Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Gingerly

Ginger Marmalade Dressing

_DSC2705I hope you had a nice Valentine’s Day. My husband also caught a cold virus (most likely from me) and so it was a not so hot Valentine’s Day…well he is still cute but…you know, he is not his usual self. We postponed the celebration, and instead stayed home and cheered for our favorite Olympians on television. 

This sweet and tangy dressing yields approximately 1/3 cup though, you only need a couple teaspoons for your salad. Besides, fresh grated ginger loses some of the potency and starts oxidizing soon after, so prep a small amount at a time. Almighty ginger eases the symptom of a cold or prevents you from catching it in the first place.

Ingredients and Instructions (Ingredients are not precise, adjust to your taste and desired thickness) (Print Recipe here)

  • Ginger juice- grate ginger, skin and all, then place on a paper towel, twist top and squeeze to get about 1 tablespoon._DSC2727_DSC2731
  • Marmalade 2 Tablespoons
  • Warm water 1 Tablespoon
  • Balsamic vinegar 2 Tablespoons
  • Olive oil 1-2 Tablespoons
  • Fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of salt for taste

Thin the marmalade with warm water first in a medium bowl. Add ginger juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and mix well with whisk. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until chilled - about 10 to 20 minutes. Whisk again before serving._DSC2693_DSC2733

Cheese lacy nest gives crunch to the dish but not necessary tasty. If you cook too long then it is difficult to mold and often has a bitter or too salty flavor. I used parmigiano-reggiano cheese for this but any cheddar cheese will do._DSC2714 

  1. I covered a spice tin (which fit in my small red rectangular plate) with foil but you could use an up-side down glass jar, in that case, no covering necessary.
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  2. Grate enough cheese. I used about 3 Tablespoons per nest._DSC2674
  3. Heat non-stick pan at low heat. Sprinkle cheese in. When the edges of cheese start developing color then turn off heat. Leave in the pan for another 5 to 10 seconds to cook till very light brown (cheese should be still pliable).
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  4. Slide turner underneath to lift. Press onto the mold. Because it may be too hot to handle I used a paper towel to shape. Leave it on until cool.
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  5. Fill with your favorite appetizer. This is a micro-green mini salad._DSC2725 

In honor of the Sochi Olympics (?), we had Lemon Symiki, Russian style pan cakes, for breakfast the other day. I omitted but you could top with sour cream or whipped cream. Ginger marmalade dressing is great for fresh fruits too._DSC2697

We tried a new restaurant, Aviary – not sure what style this restaurant is but they have a number of creative dishes. Although this chestnut soup is very nice, the roasted, charred flavor of the Brussels sprout topping was a put off for me.IMG_0967

Speaking of chestnuts, I made some chestnut chocolate truffles using a inexpensive bag of roasted chestnuts. _DSC2721_DSC2739

I have a pair of Valentine socks that says ‘My first love is chocolate’… right.
I made this truffles for my husband though he wasn’t feeling well and declined. I failed to share my first love.

 

22 comments:

  1. I really read that as "Chinese lacy nest" at first... duh, silly Charlie! I often make those thins with parmesan to serve with soup, but I never thought of moulding it over something... thanks for the great idea!

    Even if your valentine's day was a bust because of having a cold, I'm sure you still ate better than me! I had a dreadful meal in a restaurant with my wife. 900kr... never going there again!

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    1. Thank you Charles. I had a good laugh visiting your blog. You have a good sense of humor. I like your new blog logo too.

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  2. Hi Nippon nin,

    Hope that your husband has recovered well now... In regardless if he is eating these truffles, I believe that he will love your chestnut truffles as much as he loves you!

    Zoe

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  3. wow what a great appetizer so gourmet

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    1. Thank you Rebecca. It was fun to discover variety of sites via your site. Thank you for your introduction to whole new world.

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  4. That's a really cute salad presentation:) Love it...looks like it is full of love too:)

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    1. Thank you Annie. I enjoyed the light supper that night. Hope you had a great Valentine's day too.

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  5. A delicious dressing! What great flavors. Your appetizer is splendid.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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    1. Thank you so much Rosa. And thank you for all those gorgeous photos you posted.

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  6. This is a great appetizer and I've read that ginger is a great remedy for colds and viruses!

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    1. Thank you Katerina. I'm drinking ginger tea everyday now. I don't want to get cold anymore this winter or any other time.

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  7. wow, another michelin star chef quality dish....
    i'm gonna try the cheese nest for sure!!!
    the marmelade seems great with grilled shrimp too!!!

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    1. Thank you so much. I think you're master chef. Can I be your an apprentice?

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  8. Replies
    1. Thank you Jalna. You're grrrreat! I mean that. And very funny!

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  9. Everything on this menu I would enjoy!
    I love ginger flavor in foods.
    The nest for the salad looks beautiful and the chestnut soup sounds like something I would love to try.
    The truffles are definitely on my list to make.
    I hope you all are feeling better.
    Blessings, Catherine

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    1. Thank you Catherine. We both had nasty cold and don't want it back. Thank you for your blessing.

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  10. What an unusual creative dressing! I would never think about combining these and pouring over a salad. I love the lacy "basket". It makes the salad instantly elegant!
    Chestnut truffles are incredibly ingenious! My husband would have loved these (he is a big chestnut fan).

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    1. Thank you Sissi! Really? I love chestnuts too! In Japan, I always buy chestnuts cake because I don't see any in US bakery and I really miss it.

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  11. I love the dressing and the little cups -- so cute and romantic! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thank you! The cup is gift from friend. Her sense of style is amazing.

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