Ginger is the root of the plant Zingiber officinale, a member of the same family that includes turmeric, and cardamom.  It has been an important herbal medicine for thousands of years, tracing its roots nearly to time immemorial, back to early Asian, Indian, and Arabic herbal traditions, being used to treat upset stomach, nausea, and to aid in digestion from its earliest discovery.  It is only recently that many other health benefits have been discovered, including, but not limited to, nausea caused by chemotherapy, by pregnancy, by motion sickness, and by surgery.  It can be used as a natural remedy to cold and flu—to help relieve persistent cough and sore throat pertinent to the common cold, and has been found effective in managing glucose levels, which in turn may help to impact weight gain or loss.  Additionally, ginger can help reduce pain and inflammation and soothe heartburn.

With all these health benefits and more, it is easy to see where ginger has gained societal favor.  But then one can take a sidebar over to the culinary sector, in order to see the other side of ginger—the tangy, peppery freshness with the sweet hint of lemon, the light taste of spiciness and warmth, of musty/earthy flavor, and the pungent, sharp aroma.  And ginger doesn’t discriminate—it appeals to every cuisine and every type of specialty food; it crosses cultures and culinary boundaries; it’s no longer just for Asian cooking.  And at the end of the day, ginger has few limitations.  Ginger works with almost every ingredient, and “draws a connection with other flavors such as tarragon, anise and rosemary,” executive chef Floyd Cardoz remarks.  He uses ginger, garlic and shallots in practically every dish he creates.  It has a natural affinity to meats, poultry, and fish, and there aren’t many (if any) fruits or vegetables that fresh ginger won’t pair well with.

Even beverages draw from the unique flavor of ginger, relying on its spice and aroma to flavor everything from teas to sodas to cocktails.  The Moscow Mule, a sweet/spicy concoction of ginger beer, vodka, and lime juice is making its way through the social scene, in bars and restaurants alike.  The already-trendy mojito can be taken from great to fabulous with the addition of ginger—simply muddle the freshly grated root with the mint leaves.

Ginger continues to trend as one of the world’s most important spices, and American consumption is ever on the rise.  If you want to try it out for yourself, keep these tips in mind:  when purchasing, avoid ginger that looks wrinkled; fresh ginger has a thin, nearly translucent skin with a firm texture and a spicy fragrance.  Peel your ginger before using it, and opt to add at least some (if not all) toward the end of preparing your recipe.  Ginger can be added raw or cooked, and works well for marinades, to make tea, and is an especially tasty accompaniment to apple dishes.  Fresh ginger will keep for around two weeks in the refrigerator, and ground ginger should be good for up to about six months when stored in an airtight container.

Read on for some creative recipes using fresh ginger.

Ginger Mint Mojito

2 limes, cut into quarters

¾ cup light rum

10-12 mint sprigs

¼ cup white sugar

2-3 tablespoons freshly minced ginger

2 cups soda water

Squeeze the limes into a bowl, then drop in the remaining solids.  Muddle with the rum, mint, sugar, and ginger.  Let sit a while to allow the flavors to meld, then fill four glasses with ice.  Pour the mixture over ice then top with soda water.  Enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Soup

Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup

3 tablespoons butter

6 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 onions, chopped

1-2 teaspoons freshly minced ginger

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Orange zest

Sautee carrots and onion in butter until the onions soften.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the broth and simmer until carrots soften.  Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.  Garnish with freshly chopped herbs and sour cream.  Serves four.

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Turkey carcass
Leftover turkey
Leftover vegetables (green beans, Brussel sprouts, yams or sweet potatoes—if they weren’t whipped)
Leftover gravy
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Leftover mashed potatoes
Leftover stuffing

Boil the turkey carcass until the bones fall apart. At least 3-4 hours, but overnight is best. Strain.

Add leftover turkey, vegetables, gravy, celery, and carrots. Simmer until carrots are just tender.

Add mashed potatoes and stuffing to the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup over the top, and serve.

Brandy’s Favorite: Thanksgiving Leftover Crispy Patties

2 eggs, beaten
2 T finely chopped onion
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 cups leftover chopped turkey
2 cups leftover stuffing
Butter
Oil

Cranberry relish
Leftover gravy

Whisk together eggs, onion, and salt and pepper. Fold in potatoes, turkey, stuffing.

In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Drop about ½ cup of mixture and flatten a bit (place as many patties as your skillet will hold). Fry minutes per side, or slightly longer, to desired color/crispness. Drain on paper towels.

Rebecca’s Favorite: Thanksgiving Leftovers

Take all the leftovers out of refrigerator. Add whatever items you are still craving to a plate. Heat and eat.

Mike’s Favorite: Open-Faced Sandwiches

Leftover dinner rolls or sliced bread
Leftover turkey
Leftover gravy
Leftover mashed potatoes
Leftover cranberry relish
(Really, any leftovers that you want to use will taste fantastic!)

Split and toast the dinner roll (or toast the sliced bread). Add turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and any other desired leftovers. Heat and enjoy!

Tara’s Favorite: Leftover Burrito Rollup

Same ingredients as Mike’s, above
Burrito-sized tortillas

Add whatever leftover ingredients you will enjoy. Heat, roll, and devour.

Christina’s Favorite:  Cold Cut Sandwich

Leftover turkey with a little bit of butter or mayo on the bread or roll of your choice.  Yum!

Cranberry Sauce Sorbet

Combine 3 cups leftover cranberry sauce, 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice, ½ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup water, 2 T grated orange peel, and 1 T grated lemon peel in a pot.  Simmer over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved.

Transfer to a 9×13 metal baking dish. Freeze for 3 hours, stirring often to break up ice crystals that may form.

Scoop and serve.

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Ingredients

2 cups dried, split peas
1 ½ pounds ham hock or shank
3 carrots, sliced
3 celery stocks, sliced
3 red potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
2 quarts cold water

Rinse and sort peas. Add all ingredients to a stock pot and simmer ½-1 hours. Remove ham from bone and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

*note: This soup can also be enjoyed from the crockpot. Add ingredients and simmer on low about 6 hours.

The post Cold Days Call for Soup! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

• 1/2 cup butter (unsalted if you have it)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups sliced onion
• 4 cans beef broth (10.5 ounce size)
• 2 Tablespoons dry sherry or red wine
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices French bread, toasted firm
• 4 slices provolone
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter with olive oil on medium heat.  Add onions and stir until tender and translucent but not browned
2. Add beef broth, sherry or wine, and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer 45 minutes.
3. Ladle soup into French onion soup crocks and place one slice of bread on top of each bowl.  Add one slice Provolone cheese per bowl, 1/2 slice Swiss cheese, and 1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
4. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and broil on high until cheese bubbles and lightly browns.

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Immersion Blender. Photo courtesy of Hamilton Beach.

For blending soups, sauces, smoothies, whipped cream, salad dressings…the list of uses for an immersion blender is practically endless! So what is an immersion blender, then, and why is it such a great tool for back-of-the-house food prep?

An immersion blender is a kitchen appliance that allows the user to blend or puree food in the container in which it is being prepared. Wand-shaped with a blade at the bottom, simply place the end of the contraption into the liquid and hold the switch on the handle to blend. Easy! Immersion blenders are especially helpful when blending large amounts of pureed soup or other product—any time you have more than a blender jar full—which would require blending in batches and pouring back and forth between containers (unblended mixture container to the blender to the blended mixture container). No waiting for your soups to cool down before transferring, no sloppy mess when pouring between containers. This one-step method saves on time, effort, and cleanup. The blender itself is easy to clean, too. While there are models which allow you to dismantle and put the parts into the dishwasher, you can also simply rinse and put away—into a drawer to save counter space!

If you are hesitant about an immersion blender being able to get the job done, try it out. Make the recipe below—twice! And see how they compare. I’m betting the immersion blender method will win you over…

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 slices thin bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 whole medium onion, diced
• 3 whole carrots, scrubbed clean and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 6 whole small russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup grated cheese of your choice (for garnish-optional)
• Green onion, chopped (for garnish-optional)
• Sour cream (for garnish-optional

Instructions:

1. In a stock pot, cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.
2. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes then add the diced potatoes. Add the seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove half to 2/3 the soup and blend in a blender/food process until completely smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. **Or, alternately, use your immersion blender to blend the soup—immerse the blade into the ingredients and, while the blender is on, swirl it around the pot to blend to your desired consistency.** Adjust seasonings and stir in cream and parsley.
5. Serve in bowls garnished with bacon and optional green onion, grated cheese, and sour cream.

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