Ginger-Carrot Soup
This bright soup from The Splendid Table is super flavorful thanks to a kick of fresh ginger and orange juice.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups chopped carrots
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons, finely-grated fresh peeled ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice
14-ounce can coconut milk
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, broth, orange juice, ginger, and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat. Puree with immersion blender or food processor, until very smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Reheat the soup over medium heat until hot. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.
Garlic-Ginger Vegetable Stir-Fry
Serve this fragrant stir-fry with noodles and a side of this week’s pork pelmeni; alternatively, we also love topping each serving with a fried egg and extra hot sauce.
Ingredients:
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup hoisin sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly-grated ginger
1- 2 tablespoons Sun Sauce or Sriracha (optional)
2 tablespoons sesame oil or vegetable oil
8 ounces mushrooms, such as Shiitake, washed and sliced if very large
2 cups green beans, trimmed of ends and cut in half
1 cup carrots, peeled and thinly-sliced into rounds
1 Lesya pepper, de-seeded and cut into strips
6 cups greens, such as a combination of Red Cloud Asian greens, pea shoots and baby bok choy
1 yellow onion, cut into slices
1 bunch scallions, trimmed of root ends and minced
Method:
1. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger and Sun Sauce or Sriracha until combined.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the sesame or vegetable oil to heat and then add all the prepped vegetables and greens. Cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic-ginger sauce. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, tossing to coat the veggies with the sauce. Serve with scallions and sesame seeds on top, if desired.
Slow-Roasted Ginger-Lime Carrots
These flavorful carrots from Jennifer Perillo’s Homemade with Love cookbook are wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, peeled and stems discarded
1 (1½ -inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest of 1 lime
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Add the ginger, syrup, lime zest and salt to a small bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste. Beat with a fork or whisk to mix well.
3. Arrange the carrots in a roasting pan. Pour the ginger-oil mixture over them, tossing the carrots to coat them well. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.
Pear Sauce
This lovely sauce is amazing on top of freshly-baked scones, or enjoyed with your morning oatmeal.
Ingredients:
4-6 D’Anjou pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
1. Combine pears, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pears have softened, about 20 minutes.
2. Use an immersion blender to process the pear sauce until smooth. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, mash with a potato masher. (You can also transfer the cooked pear mixture to a food processor or blender to process, just make sure the pear sauce has cooled down first.)
3. Once the pear sauce has cooled down, pour into glass or plastic containers. Cover and store in the refrigerator, sauce will keep in the fridge for one week.
