Super Simple Chicken/Shrimp Pineapple Sake Teriyaki Stir Fry

This is a FANTASTIC sauce!
Goes with almost everything!

Put this together the other night – very simple, very quick.  The Pineapple Sake Teriyaki marinade I used by Earth and Vine is like a miracle sauce.  This stuff is awesome with chicken, fish, pork – you name it.  I reduce it and use it as a glaze on chicken or pork or salmon, I have even added it to meat loaf – yum! It is awesome as a finishing sauce as well.  Most fine food stores will carry it.

15 minutes to fantastic!  YUM.

Anyway – rummaged around in the freezer, and came up with the last 8 frozen shrimp (jumbo size – 21-25 per lb) a hefty frozen skinless chicken breast, and a bag of frozen Chinese stir fry veggies…..a nice new bottle of Pineapple Sake marinade….. and the last bag of brown rice…. hmmm, smells like dinner!  This was super simple, took about 15 minutes from start to finish, and tasted fantastic!  A great middle of the week quick dinner!  Plus, its not too bad calorie wise – almost all the calories come from the marinade – about 600 or so, but this made 3 servings…rough guess on calories was about 700 or so per serving.

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic diced

1 large skinless chicken breast, cubed into about ½ inch pieces

8 frozen shrimp – de shelled, and cut in half so you have 16 pieces.

1 shallot diced fine

1 16 oz bag of frozen Chinese stir fry veggies

3/4 cup of Earth and Vine Pineapple Sake Teriyaki marinade

pinch of red pepper flakes (about ¼ tsp to taste)

3 portions of brown rice, cooked to the instructions ( I used the instant in a bag – quick and simple)

Instructions:

Brown Chicken

Saute veggies

Heat olive oil in pan over med high heat, and sauté garlic and shallot till translucent.  Add chicken, and sauté for about 5 minutes or so – till almost cooked through on the largest pieces.  Add about ¼ cup of the marinade to deglaze the pan, and stir well to coat the chicken well – about another 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp, stir for a minute or so, then add the veggies ( I added them frozen, not thawed for the moisture) and the rest of the sauce.  Turn heat up a bit, and stir well until veggies are hot, and brightly colored – about 5 or 6 minutes.  Serve over brown rice, and drizzle the last ¼ cup of marinade over the top.

  I made this in a 12 inch fry pan (because it was clean, and I didn’t feel like washing my 6 qt sauté pan….lazy cook, what can I say?) Clearly a wok would be better, but I don’t own one….  Regardless – it was a tasty treat to have while watching American Idol….

Enjoy!  Bon Appetit!

Thai restaurant quality Chicken Panang at home - super simple!

Home made Chicken Panang - YUM!

Boy, do I love Thai food!  We have a great restaurant here in New London, CT. and I have been trying for years to get a Panang (it is a coconut curry based cream sauce – totally amazing!) together that is as good as theirs.  I think with this combination, I have done that!  It takes a few specialty items, but if you like Thai cooking, they are ingredients you will use often.  The critical ingredient is the fish sauce…. don’t smell it when you get it – really nasty, (It's made from pressed anchovies....need I say more?.) but I have tried this without it, and you absolutely need it for the true Thai flavor!  This is a fairly simple recipe – and REALLY good!  You can make it as hot as you like with the red pepper flakes – I like it HOT, my wife not so much, so I usually add extra red pepper to mine.  The brown sugar is also a critical ingredient  - its amazing how much of a difference an additional tsp or so makes - use this to taste!  I should say - this recipe with one breast is enough for 2 people with some leftovers - use 2 breasts if they are small. 

Ingredients: 

2 tbs vegetable oil

4 – 5 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbs light brown sugar

1 large chicken breast, (2 if they are small) skinless, sliced thin into about ¼ x 1 inch pieces

1 13.6 oz can coconut milk ( use all the solids, about ½ the liquid)

pinch of red pepper flakes

1.5  tbsp fresh basil minced

2 tbs green curry paste (available in the specialty foods section of your market – same place as the coconut milk)

2 tbs fish sauce ( find it in the same place)

1.5 tbs yellow curry powder ( available in the spice section – this is handy for a number of recipe’s!)

1 cup diced 3 color frozen peppers

2 cups frozen green beans

3 tbs lime juice

(about ½ cup ½ and ½ if needed to cream it up)

For the rice:

½ cup dry rice

1 cup water

1 tbs butter

Bring water and butter to boil, add rice, stir, and lower heat to simmer.  Cover and heat for about 8 minutes till fluffy.

For the Panang:

In a large sauté pan, heat vegetable oil over med high heat, then sauté garlic till translucent.  Add chicken, cook till almost done, about 7 minutes, stirring often.  Add peppers, beans, curry powder and basil.  Cover, lower temp to med low, and simmer for about 5 minutes till the veggies are warmed. Add remaining ingredients and stir well – as for the coconut milk – add all the solids, and about ½ the liquid.  Simmer for about 8 or 10 minutes until all the flavors are mixed.  Serve over rice.

Again, as I have said before, all measurements are approximate – feel free to change to your taste.  I have added ½ and ½ if the sauce wasn’t creamy enough, the sugar is an important part as well.  I have even made coconut milk by simmering ½ and ½ with shredded baking coconut – strain out the coconut before adding, and it works fine!  This is Thai restaurant cooking at home –  my wife is a HUGE Panang fan, and she swears this is as good as anything we have had out!  Enjoy!

Bon appetite!