Chicken Teryiaki and Grilled Pineapple

This made for a fairly quick and delicious dinner last week.  Sometimes I like serving fruit on the side instead of veggies...it livens things up a bit!  Teryiaki has always been one of my favorite flavors because I love the combination of sweet and salty, and I put tons of ginger in mine to liven things up.  Making your own teryiaki sauce is really quick and easy.  I use my mini-food processor to whir it up.  Do you have one of these?  I can't believe I ever lived without it!  It's great for chopping an onion, mixing a sauce, and goes right into the dishwasher without being a total space-hog.  Speaking of appliances...we live in an apartment with no outdoor space.  So I used my new Cuisenart Griddler to grill up my pineapple.  I had the Griddler on our wedding registry, and I will 'fess up now...I was sort of campaigning for it.  My mom got it for us (how did she ever know?), and I LOVE it!  It's great for grilling in larger batches, making a ton of pancakes at once, or making panini.  Plus, it heats the apartment up less than a grill pan on the stove.  And the grill/griddle plates can pop right into the dishwasher, which is much more than I can say of the George Foreman grill I used years ago.  I am sort of an appliance junkie, and so you should trust me when I say this one is quite fabulous!

Chicken Teryiaki

serves 4

adapted from All Around the World Cookbook, by Sheila Lukins

Ingredients:

1 cup white wine

4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 1-inch size chunk fresh ginger, peeled, and quartered

3/4 lb chicken tenders, or the equivalent in boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

cooking spray

steamed brown rice, for serving

Directions:

1. Boil the white wine until it has reduced by half.

2. In a mini-food processor or blender, combine the reduced white wine, the garlic, the soy sauce, the sugar, the canola oil, and ginger.  Process until well combined.

3. Marinate the chicken in the teryiaki sauce for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat with cooking spray.

5. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the hot pan.  Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side, until browned.  Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining teryiaki sauce.

6. Add the teryiaki sauce to the skillet, and stir well.  Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until the sauce has become thick and sticky.

7. Serve over steamed brown rice.

Grilled Pineapple

serves 4-6

adapted from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into large wedges

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp agave nectar

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan. 

2. To make the marinade, combine the honey, agave nectar, lime juice, canola oil, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium-sized bowl.

3. Use tongs to dip each piece of pineapple into the bowl before placing it on the grill.  If there is remaining marinade, use a brush to baste the pineapple with it as it cook.  Grill the pineapple for 5-7 minutes on each side, until tender and golden.