Tag Archive for ginger

FFF | May 2, 2011
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Dried hibiscus flowers: 1 simple syrup, 3 easy recipes

Hibiscus flowers aren’t just pretty to look at, their dried leaves are incredibly bright and herbaceous and are completely edible. Dried hibiscus flowers are a treasured ingredient across many parts of the world—in Egypt they are known as kakkadeeh, Mexico as flor de Jamaica, and in the Caribbean as sorrel. Many cultures steep the leaves to create a refreshing bright pink tea that is said to reduce fever, improve skin complexion, and improve kidney function.

While dried hibiscus tea is tart and tasty, there are a variety of other ways you can enjoy this magenta-hued delicacy. Adding dried hibiscus flowers to a basic simple syrup is the launch pad for a ton of creative and flavorful recipes. Make a batch and keep it in your refrigerator for a quick drink mix, ice cream topping, or use it in one of my 3 easy recipes featured below.

While not common in your local grocery store, you can find dried hibiscus flowers (perhaps by one of the names listed above) at tea and spice shops, Caribbean and Latin markets, Whole Foods, online, and at Kalustyan’s in New York City.

Hibiscus Ginger Syrup

Makes 2 cups

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 ounce dried hibiscus flowers
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

Add water, sugar, dried hibiscus, and ginger to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once at a boil, turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for at least 20 minutes, until all the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is deep-magenta in color. Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a re-sealable container (be careful this can stain). Chill in the refrigerator until cold and ready to use. The syrup will hold, tightly covered, for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Strawberry, Hibiscus, and Ginger Granita

A granita is similar to a slushy and is the perfect dessert for a warm spring day. It’s cold, refreshing, and the herbal flavor of the hibiscus compliments the sweet strawberries.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 cups hulled strawberries, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups ice
1 cup hibiscus ginger simple syrup

Place the strawberries, lime juice, and ice into a high speed blender and blend until the mixture is smooth; strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Mix in the simple syrup and pour into a glass baking dish (11-by-13-inch). Place dish in the freezer and chill for at least 30 minutes, then scrape mixture with a fork to break up ice crystals and continue freezing. Repeat this process 4 to 5 times until the mixture resembles a slushy texture. Spoon granita into bowls or martini glasses and serve immediately.

Pink Punch

Brighten up your cocktail hour with this pink cocktail that packs a real punch. All you need is a little simple syrup to turn your classic vodka soda into something special. This ratio is just a guide, feel free to add or reduce the amount of vodka to your liking.

Makes 4 cocktails

1 cup vodka
1/2 cup hibiscus ginger simple syrup
Crushed ice
Club soda
Lime wedges, for garnish

Place vodka, simple syrup, and ice in a cocktail shaker; shake well and strain into chilled cocktail glasses. Top with club soda and garnish with a lime wedge.

Hibiscus Ginger Glaze

Sweet syrup isn’t just for cocktails and desserts. Reducing the syrup down to a glaze takes just a few minutes and adds a bold depth of flavor to grilled or roasted meats and fish. A dab of butter helps give it shine and smooths out the flavor. Be sure to keep an eye on it though, it reduces fast and if it burns, it will taste bitter.

Makes 1/4 cup of glaze

1 cup hibiscus ginger simple syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Place syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat; reduce until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in butter, and keep warm until ready to use. Serve over chicken, fish, or pork.

 

Category: Recipes, Weekend Warrior | Tags: , , , , , ,
FFF | November 22, 2010
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Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream

Happy Thanksgiving week foodies!  All I can think about this week is food, well, that’s really every week, but this week especially savory, sweet, and scrumptious thoughts are filling my head.  In honor of the best food holiday of the year, I’ll be posting some tasty fall recipes to compliment your Thanksgiving meal, or any meal, as we embark on the holiday season.  The first thing on the menu is actually a first for Fun Fearless Foodie, a guest writer has joined us!  Mark Justice, a fellow UCF Knight and foodie, has embraced the Fun Fearless Foodie spirit and tackled one of his culinary fears, making a roulade (rolled cake) in honor of the holiday.  Enjoy Mark’s journey to sweet success below as he attempts a delicious Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream!

The holidays are a time of year that inspire foodies everywhere to reach for new heights and nowhere is this more apparent than on the dessert plate. When I first saw a photo of Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream I knew it was destined to find a place at my Thanksgiving table. The problem? Glossy photos aside, the directions were beyond intimidating. At one point, the recipe calls for turning the just out of the oven cake onto a towel and rolling it into a log! Surely this was a feat for a master cook and the dozens of outtakes that are only possible on cable TV.

And so I did something that no true foodie should ever do, I allowed my fear to overcome my thirst for achievement. I settled for a less complicated dessert and each year when the holidays rolled around I let my fear overcome my dreams of the perfection featured in Ina’s glossy photos. This year was decidedly different for me and as I sat down to plan my holiday menu I was determined to include Ina’s pumpkin roulade. I gathered my ingredients, read carefully over the recipe, and mixed up the batter as I had for countless goodies in the past. Then, as it came time to pull the cake from the oven and turn it onto the prepared towel, I reminded myself to have no fear. To my surprise, the cake fell perfectly on my counter intact and ready for the next step. Hours later, as I unrolled the cake and filled it with ginger butter-cream, the recipe turned out exactly as planned. I learned several lessons making Ina’s pumpkin roulade, but the most important was that any recipe can be executed well with a little practice and culinary courage.

Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream

Recipe exactly as printed in Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Makes 1 cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
  • ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting

For the filling:

  • 12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese
  • 1 ¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • ¼ minced dry crystallized ginger (not in syrup)
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13 x 18 x 1-inch sheet pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and grease and flour the paper.
  2. In a small bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. Place the eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light yellow and thickened. With the mixer on low, add the pumpkin, then slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Finish mixing the batter by hand with a rubber spatula.
  4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake the cake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched.
  5. While the cake is baking, lay out a clean, thin cotton dish towel on a flat surface and sift the entire ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar evenly over it. (This will prevent the cake from sticking to the towel.) As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, loosen it around the edges and invert it squarely onto the prepared towel. Peel away the parchment paper. With a light touch, roll the warm cake and the towel (don’t press!), starting at the short end of the cake. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, and cream together for about a minute, until light and fluffy. Stir in the crystallized ginger and salt.
  7. To assemble, carefully unroll the cake onto a board with the towel underneath. Spread the cake evenly with the filling. Re-roll the cake in a spiral using the towel as a guide. Remove the towel and trim the ends to make a neat edge. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve sliced.

Notes and adaptations

Crystallized Ginger: Whenever crystallized ginger is called for in a dessert I prefer to use the largest pieces I can find commercially and chop them on my own. The smaller pre-chopped varieties that are available can sometimes contribute an unwanted crunchiness in desserts.

Forming the roulade: On my first attempt I was a little gentler forming the roulade than perhaps is called for. This resulted in more of an oval shape then the desired spiral. On subsequent attempts I pulled the towel a little tighter and achieved the desired spiral shape.

Extra-filling: I found that with this recipe extra filling came in handy. Once the roulade was finished, the very top corner was left without any filling. Using a thin metal spatula and the extra frosting I was able to create the picture-perfect look from Ina’s photo.

Category: Recipes, Seasonal | Tags: , , , , ,
FFF | August 24, 2010
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Panko Crusted Flounder with Coconut-Ginger Rice and Pico de Gallo

It’s hard to believe that I’m almost finished with level 2 at FCI, these first 12 weeks flew by!  We’ve been tasked with out first project as apart of our final for the level and i’m thrilled that we get an opportunity to showcase our creativity for our chef instructors.  The title of the project is “flounder your way” and we have to prepare a dish using flounder and can choose from a list of supplied ingredients to create sides and garnishes.  In addition to the flounder recipe, we also have to present a menu showcasing four appetizer, seafood, meat and poultry, and dessert courses, one of which will be the flounder dish.

I thought it would be nice to pay homage to the cuisine of my home state and came up with a Florida-themed menu featuring fresh, bright dishes using local ingredients.  Our ingredient list thankfully has some great tropical choices like lime, cilantro, ginger, coconut milk, and jalapeno which made the thought process even easier.  After working out the concept on paper, I came up with panko crusted flounder with coconut-ginger rice, crispy shallots, and pico de gallo.  It incorporates the right amount of crunch, acid, and sweetness to make it a balanced dish.  Of course the challenge is making it taste just as good on the plate as it sounds on paper.

After a long trek to Whole Foods on a cold, rainy evening I got to work in my test kitchen (aka my apartment) and diligently wrote down each step and measurement as I went along.  I was careful to pay attention to each technique, making sure every cut was precise and my actions matched what I would have to showcase at school.  I was pleasantly surprised how much my skills have improved in my home kitchen without the comforting guidance of a chef over my shoulder.

The finished product turned out to be a really colorful, flavorful dish that I was proud of on the first go round.  The flounder was super crunchy because of the panko breading and I managed to cook it perfectly without burning the crust.  This was also my first time cooking rice in coconut milk and I was in awe of how the rice came out with a creamy, almost sticky consistency similar to sushi rice.  To add extra flavor, I infused ginger, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice into the milk which really came through in the rice.  The acid from the lime juice and tomatoes in the pico de gallo rounded out the flavor of the fish and really made it all pop.  All in all it was a rewarding evening, one that showed me how far i’ve really come.

This is a perfect meal to enjoy on a hot summer evening with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc, or in the dead of winter when you are longing for a taste of somewhere warm and tropical.  Bon appetit!

Note: This pico de gallo would be even more amazing if you added some diced mango, unfortunately that was not on my ingredient list, but I highly recommend you giving it a try. Also, make sure you leave the aromatics for the rice large enough that you will be able to fish them out when the rice is done.

Panko Crusted Flounder with Coconut-Ginger Rice and Pico de Gallo

The tropical flavors of coconut, ginger, and lime combine with crunchy fresh flounder to bring a taste of Florida to your home kitchen.

Serves 2

The quality of this picture doesn't do this dish justice, but it's definitely delish.

Ingredients

For the Pico de Gallo:

  • 2 plum tomatoes, seeds and tough flesh removed, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeno, finely diced
  • 1/4 onion, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • cilantro, finely chopped (about a tablespoon)
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • salt and pepper

For the Rice:

  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • small bunch cilantro, chopped, stems reserved
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1 cup long grain rice (jasmine would also work well)
  • crispy shallots (see note below) *optional
  • salt and pepper

For the Flounder:

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 flounder filets
  • salt and pepper
  • oil, for frying (canola works best)

Directions

  1. Prepare your mise en place. Measure out all of the necessary ingredients, cut your vegetables as instructed, and take out tools and cooking equipment.
  2. Make the pico de gallo. Place all listed ingredients into a small mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper, and let sit at room temperature as you continue cooking.  Preparing this first will allow it to develop flavor as you work.
  3. Add the coconut milk, water, ginger, garlic, cilantro stems, lime, and 2 teaspoons salt into a medium size sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the rice, stir to incorporate, reduce to a simmer, and cover.  The rice should take about 20 minutes to cook through and will have a creamy texture, but all liquid should be absorbed.  Keep an eye on it for the last 5 minutes to ensure it doesn’t overcook and stick to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Remove chopped aromatics from the rice, fluff with a fork, and add chopped cilantro.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and reserve.
  5. While the rice is nearing the end of cooking, setup your breading station for the flounder and remove the flounder from the fridge.  Place the flour on a plate, coconut milk and lime juice in a shallow bowl, and breadcrumbs on a plate and line up side by side.
  6. Season the flounder generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat both sides in the flour, shake off excess.  Dip both sides in coconut milk, shake off excess.  Coat both sides in breadcrumbs, shake off excess.  Place the breaded flounder on a clean plate.  Repeat breading process for each filet.
  7. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the pan and heat until you see slight ripples in the oil but before it starts to smoke.  If it’s too hot, it’s OK, remove from heat for a minute or two and let it cool before adding the flounder.
  8. When the oil is hot, place the filets in the pan making sure not to crowd them.  If the filets are larger, cook them one at a time.  Cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes.  The breadcrumbs should become golden, but not burnt, and the top side of the filet should begin to look opaque in color.  Flip and continue cooking on the opposite side another 2-3 minutes.  Flounder is very delicate so be sure to use a fish spatula or a flexible spatula to ensure you don’t break it.
  9. Place the cooked filets on a draining rack or on a plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil and maintain crispiness.
  10. To serve, arrange a bed of rice on the plate and top with crispy shallots (optional). Lay the flounder filet on top of one side of the rice, spoon the pico de gallo at the bottom of the plate, and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

To make crispy shallots: Heat one tablespoon unsalted butter and 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat until it begins to bubble.  Reduce heat to low and add in one thinly sliced shallot. Cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, or until the shallots become golden brown.  Keep moving the pan around to ensure even cooking and that the shallots don’t burn.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. They can be stored in a plastic bag or airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.



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