And now for something a little different!

Hello Everyone! 

As you know, the founders of GPK have added a little twist to our format.  Along with monthly cookbook choices by that month’s hostess, we’ve added an ingredient challenge.  If you don’t wish to choose a cookbook for the group to cook from, simply choose an ingredient and each member chooses the dist they will bring that features that ingredient.

Andrea was our hostess for July and her ingredient choice was ginger.

As hostess, Andrea prepared the main dish which was a pork loin with ginger, craisins and other delicious seasonings. 

Kris prepared a side dish of lettuce wraps which featured a warm peanut sauce with fresh ginger.

Tracy prepared Jamaican ginger beer – a refreshing summer beverage.

And, poor Shannon, whose basement chose to flood that day brought a yummy strawberry pie. 

Put to the vote the favorite recipes of the evening are copied here!  Try your hand at Kris’ peanut sauce and Tracy’s ginger beer!

Perfect Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter (natural, no sugar added kind)
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup coconut milk (light is fine, if you prefer or substitute water)
1/4 cup water
red chili flake to taste
chili garlic sauce to taste or 1 clove crushed garlic
Optional:
sesame oil
curry paste
rice wine vinegar
fish sauce
grated ginger
shallots sautéed till brown in oil
Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl, adding the water last. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Experiment with this sauce adding a teaspoon at a time of one the optional additions and tasting as you go. Serve hot or cold.

 

Jamaican Ginger Beer – non-alcoholic

Makes about 2 quarts

• Gingerroot, peeled & chopped -- 3/4 to 1 pound
• Water -- 2 quarts
• Sugar -- 2/3 to 3/4 cup
• Lemons or limes, juice only -- 2 to 3

Method

1. Place the chopped ginger, 3 cups of the water and 2/3 cup sugar in a blender and puree well. Let set for at least 30 minutes or overnight to extract all the flavor.
2. Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve and pour into a pitcher. Add enough water to make 2 quarts and stir in the the lemon or lime juice and additional sugar to taste. Chill well before serving.

I served this over ice with a slice each of lemon and lime.