3 Ultimately Healthy Ginger Recipes

Summary:Exotic and sometimes a bit intimidating, ginger is a great way to add a healthy component to your diet. Monica highlights 3 ways how you can add this fascinating root to your diet.

An introduction to Ginger 

Ginger is a very important ingredient in lot’s of different kitchens. And it has a long history as a herbal remedy, especially in Asian, Indian and Arabic folklore. Ginger has been used for generations because the libido would be stimulated. Ginger would also have a warming effect and stimulates the blood circulation. It contains a lot of healthy stuff such as antioxidants and is has a inflammatory effect. But I must be honest, there is no real scientifically proof that ginger root really can help cure cancer, diabetes or rheumatism. Curtain is it won’t hurt (provided used in a normal way)!

Why I use Ginger

My main reason to use it is its taste and the fact that you can use it to spice up, not only your diner, but also breakfast, lunch or snack time! Ginger is the root of the tropical plant Zingiber officinale. You can buy ginger dried as or as a part of the ginger root. Dried ginger is sharper than fresh ginger, because it contains more shogaol that is sharper than gingerol. Powder is often used in pastries and biscuits. If you replace fresh ginger for powder use much less!

Fresh Ginger

Fresh ginger can be used grated but then you lose a lot of moisture. So usually I use slices or strips. In soup or stew you have to take them out before surfing. In a smoothie I just blend it with the other ingredients. I always have ginger in storage powder as well as fresh, use bits of ginger in my macha tea, add grated ginger in the salad for dressings. The fresher and younger the ginger root, the softer the structure and the thinner the skin. Storage does not necessarily have to be in the refrigerator.

Ginger-Oat Cookies

Ingredients for 16 pieces:

• 100 grams oatmeal
• 2 eggs
• sniff of seasalt
• 5 tablespoons of honey
• marrow of 1 vanilla pod
• 3 teaspoons of ginger powder
• 100 gram of coconut oil or any other vegetable butter (smelted)
• 150 gram of oatmeal flour
• 100 gram of chopped nuts (not salted)
• 100 gram of dried cranberries

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. 
2. Beat the eggs loosely with the honey, the vanilla and the salt. Stir the melted oil or butter and stir all the other ingredients through the mixture.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Make small balls from the dough and press them down a bit. Leave some space between the cookies. If wanted sprinkle some fresh ginger over de cookies.
4. They are ready to eat in about 15 minutes!

Banana Ginger smoothie

Ingredients for 1 smoothy:

• 1 Banana (ripe)
• 8 dates without pit
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 3 cm of fresh ginger in pieces

Preparation:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix until you have a nice smooth smoothie.
2. If wanted you can add some ice cubes to freshen it up!
3. Of course you can use any other fruit, pineapple and ginger are also a match made in heaven.

Pokebowl with veggie chicken bits and ginger dressing

The poke bowl is very hip! It’s a nice way to present a bowl of veggies. Just a example of one I have made the other day.

Ingredients for 1 bowl:

• Half a cucumber
• Rainbow carrots (blanched)
• Wild red rice
• Radish
• Edamame beans (sprinkled with sea salt)
• Avocado
• Roasted chickpeas*
• Veggie chicken bits fried with some soy sauce

Preparation:

1. *Sprinkle the chickpeas before putting in the oven with herbs like coriander powder, caraway seeds, pepper and salt, oven 180 C for about 15 minutes)
2. Prepare the rice with a dressing of 5 teaspoons maple syrup, 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar and grated fresh ginger (about 5 cm).
3. Sprinkled some of the dressing over the completed bowl and enjoy!