Ginger & Garlic

These recipes feature fresh garlic and/or ginger. I am posting them for Bryan who 'lifted' a massive amount of garlic and ginger from kraft services and is in need of some culinary inspiration.

The following is my favorite Hummus recipe. It's very simple. If you like a smoother consistency you could put everything in a blender or food processor. Personally, I like a chunkier texture. It feels more like food. The recipe is a tad vague, because it is really to-taste. You like more garlic; you add more garlic. It feels a little dry; add more lemon juice or Tahini.

Hummus

1 15oz. can of Chickpeas
3 Tbs. of Tahini
The juice of 1 or 2 lemons
2 Tbs. of Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic (minced)

Mash chickpeas with a fork. Mix in other ingredients until desired consistency.

Can add more olive oil, lemon juice or tahini for a smoother consistency.
Can add more garlic to taste.


Turkey Meatballs (Ginger)

• I served these gingery meatballs at Lakshmi’s birthday dinner with soba noodles and Coconut Sauce (Sounds really delicious, right? Ha, I say.). I really liked the meatballs – the ginger gives them a spicy flavor but they’re mild and pretty flavorful. I would make them again, but I am not sure how I would serve them. The soba noodles were fine, but the sauce was bland. A more experienced cook would have added some soy sauce or tamari sauce to add some much-needed flavor. If you care to attempt the original recipe, it called for 8 ounces of cooked soba noodles. The sauce consisted of 2 tablespoons lite coconut milk and 1 cup of non-fat reduced-sodium chicken broth (using a regular broth would add more flavor if you did not want to try soy sauce). Combine in a small saucepan and simmer for 6 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half. The meatball recipe is as follows.

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (I used dried)

* I cooked these in a small amount of olive oil and vegetable oil in a pan on the stove for about ten minutes because it was hot and I did not want to turn on the oven. I am posting the directions as they were written in Shape Magazine (which I was looking at in my dad's apartment - of course, I glanced right over the exercises and went straight to the food).

Preheat broiler. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well and form into 16 small meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter (I got about 21 meatballs, but I used a 1.4 pound package of turkey and slightly increased the other ingredients to compensate). Place meatballs on a broiling tray or aluminum-foil-lined cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place under broiler for 13 minutes, turning once when halfway cooked (after 6-7 minutes).

I haven't tried these recipes from the August 2007 issue of Cooking Light Magazine but everything I've made from them tastes excellent no matter the fat content and I intend to make them as soon as I get a chance.

Greek Lamb Burgers

Saté Burgers

Apricot Turkey Burgers

Ginger Carrot Muffins