Inspiration for Creating Healthy Home-Cooked Food Every Day

Meal of the Month:
One Pot Ginger Peach Chicken

By RUTH LAURENT-KOCHER | Contributing Writer

As the heat of summer starts to ease, schools are back in full swing, the leaves are beginning to turn and change color, and our foods, especially fresh produce, change too. Fresh summer fruits and crispy salads make way for our fall season, packed with its distinct fabulous flavors and fun holiday recipes.

Pumpkins, plums, cinnamon and ginger spices are already in the stores and on the menus in our local restaurants and coffee shops, but just before we fully embrace the cooler weather and fall festivities, I have a simple but satisfying recipe for September. Celebrate the end of summer with the last of the fresh sweet peaches, a little boost of ginger, marinated in a sauce of Asian flavors.

My “One Pot Ginger Peach Chicken” is perfect for a busy weeknight, a fantastic fusion of flavors and good for you.

Ginger has been used for thousands of years to treat numerous ailments. Its anti-inflammatory properties can help your brain, reducing inflammation, which may cause anxiety and depression. It can ease stomach pains and upsets, fight infections, and help reduce your LDL cholesterol levels.

Throw all the ingredients together to marinate in the morning or even the night before, and then when you get home, cook in one pot, and you will have a perfect healthy, nutritious, low-mess meal.

Ingredients

• Serves 4 to 6
• ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• ¼ cup of soy sauce (or Tamari for gluten-free)
• 2 tbsp of hoisin sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
• 8 to 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (depending on size)
• 4 large just-ripe fresh peaches, stoned and sliced (or 1 lb bag of frozen peach slices)
• 1 bunch of green onions, finely sliced—keep green parts for garnish
• 1 to 2 cups of Jasmine rice (cook as instructed)
• 1 large head of broccoli or a bag of green beans

Directions

1. At least two hours before you want to eat, combine lime juice, soy, hoisin, garlic and grated ginger in a zip lock bag. Add the chicken, white parts of onions and peaches, and toss to coat everything. Seal tightly and put in the fridge for two hours. (If you can find the time, prepare this in the morning; leave all day for an even deeper, richer taste.)
2. Ten minutes before you are ready to cook, heat the oven to 350 degrees F, then tip all the ingredients from the bag into a Dutch oven or a large pot with a lid.
3. Cover and cook in the middle of the oven for one hour. (As every pot and oven is different, it is worth taking it out after 40 minutes to ensure it is not drying out and check the chicken is cooking. If drying out, add one-quarter cup of water and put it back in.)
4. Twenty minutes before you are ready to eat, cook your rice and steamed vegetable.
5. Take the pot out of the oven; the chicken should easily fall apart. Always cut into a piece and check it’s cooked through before serving. Let sit for five minutes, then sprinkle with the green onions and serve.

Serve with Jasmine rice and fresh steamed broccoli or green beans, and if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers, it tastes even better the next day and makes an excellent hot lunch for the kids’ thermos flask to take to school.

For more inspiration from Ruth’s healthy recipes and a “how-to guide” to planning healthy home-cooked dinners, her first book, “Step Up To Dinner,” is a must-buy. To purchase a copy, arrange a fun group workshop or book a private consultation, email ruth@uptotheplate.org or go to uptotheplate.org, and you can follow Ruth on Instagram @upto_theplate.