Heat it up with Ginger: Delicious & Healthy Flavor

From our Cooking with Kaye Archives:

Today we celebrate the health and healing powers of ginger. Aromatic, pungent and spicy, ginger adds a special flavor and zest to main dishes and many fruit and vegetable dishes. Ginger has long been known to tame digestive discomfort and many post-weight loss surgery patients report that including ginger as an ingredient in their healthy diet helps reduce stomach distress.

Ginger can be found in many forms including fresh roots, powder, crystallized, candied and pickled. For the best healing properties select fresh ginger root found in the produce section of your market. Fresh ginger should be refrigerated unpeeled. For use in cooking peel the ginger, a potato peeler works well, and chop, slice or mince as directed.

Ginger Chicken

This recipe will remind of your favorite Chinese takout. The marinade turns up the heat on the same 'ole chicken breast. As written the recipe calls for cooked rice but many weight loss surgery patients do not tolerate rice. We served it over baby spinach greens and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinned boned chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 cups hot cooked rice (optional)

Directions: Combine first 12 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; sauté 5 minutes. Add reserved marinade; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Serving Size: 3 ounces chicken and 1 cup rice. Per serving: 430 calories, 33 grams protein, 4 frams fat (1 saturated), 62 grams carbohydrate and 1 gram dietary fiber.

Without rice: 190 calories. 28 grams protein, 4 grams fat (1 saturated), 10 grams carbohydrate adn 1 gram dietary fiber.

Link to this archived newsletter:
Cooking with Kaye - Heat it up with Ginger

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