I was in a deep committed relationship for 11 years.  It had its ups and downs, but overall I was happy.  And then recently, I noticed things weren’t going as well.  There was failure to communicate.  It began to feel like a relationship with lots of stops and starts, and the reliability and consistency wasn’t there anymore.  My family and friends had been begging me for months to let go, but it was hard to give up after investing in the relationship for so long.  However, I eventually made the difficult decision to end it.

After 11 years, I finally decided to trade in my car for a SUV.  It wasn’t an easy decision, and I still miss my old car.  You know what I also miss? Not having car payments  However, I do love the knowledge that I have a safe and reliable car!

Before trading in my old car, I went through and cleaned out all junk inside.  It was like a treasure drove in there (actually, more like a junk yard)!  I found at least $3.00 worth of coins.

However, I hit the jackpot when I found my first cell phone from 2002.  I must have been on a roll, because a little later I found the second cell phone I ever owned.

And then I hit it big again when I found my first iphone.

The all important lesson I learned after cleaning out my old car?  I’m a phone hoarder.  Now you know my deepest darkest secret 😉

This post is all about sharing, and today I’m also sharing with you my recipe for Chicken Teriyaki!

 

This meal is packed full of different types of vegetables.  To keep it lower on the carb spectrum, I prepared a side of cauliflower rice to go with the meal, and I was on a veggie cloud 9!

 I learned a new technique for cooking chicken in a stir-fry that makes the meat tender and moist.  It’s called “velveting” chicken, and involves marinating the chicken in an arrowroot powder/egg wash coating, and then boiling the chicken prior to adding it to the stir-fry. (Detailed instructions for implementing the technique are below).

I would love to read your tried and true techniques for making your favorite stir-fry meals.  Please feel free to share in the comments below!

Chicken Teriyaki

Servings: serves 3-4

---

Ingredients (Velvet Chicken):

• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large egg white, beaten
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Ingredients (Chicken Teriyaki):

• 4 cups broccoli
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cups snap peas
• 4 scallions, sliced thinly
• 3/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup orange juice, plus the zest of 1/2 an orange
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced plus 2 cloves of garlic, minced, divided
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
• 4 teaspoons water
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together egg white, arrowroot powder, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.  Then, add the chicken pieces to the mixture and stir to coat.
2. Marinate chicken in coating for 30 minutes.
3. While the chicken is marinating, in a medium sized saucepan mix together the coconut aminos, orange juice, orange zest, coconut sugar, honey, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil.
4. Place saucepan on stove over medium high heat, and bring sauce to a boil.
5. Once the sauce has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.
6. While the sauce is simmering, in a small bowl mix together the water and arrowroot powder.
7. After the sauce has simmered for 7 to 8 minutes, reduce temperature to low and add the arrowroot/water mixture to the saucepan, stirring to incorporate.
8. Continue to stir the teriyaki sauce for 1 to 2 minutes on low until the teriyaki sauce has thickened.  Once the sauce has  thickened,  remove from heat and set aside.
9. Take the marinated chicken, and drain any excess coating.
10. In a large skillet, heat 1 to 2 inches of water and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over high heat until boiling.
11. After the water has come to a boil, place the chicken pieces in the water (making sure each piece is fully submerged), and cook for 2 minutes.  If necessary, stir the chicken with a slotted spoon to make sure the pieces don’t stick together.
12. After 2 minutes, remove chicken from the water with a slotted spoon, drain and set aside.
13. In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil on medium high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of ginger, and stir continuously for 10 to 20 seconds.
14. Add chicken to the garlic/ginger mixture and stir-fry until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
15. Take the chicken out of the skillet and set aside.
16. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil on medium high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the broccoli, red bell pepper, snap peas and onions, and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes.
17. Add the chicken to the vegetables in the skillet, and turn the heat off.
18. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and vegetables, and mix together to combine.
19. Pour the chicken teriyaki into a serving bowl, and sprinkle the scallions on top.
20. You can serve this meal with cauliflower rice, white rice or even kelp noodles.

 

Notes:

• The recipe for velveting chicken was adapted from instructables.com.