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Tag: ginger

Thai Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe

Last week my buddy Lisa and I took a road trip to Boise to see my favorite band Widespread Panic. The weather was hot and sunny (100 degrees hot!), and the tiny downtown was clean and bustling with healthy, fit looking people. It seemed like everyone was into some type of outdoor activity – mountain biking, fishing, camping, boating, rafting. The Boise River Park runs through the center of town and boasts ten miles of paved walking/ biking trails.

Here I am with my toes in the ice cold water.

Anne boise river 7.16

We stumbled upon this sweet Co-op where we ate several meals. My favorite was a Thai watermelon soup. When I got home I tried replicating the recipe. It was so delicious I wanted to share it with you.

As with all of my favorite recipes, it includes a short list of easy to find ingredients, and is quick and easy to make. You can find fresh lemongrass at Asian markets like Fubonn, or at New Seasons. Scroll down for the full recipe, here’s the basic outline…

Get your ingredients together

watermelon soup ingredients 7.16

your mise en place as they call it

watermelon soup mise en place 7.16

 

watermelon 7.16

saute your spices

watermelon soup cooking 1 7.16

add the pureed watermelon

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and you’ve got soup baby!

watermelon soup final 7.16

Thai Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups (about 4 lbs) of watermelon – seed, rough chop (to measure your 6 cups) and then puree in a food processor
  • 1 fresh lemongrass stalk – remove root end and outer leaves and finely chop the bottom 4 inches
  • 3 tablespoons shallot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small Serrano pepper (with seeds if you dare)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. In a heavy saucepan saute lemongrass, shallot, ginger and garlic in olive oil over med/low heat for 5 minutes.
  2. Add watermelon puree and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Add lime juice, hot pepper, and salt.
  4. Chill for at least two hours and serve.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. she offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

 

Gluten Free Ginger Apple Crisp

This week I went to my first Holiday party of the season and brought this apple crisp. It was easy to put together, and contains natural, healthy, easy to find ingredients (I found everything for this recipe at the Sellwood New Seasons).

Still have cranberries left over from Thanksgiving? Add them to this not too sweet apple crisp. Fresh cranberries (as opposed to dried berries with added sugars and dyes) provide a host of health benefits. Eating foods like berries that are loaded with Vitamins C, E and fiber may help lower blood pressure, reduce your chance of heart disease and stroke and help protect your gums. Plus they turn the apples in this dish a pretty pink color.

Apples are another nutritional powerhouse. Most of the antioxidants are found in the peel so choose fresh, local organic varieties when possible and leave the peels on for this recipe. Ginger contains powerful anti inflammatory properties, and has been shown to reduce arthritis pain, reduce nausea and boost the immune system – just what we need this time of year.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think…

 

Gluten Free Ginger Apple Crisp

 

Apple crisp 3 12.14

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon organic unsalted cultured butter

Filling:
• 6 large baking apples, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh cranberries (I used a food processor to chop these)
• 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon organic cornstarch

Topping:
• 1 cup oats (not instant)
• 1⁄2 cup demerara sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1⁄4 pound organic unsalted cultured butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Apple crisp 12.14

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Generously grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter.
3. Toss the apples, cranberries, maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger, vanilla and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix well.
5. Spread the fruit mixture into the buttered pan.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients.
7. Spread the topping on the fruit, making sure all the apples are covered.

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Bake until fruit is cooked through and topping is lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple crisp 4 12.14

This is a great bake ahead dish. Prep and bake it off in the morning (or the night before). Warm it up in the oven while you are eating dinner and it will be hot and ready for dessert!

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She believes in whole, minimally processed foods, and butter! (yes butter is a health food) Anne is not a doctor or nutritionist. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.