Miso-Ginger Chicken and Cabbage

Last weekend I made this Miso-Ginger Chicken and Cabbage recipe that I found in my Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2010 (this cookbook has some amazing recipes!). It took a little longer than I expected to prep everything, but the cooking time was fast. I served it alongside the Bulgur with Ginger & Orange, which made for a great meal, but it also would have been wonderful over soba noodles because it had quite a bit of broth.

Some of the ingredients in this recipe are cabbage, shitake mushrooms, and daikon. I had never used daikon in my cooking and my only previous experience with daikon had been with sashimi, where it is served as a garnish. I have always liked it, although many people find it tasteless by itself. I was excited to get the opportunity to work with it in the kitchen.

Daikon is a Japanese radish that is white and mild flavored – it sort of looks like a carrot, just bigger and white (the word daikon actually comes from two Japanese words: Dai – “large” – and Kon – “root”). Nutritionally, daikon is very low in calories (3 ounces = 18 calories) and is a good source of vitamin C. It can be added raw to salads, used in stir fries, and simmered in soups.

Have you ever cooked with daikon before?