Week 51--Ginger

Did you know that ginger is an herb?  Indeed so.  But its most common appearance is in its rhizome form, or the underground stem which is all too common in many cuisines.  It is also widely used medicinally to treat anything from digestive issues, to respiratory problems, to body pains.  I love the spiciness in ginger and I use it generously in my cooking.  I also drink ginger tea daily.  Lately I have even been using it in my baking and I just can't get enough of it.  I'm surprised I haven't yet featured it in this blog.  

For this week I thought about featuring my favorite cocktail:  Ginger-lime mojito made with sake, but then I thought I would be cheating you since a cocktail isn't really a recipe per se.  So I came to my second best idea, a Moroccan stew with plenty of guess what?  Yes, ginger. I have made this recipe many times this year, many variations of it too.   I mostly make it with beef but this week I only had chicken so that is what I used. So this week I prepare for you a Moroccan style chicken stew with butternut squash.  Here is what you will need:

Ingredients (remember to choose organic whenever possible)

1 whole chicken cut into serving size pieces.  (I used Trader Joes organic, free-range chicken, a mere $10 for a whole chicken!)

1 large onion diced

2 cups chopped bell pepper ( I used a mix of red, yellow, and orange.  Bell peppers are on the top 12 dirty list so be sure and get them organic). 

1 large jar of marinara sauce (or 4 to 6 cups of freshly cut tomatoes)

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut up into bite sized pieces.

2 to 4 cups of  cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 beer, any kind.

1 quart of chicken or vegetable broth.

8 garlic cloves 

1 2in piece of ginger 

2TB Garam Masala

2TB curry powder

1TB cumin

1tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

2TB Extra virgin olive oil, separated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. In a food processor combine ginger, garlic, spices, up to cayenne pepper, 1 TB olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup of beer.  Blend together until a smooth paste is formed.  Rub chicken pieces with spice paste and let marinade for 2 hours or overnight.

2. In a pre-heated large skillet brown chicken on all sides.  Set aside.  Add one TB of olive oil to same skillet and brown onions and bell peppers until tender. Add rest of beer and scrape bottom of skillet.  Add marinara or tomatoes and bring to simmer.  Set aside.

3. In a large roasting pan or dutch oven combine butternut squash, garbanzo beans, chicken, broth and onion mixture.  Cover and bake in preheated oven for 1hr.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.

4. Enjoy served over couscous, quinoa, or by itself.