Ginger Cookies

I love gingersnap cookies during the holiday seasons. The only part I do hate about them though is that they are really crunchy, and not chewy, unless you dunk them in something to drink. This ginger cookie recipes is chewy and soft on the inside with all of the great flavors of gingerbread cookies.

Ingredients:

3/4 c. vegetable shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 c. sugar (plus more to roll in)
1 egg
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
*Optional, candy coating or white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In an electric mixer, beat the shortening, molasses and sugar together until a paste forms. Add in the eggs. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients until the dough starts to pull away from the mixing bowl slightly.

Roll the dough into one inch balls and place on a plate that has granulated sugar on it. Roll the dough in sugar and place on your prepared baking sheet around 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, let sit for at least one minute on the baking sheet, and then let cool fully on a wire rack.

If your plan is to make these look  more colorful for a Christmas cookie plate, like mine is, you might decide to dip the cookies in some colorful melted chocolate! I melted yellow candy coating in a double boiler and dipped a small part of the cookie in it, and then sprinkled some yellow edible glitter on top!

This recipe makes around 5-5 1/2 dozen. 

Pear Ginger Pie

Ingredients:

1 store-bought pie crust (or homemade)
5 Bosc pears, peeled and sliced
1 lemon, grated, plus 1 Tbs. juice
2 Tbs. flour
3 Tbs. orange marmalade

3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
5 Tbs. cold butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread the crust out evenly inside a pie dish and fold the ends over (or do whatever pattern you normally do for pies). Spread the orange marmalade on top of the crust in the bottom of the pie dish. In a large bowl, mix the pears, lemon peel and juice, and 2 Tbs. flour together. Pour into the prepared crust and spread in an even layer. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and butter together either with your fingers (I find this much easier) or a pastry blender. Crumble on top of the filling in a somewhat even layer. Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 40 more minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Ginger White Chocolate Waffle Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. margarine, melted (I use Imperial)
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. chopped crystallized ginger
1 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat your waffle iron according to directions. Spray with non stick cooking spray. Mix all of the above ingredients together. Add about 2 Tbs. of batter to each section and close and lock the lid. These cookies take less than a minute. Normally your waffle maker will make a popping noise and the light will turn off when it thinks they are ready. You want to leave them in for at least 20 seconds more so that they are a dark golden brown. Otherwise they will not cool and become crunchy and a cookie consistency. Let cool to room temperature before serving or storing.

Ginger-Soy Turkey Meatballs with a Surprise Inside!

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and cut in half
1 egg
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 c. green onion (green part only), chopped
1/4 c. bread crumbs
3 Tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
2 tsp. grated lime peel
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey, lean
(Sweet and Sour sauce for dipping)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the egg, soy sauce, and the next 9 ingredients with your hands or a spatula. Take about 1-2 Tbs. of the meat mixture in your hand, and place a water chestnut piece in the center. Fold the turkey around the water chestnut. Roll slightly if you need to round it out. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the meatballs are made. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving, or keep on warm in a slow cooker or food warmer.

(Makes roughly 30 meatballs, I doubled the recipe for the party to make 60-70. Each meatball is 1 WW point each. or 3 meatballs for 2 WW points.)

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 c. margarine, melted
1/2 c. molasses
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk, 1%

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch pan with tinfoil and spray with non stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk the margarine, molasses, brown sugar, eggs and milk together. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry until fully combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Pull the cake up by the tinfoil and let cool fully on a wire rack before cutting.

(Makes 16 squares, 4 WW points per piece)

Green Tea Biscotti with Ginger and Almond

Ingredients:

2 3/4 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. Matcha (green tea powder)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 c. slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Whisk the wet ingredients together. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Knead the dough in the bowl until coarse crumbs form. Add the ginger and almonds. Knead the dough again. Separate the dough in half to form 2 logs, 1 inch high, 3 inches wide. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool. Slice. Bake 20 more minutes, turning over after 10 minutes.

Let cool fully before adding melted white baking chocolate or dark chocolate on top.

Soy Ginger Marinated Pork

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless pork chops
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. black pepper


Marinade the pork chops in the soy sauce, ginger and pepper for 20 minutes or more. Heat a grill pan to medium heat. Place the pork chops on the grill and let sit for 5 minutes before flipping, cook for 5-7 more minutes. Let sit for a few minutes before slicing so that the meat can absorb all of it's own juice. I served with a side of snap peas cooked with soy sauce and topped with sesame seeds.

(Makes 2 pork chops, 7 WW points per chop.)

Pork and Veggies with a Soy-Ginger Sauce

One of my favorite restaurants in Green Bay, Wisconsin is a Hibachi style restaurant called Nakashima's. Every time my husband and I visit the area, it is our expensive little treat to go and get Hibachi for two. I wanted to try and re-create the flavors at home though, and do it without the extra oil and butter. What I made tastes VERY close to how they make it, and it will definitely be one of my go-to recipes in the future!

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into strips
8 oz. button mushrooms, each sliced into thirds
1 1/2 c. bean sprouts
1/2 c. soy sauce, divided
2 Tbs. ginger, from a jar in paste form
2 c. cooked white Minute rice

In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce and ginger together and set aside. To a large skillet on medium heat, add the mushrooms and half of the soy sauce mixture. When the mushrooms are just starting to get moist, add the pork and stir. Keep stirring for about 2-3 minutes until the pork is no longer pink on the outside, and add the bean sprouts. Keep cooking for about 1-2 minutes until the bean sprouts start to get darker in color, and remove from the heat. Use the rest of the soy sauce mixture as a dipping sauce, and serve with a side of rice. (Makes 3 servings, with the rice as a side dish, it is 12 WW points per serving, without the rice, it is 5-6 WW points per serving.)

                                          Photo by KPC Photography
                                          

This is also great when you use shrimp, steak and chicken for the meat, and zucchini and bean sprouts for the vegetables. 

Ginger Apple Pear Muffins

Ingredients:

1 large pear, with skin, finely chopped
1 large apple, peeled and cored, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. pear extract
1/3 c. milk, 1%
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. beet powder (or a drop of red food coloring)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbs. warm water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners. Combine the apple, pear, cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl, and set aside. In medium size bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, vanilla, pear extract and milk, and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and soda and salt together. Make a well in the center. Pour half of the wet mixture and fruit mixture into the center of the well. Mix everything together gently with a spatula. Then add the remaining liquid mixture and fruit mixture. Mix just until everything is incorporated well. Divide evenly among the muffin cups. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. While the muffins are cooling, mix the powdered sugar, ground ginger, beet powder and warm water together with a spoon. Drizzle on top of the cool muffins, and top with your sprinkles! (Makes 12 muffins, 4 WW points each.)

Ginger Soy Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger
1/4 c. soy sauce
24 frozen cooked shrimp, thawed

In a Ziplock bag, combine the shrimp, soy sauce and ginger. Let sit in the marinade for about half an hour. In a medium sized skillet, add the shrimp and the sauce and cook on medium heat for about five minutes, until the shrimp and sauce is hot. Pour into a serving dish and use the extra sauce to dip the shrimp in! (Serving size is 1 cup, 3 WW points).

Indian Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:
2 (6 oz) green yogurt
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. diced tomato
2 green onions, minced
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
salt to taste


Mix all of the ingredients together and serve with pita chips or homemade wonton chips!