Ginger Syrup and Candied Ginger

I have been having tummy issues thanks in part to taking steroids and nsaids for most of my life.
So for queasiness I have been resorting to natural remedies, and one I love is ginger.

Today I was feeling particularly queasy when I had to stop by Walmart for some cat food.
So I headed right to the produce section and found the ginger root.
I figured I could make some ginger syrup to pour in my tea to soothe my tummy. It is so simple to make; just 1C sugar and 1C water, sliced ginger and simmer away for about 30 min. Personally I use about 3/4C sugar since I don't like it as sweet.

Now that I was done, I thought, isn't it a shame to throw all this good ginger away? And I had been toying with the idea of making my own candied ginger, again to soothe a queasy tum tum. So here it is, ready made for me. All I had to do was spread it out, sprinkle with a little more sugar and let it dry. I wanted to put it on a rack, but the pieces were too little, so I just spread it out on parchment. It's taking a little longer to dry, but it will be perfect.

Here it is drying with my syrup cooling behind it. I look forward to having homemade ginger without all the preservatives and such.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

My new favorite sauce for pasta is a roasted red pepper sauce. It is so versatile that you can make different flavors and intensities, depending on what you like.

Start with your roasted peppers. You'll need 3-4 medium size peppers. If you'd like to add some heat, or sweetness, try roasting jalapenos or banana peppers along side. You can also roast your garlic and onion too if you want to get really creative.  Roast them in your oven at 450 for 20 minutes or so. Turning them occasionally to get them evenly charred on all sides. Put them in a paper bag to cool and let the steam loosen the skins.

After they are cool, remove the skins and puree them in a blender. If you roasted all your other items, you can just blend them all here. You'll need some liquid to help, so choose a nice dry white wine, the zest and juice of one lemon. Bring to a sauce consistency that you prefer. I like mine thick. This goes great with shrimp or veggie pasta. If you are serving with red meat, use a nice dry red to bring to consistency.

Once you have the basics down, you can add other flavors.
Make a creamy sauce with milk or cheese. Add ground fennel to compliment sausage.
Throw in some nice chopped basil for a dip. Add pine nuts for a red pesto.

Feel free to share your favorite version here.

Feb 5 2018

Creamy Lemon Tortellini Primavera

There are really nice fresh tortellini in the stores now, so splurge and purchase a 10 package of cheese and a 10 oz package of mushroom.

Cook according to directions.

Julianne 1/2 each of a red and yellow pepper and 1 small jar of sun dried tomatoes. Thinly slice 1 large shallot. Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic. Toss with some spearmint, salt, pepper, zest of 1 lemon, oregano, basil and marjoram. Saute till veggies have softened. Juice 2 lemons and add to pan. Stir in 1 c good white wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Add 16 oz of mascarpone cheese. If you can't find it, you can use ricotta, but mascarpone will be creamier. Stir till incorporated. Add 10 oz fresh spinach. Fresh spinach is important here.

If it does not have a creamy sauce, add a little pasta water till it's the consistency you want.
Mix with the tortellini.

Serve with some fresh grated parm and a glass of white! An unoaked Chardonnay or a Pinot Grigio would be best.

For those who'd like to, add some chicken or shrimp to the dish. Season separatley with spices listed above.