It's the beginning of August, and the sugar snap pea vines have seen better days. Yet, when I sampled an overripe, over-stuffed pea pod early morning, it still burst through that familiar sweet, juicy crunch. That was enough inspiration to thaw out boneless chicken breasts and mentally start concocting a new recipe. What else was in the garden that might be tossed into stir-fry? I pulled four plump turnips, along with the peas. Additional vegetables supplementing the backyard garden fare were carrots, onions and garlic, plus mushrooms. When making Asian rice dishes my preference is brown rice, with its fiber benefits and nutty flavor. But, that's not the case with our teenagers. I find that a mix of brown and white rice is more acceptable to finicky children's palates. To make a blend, start cooking the brown rice about 30 minutes before adding the white rice; see directions below.
Here then is Teriyaki Chicken with Garden Vegetables
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 2 hours (1.75 hours for marinating overlapped with 45 minutes preparation)
Marinade
2 T Hoisin sauce
1 T oyster sauce
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T rice cooking sauce or rice wine
3/4 c water
2 T molasses
2 T brown sugar
Blended Rice
1 c brown rice
1/2 c white rice
3 c water
Stir Fry
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1" strips
1/2 c sugar snap or snow peas
1 c quartered turnips
2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
4 button mushrooms, sliced
4 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
1/2 c white onion, cut in wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T peanut oil
1 t sesame oil
In shallow baking dish, mix Hoisin, oyster and soy sauces with 1/2 c water and rice wine, add chicken, cover and marinate two hours in refrigerator. Slice vegetables and keep separate in bowls or on a large plate. Place 2 c water and brown rice in a pot with cover, bring to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add 1 more c water, add white rice, bring to rolling boil again and reduce heat. Simmer 15 more minutes. Remove from heat, gently fluff with rice paddle (shamoji) or wooden spoon and close lid. Allow rice to rest for 10 minutes.
While rice is simmering, remove marinade and chicken from refrigerator, lift chicken out of marinade and place on cutting board. Cut across chicken slices to make 1" cubes. To make teriyaki sauce, place marinade in small sauce pan, add 1/4 c water, molasses and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Heat peanut oil and sesame oil in wok or large saute pan. Add garlic and saute until golden. Add onions, saute 3 minutes. Push onions to sides of pan. Add chicken and saute 4 minutes, turning. Push chicken to sides of pan. Add carrots, cook 3 minutes, push to side, add sugar snap peas, cook for 2 minutes, push to side. Then add turnips and cook 2 minutes, push to side. Add button and shitake mushrooms to stir-fry. After mushrooms are slightly cooked, mix the contents in the pan. Turn off heat. Mix in teriyaki sauce. Serve over rice.
Per-serving Nutritional Profile:
Calories, 400
Fat, 9 g
Saturated Fat, 1.5 g
Cholesterol, 40 mg
Carbs, 57 g
Dietary Fiber, 4 g
Protein, 21 g
Sodium, 800 mg
Vitamin A, 70% Daily Value
Vitamin C, 15% Daily Value
Calcium, 6% Daily Value
Iron, 15% Daily Value
