How To Incorporate Ginger Into Your Diet with Recipes from Mimi’s Organic Corner

I love organic food and pursue an eco-friendly lifestyle. So I suggest using certified organic ingredients to maximize flavors and nutrition while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives. In the case of ginger, it’s best to use the raw, organic version. The recipes that can be prepared with ginger are endless, but here are some of my favorites.

Mimi’s Favorite Cinnamon Ginger Tea

Combine 3 large chunks of fresh ginger root, 3 chunks of turmeric root and 3 cinnamon sticks in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Allow this tea to steep for several hours and add honey and ACV to taste. You can add a little more or less of each ingredient according to your taste buds.

Mimi’s Homemade Ginger Ale

For this recipe, boil 4 cups of water, 2 cups of organic peeled and chopped raw ginger and the peel from ½ a lemon for approximately 15 minutes. Then add 1 1/2 cups of sugar–stirring often–and boil for another 10 minutes. Then strain the solids from the liquid. You may choose to keep the cooked ginger pieces for use in other recipes. Allow the syrupy mixture to cool in a glass container, then seal tightly. You can chill this for up to a week in the fridge but it can be used after one hour. To make the ale, mix ¼ cup of the ginger syrup with 16 ounces of cold club soda and pour over ice. Add more of the syrup or sugar to taste if needed.

Cumin Ginger Carrots

Use 1 pound of carrots, 6 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger and salt and pepper to taste. Liquefy the butter in a pan and add the cumin, salt and pepper. Then add the carrots, garlic and ginger. Sauté this veggie mixture until the carrots are at your preferred tenderness. This recipe also is successful when baking.

Mimi’s Oriental Salmon

This recipe calls for 2-4 salmon fillets, ¼ cup organic wheat-free soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice, 2 tablespoons of organic toasted sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons of grated raw ginger (no need to peel), 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce and salt to taste. Mix the soy sauce, lime or lemon juice, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, ginger and salt and pepper in a bowl then add the salmon and marinate it for an hour. Save some sauce and bring to boil in a saucepan for 10 minutes then set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees then bake for 10 minutes with the skin side down. Pour the remaining sauce over the salmon and garnish with orange slices and a sprig of mint. This recipe also works well with poultry.

Raw Ginger Chocolate

Grate 2 chunks of ginger root with a cheese grater and set aside. Combine ½ cup coconut oil with 1/2 cup of raw honey and ¼ cup raw cocoa and a few drops of vanilla extract. Combine all ingredients, add the shredded ginger and mix. Separate into cupcake holders and freeze.

Amazing Ginger Biscotti

You will need ½ cup of butter, ¾ cup of brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 ½ cups of organic flour, 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of ground ginger, 2 teaspoons of raw grated ginger (peeled), ½ cup of crystallized ginger and ¾ cup of toasted chopped almonds. In a pan, melt the butter and sugar, beat the eggs and add them. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, powdered ginger and salt, then mix with the wet ingredients and add the fresh ginger, crystallized ginger and toasted almonds. Create 2 logs of dough around 1 ½ feet long and 2 inches wide. Bake the logs on a lined baking tray for 30 minutes then let cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled, slice the logs into biscotti, turn them on one side and back for another 10 minutes. Allow biscotti to cool before serving.

Ginger Apple and Butternut Soup

Peel and dice 4 pounds of butternut squash and 1 ½ pounds of quartered apples (preferably organic honey crisp), then steam with 1 cinnamon stick until squash is tender. Blend in a Vitamix or blender and return to the pot. Add 3 sticks of unsalted butter, 1/3 cup of organic maple syrup, ½ teaspoon of peeled grated ginger, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes. At the end, add a pint of light cream, mix, strain and serve.

Chilled Ginger Couscous and Vegetable Salad

Boil 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of oil, ¼ teaspoon of turmeric, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of peeled, chopped raw ginger root. Then add 2 cups of couscous and a ½ cup of raisins, which is optional. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and leave standing for 10 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a large salad bowl, then add 1 cup of chopped zucchini, ½ cup of chopped carrots, ½ cup of chopped scallions, ¼ cup of chopped green and red peppers, 1 ½ cups of chic peas, 3 tablespoons of organic vegetable oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice and salt to taste. I usually add about 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Chill for several hours in the fridge and serve over lettuce leaves and garnish with chopped toasted almonds.