I am bored by our dinners. I can only imagine how my children feel. We are unmistakably in a rut. Regrettably, at the moment, I am not motivated to experiment with many new recipes. And when my kids get home from school and sports, they just want to eat something they like.
So I have a new tactic. I am continuing to cook the winner dinners, the ones that I can effortlessly get on the table and that my kids love. I am just adding a magic ingredient that upgrades the flavor and nutrition of these dinners yet requires a mere minute. The magic ingredient: miso.
Including a teaspoon of miso here and there makes me feel as though I have crafted an entirely new dinner, even if I haven’t. That boring burger escapes boredom when miso is introduced. When the artichoke is dipped in miso butter instead of plain butter, everyone is suddenly revived. Salad has a newfound sparkle from the days when it was dressed with basic balsamic vinaigrette. Even a simple pasta primavera tastes fresher when tossed with miso.
Miso is made from soybeans, sometimes paired with rice or barley, and then fermented. Through fermentation, it becomes a paste with a consistency similar to that of peanut butter. It bestows that wonderful combination of salty and sweet that enhances any meal. Miso not only delivers flavor but also adds protein and the antioxidants zinc, copper and manganese. Because it is fermented, it aids in digestion and supports the immune system.
