ginger – Page 5 – The Pajama Chef

Ginger Ice Cream

July 11, 2014July 11, 2014 Sarah

This ginger ice cream is tart and tangy, refreshing, and unlike anything you’ve ever tried! It’s delicious alone or with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

So. It’s Fridayyy! And you know what that means, right? Ice cream! Just kidding. Every day is a good day for ice cream, not just Friday. That’s what my husband says anyway. He could eat ice cream day after day without getting sick of it. Me? I go through phases where I’m into ice cream, and I buy multiple flavors at the grocery store or send Ben endless emails/texts from work about the Dairy Queen Blizzard of the month flavor [s’mores!!] that I just have to have every year/my fro yo craving/the buy 1 get 1 free Bruster’s coupon I got in my email, etc. But then the rest of the time, I’m all about cookie bars or some other sweet treat in the evening.

For our anniversary last year my parents bought us an ice cream maker. [Yes, Ben is okay with me asking for kitchen appliances as couples’ gifts as long as they make something he’ll enjoy.] And before our anniversary this year I had used it precisely once. It made the best darn vanilla ice cream I had ever had, before chillin’ [bahaha pun intended] in the closet for a year. So this year, on our anniversary in May, I decided to pull it out to celebrate with a unique ice cream flavor. I sat Ben down and read him an endless list of ice cream flavors from my Pinterest boards. After I reached ginger, that was it. Ben is a ginger addict–he just loves that spicy flavor. And this ice cream did not disappoint!

Since ginger is a bit spicy and tart, I wondered how that would pair with the creaminess of the custard-base, and actually it reminded me quite a bit of sorbet or Daiquiri Ice from Baskin Robins [that and Superman were my favorite flavors as a kid, btw.Weird.] It’s hard to describe, but it just works. I guess I don’t typically consider ginger as something that can be smooth and creamy, but here it is… and it’s perfectly delightful! This ice cream is awesome plain, or with a bit of chocolate sauce/chips. Natalie also has a few other ideas of how to enjoy it so you should check out her original blog post for that too.

Making this ginger ice cream has inspired me to get my ice cream maker out more often! It’s not that hard and I love how rich real, homemade ice cream is. 🙂 I even added an ice cream category to my recipe index to encourage me in this ice cream making endeavor! What flavor should I make next?

one year ago: Mom’s Potato Salad

Ginger Ice Cream

Servings: 1 quart
Time: 60 minutes + time to chill
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from The Sweets Life

Ingredients:

4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup coarsely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons water
2 cups half and half [I used whole milk]
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl and set aside

In a medium heavy saucepan or dutch oven set over medium heat, combine sugar, ginger, and water. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add half and half and bring to a simmer, then remove pan from heat and pour the hot half and half mixture into the yolks in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly [it helps to have a second person here but isn’t necessary]. Gently pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 170 degrees with a candy thermometer. Do NOT allow mixture to boil.

Set a sieve over a medium, clean bowl. Pour custard through sieve, then stir in cream and vanilla. Wrap bowl and refrigerate overnight. The next day, freeze custard in an ice cream maker using manufacturer instructions, then store in the freezer.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Pasta, Recipes, Sides

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Kale and Edamame

July 9, 2014July 8, 2014 Sarah

Spicy peanut sauce, noodles, kale, and edamame meet in an addictive, easy pseudo-takeout meal that can be enjoyed hot or cold–what’s not to love?!

This spring/summer Ben and I have been eating sesame or peanut noodles all. the. time. [Side note: is there an actual difference between them? I’m sure there is. The librarian part of me is itching to google this up and see what I find out, but I’ll restrain myself.] They have replaced our easy mac & cheese from a box dinners. I have a hard time telling you what recipe I’ve used because a) I have many pinned on Pinterest and b) don’t really measure ingredients for sauces like this because I’ve never taken the time to take a few pictures to share the recipe here! But this time I did. Measure and photograph. 🙂 And this time I didn’t use any recipe except what sounded/looked/tasted good to me. It’s a good thing I did, because my noodles were utterly amazing.

Inspired by the lovely Amy of fearless homemaker and HER spicy peanut & sesame noodles, I added mix-ins to my noodles for the first time ever. What a good choice! Adding some kale and edamame made the textures of everything just pop and look pretty. Dontcha just love all that green?! 🙂

Ben walked in the door just as I was mixing everything together and was like, “what in the world is that fabulous smell?! You must be the best wife ever for cooking such an incredible dinner.” Okay, maybe his words didn’t come out exactly like that, but the sentiment was there. I know it. But seriously–these noodles DO smell fabulous. The sauce is the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and fresh flavors. I used ground ginger in the sauce but if I had had fresh ginger… oh man. Use that if you can.

Though I served these noodles as a vegetarian main course, this is a great base recipe to add some meat. I think grilled chicken or thinly sliced steak would be great. Or even shrimp or tofu. This could even be a side dish if you like. We loved every last one of these yummy noodles, and like all good Asian-ish recipes…you can enjoy them hot or cold. They’re great both ways. In the recipe below I included notes about how to prepare them to be more picnic friendly, but no matter how you make them, I’m sure you’ll love ’em! Enjoy!

one year ago: Ginger Banana Waffles
two years ago: Minty Asian Slaw
three years ago: Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Kale and Edamame

Servings: 8
Time: 20min
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Ingredients:

16 ounces thin spaghetti noodles [any sort of thin noodle would work–Asian of any type, linguini, etc.]
3 cups kale, tightly packed & thinly sliced
1 cup Thai basil, loosely packed & chopped
1 cup edamame, shelled & room temperature
green onions, sliced, for garnish

for sauce

1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
juice of half a lime [roughly 2 tablespoons]
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger [use 1 inch grated fresh ginger if you have it]
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
~1/2 cup pasta water, to thin sauce

Directions:

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Be sure to reserve about half a cup of pasta’s cooking water to thin the sauce.

While noodles are cooking, whisk together all ingredients for sauce except for the pasta water.

When pasta is ready, drain, and return to pot [or a large bowl]. Add kale, basil, and edamame and toss. Thin dressing with 3 tablespoons of pasta water, whisk, and the pour over noodles and vegetables. Toss well to coat. If necessary, add additional pasta water to thin sauce further, up to a full half cup.

Serve noodles with green onions for garnish.

Note:

Can be enjoyed warm or cold, but the dressing does really absorb into the noodles after refrigeration [which doesn’t bother me but does affect presentation] so if you’re making these noodles for an event and want to serve them cold, be sure to rinse well after draining to get rid of starch, toss with a bit of sesame oil, and then refrigerate separately from the sauce and veggies. Toss together before serving. I haven’t tried this technique with this recipe, but I have done similar things for other dishes so I assume it’d work well! Using rice noodles [that you don’t boil to cook, thus, they stay cold] might be a good option too.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes, Rice, Sides

Zin-Zen Chicken

April 21, 2014April 25, 2014 Sarah

I don’t even want to tell you when I made this stir fry originally. It’s too embarrassing. But it is what it is, and even though time has gone by since this dish graced our table, its goodness hasn’t gone away. [Did that make any sense to anyone but me?] ANYWAYS…. Ben, especially, loves stir fry. I can’t say that it was my favorite dinner as a kid, but I’m starting to appreciate it more and more these days since it’s quick, healthy, and flavorful.

What makes this stir fry SO good is the combination of the orange-flavored rice with the gingery and garlicky chicken and vegetables. Ya know, the zin/zen thing. Rachael Ray was up to something with her recipe title, I do believe. 🙂 Another good thing about this dish? It uses up some of that Chinese five spice powder that’s probably languishing in your cupboard. Please tell me I’m not alone in that. Mmmmkay, thanks. As always, enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Guacamole Salsa
two years ago: Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars
three years ago: Oreo Truffles

Zin-Zen Chicken [from Rachael Ray]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
zest and juice of 1 orange
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
cracked black pepper
3 cups chopped bell peppers [I used red, orange, and yellow]
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch grated gingerroot [or 1 teaspoon ground]
1 red or yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup Zinfandel wine or chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
4 scallions, sliced on the bias

Directions:

Combine rice, chicken broth, and orange zest in a medium pan. Set to high heat, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed.

In a separate large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute chicken, seasoned with black pepper, until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Place bell peppers, garlic, ginger, and onion in the pan and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the veggies to the chicken, then melt butter in skillet. Whisk in flour and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the wine/chicken broth, soy sauce, and five spice powder and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low. Put the chicken and veggies back in the skillet and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.

After the rice is cooked, add scallions and orange juice and fluff with a fork. Serve the chicken and vegetables over the rice.

Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 4-6 servings.
Note: For four, this amount of rice is perfect. For six, doubling it would be best.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Appetizers, Recipes

SRC: Coconut Curry Popcorn

April 6, 2014August 28, 2014 Sarah

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Secret Recipe Club! For the month of April, I was assigned Leandra’s blog, Love & Flour. Leandra lives in Charlotte, and claims to have a dual affiliation for/affliction of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators. My husband says this is absolutely impossible, but he is a diehard Buckeye so that’s to be expected I suppose. 🙂 I’ve long admired Leandra’s blog because of her lovely photography and creative recipes, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to make something from her blog! I was quite torn between many delicious dishes like this unique Popcorn Bread, a lovely Sparkling Rosemary Grapefruit Soda, or a scrumptious-looking White Texas Sheet Cake. In the end, I went with ease and simplicity, but just because this recipe came together in about five minutes flat does NOT mean it is lacking in any way.

No, actually this Coconut Curry Popcorn has big flavor and has absolutely revolutionized my popcorn habit. Normally I’m a butter ‘n salt girl. I pin all sorts of popcorn recipes but haven’t ever made any of them. So making this popcorn seasoning was a step of faith… and truth be told, I was kind of SCARED to try it.

How ridiculous is that? I love coconut and I love curry, but I think I was just terrified that I’d ruin a perfectly good batch of popcorn with a weird seasoning. To be fair, I have curried myself out in the past but I haven’t had any in awhile so I figured I’d be safe now. But Leandra described this popcorn in such a way that I absolutely HAD to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did. It’s everything good at once… salty, sweet, spicy. This seasoning certainly has a little bit of kick to it, but the sweetness and warmth from the sugar, coconut, cinnamon, and ginger provide an awesome balance that is way too addictive for my taste. I’m glad this recipe makes a lot [even after I cut it down from the original] so I can keep some in the cupboard for easy access every time a craving strikes.

Thanks for the great recipe, Leandra! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars
two years ago: Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing
three years ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Coconut Curry Popcorn [from Love & Flour]
click to print

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
popped plain popcorn

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except popcorn in a food processor, then pulse until coconut flakes are broken down. Toss over popcorn, then store remaining seasoning in an airtight container.

Time: 5 minutes.
Yield: 1/2 cup popcorn seasoning.

Be sure to check out all the other SRC recipes for the month at the link below!

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Bars, Desserts, Recipes

SRC: Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares

December 8, 2013December 8, 2015 Sarah

Hello! Be sure to introduce yourself to your new favorite Christmas treat! Usually, you have to choose between chocolate and spice… but not this time!

I made these Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares for December Secret Recipe Club, thanks to the lovely Mellissa of A Fit and Spicy Life. I was assigned her blog for the December reveal and I’m so happy about that! Mellissa lives in Minneapolis, so she’s a fellow Midwesterner… although I am now a Midwestern transplant living in the South, where they call rain storms things like ‘gully washers’ or ‘frog stranglers.’ Bizarre. But anyways, back to Mellissa. She loves trying new recipes, sharing her favorite wines, and traveling. In fact… she just got back from Greece!! How cool is that?!? Definitely head over to her blog to check out her pictures from that trip–it looks incredible! Speaking of incredible, take a look at these Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares.

Mellissa originally made these as cookies, dubbing them Chocolate Ginger Drops. They had cherry flavored dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips, and were cute little cookies. I was so excited to make them! But I was feeling a little bit lazy. So I mixed up the dough [using extra dark chocolate chips, some crystallized ginger, and no dried cranberries], pressed it in a pan, and hoped for the best!

And let me tell you… these Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares ARE the best. They have a chewy texture and spicy flavor from the typical ginger cookie ingredients like brown sugar, molasses, and spices. But these ginger squares are kicked up a notch because I added some minced crystallized ginger AND those dark chocolate chips! If you feel so inclined, check out Mellissa’s original recipe for instructions on making these as drop cookies, but I think the bars are equally chewy, spicy, chocolately, and delicious! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Caramel Apple Dip
two years ago: Honey Yeast Dinner Rolls
three years ago: Sweet Potato Soup

Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares

Servings: 20
Time: 40 minutes
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[slightly adapted from A Fit and Spicy Life]

click to print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 tablespoon crystallized ginger, minced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×8 pan with cooking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Then add brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, and allspice. Mix to combine, then add egg and molasses and mix again.

Add flour by 1/4 cup increments, mixing in between additions. Finish by stirring in dark chocolate chips and crystallized ginger with a wooden spoon.

Press dough in prepared pan, then bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover with aluminum foil after 15 minutes so the top doesn’t get too brown.

Cool for 30 minutes before cutting into squares. Store in an air-tight container.

Be sure to check out other recipes from this week’s Secret Recipe Club reveal here: 🙂