This is an easy side with a mild flavor from the magazine Coastal Living. This recipe would be great with Chinese dishes or other spicy meals, like Chicken Paprikash. The ginger is this recipe is not very strong, but adds a hint of flavor. Mellow out with Ginger Recipe #6.

1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
2 1/4 cups water
2 cups jasmine or Basmati rice
4 slices fresh, peeled ginger
garnish: chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Combine coconut milk and water in a heavy saucepan. Stir in rice and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender and milk mixture has been absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with fork. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove ginger before serving. Garnish if desired.

Here is a dessert recipe from AOL Food. This dessert combines apples, oranges and ginger to make a dessert out of couscous. Satisfy your sweet tooth with Ginger Recipe #5.

Sauce:
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tbsp Triple Sec (orange flavored liqueur)

Couscous:
1 1/3 cups apple juice
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 tsp grated orange rind

Topping:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 cups diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 apples)
2 tbsp raisins (or golden raisins)
2 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 1/2 tbsp Triple Sec
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Additional toppings (optional):
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
mint sprigs

To prepare sauce, bring orange juice to a boil in a saucepan. Cook until juice is reduced to 1/3 cup (about 6 minutes). Stir in 1 1/2 tbsp liqueur.

To prepare couscous, bring apple juice, 3 tbsp butter, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Gradually stir in couscous and orange rind. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

To prepare topping, melt 2 tbsp butter in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar and cook 1 minute. stirring constantly. Stir in apple and raisins, cook 5 minutes or until apple is tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in ginger, 1 1/2 tbsp liqueur, and cinnamon.

To serve: Spoon about 1/3 cup couscous into dessert dish. Top with about 2 tbsp topping, 1 1/2 tsp sour cream (if using), and about 1 tbsp sauce. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired. Recipe will make 8 servings.

This recipe is from the cookbook Million Menus. The sherbet has a texture similar to a frozen slush drink, so I turned mine into smoothies. Cool off with Ginger Recipe #4.

1 ripe musk melon (cantaloupe)
2 limes
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white, lightly whisked
fresh or frozen strawberries

Peel, seed, and cut melon into small chunks. Juice limes. Combine melon, lime juice, and grated ginger into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.

Stir in sugar. Beat in egg white. Transfer to a freezer proof container and freeze for 6 hours.

Serve in scoops with strawberries.

To make smoothies (and avoid the wait time):

After beating in egg white, pour approx 1 1/2 cups of melon mixture back into blender. Add 3-4 large ice cubes. Process until ice is blended. Garnish with strawberries.

Strawberry-Melon-Ginger Smoothie: Add 1/3 cup milk and several strawberries, cut into chunks. Process in blender until smooth.

Once sherbet has frozen, omit ice cubes when making smoothies and add 1/2 cup hot water instead (to get the blender going).

Add other fruit as desired. Honey can be added or substituted for sugar. Beaten egg white is not essential to making smoothies.

This recipe, which I found at AOL Food, comes from Sunset magazine. Though it was good, I felt it tasted like a weak chai tea. Next time, I would include more spices. Here is Ginger Recipe #3.

1 quart milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 ground cardamom
8 Assam or orange pekoe tea bags (or 3 tbsp loose tea leaves)

Using a 3 to 4 quart pan, combine milk, 1 quart water, sugar, ginger, and cardamom over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Add tea and simmer, stirring gently, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand until tea is a reddish brown color, about 1 minute.

Pour through a fine strainer into a hot teapot or carafe. Serve with cinnamon sticks.

To make iced, Sunset magazine recommends replacing milk with water and using Darjeeling tea. Brew tea up to 1 day ahead, chill over night, and pour tea into ice-filled glasses.

To make tea spicier, like chai, add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 ground nutmeg and 1/8 ground cloves.

This tasty morning treat is featured in Taste of Home’s 2006 Cookbook, which is full of reader-supplied recipes. Give your regular coffee a spicy kick with Ginger Recipe #2.

6 tbsp ground coffee (not instant)
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tbsp chopped crystallized or candied ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 cups cold water

Combine coffee grounds, orange zest, ginger and cinnamon in a coffee filter. Brew according to manufacturer’s directions using 6 cups cold water.

Serve coffee with cream and sugar as desired. Garnish with whipped cream, cinnamon sticks, or additional orange peel.

Kick up the spice by adding 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/8 tsp cloves.