How to Create Dishes With Ginger Root

Ginger is used to make gingerbread cookies.

Ginger root is a stem that grows underneath the ground. It is used in cooking since it adds intense flavor to whatever food it mingles with. Ginger root can be used as an ingredient in soups, vegetables, meat dishes and rice. This rhizome also makes a flavorful tea that helps to alleviate nausea associated with pregnancy. Before using ginger root, peel off its thin outer skin. Depending on its use, ginger root can be minced, grated or sliced.

Instructions

1. Add 1 tbsp. of grated ginger root to lentil soup made with whole black matpe beans, which you can purchase at an Indian specialty store. Sauté half of an onion in 2 tbsp. of butter in a pan. When the onions are brown, throw in one fresh diced tomato and cook the mixture for another minute or so. Mix the sautéed onions, tomato and the grated ginger root into 2 cups of vegetable broth and ¾ cup of cooked lentils. Flavor the soup with ½ tsp. of cumin, ½ cup of fat-free half-and-half and ¼ tsp. of chili powder.

2. Grate 1 tsp. of ginger root and add it to string beans. Sauté 8 oz. of thawed frozen string beans in ½ tbsp. of olive oil for about a minute, and add the grated ginger root. Cook briefly and add a teaspoon each of low-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium teriyaki sauce. Continue to cook for another minute. Remove the dish from heat and serve it.

3. Add 1 ½ tsp. of grated ginger root to 2 tbsp. red cooking wine, 1 tbsp. of low-sodium soy sauce and ½ tsp. of sugar. Marinate chicken cubes in this mixture for 15 minutes in the refrigerator, and stir-fry the chicken in 1 tbsp. of peanut or corn oil until the chicken is cooked throughout. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, and stir-fry cut vegetables, such as red bell pepper, carrots and scallions, in ½ tbsp. of peanut or corn oil for one to two minutes. Before removing the pan from the stove, put the chicken back in the pan and mix the chicken and vegetables together. Serve it immediately.

4. Mince or grate 1 ½ tbsp. of ginger root and combine it with ½ cup of peanut oil, 2 tbsp. of rice vinegar, 1/8 cup of soy sauce, one-and-a-half cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp. of honey and a dash of black pepper to make ginger-root salad dressing. Tear up pieces of romaine lettuce and slice cucumbers and tomatoes, and pour the ginger-root dressing on top of it.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vegetable of the Month: Gingerroot
• National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: The Heart Truth
• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Ginger