Produce Spotlight: Garlic
While not exactly a vegetable, ginger is a widely underused yet widely available root with endless culinary applications. Ginger ale, beer & wine, ginger tea, pickled ginger (for sushi!), gingerbread cookies, candied ginger and simply as a spice in smoothies, curries, stirfries or other cooking are some of the most common places we see this root used today.
With fantastic health promoting effects including cholesterol lowering properties, anti-nauseant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood thinning properties to boot it’s a wonder we’re not gobbling up the stuff! While ginger does have a potent flavour to it, adding small amounts to your diet will enable your taste buds to tolerate more and more of this healthful root-your body thanks you for it!
Around the world, ginger is used in a variety of different ways for medical purposes. Peruvians make a tea with it to aid stomach aches; in the Philippines fresh ginger is used as a lozenge for sore throats; the Japanese report that it increases blood circulation; in India ginger paste is applied topically to the temples to relieve headaches; many other countries are reported to use ginger in a variety of different ways to either prevent or quiet cold & flu symptoms. This time of year we could all use a little help keeping our immune systems robust, so try adding a little more ginger into your diet!
Check out this tasty recipe from the Kitchn for Roasted Miso Chicken Thighs! Throw it together this evening and let it marinate until tomorrow for optimal flavours!
Spicy Roasted Chicken Thighs with Miso and Ginger
serves 4 to 6
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons miso paste
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 to 6 garlic cloves
1 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce OR red chili paste
Take the chicken thighs out of their packaging and pat dry.
In a food processor or small chopper whiz the rest of the ingredients until they form a saucy red paste. Dump this over the chicken in a large bowl or pan and mix well. Refrigerate the chicken overnight — or bake immediately.
To bake, heat the oven to 425°F. Spread the chicken in a single layer on a large baking sheet or roasting pan. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the chicken thighs over once halfway through the baking time. When the internal temperature of the chicken is between 160 and 165°F, take the pan out and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
Serve while still piping hot.
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