Ginger

Ginger Broccoli Pork Stir Fry

Ginger Broccoli Pork Stir Fry
Serves 6
3 cups fresh (or frozen) broccoli
24 ounces pork, sliced into 1″ x 1/2″ strips
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
10 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated or finely minced

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
Mix together in a small bowl:
4 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon water

  1. Heat a non-stick skillet (10″) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  2. When the oil is hot, carefully add pork slices. Brown on all sides. When browned, remove from skillet, cover and keep warm
  3. Add remaining teaspoon olive oil to the pan.
  4. Add onions. Saute until the just begin to turn translucent.
  5. Turn heat to medium. Add mushrooms, and let them cook, undisturbed for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Stir onions and mushrooms together. Add garlic and ginger.  Mix together.
  7. Meanwhile, heat broccoli in a microwave until hot and still crisp.
  8. Add broccoli and pork to skillet.
  9. Pour sauce into skillet. Stir to coat. Serve when combined and hot.

Nutritional data:
Calories:      330
Fat:              14.1g
Sat fat:           4.3g
Chol:          96.3mg
Sodium:      112mg
Carbs:        16.4g
Fiber:              2g
Protein:     36.2g

Thai Ginger-Milk Pudding

Thai Ginger-Milk Pudding
Serves 6 (1/2 cup portions)

3 cups milk (I used 2%)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger juice
6 tablespoons sweetener (I used Splenda. If you want to use real sugar, it will also work but have more calories)

  1. Place a cooling rack in a large kettle with a lid. Fill with water to about 1/2 to 1 inch above the rack. Bring the water to a boil. (The rack is important because you water to slowly and indirectly heat the mixture.)
  2. Grate the fresh ginger with your finest grater. You will need about a two ounce piece (approximately four inches long.)
  3. To get the most juice, line a small bowl with several layers of cheese cloth. Grate the ginger into the cheesecloth. When the ginger is completely grated, pick up the cheesecloth, and squeeze out all the juice.
  4. Combine all three ingredients in a bowl. Ladle the mixture into custard cups, or other high sided small dishes.
  5. Carefully place the dishes on the rack in the boiling water. Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 8 minutes.
  6. After 8 minutes, check  the pudding. The pudding will start to pull away from the sides, and the whey will separate out. If the pudding is softly jiggly, it is done. Otherwise, put the cover back on for 1-2 more minutes. Do no over cook.
  7. Remove. Serve with a touch of nutmeg. This is delicious warm or chilled.

Nutritional Data:
Calories:        63
Fat:              2.4g
Sat fat:         1.5g
Chol:           9.8mg
Sodium:        58mg
Carbs:         6.2g
Fiber:             0g
Protein:       4.1g

You can see how the pudding separated from the edge a bit.
Before serving, you can carefully pour the whey off if you want. This is a VERY soft and gentle pudding.

Ginger Sesame Pork

Ginger Sesame Pork
Serves 4

4 pork chops (bone-in or boneless) approximately 6 ounces each
1 teaspoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, crushed and minced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon Hoisin sauce
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1.  Season pork chops with pepper. (Use Chinese Five Spice powder if you have it.)
2.  Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil and place the pork chops in it.  Cook until finished (3-4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.)  You may need to cook them in two batches if your skillet is not large enough to hold them all.
3.  Remove pork from heat and cover to keep warm.
4.  In the same skillet, add half the sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Saute over med-high heat until fragrant (about one minute.)
5.  Add remaining sesame oil, marmalade, vinegar, water and Hoisin sauce. Stir constantly until the mixture is combined and hot, about 2 minutes.
6.  Serve about 2 tablespoons sauce over each chop.
7.  Top with cilantro.

Nutritional data:
Calories:      335
Fat:            21.5g
Sat fat:         6.4g
Chol:            83mg
Sodium:      380mg
Carbs:         6.9g
Fiber:          0.1g
Protein:     31.5g

Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad
Serves 2 (as a BIG main course salad) or 4 (as smaller side salads)

4 cups chopped Napa cabbage
1 cup chopped snow pea pods
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup bell pepper (red or yellow)
3 scallions, sliced (the white and green parts)
2 chicken thighs, chopped (I usually use thighs saved from a previous meal)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1.  Prepare all vegetables, and assemble on a large plate in the order given.
2.  Heat a non-stick skillet with the sesame oil.  When hot, carefully add the chicken and the minced garlic.  Saute until heated through.  Layer on the salad.
3.  Top with your preferred Asian-type dressing, or use the recipe below.  (That recipe is NOT low fat or low calorie, but is high in flavor.)
4.  As an option, add rice noodles for a little crunch.

Nutritional Data for the salad (no dressing or rice noodles):
Calories:        290
Fat:              13.2g
Sat fat:           2.6g
Chol:              49mg
Sodium:          86mg
Carbs:          25.8g
Fiber:             6.5g
Protein:        21.2g

Asian Vinaigrette with Sesame Oil and Peanut Butter
Serves 2

3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons water (I forgot this today, so my “dressing” looks more like a sauce on the salad–but it was still very tasty.)
2 teaspoons Hoisin sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice seasoning

1.  Put the first three ingredients into a small microwave safe bowl, and warm in the microwave.  This will help you mix the peanut butter into the oil.
2.  Add the remaining ingredients, whisking after each addition.
3.  This makes about 1/3 cup per portion. That sounds like a lot, but the salad is big and almost entirely vegetables.  The dressing will add a huge punch of flavor and excellent fats (to keep you full for the evening.)

(Note: This is my preferred dressing. My wife like Kraft’s Asian Toasted Sesame salad dressing. Another option would be Newman’s Own Orange Ginger dressing.)

Nutritional Data for the dressing:
Calories:        422
Fat:              41.4g
Sat fat:           6.9g
Chol:                0mg
Sodium:        314mg
Carbs:          10.6g
Fiber:                2g
Protein:          8.6g

Shirataki Lo Mein

Shirataki Lo Mein
Makes 3 servings, approximately 2 cups each

2 packages Shirataki (tofu) noodles (8 ounces each)
1 medium onion, sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
6 ounces snow pea pods, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1-2 tsp fresh gingers, crushed and minced

1.  Drain shirataki noodles in a colander. Set aside.
2.  In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. 
3.  Add onions and mushroom, saute until the onions are beginning to get soft.  Add pea pods, carrots and the fish sauce.  Saute until the carrots are hot but crunchy.
4.  Add bean sprouts.  Toss to mix.  Remove from heat, and set aside in a bowl.  Cover to help it stay warm.
5.  In the same skillet, reheat the remaining sesame oil.  Add the crushed garlic and ginger. Stir for 1 minute.
6.  Add the drained shirataki noodles.  Toss occasionally for 2-4 minutes.
7.  Add noodles to vegetables in bowl.  Gently mix together.

Nutritional Data:
Calories:     194
Fat:             10.1g
Sat fat:          1.3g
Chol:               0mg
Sodium:       438mg
Carbs:         21.3g
Fiber:            6.1g
Protein:         7.2g

Note:  If you are concerned about sodium, eliminate the Thai fish sauce.  That will reduce the sodium per portion to 42.3mg.  However, you will need to add more spices to help bring additional flavor.  In that case, double the garlic and ginger, or add Chinese Five Spice blend.

Moo Shu Vegetables on Shirataki Noodles

     

Moo Shu Vegetables on Shirataki Noodles
                 
Serve 4

4 large eggs
12 ounce bag of Broccoli Slaw (or other shredded vegetable, approximately 4 cups)
1 cup bean sprouts (fresh)
1 cup shredded carrots
6 ounce bag snow peas, diced into ½ inch pieces
3 scallions sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger root, crushed

1 Tablespoon plus one teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce

14 ounces shirataki tofu noodles (2 bags)

1.   Empty bags of noodles into colander. Rinse. Set aside.
2.   Heat non-stock skillet with cooking spray. Lightly scramble eggs, and place in skillet.  Cook   until lightly set, remove from skillet, set aside.
3.   Wipe out skillet, re-spray with cooking spray over medium heat. When hot, add garlic and ginger, stirring, for one minute.
4.   Add broccoli slaw, carrots, bean sprouts and snow peas. Add vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil and let warm for 3 minutes.  Stir once or twice.
5.   Add hoisin sauce and eggs.  Stir to break up eggs.  Until heated through (3-4 minutes.)
6.   In a second non-stick pan, spray with cooking spray and add remaining 1 tsp sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add shirataki noodles and half of the scallions.  Toss until hot. (1-2 minutes)

Serve the vegetables (2 cups) over the noodles (1/2 cup).

Nutrition Data:
Calories:          204
Fat:                  10.5g
Sat fat:               2.1g
Chol:             211.5mg
Sodium:           230mg
Carbs:              18.9g
Fiber:                 8.1g
Protein:            11.7g