Teriyaki Chicken

Get on track with a healthy hearty dish...

With the holidays behind us, we likely could benefit with a little less sugar intake and a lot more healthy ideas for the dinner table. Eating more sensible will make the rest of the winter season go much smoother for you and your family. Working on portion control, eating smaller healthy mini-meals can also help you eat less. Eating fish at least once a week can greatly benefit with its low saturated fat and healthy Omega 3s. Soups are also great for winter, so be sure to make and freeze stocks so that you can whip up a homemade soup in no time. What about the kiddos? Well we've got a great solution to help with the gradual weaning of their holiday sugar cravings. How about some Honey Teriyaki Chicken! It's a big hit with the kids and adults! Its sweet and salty taste will help temper the rush that sweet tooth! And moms, you will love the ease of prep time and ability to satisfy your family's hunger on a healthy note.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon salt, eyeball it
• 1 rounded cup white rice
• 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, toasted white sesame seeds may be substituted
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Vegetable oil, for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth or water
• 1-inch ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 ripe pineapple
  

Directions

Preheat a grill pan or large griddle over medium high heat. Bring water to a boil in a small covered pot. Add butter, salt and rice to the pot. Return the water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and replace cover. Simmer 18 minutes and remove rice from heat. Take the lid off the pot to cool rice a bit. Scoop rice into balls with an ice cream scoop and your hands. Dampen hands with water to work with rice if it is very sticky. Set rice balls on a plate and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. While your rice is cooking, lightly coat chicken with oil, salt and pepper. Place chicken on hot grill and cook 6 minutes on the first side.

While chicken is cooking, bring chicken broth and ginger to a boil. Stir in honey. When honey has dissolved into broth, add teriyaki sauce and sesame oil and reduce heat to simmer.

Turn chicken and coat liberally with honey teriyaki sauce using a basting brush. Cook chicken 4 minutes, turn again and baste liberally again with sauce, then cook 2 minutes longer. Remove chicken to a plate. Garnish chicken with sliced scallions.

While chicken cooks on the second side, peel and cut a ripe pineapple into 8 spears. Cut off top and bottom of pineapple. Set pineapple upright and trim away skin in strips from top to bottom. Halve pineapple lengthwise and quarter each 1/2, lengthwise. The core is edible, but may be trimmed if you wish. Pineapple can be very acidic. Spears set in cold water for just 1 minute will keep the fruit from stinging your lips when it is eaten. Serve with chicken and rice.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray