What to do with ginger: use cases and popular recipes

Today we’ll talk about what to do with ginger. In cooking, this spice began to be used not so long ago. Ginger has long been known as a medicine. They discovered the beneficial properties of spices in Southeast Asia, as well as in China. There, the root of the plant was used as a remedy against nausea and, in general, to normalize the digestive tract. Ginger helps with colds, strengthens the immune system.

The fairy tale “A Thousand and One Nights” explicitly states that spice is an effective aphrodisiac. In medieval Europe, ginger became the most expensive spice. Therefore, they used it in cooking only on special holidays. And so Christmas gingerbread cookies appeared. Now spice is not as expensive as in the Middle Ages. And below you will find a selection of the most common ginger recipes. In cooking, the root of the plant is used. It goes on sale fresh and dried, whole and grated, pickled and candied.

Useful properties of the plant

Before we begin to talk about what to do with ginger, let's talk about its use in traditional medicine. Modern doctors are quite skeptical of herbs, preferring synthetic, concentrated substances. But even they recommend their patients actively consume ginger. What diseases?

Firstly, ginger warms, relieves chills, lowers temperature and boosts immunity. Therefore, during the influenza period, the benefits of spice are invaluable. It relieves sore throat, improves tone. Secondly, ginger enhances the flow of gastric juice, eliminates nausea, and normalizes digestion. It can be used by pregnant women to neutralize toxicosis and other unpleasant side effects.

The fact that ginger root is a powerful aphrodisiac is not idle speculation at all. It really enhances male potency. And women appreciate his fat-burning properties. Losing weight with ginger is easy and simple, because it speeds up the metabolism. Now scientists are conducting research on the anti-cancer properties of spices. Perhaps, soon there will be preparations with ginger, which will be used in oncology.

Contraindications

In this world there is no universal beneficial substance. All of them have their reverse side. Such is ginger. It should be used with caution in the last trimester of pregnancy and completely excluded from the diet during lactation. Ginger is harmful for those people who have increased secretion of the stomach, especially ulcers. It is extremely rare, but there are cases of individual intolerance to the substances contained in the root of the plant. This can be expressed in nausea, vomiting, heartburn. Then you should immediately stop using spices.

It is also worth remembering the doses. For example, in a small amount, ginger is useful for cores, as it dilutes blood. But in large doses, it can give the exact opposite effect. And finally, you need to recall that cooking reduces the medicinal properties of the root. The benefits of pickled ginger for the human body are less than fresh. Therefore, going to the market for spice, choose elastic (not dry) whole roots.

How to consume ginger for treatment

The root of the plant is hard and tasteless. To get the most out of it, you need to take 3 teaspoons of ginger juice per day. How to make this product? Very simple. Peel and grind ginger root on a coarse grater. We spread it on several layers of gauze and squeeze. Do not rush to throw the cake - it can be added to various dishes.

You should know that in pure form juice from ginger should not be drunk. It is too concentrated and can negatively affect not only the walls of the stomach, but also the oral cavity. Dissolve a spoonful of juice in other drinks. It can be either plain water or tea. Warm milk with honey is also suitable. You can mix ginger juice with peach, banana, multifruit and other other sweet fresh. To protect yourself from a possible allergic reaction, you should first carefully take the drug - a few drops per day.

Delicious ginger tea

Scientists in Thailand recently discovered another useful property of the root of the plant. It turns out that ginger enhances the cognitive functions of our brain. It not only tones, but also increases concentration. Therefore, in the morning, ginger tea can completely replace traditional coffee. But how to make a drink from a dry, like a piece of wood, root? We will tell you how to make tea with ginger. Brew a drink for longer than the leaves of Chinese camellia. And so that tea does not cool in half an hour, we need a thermos.

1. A half liter of boiling water will require a slice of fresh ginger root three centimeters long.
2. We clean it and cut it as small as possible or with three large chips.
3. First, pour boiling water into a thermos, and then pour ginger.
4. For complexity of taste, you can add a bag of another green, black, herbal or fruit tea.
5. Screw the cap and insist for half an hour.
6. And now you can sweeten the drink with sugar or honey.

Slimming Tea

The previous recipe allows you to prepare a tasty, warming, tonic drink. But it has little effect on the metabolism of the body. How to speed up metabolism, what to do with ginger for weight loss? You need to make tea in another way:

1. Cut into slices the fresh root of ginger 2.5 centimeters long.
2. Put in a saucepan.
3. Fill with two cups of cold boiled water.
4. Put the saucepan on the fire.
5. After boiling, cook for another 10 minutes.
6. If you want to achieve a tart taste of the drink, we continue the heat treatment for the same amount of time.
7. Filter tea.

In order for the extra pounds to leave you quickly and never return, you need to include this drink in the diet on an ongoing basis. And the daily dose should be at least 1.5 liters. But do not drink ginger tea before bedtime. It has powerful tonic properties, and at night you will not close your eyes.

Christmas smoothie

Culinary experts first of all appreciated the warming properties of ginger and included it in winter drinks, mulled wine in particular. But they can be made cold and refreshing. This recipe for a ginger drink will help make a delicious milkshake:

1. We take a large and very ripe banana (you can even a soft fruit), peel, cut into pieces.
2. Kiwi peel.
3. Also cut the flesh.
4. Fruits are put in a blender bowl.
5. Add honey to taste and two pinches of grated ginger.
6. Pour 300 ml of cold milk.
7. Beat in a blender for about a minute.
8. Pour into glasses.
9. This recipe can be modified. For example, instead of a banana with kiwi, you can take persimmon and tangerine.

Pickled ginger

Fresh plant root, of course, is more useful. But it is spent little, and spoils quickly. Therefore, producers either dry it or pickle it. The latter option is often used for sushi. However, any appetizer or salad with pickled ginger will acquire a spicy oriental shade. And such a blank is stored for a long time, provided that you put the jar in the refrigerator. And if you do not know what to do with ginger root, then pickle it for the future:

1. First, clean the pieces from a thin crust.
2. Salt the roots with salt.
3. Leave it overnight at room temperature.
4. In the morning, wash off the salt under running water.
5. Dry the roots with towels and cut into thin slices.
6. We put on the fire an enameled saucepan with water.
7. When it boils, introduce ginger.
8. Blanch it literally for 2-3 minutes, after which we recline it in a colander.
9. Cooking marinade. Combine in a glass jar one and a half tablespoons of sugar, 3.5 tbsp. l water and 100 milliliters of rice vinegar (it can be replaced with wine).
10. Mix until crystals are completely dissolved.
11. Dip ginger in this marinade. Let it cool completely.
12. We close the jar tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Ginger is considered ready when it changes its color from white to pale pink or yellow.

Lemonade

Everyone knows about the warming properties of ginger. But this spice is also very refreshing. On a hot summer day, treat your loved ones with ginger lemonade. To enhance the taste, you can add lime to the drink.

1. First make syrup. We need half a glass of peeled and grated ginger.
2. Pour it with a liter of water and put the saucepan on the fire.
3. When it boils, pour a glass of sugar. Stir until the crystals are dissolved.
4. Turn off the syrup, let it cool completely, after two hours strain through cheesecloth.
5. Add two cups of boiled cold water and juice from the halves of lemon and lime to the liquid.
6. Stir and put in the refrigerator.
7. The remaining citrus fruits cut into thin circles.
8. High glasses are filled with ice cubes.
9. Pour some syrup and mineral water with gas.
10. Glasses are decorated with lemon and lime circles.

Gingerbread cookies: a recipe at home

Those who were in Europe for Christmas probably tasted the most delicious and delicious cookies in the shape of little men, hearts, houses and other figures. It was with such pastries that the Christmas tree was decorated when there were no glass balls. Such gingerbread cookies were painted with ice. The latter can be given some color using food coloring. We painted pastries, like we have Easter eggs for Easter. Decorations were not only geometric and other patterns, but also inscriptions. No way to go to Europe? Here's a gingerbread recipe at home:

1. Sift a pound of flour.
2. Mix it with two tablespoons of grated orange zest, ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
3. Add spices to taste.
4. 150 grams of butter are cut into small cubes. Mix with flour until crushed.
5. In a separate bowl, beat two eggs with 150 grams of brown sugar.
6. Add three tablespoons of liquid honey.
7. This cocktail is combined with dry crumbs.
8. Knead a brownish glossy dough.
9. Gingerbread man wrap in cling film and put in the refrigerator for an hour.
10. Then we roll it out on a table covered with parchment into a layer 5 mm thick.
11. Cut out the figures.
12. Transfer the parchment and gingerbread onto a baking sheet.
13. We bake at 180 degrees from a quarter of an hour (until the products are golden brown).
14. We make icing from protein with sugar. We paint them the gingerbread cookies which have completely cooled down.

Ginger cookies

1. Sift the flour (one and a half cups), mix it with a teaspoon of baking powder for the dough.
2. Rub the butter (100 grams) with 150 g of granulated sugar.
3. Add one egg.
4. Mix two teaspoons of ginger, one of cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves. These spices are added to the oil mass.
5. We begin to gradually add the flour and knead the elastic dough.
6. We roll it into a thin layer, with a mold we cut out the figures.
7. Grease a baking sheet with margarine. We spread cookies with ginger on it.
8. Sprinkle it with large sugar.
9. We bake products for half an hour at a temperature of 180 degrees.
10. We take out the baking sheet and cool a little.
11. Three cookies on black chocolate.

Pumpkin soup

Many do not like this garden culture for its sweet inexpressiveness. This quality of pumpkin can be fixed thanks to spicy ginger. It will give the soup a delicious taste.

1. Ginger root (3 centimeters) rub.
2. Peel the onion and finely chop.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan (2 tbsp. Tablespoons).
4. Fry onion with ginger.
5. Add the sliced ​​carrots.
6. Fry a little more and pour a small amount of vegetable or chicken broth (literally a few tablespoons).
7. Cover the pan and simmer until soft carrots.
8. We shift the frying into the pan.
9. We put there the diced pumpkin pulp (half a kilo).
10. Pour 0.5 liters of broth.
11. After boiling, reduce the heat and cook the pumpkin soup with ginger for about 20 minutes.
12. Cool and filter. Grind the vegetables with a blender.
13. Puree is returned to the soup. Add half a glass of cream, salt to taste.
14. Warm up over low heat. Pour into plates and sprinkle with peeled pumpkin seeds.

Candied fruit

How to buy bad candy, make homemade sweets. Candied fruits are slightly dried or dried pieces of fruit in sugar. Ginger is a product that will surely appeal to those who don’t really like too sweet sweets. He has a spicy taste, and he tweaks a little for his tongue. Candied fruits can be purchased at the store, but it will be useful to find out how to make candied ginger. We will need fresh roots.

1. We clean two hundred grams of ginger, cut into thin plates.
2. We put them in enameled dishes and fill them with water so that it slightly covers the spice.
3. Cook for half an hour. When the ginger plates become soft, filter.
4. The broth is useful for tea.
5. In a separate container we breed 6 tablespoons of sugar in half the amount of water.
6. Dip ginger plates in this syrup. Cook until the liquid is almost gone.
7. Dip each plate in sugar and spread on baking paper to dry.

Beef in Ginger Orange Sauce

Eastern spice can give the most ordinary dish a spicy, new hue. Many housewives do not know what to do with ginger. Meanwhile, this root can be used not only for desserts and drinks. Beef with ginger and orange will be the main dish of the festive feast.

The meat is washed and chopped, as for beef stroganoff. In a container, rub finely 2-centimeter root of peeled ginger, add to it:

• 2 teaspoons of flour;
• 1 tsp vegetable oil;
• 1 tsp sherry;
• 1 tbsp. l soy sauce.

Dip the meat into this liquid. Stir, leave to marinate for half an hour. Then fry in vegetable oil. Three zest of orange. Salt, season with pepper. Pour another tablespoon of soy sauce. We fry for about five minutes. Serve decorating the meat with orange slices.

Cabbage salad

Not sure what to do with ginger? Its tonic taste will add freshness to any salad.

1. Take 250 g of white cabbage and finely chop it.
2. We remember a little that juice began to stand out.
3. Peel a large apple, cut a box of seeds, chop the flesh into thin plates.
4. Let's prepare a dressing. In a jar with a lid mix:

• 6 tablespoons of olive oil,
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp vinegar

Screw the lid on and shake the container vigorously so that all the ingredients of the sauce mix to an emulsion state. We clean the centimeter root of ginger, rub it and, in addition, crush it in a mortar. We combine all the ingredients. Salt to taste and season with pepper. Pour sauce and let it brew for a quarter of an hour in the refrigerator.

Tincture

And finally, it's time to recall the potency-enhancing property of the plant root:

1. To prepare tincture of ginger on vodka for men, you need to finely grate the yellow part of the zest of one lemon.
2. Fresh spice root (30 grams) peel.
3. Ginger should also be finely wiped.
4. Pour the two main ingredients into the jar, add salt on the tip of the knife.
5. Squeeze the juice out of half a lemon.
6. Pour half a liter of vodka and add a tablespoon of honey.
7. Mix. Let us brew for half an hour.
8. Filter through cheesecloth.
9. The drink is ready to drink. It can be stored throughout the year.

And this is not a complete list of dishes that use ginger. In the post-Soviet space, this spice is undeservedly unpopular. But ginger will not only increase the "vitamin charge" of any dish, but also give it an interesting taste.

As you can see, this spice is universal. It can be added to salads, soups, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, drinks. It must be remembered that the maximum of nutrients, rich taste and aroma is contained in a fresh root. In dried it is much less and very little in powder. Therefore, if you have only grated ginger from a bag on hand, add it to the dish more than indicated in the recipe.