Here is the first recipe for Gingerama. These mushrooms are a great side dish, or combine with soba or udon noodles and vegetables to create a main dish. Enjoy Ginger Recipe #1.

1 lb whole mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger, finely grated
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp sesame seeds
green onions, optional

Rinse mushrooms under lukewarm water. Remove stems and cut into quarters.

Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet over high heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add ginger, mix well, and then add mushrooms. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown.

Add teriyaki sauce and honey. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until mushrooms are fully cooked. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toss to coat. Cook for an additional minute to toast seeds and remove from heat. Top with sliced green onions as desired. Serve with hot cooked rice.

This zesty recipe combines fresh citrus with sweet, sour, and spicy Asian flavors. Basil adds an earthy note to the dish.

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp grated orange rind
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dark or toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp grated lime rind
1 pound fresh mushrooms, halved
3-4 large fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Combine first 7 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add orange rind, oils, and lime rind. Stir well. Arrange mushrooms in a large bowl or shallow baking dish. Pour marinade over mushrooms, coating well. Toss in basil leaves, mixing mushrooms. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Marinading Tips:
Prepare mushrooms in the morning before work for a great side dish at dinner. If mushrooms are large, quarter them. You can also keep mushrooms whole and marinade for 24 hours. Serve cold or bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F after marinading, or use sliced mushrooms and simmer all ingredients in a large skillet over medium-high heat then serve over steamed rice.

From Taste of Home:

5 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp garlic salt/powder
1/4 tsp onion salt/powder
1 1/3 cups milk
8 oz process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
2 tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F

Cook noodles according to packaged directions, drain and keep warm. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a small saucepan, stir in flour, garlic salt and onion salt until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat and add cheese, stirring until melted.

Gently stir in noodles. Transfer to a greased shallow baking dish (2 quarts). Toss bread crumbs in 1 1/2 tsp butter and sprinkle over top of noodles. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 6, recipe can be doubled.

From Taste of Home:

6 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
parmesan cheese, optional

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute garlic in oil until tender. Add broccoli and saute for 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Drain noodles and add to broccoli mixture. Stir gently over low heat until heated through. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Tonight we made homemade hamburgers & fries. We made the hamburgers on my new George Foreman Grill (another Christmas present) with ground beef and McCormick’s Hamburger Seasoning. For the fries, I made these potato wedges from the Betty Crocker PocketChef Breakfast and Brunch cookbook (many of these recipes work on all occasions, not just in the morning). For dessert, I served the Creamy Cinnamon Fruit Dip (see posting December 24th, 2006) with fresh fruit.

3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 medium baking potatoes or 7 to 8 redskin potatoes, unpeeled
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425F

Mix salt, sugar, paprika, mustard and garlic powder in a small bowl. Gently scrub potatoes but do not peel. Cut each potato lengthwise in half and cut each half into 4 wedges. Spray potatoes with cooking spray until lightly coated. Place potatoes in a gallon-size plastic ziplock bag, add salt mixture and shake gently until all potato wedges are coated.

Place potato wedges, skin side down, in a 13×9 baking pan coated in cooking spray. Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.