Gotta Use Up The Miso - Mid-week Easy Recipe - Coriander Chicken Thighs with Miso-Glazed Vegetables

The horror of a poorly-managed fridge inventory! Well, it's been a bit busy around here as of late, what with getting ready for Colonel Mustard's (permanent) arrival in town. But there, staring me in the face was white miso with a Best Before date of April 16 2015. Must use!

Miso is so wonderful. It's a umami bomb, pure complex savory taste. Here's some wonderful things to do with miso:

10 Ways to Use Miso in Recipes, courtesy Care2 Healthy Living, (notes by moi):

1. Use light colored miso as a dairy substitute in place of milk, butter, and salt in creamed soups.

2. Puree with tofu and lemon juice in place of sour cream.

3. Blend light miso with vinegar, olive oil and herbs for salad dressing. (Makes great slaw)

4. Use unpasteurized miso in marinades to help tenderize animal protein and break down vegetable fiber. (Very good with chicken and pork)

5. Use the dark rice or barley miso, thinned with cooking water, as a sauce for water sauteed root vegetables or winter squash. (They completely lost me on this one...)

6. Use dark miso in a vegetable-bean casserole to supply plenty of high quality protein. (Really gives a meat-like depth to veggie dishes)

7. Make cheese for pizza and wraps with yellow miso and firm tofu. (Not sure about this one....)

8. Make a spread using white miso, peanut butter and apple juice to thin. (I use this as a dip for Granny Smith apples)

9. Make a pate with tofu, garlic, white miso, tahini, lemon juice and dulse flakes.

10. Add miso to dipping sauce for spring rolls, norimake rolls or raw vegetables.

 And then there's this yummy dish. I served this with good sourdough bread.

Mangia! 

CORIANDER CHICKEN THIGHS WITH MISO-GLAZED ROOT VEGETABLES
Adapted from Epicurious

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds) (Go ahead, eat the skin. It comes out so yummy, spicy and crispy!)

4 tablespoons vegetable oil (such as grapeseed), divided

1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 pound total carrots, parsnips, and/or celery root, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (I went parsnips, because parsnips!!)

3/4 pound small-to-medium golden or red beets with fresh greens, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges, greens reserved

3/4 pound small-to-medium turnips with fresh greens, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges, greens reserved (I have never seen turnips with greens at regular stores, so passed on this part)

3 medium leeks, washed well, root trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch rounds

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 lime, cut into wedges

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400°F. Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. In a large bowl, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Add 1 tablespoon oil and toss to coat. Season chicken all over with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and coriander. Rub in seasoning and set aside at room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons oil, miso paste, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add vegetables and garlic cloves to the bowl and toss to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, place on the upper rack of the oven, and roast until softened and browned, 40 to 45 minutes, tossing a few times during roasting. Peel garlic and discard skins.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon oil. Once hot, add half the chicken thighs skin side down. Cook until skin is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from skillet and place skin side up on a second rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs, reserving skillet with fat after cooking. Transfer baking sheet to lower rack of oven and roast until the chicken's internal temperature reaches 165°F, 12 to 15 minutes more.

Discard stems from reserved beet and turnip greens; wash and roughly chop the leaves. Pour out all but 2 teaspoons of oil from the skillet and place the pan over medium-high heat. Add the greens to the pan with 2 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, tossing, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer roasted vegetables to a serving bowl, add the sautéed greens, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve chicken thighs with vegetables and lime wedges.