Fix-you-up chicken soup.

Anyone who knows me well enough knows I love Japanese food. Most of those people also know that my family (particularly the man of the house) do not. Sure, he'll eat yakitori when cornered into taking me to a sushi bar, and he likes gyoza as long as there's no cabbage in them, but he won't touch most everyday Japanese staples. The thought of eating traditional miso soup, made with fish stock and sea vegetables, repulses him. It's a great, healthy meal or snack and I wish I could just hold him down and pour it down his throat, but he's too big for me to beat up.

Right now, however, he's sick. Since sick men are worse to be around than colicky babies, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make some chicken soup. Miso chicken soup, to be exact. There are those that don't believe in the power of chicken soup when you're sick, but it's a simple fact that salty liquids help keep you well-hydrated, and being hydrated plays an important part in getting better - just ask my mother. Miso is not only salty, but it is also made from soybeans and brown rice, the general health benefits of which cannot be touted enough.* It is also tasty and adds a lovely layer of complexity to the flavor of any dish, which never hurts. Combine it with other delicious and nutritious ingredients, and you have a soup that's sure to perk you up any day.

Fix-you-up chicken soup

2 tsp sesame oil
1 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and cut in half
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 small onion, diced, preferably a sweet variety
1 cup carrots, sliced or julienned
1 cup potatoes, diced
a generous splash of sake, preferably Gekkeikan
2 cups chicken broth or boullion
4 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large handful of brown rice
1/4 cup brown miso (akamiso) paste**

Heat oil on medium-high in a large pan. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring briskly, about 30 seconds. Add onion, carots, and potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with sake and cook an additional minute before adding broth, water, chicken, and rice. Simmer soup about 20 minutes, or until chicken is well-cooked and vegetables and rice are tender. Remove chicken and dice; return to pot and add miso, stirring well to dissolve. Serve in a big bowl with a warm blankie and box of tissues.

* I am not a health professional, and make no claims about the health benefits of eating the above soup. It just makes me feel better when I eat it. But while you're online, why not Google the health benefits of garlic, soybeans, ginger, brown rice, and the other ingredients in this soup?

** White miso makes a good substitution if brown is not available. Miso paste can be found in Asian or Japanese grocery stores, many health food stores, and some grocery stores. Real miso is completely gluten-free.