Put a large spoonful of the onion mixture on a plate, lay a piece of salmon across them and ladle the sauce over the salmon.

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Fish

Crab Cakes with Ginger and Coconut milk

Belinda

This a recipe by Barbara Tropp from the “More than Burnt Toast” Food Blog
Spectacular and so different!

Ingredients


1/4 bunch of cilantro or parsley (depending on your taste) leaves and stems finely chopped
2 tbsp grated ginger
4 scallions sliced into thin rings, using the white part and about 2″ of the green part.
1 tsp (or more to taste) of Chinese chili sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 pieces of white sandwich bread (as close to the Pepperidge Farm brand as possible) crusts removed, cut into tiny pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb jumbo lump blue claw crabmeat

In a bowl, mix the cilantro, scallions, ginger, chili paste, salt, coconut milk, bread pieces and egg together.
Set aside.
Inspect the crab meat for bits of shell being very careful not to break up the lumps of claw meat.

Gently fold the cilantro/ginger mixture into the crabmeat. Taste for seasoning. Gently but firmly press the crabmeat mixture into patties. Do this by filling 2 inch rings with the mixture, removing the ring and then gently pressing the edges towards the center.
Place the patties on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour which will make the crab cakes firmer and less prone to breaking apart.
Gently “film” a cast iron or any other sort of frying pan with vegetable oil, NOT olive oil and saute the crab cakes until browned.
Turn gently and brown the other side.

Asian flavors · Beverage · Do-ahead

Masala Chai (Hot spiced Indian tea)

Belinda

Another great recipe from “One Perfect Bite” fellow food blogger.

1 cup water
4 tsp Darjeeling or other loose black tea
2-3 crushed green cardamon pods
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, smashed
2 cups milk
3-6 tsp sugar

Place water in a 2 qt saucepan and bring to the boil
Add loose tea leaves to water. Stir in the crushed cardamon pods and smashed ginger.
Add the milk and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Simmer, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes.
Add sugar to taste. Simmer for 1 minute longer or until the sugar is fullydissolved.
Strain the mixture through a strainer into cups or tempered glasses.
Yield is about 3 servings

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegan · Vegetable-related

Ginger cranberry sauce

Belinda

This is vibrant and tangy and the ginger gives it a somewhat exotic flavor.

1 large red onion cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1lb fresh cranberries
zest and juice of 3 large oranges
2 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a non-reactive saucepan coated lightly with oil on a medium heat, saute the onions, ginger and orange zest until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add the cranberries, orange juice, sugar and season.
Simmer for 30 minutes until very soft.
Check for seasoning and put aside until needed, or freeze until Thanksgiving/Christmas

Asian flavors · Beverage · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan

Fresh ginger ale with lemongrass

Belinda1 Comment

This is a ginger ale for grown-ups, a spicy, not-too-sweet, ultra refreshing drink that combines fresh ginger, lemongrass and chilies in a way you’ve probably never had them.
It makes 1 quart of syrup, enough to make at least 10 glasses.  The syrup keeps for weeks, refrigerated

Thanks to Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

1lb fresh ginger root, unpeeled and cut into small dice
2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 small chilies, stems removed
1 1/2 cups white sugar
soda water
lime wedges

Combine the ginger, lemongrass and chilies in a food processor and process until minced, stopping the machine periodically and scraping down the sides, if necessary.

Place the puree in a saucepan with the sugar and 1 quart water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Cool, then strain and chill.

To serve, place about 1/4 cup of the syrup in a glass full of ice. Fill with soda water, taste and add more syrup if you like. Garnish with a lime wedge, then serve

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free

Coconut tuna tartare with avocado mousse

Belinda

It doesn’t get much better than this!  (c/o chef John Doherty of the Waldorf Astoria)

Ingredients
1 pound sushi grade tuna; cut into 1/4-inch dice
5 tbsp grated coconut; toasted
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp toasted almond slivers; chopped
4 tbsp currants
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp fresh ginger; minced
1/2 tsp garlic; minced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 ripe avocados
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to Prepare Coconut Tuna Tartare with Avocado Mousse
In a medium stainless mixing bowl combine the diced tuna, coconut, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, almonds, currants, vegetable oil, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.
Toss well and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Peel and halve the avocados and remove the pits. Give them a rough chop and place them in a small stainless mixing bowl.
Add the remaining lime juice, cayenne, cumin, paprika, and olive oil.
Mash the seasoned avocado with a sturdy whisk until creamy in texture and season with salt and pepper.
To serve:
Divide the avocado mixture equally into the bottom of 8 martini glasses.
Separate the tuna into eight equal portions and spoon on top of the avocado

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegan · Vegetable-related

Carrot puree with ginger and orange

Belinda

This is one of our favorite side dishes.

Serves 8

3 lbs carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
4 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 stick butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 1/2 tbsp peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Cook the carrots and 3 tbsp sugar in a large pot of boiling salted water until the carrots are very tender, about 25 minutes.
Drain well. Return carrots to same pot. Stir over medium heat until any excess moisture evaporates.

Meanwhile, bring the orange juice to a simmer in a heavy, small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, ginger and orange zest, whisk until the butter melts.
Whisk in the lemon juice and remaining 1 tbsp sugar.

Puree half the carrots and half the juice mixture in a food processor until smooth. transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining carrots and juice mixture.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead)
Cover and refrigerate.
Re-warm carrots in a microwave on high for about 4 minutes or re-warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.