Ginger R US

Desserts are perfect sweet delights, great in capping meals. There are many baked desserts recipes you can try.

Desserts play a very significant role in our table and in different social gatherings. This last course of the meal encourages more bonding time with family, friends and guests.

The following baked desserts recipes will hopefully satisfy the palettes of your loved ones.

Swedish Apple Pie

This great tasty apple pie is easy and worth preparing. It has a crumbled topping with cinnamon, pecans and sugar. Its maximum preparation time is 15 minutes only. It makes 1/9 inch pie with 8 servings.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups peeled, cored and sliced apples

¾ cup melted margarine

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup white sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Heat the oven up to 350oF or 175oC. Use a 9 inch pie pan. Grease it with margarine.

Put the sliced apples in 2/3 of the pan. Dust with cinnamon and 1 teaspoon sugar.

Mix 1 cup sugar with the melted margarine in a medium bowl. Mix well the pecans, flour, egg and salt and spread the mixture over the apples.

Bake it for about 65 minutes. Wait until golden brown.

Gingerbread Cookies

This recipe yields 72 servings.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp ground ginger

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup melted and slightly cooled shortening

1/2 cup water

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup molasses

1 tsp ground nutmeg

Procedure:

Sift together the flour, cloves, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, and nutmeg. Then set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix up the shortening, brown sugar, egg, molasses, vanilla, and water until smooth. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients until they are totally absorbed.

Divide dough into 3 pieces. Pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness. Then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they look dry; yet, still soft to touch. Take out from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.

Mango Mala

This is a low fat delicious and quick to prepare dessert It is good for 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tsp lemon juice

1 cup non-fat plain yogurt

Pinch nutmeg

1/2pounds fresh mango, flesh only

2-3 tablespoon sugar

Pinch salt

2 oz. black grapes

Directions:

Put mango, sugar, lemon juice, yogurt, nutmeg and salt into a blender. Process them until smooth. Then spoon into 4 serving dishes. Divide grapes into halves, discard seeds, and decorate dessert with them.

Banana Crumb Muffin

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 bananas, mashed

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1 lightly beaten egg

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Procedure:

Heat the oven up to 375oF. Gently lubricate ten muffin cups.

Combine the following: baking soda, 1 and ½ cups flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Then beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter in a separate bowl. Blend the banana mixture into the flour just until moistened. Spoon batter into a set muffin cups.

Mix together 2 tablespoon flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 1 tbsp butter until mixture appears like a coarse cornmeal. Then spread toppings on the muffin.

In the prepared oven, bake it for about 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted at the center of the muffin comes out clean.

By: David H. Urmann

About the Author:

ROXANNE

Revered in the Orient for its powerful healing qualities and its culinary uses, Ginger has been in use since ages. A perennial herb, ginger is a greenish yellow rhizome. The botanical name of the spice is Zingiber Officinale. Ginger is been used extensively in the Orient; its benefits covering a spectrum so wide, that it includes the medicinal, culinary as well as aromatherapy fields. A pungent and flavorful spice, ginger is one of the most widely used spices in the East.

Ginger is known to be beneficial to the body in a number of ways. Ginger can be used in its raw as well as dried form. Raw ginger is thermogenic, anti-flatulent, appetiser, digestive and a powerful laxative.

Dried ginger is thermogenic, appetizer, laxative, expectorant, stimulant and effective to cure stomach disorders. Dried and ground ginger is used to cure cold, cough, cholera, nausea ad vomiting, inflammations, diarrhea, colic, flatulence, anorexia, asthma and headaches.

Ginger has extensive uses in aromatherapy as well. Ginger yields an essential oil that is steam distilled from the unpeeled, dried and ground root. Ginger oil is used in combination with sandalwood, cedar wood and patchouli, which renders a woody-spicy scent to the mixture.

The uses of ginger as a digestive aid can be largely attributed to the presence of gingerols and shogaols, which help neutralise stomach acids, enhance the secretion of digestive juices and tone the muscles of the digestive tract.

The active ingredient in ginger is terpenes and an oleoresin, which is called ginger oil. These active agents are responsible for its antiseptic qualities, lymph-cleansing, circulation-stimulating and mild constipation relief. Research has shown that ginger lowers blood cholesterol by reducing cholesterol absorption in the blood and liver.

Other Ginger health benefits • Ginger has been known to reduce inflammation of the joints and muscle tissue for people suffering from arthritis or rheumatism. • Ginger improves blood circulation, hence thought to improve the complexion too. It is also known to have reduced nervousness, ease tendonitis and relieve sore throats. • Ginger is an effective herbal remedy for all kinds of motion sickness and even morning sickness during pregnancy. A great way to get rid of the uneasy, queasy feeling in the stomach. • Scientists have found that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandin – a substance that causes inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain, which leads to migraine. • Many women believe that consuming ginger tea during periods helps minimize menstrual cramps. • Known for its warming action, ginger is an effective treatment in colds and flu. • An effective remedy for cramps caused by flatulence, ginger stimulates digestion. • Ginger is a mood enhancer, the Cineole present in ginger helps provide stress relief. • It is a great mouth freshener and ginger tea is known for its refreshing properties.

By: Kevin Pederson

About the Author:

MARCEL

Have you tried Ginger Root Appetite Suppressant? Rather than using risky supplements to help you lose weight, dietitians are now recommending the consumption of this product because it is a natural herbal way to curb your cravings. In the earlier times, people only used ginger root as an ingredient or spice in some traditional dishes, but now we can also use it to lose unwanted fats.

Ginger root appetite suppressant is getting more popular each day. There are many reasons why people prefer using this instead of other drug-based supplements.

Below are the most important reasons we have collated for you:

1. It acts as stimulator that gradually exudes from our gastrointestinal tract, thus, providing energy through the bloodstream.

2. It amplifies the pH or acidity of our stomach due to its digestive enzymes resulting to minor gastric secretions.

3. It boosts metabolism to better digest and process the foods we eat.

4. It sharpens our mind so we can be more alert and productive.

5. It is rich in antioxidants so it can fight free radicals causing the growth and reproduction of cancerous cells.

6. It brings down our serum cholesterol levels, at the same time lowering our risk for cardiovascular diseases.

7. It controls our appetite, which can both help us gain and lose weight. For instance, if you lose your desire for food and are unable to eat enough to nourish your body, ginger root can help you bring back your cravings just so you will not get sick.

8. It can stop your cravings and fulfill your hunger.

9. It can also regulate your blood sugar levels.

By: Casey Mcphee

About the Author:

BEAUTY

This interview is an excerpt from Kevin Gianni’s The Healthiest Year of Your Life, which can be found at http://thehealthiestyearofyourlife.com. In this excerpt, Nomi Shannon shares on salads, dressings, spices and desserts in a raw lifestyle.

The Healthiest Year of Your Life with Nomi Shannon, raw gourmet, author and raw food educator.

Kevin: Let’s talk about salad again. Like you said, it’s sometimes tough or you get bored with salad. What are some of the things you can do to spice up some greens in a salad?

Nomi: I really think the secret of the salad is the dressing. I remember when I worked at Hippocrates, Annamarie Clements was speaking and she told us about a young girl who was very ill and was really having a hard time. They don’t just eat salads; they have a ton of sprouts in them. She said to Annamarie, if only her favorite dressing could be in it she’d be able to eat it better. They went out and bought it for here. It wasn’t even that healthy a thing. It helped to get it down. So it’s terribly important that it taste well.

So here’s a quick one that you can just make in a bowl. I call it Orange Tahini dressing. Use half a cup of fresh orange juice. Look, people are going to go out and buy Minute Maid or whatever that stuff’s called, and use it. I wouldn’t but you do the best you can for yourself at each moment. If that’s the best you can, in other words if you can’t make yourself squeeze an orange, which is a little hard for me to grab my brain around, I know that, especially when you’re starting out, you might recommend fresh orange juice and a couple of tablespoons of raw tahini. Tahini is made out of sesame seeds. It’s just like peanut butter only it’s made with sesame seeds. It’ll be hard to find in a grocery store or health food store raw and if your health food store has it and it says it’s made out of toasted seeds then go up and say, could you please get this for me in raw, because the same companies that make it toasted also make it raw. Half a cup of OJ, two tablespoons of raw tahini, grate a little piece of fresh gingerroot. You can buy an inch long piece of gingerroot at the grocery store. You don’t have to buy the whole chunk. Just break it off, stick it in a baggy and they’ll charge you whatever it is, 29 cents or whatever. Quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of curry powder, a pinch of sea salt.

Just put it in a bowl, whisk it with your fork and toss that over your salad and it’s very, very yummy dressing. Then I’ll tell you what I use whenever I have a salad. It’s not all raw, but I’m not all raw. I used to be all raw. 100%.

I use a little bit of balsamic vinegar, which isn’t on everybody’s good food list. A tiny, tiny amount of toasted sesame oil which is definitely not on the good food list but it gives it a wonderful, I like an Asian flavor personally. Then I use a small amount of either flax or hemp oil which I keep in my freezer to keep fresh, a dash of Chinese rice cooking wine, which is called mirin. I always use seaweed if I don’t use big fresh chunks you can get shakers of different seaweeds or kelp at most probably health food stores, and something sweet. I’m talking teeny amounts, like agave or maple syrup. Maple syrup is not raw. I don’t know if agave is. People say that it is but I find it hard to believe. Then something salty, like a tiny bit of sea salt or nomashoiy which is a soy sauce that’s supposed to be raw. So it has something sweet, something salty and something tangy.

That works for me in a salad. Is it a perfect recipe? Absolutely not, but it gets me eating big volumes of salad.

Kevin: It’s almost like you’ve kind of got to go with what works for you in order to make it palatable. What are some of the flavors that you can add to make different, like international meals. I think one of the other challenges, say you do prepare something from the Salidako and now you’ve got this great zucchini pasta and you’re like, man, I just don’t want to have Italian any more?

Nomi: Exactly. You want to get over the Italian. Well, I’m going to my pantry right now because it’s a really good question and there’s all kinds of things now on the market that make it easy. For example, if you want something to taste Chinese, I love that flavor. There’s a spice put out by several companies, called Chinese Five spice. Just smelling it, you know. It includes star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and pepper. Let’s see. The other one is anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger. So they’re a little different. Just that alone will make almost anything taste Asian. Then as I mentioned, sesame oil which is definitely to be used in minute quantities because there’s nothing good about cooked oil. It’s bad for you. So that’s your Asian.

There’s also, I have ground star anise powder which has a very licorice-y taste. Then Frontier Spice, which is a wonderful company. My favorite spice that they make is called Pizza Seasoning and I use this is my salads, too. I didn’t even mention the seasonings I put in it. It makes almost anything taste Italian but it also complements most other dishes. It just has a nice variety of things in it. But Frontier also makes something called Bombay Veggy Blend. Just smelling it, you think you’re at an Indian restaurant. It’s fabulous.

Then other Indian spices would be cumin and I have something called garamasala which has coriander, cumin, chilies, something I can’t read, I think it says clove, bay leaf, cassia and ginger. So the health food stores probably are the best bet to get these. The spices you buy, like the big supermarket brands, they’ve all been irradiated, which is a whole other topic, but you want to avoid irradiated food.

Another good spice is curry powder, back to the Indian. I love cinnamon. Cinnamon isn’t just for dessert. For people who like things spicy, a little cayenne pepper in just about anything. A very wonderful spice, it has very therapeutic aspects to it. I even have some real washabi powder which I wouldn’t be shy about. If you love the taste of washabi, which is that hot horseradish green paste that they serve in Japanese restaurants.

Kevin: Feel it in the back of your forehead.

Nomi: If you have too much, right, but the thing is, for people who aren’t used to using spices these mixes, like the Bombay Blend or the Italian spices are really a good bet.

Nomi: Kind of like a no-fail approach?

Nomi: People can be a little afraid of using spices.

Kevin: Now, you mentioned desserts a little bit. I think one of the coolest things about raw food is that you can have your dessert and sometimes it’s not that bad for you.

Nomi: Usually if you’re making a pie, the crust is made out of some kind of nut. And then the filling, just endless the variety of things you can make, some kind of fruit. Lots of time people will make something like this and eat it for breakfast. It isn’t always necessarily the perfect food combining. My book, each recipe has a little symbol next to it if it’s properly “food combined” and that’s explained elsewhere in the book and there is not one recipe in the dessert section that has that symbol.

They’re just not, but a lot of people could care less about proper food combining and that’s fine. Whatever works. I don’t always completely follow it, although I never have protein and carb in the same meal. So there’s almost endless things you can do with dessert.

One of my favorite quick things is, if you like whipped cream. This is so much better than whipped cream. Cashews, that have been soaked a little while, water and dates or maybe agave, if you prefer that. You just can whip that up. It’s just so delicious and of course, you can use it on top of other things. The other day I just was craving something sweet and I was lucky enough to find some fresh figs, which to me, are like manna. I cut each fig in half, usually I just eat them plain they’re just so good, but I wanted something a little sweeter than that and then I took a few dates and cut them into quarters and just stuck a date in the middle of each fig and that was it. Just sort of leaning against the counter I made myself a little treat. It can literally be that simple.

Kevin: Say you want to make a raw pie, how much time does it take compared to making something that you stick in the oven?

Nomi: With raw food it’s all prep. With cooked food it’s prep plus waiting. Say you’re making spaghetti sauce and it’s cooking on the back of the stove and the steam is rising, that’s how eventually you’re getting the taste you want. With raw food if you’re making spaghetti sauce you don’t just use fresh tomatoes you also use dried tomatoes to thicken it up. So the most – - you’re making a crust so that was probably a food processor and then you’re making a filling, so that’s probably a blender, so it could take you 45 minutes to an hour to make a raw pie.

Kevin: It’s pretty comparable I guess. This has been an incredible amount of information in a short amount of time. Why don’t you tell everyone a little bit more about some of the information on your site and your book so they can be prepared?

Nomi: Well, thank you. I would love to. My site is called rawgourmet.com and my book is called The Raw Gourmet. It’s a good book in terms of answering all the questions. If you literally take this book and read it like it’s a novel from the beginning to the end including appendix, you will have everything you need to know about having a raw food kitchen. It has 250 or so recipes in it, filled also with full color photographs. A lot of people really appreciate photographs of the food they’re making.

Kevin: From the website it looks amazing. So, Nomi, we’ve just run out of time here so I want to thank you so much for being on this call. This is a ton of information. I know that my wife, Ann Marie, is going to absolutely love this, because she’s always looking for new ways to bring raw into the kitchen. So thank you much for sharing this.

Nomi: It’s my pleasure, Kevin. We did touch on a lot of interesting subjects and there’s just a lot more to it. It was just really a great pleasure to speak to you.

By: Kevin Gianni

About the Author:

FREDERICK

Ground ginger in “Golden Pumpkin Cookies”.  Yum Yum!

The smell of pumpkin baking always conjures up memories of Thanksgiving for me. The day always started early with mom bustling about the kitchen to prepare our feast. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade would always be playing in the background as she’d prepare the meal. We’d stop to watch or listen to some of the marching bands and acts they had. But always, always, would we stop to watch Santa coming down the street on his sleigh.

To this day, the smells of turkey, cranberry, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and pumpkin all blending in a beautiful medley of smells brings a smile of memory to my face. Those special Thanksgiving feasts and that special time with mom are memories that last a lifetime. I hope you enjoy these fun and unique pumpkin recipes during this holiday season.

Golden Pumpkin Cookies

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup shortening

3 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup canned pumpkin

Cream together sugar and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla. Add in flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix in lemon juice, rind, raisins, nuts, and pumpkin. Drop by teaspoons on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Double Decker Pumpkin Pie

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon half-and-half

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 cups thawed whipped topping

1 (6 ounce) graham cracker pie crust

1 cup cold half-and-half

1 package (4 serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding

1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Whisk the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon half-and-half, and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth. Add in the whipped topping. Spread this mixture over the bottom of the crust. Combine the 1 cup half-and-half and the pudding mix in the bowl. Beat well for 1 to 2 minutes (the mixture should be thick). Add in the pumpkin and the spices. Mix well. Spread this mixture over the cream cheese mixture already in the crust. Put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. To serve, add a dollop of whipped topping to each slice and a few toasted pecans. Serves 8.

By: Jill Seader

About the Author:

JEFFERY