Recipes for Cook

I feel guilty that I havent shared this recipe yet.  It is so super easy and tasty its ridiculous!  I got this from my mom and its great for a quick week night meal and tasty enough that you could make it for guests too!  It only has 5 ingredients - all of which I always have on hand.  I usually pour it over some chicken breasts and pop them in the oven for an hour while I cook some rice and veggies.  My mom would usually do something more exciting like spareribs or something, but its so versatile you could do whatever you want!  Throw in a wok with your stirfry veggies or let it simmer in the oven with some meat.  Give it a try!  Its a gem.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour over desired dish.  Recommendations: pour over chicken breasts, pork spareribs, etc, and bake at 350 for about an hour.  Or add to your stovetop stirfry during the last few minutes of cooking.  Enjoy!

When I first got to San Francisco, having come from a very small town in Western New York, it was like arriving on another planet. I was fascinated by the amazing variety of foods and cultures, and began exploring them all. Growing up, my family and I had made the occasional trip to the local Americanized Chinese restaurant which was always an exotic treat, but now I was getting the real stuff; Thai, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, I couldn’t get enough! At the same time I also became interested in the eastern religious philosophies, Buddhism, Zen, etc., which for a former alter boy was quite the experience. This was also when I learned about the Zen “koan.”

For those of you not familiar, a koan is basically a question, riddle, or story that has no obvious answer. It is used by Zen masters to teach or enlighten their students. Most of you have heard the most famous koan, “Two hands clap and there is a sound; but what is the sound of one hand?” What a great idea… teach students by making them even more confused! Well, since I’m doing Teriyaki today I decided to have a little fun at the end of the demo with a koan or two of my own.

A viewer to our site, Connie, had asked for a teriyaki recipe. So I did some research. I had enjoyed teriyaki many times, but always at Japanese restaurants. If I had made it at home, I probably just bought a bottle of teriyaki sauce and brushed it on some chicken. So, today’s clip is the true authentic version (which, of course, there are several sources giving different versions of what the “original” recipe is). I’m very glad I did it, but I’m not sure why. By the way, the term teriyaki comes from of two Japanese words "teri" and "yaki." Teri refers to the shine or luster of the glazed sauce, and yaki means to broil or grill the meat. Prepare to be enlightened… you’ve been warned.

Ingredients:
10 Boneless-Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 Cup Sake
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Mirin
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp finely grated ginger or paste