Week 34--Ginger

I love ginger!  Yes, another funny flavor that I didn't grow up eating much of.  As it turns out, ginger is great for my tummy so my body loves it too :) To be exact, it is the root we are most familiar with, with its spicy and fragrant flesh.  Perhaps you may associate it with Asian cuisine but in fact in Western cultures ginger is also consumed in foods and drinks such as gingerbread, ginger snaps, and ginger ale to name just a few.  It is also used in many spice mixes and added to the all American pumpkin pie.  Some even enjoy it in their morning lattes or Chai teas. What's not to like about ginger?

Aside from its many culinary uses, ginger is widely consumed for its medicinal properties as well.  Ginger is a stimulant and carminative (gas preventing), and is used for many intestinal problems such as dyspepsia (indigestion), gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying), constipation and colic.  Some studies indicate ginger may provide short-term relief of pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting.    Tea brewed from ginger is a common folk remedy for colds. (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger)

This week's recipe was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Emily Malone from Daily Garnish (http://www.dailygarnish.com/).  It is Ginger/Sesame Tofu.

Here is what you need:

Ingredients

2 1lb packages of firm organic tofu
1 tsp sesame seed oil
2TB organic sesame paste (Tahini)
4TB organic liquid aminos or soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic minced
1tsp Chinese seasoning
1 inch ginger peeled and minced
1TB chili garlic sauce (optional)

Preparation

1. Slice the tofu into 6, 1/2 inch slices and press between 2 towels to drain all the liquid (~20 minutes)
2. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside
3. In a separate bowl mix together sesame paste, aminos, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce if you are using it.  Set aside.
4. Heat a wok or skillet to medium/hot and coat with sesame oil.   Brown tofu on all sides (~20 minutes).  Add Chinese seasoning. (Note:  If your skillet is not hot enough the tofu will begin to "water" so make sure to keep the heat on high.)
5. Once the tofu has browned add sauce and stir for about a minute.  Turn off heat.  You don't want to dry out the tofu so if you have an electric stove remove pan from burner.  Serve and enjoy!