#Eatwell challenge: Ginger
Each week we challenge you to add something new to your diet by taking up the #Eatwell challenge.
Ginger packs a triple punch: it’s warming, loaded with goodness (studies suggest it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties) and adds serious flavour to everything from smoothies and soups to salads. It also has a pretty good shelf life – fresh ginger will keep for a few weeks in the fridge and can be frozen whole or grated.
Tip: use an ice tray to freeze cubes of grated ginger for easy use in cooking later.
Another tip: peel ginger with a thin-edged teaspoon to avoid cutting away too much of that precious flesh…simply scrape off the skin with the spoon.
We challenge you to upload pics of yourself enjoying or cooking with ginger to Twitter or Instagram. Don’t forget to tag @Woolworths_SA and add the hashtag #Eatwell. And remember, Discovery Vitality members get up to 25% cash back on over 1 000 HealthyFood items at Woolworths.
- Keep some fresh ginger in the office fridge and add it to boiling water with a squeeze of lemon and honey for an invigorating all-natural cuppa. (Sipping on ginger tea can also help easy tummy ache and nausea.)
- Add it to soup and curries – it’ll add flavour and warm you up even more on chilly winter nights.
- Grate it into smoothies (here’s where that ice tray tip comes in handy) or juice whole pieces of fresh ginger with apples, oranges, carrots or pineapple.
- Add a few pieces of roughly chopped ginger to a tray of roasting vegetables. It works especially well with butternut, sweet potato and carrot.
- Make your own ginger beer – it’s easier than you think and totally worth the effort. Heat 200g white sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved without coming to a boil. Add 2–3 teaspoons ground ginger, 75g grated fresh ginger, ¼ teaspoon tartaric acid and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5–10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and is slightly golden. Mix the syrup with 7 ½ cups water and transfer to a 2 litre plastic bottle. Add flesh of two diced pineapples. Keep in a warm place for two days, opening the bottle every 12 hours to allow the gas to escape. Strain, chill and add juice of ½ lemon.