Tag Archives: ginger

Gluten Free Gingerbread cookies

Treats, , , , , , , , ,

These cookies use only 3 ingredients and depending on your preference (and how long you cook them) can be soft and moorish, or crunchy gingerbreads. This recipe makes about 12 cookies, and while they seldom last longer than a couple of days, they could be stored longer in an air tight container if you can resist them that long.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cashews or almonds
  • 1 cup dates (cheap dried dates is fine)
  • 1 Tbsp ginger powder

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
  2. Place the nuts in a food processor with the knife attachment. Blend until the nuts are finely chopped
  3. Add the dates and ginger powder to the food processor and blend until the mixture balls up. If it doesn’t ball up then add a little water. I usually don’t have to add any more than 30-50ml of water, so add a really small amount at a time – you don’t want it too wet, you just want to add enough that it combines the ingredients and balls up the mixture.
  4. Grease a baking tray or the base of a metal oven dish.
  5. Roll the mixture into balls 20-30mm in diameter. Flatten the balls into cookie shapes with your fingers
  6. Cook the cookies in the oven for 10-15 minutes (length of time depends on how wet the mixture is) until the cookies start to harden and go golden (they will also give off a delicious smell). Cool on a wire rack.

Ginger, Lemongrass and Mint Tea

Drinks, , , , , , ,

Ginger, Lemongrass and Mint Tea

This is a very refreshing drink, that can either be drink hot or over ice as a refreshing iced tea on a hot day. It is very simple to make, but it is best if you have a tea pot with a strainer section in it so that the mint leaves are not poured out with the tea.

Ingredients

  • 1 lemongrass stalk
  • 2 cm fresh ginger
  • 2 stalks of mint

Directions

  1. Bruise the lemongrass stalk either by laying a knife over the base of the stalk and hitting it with the palm of your hand until it breaks open, or hitting it with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
  2. Slice the ginger into thin slices so that more of the ginger will be exposed to the water.
  3. Place the ginger and lemongrass in a teapot (preferably one with a strainer built in). Pour over boiling water.
  4. Leave to stand for around 10 minutes
  5. Add the stalks of mint, and let it stand for another 5 minutes.
  6. Either drink hot, or pour over ice for an iced tea.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Bic Runga – Anthology

 

Lemon, Lime and Ginger Green Tea

Drinks, , , , , , , , , , ,

Lemon lime and ginger green tea

The weather has gotten so hot in Singapore that I am searching for new refreshing drinks to quench my thirst, but that also taste great. This is my latest experiment. It can be drunk either as a hot tea, or served over ice for a refreshing summer drink.

Ingredients

  • 1 lime
  • 1 lemongrass stalk
  • 4 slices of fresh ginger
  • 1 green tea bag or 1/2 tsp of green tea leaves
  • 1 litre water

Directions

  1. Crush the lemongrass stalk either using a knife laid on top of the stalk and banging it with your fist, or using a clean meat mallet.
  2. Slice 4 slices of ginger approximately 0.5cm wide from your fresh ginger root
  3. Cut the lime into quarters to expose the flesh
  4. Place the lemongrass stalk and fresh ginger, along with 1 litre of fresh water into your water kettle (jug)
  5. Boil the jug / kettle
  6. Add the boiled water, lemongrass, ginger, lime pieces and green tea to a tea pot (preferably one with a filter).
  7. Allow the tea to brew for around 15 minutes so that the water has cooled down enough to drink. The tea will continue to increase in flavour the longer you leave it.
  8. Enjoy either hot or over ice with slices of lime for a refreshing iced tea.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: The Map Room – The Map Room

Galangal

Glossary, , ,

Galangal

Galangal is a member of the ginger family. There are two types of it – the more common one in the west which originates from Indonesia and tastes like a combination of ginger and pine. This galangal is commonly used in Indonesian cooking. A second species originates from China and tastes like a combination of ginger and pepper. The Chinese galangal is more commonly used in Thai cooking.

While Galangal is a member of the ginger family, they do not taste the same, however they way they are cooked with is similar. To use galangal, you first need to remove the tough outer layer, and then either crush it or chop it into strips.

For most recipes, if you are unable to find galangal, you can substitute it for ginger, or alternatively you can buy dried galangal, which is sometimes sold as “Laos galangal.” 1 tsp of dried galangal is roughly equivalent to 1.5cm of fresh galangal.