Singapore Seaweed Salad Recipe and Ginger Tea – Super Healthy Ginger Recipes
2013
This seaweed salad recipe makes seaweed taste great and any recipe that can make seaweed taste good is a great recipe by me. Seaweed, aka sea vegetables, are one of the most nutritious foods that you can eat. Think of them as greens from the sea, dark leafy greens loaded with even more minerals that our super nutritious dark leafy greens from the land. Sea weeds contain all of the minerals from the abundantly mineral-rich sea water.
Seaweed Nutrition
Seaweeds are low calorie and low fat. They have one of the broadest ranges of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean and a variety of unique phytonutrients. They do not appear to depend on carotenoids and flavonoids for their antioxidant benefits, but have several other types, including alkaloid antioxidants.
There are thousands of types of sea vegetables and each is unique, having a distinct shape, taste and texture. They grow both in the oceans salt waters as well as in fresh water lakes and seas.
Arame
Arame is a sweet mild tasting lacy, wiry shaped brown sea vegetable used in Asian cuisines. Arame is a member of the kelp family and is harvested from the cold waters off the coast of South Korea and Japan. It grows in wide leaves up to one foot in length which are sliced into long thin strands.
For more info on Arame and Seaweed Nutrition click here.
Benefits of Ginger
Ginger is native to south Asia but is now grown commercially all over the world. Ginger has been in used since ancient times for its anti-inflammatory, carminative and anti-microbial properties. As well, it is mentioned in the Karma Sutra as having aphrodisiacal powers.
Ginger has many B vitamins and lots of minerals, highest in: potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium.
The characteristic flavor of ginger comes from it’s volatile oils: zingerone, shogaols and gingerols, which compose one to three percent of its weight. Gingerols have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and also nerve soothing and painkiller properties.
Ginger is most commonly known as a digestive aid, helping to relieve indigestion, gas pains, diarrhea and stomach cramps. It has other medicinal benefits, including: helping respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis by loosening and expelling phlegm, relieving nausea, reducing arthritis and rheumatism with its anti-inflammatory properties and relieving migraines.
Ginger is great for detoxification. This warming and cleansing herb stimulates blood flow and helps to remove toxins from the bowels, kidneys and other main detoxification centers of the body, including the skin. Ginger increases the absorption of nutrients from foods eaten with it.
Read more about the nutrition of Ginger here.
Ginger Tea Recipe
Ingredients
½ ” Ginger – peeled & sliced
½ Lemon – juiced
1 tsp Honey, Agave or favorite sweetener – to taste
Directions
Pour hot water into a large mug with ginger and lemon and let steep 5 – 10 minutes, or longer. Strain and add agave.
Notes: Ginger that is grated will give a stronger flavor with less ginger. I often slice because I find it easier. I also like my ginger tea best with maple syrup as the sweetener and a dash of cayenne added in as well.
I am sipping this tea, and loving it, while I write this post. Getting in the mood to bring you my favorite seaweed salad. This salad is really delicious and does not taste sea-weedy at all! Promise.
Singapore Seaweed Salad Recipe
Ingredients
½ c Arame, or Hijiki – soak to rehydrate in a bowl of cool water for 15 to 30 minutes, then rinse well, drain and pat, or leave it sitting out in drainer for longer, to dry.
1 small Cucumber – peel, quarter lengthwise, remove seeds and cut into thin matchsticks. Pat dry.
½ c Bean sprouts – rinsed, drained and dried
½ Red Pepper – chopped
2 Green Onions – sliced
Dressing:
1 ½ Tbsp Flax Oil – Hemp or Olive oil can be substituted
1 ½ Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar, or use 1½ T Apple Cider Vinegar to keep the dish all-raw
1 Tbsp Tamari, or Nama Shoyu
1” Ginger – minced
Directions
Make the dressing first, so that it has time to sit and for the flavors to blend. This will also give time for the ginger flavor to come out.
Prepare the vegetables, keeping them as dry as possible, so that they dilute the dressing as little as possible. You can pat dry the seaweed and vegetables with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Toss the salad ingredients all together in a bowl with the dressing. Top with sesame seeds, if desired.
Kelp Forest Diving
Let’s go on an adventure to pick the arame for our awesome seaweed salad recipe!
Enjoy! To your optimal and vibrant health!
Kelp forest diving pictures from: http://vmf.spox.ru/ru/blog/1578.kelp_forest_.html#read
