Here is a holiday confection that is refreshing because it is fat-free and has a real zing to it. Besides, ginger is great for digestion, so it is a perfect accompaniment to after-dinner coffee.
Candied Ginger
Mellow yet poignant, candied ginger is a holiday treat that is also renowned for soothing an upset stomach.
Ingredients
1/3 pound fresh ginger root
enough water to cover
1 cup Sucanat (the most whole, organic sugar)
Peel the ginger using a vegetable peeler, or scrape off the skin with a knife. Slice the ginger into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Julienne the slices if desired, or leave coin-shaped. Place the ginger in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the ginger is tender. Drain and cool.
Combine the ginger and sugar in a saucepan, with four tablespoons of water. Bring the mixture slowly to a full boil, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes (the ginger should become transparent, and the syrup almost boiled away), stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, and using a slotted spoon, remove the ginger, toss it in a bowl with Sucanat to lightly coat, and place on a drying rack.
By Annie B. Bond, the best-selling and award-winning author of five healthy/green living books, including Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999), Home Enlightenment, Clean & Green (1990), and most recently True Food (National Geographic, 2010 and winner of Gourmand Awards Best Health and Nutrition Cookbook in the World). She has authored literally thousands of articles and was named “the foremost expert on green living” by Body & Soul magazine (2009).
