Teriyaki Tuesday

i know, i know, it doesn't have the same ring to it as Taco Tuesday, but tonight we went with teriyaki chicken for dinner.  the inspiration for the meal came from http://eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com/2012/07/teriyaki-chicken-and-noodle-bowl.html.  the first time i cooked this, i followed the recipe almost exactly, just substituting brown rice for the noodles, and it was delicious.  the homemade teriyaki sauce really makes the meal.  so the second time i made this, i decided to grill the chicken, but cook the veggies and sauce the same way.  again, so delicious!  that's what i decided to do tonight.

no, mine did not turn out that beautiful.  that picture is from the amazing chef (and photographer!) jenn at eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com.  i chopped up my veggies (carrots, broccoli, bell pepper, and onion) the night before to save some time on a busy weeknight.  i threw the onions in with some olive oil, to let them caramelize and cook up a bit longer than the rest of the veggies.  while the veggies cooked, i grilled the chicken, which i had pulled out the fridge about 20 mins before, so it could be close to room temperature before grilling.  while the chicken was grilling and the veggies steaming, i made the sauce.  the best teriyaki sauce you will ever eat.

Teriyaki Sauce

1 1/2 cups cold water

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp cornstartch

Whisk all ingredients together until there are no lumps.  Heat in pan until sauce thickens.

when the sauce and veggies were ready, i grabbed the chicken off the grill.

yes, this actually happened.  no, i didn't actually cry, although i felt like it.  well, like crying or cursing, i went back and forth for a minute.  the cursing might have happened.  in the end, the chicken that did make it to the table was yummy, once it was covered in sauce.  of course this meal will make it onto the menu again.  what i'd like to try is making the sauce beforehand and marinating the chicken in it for a few hours before grilling it.