Fredericksburg Parent

8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • December 2023 I'm pretty obsessed with making the majority of our family dinners giant, "shareable" spreads to select from rather than traditional plates of food, so I'm always thinking about new ways to do this and riffing on ones I've served before. As much as everyone loves a good make-your-own-taco night, sometimes you want to get a little more diverse than that. One of my most frequent cravings is a chicken teriyaki Bento box for lunch at any good Japanese restaurant. I love the combination of the sweet and sticky teriyaki glaze soaking into the chicken, carrots, and rice. I could lick the whole box if I could! I thought that doing a "chicken teriyaki bento" platter would be a great way to satisfy this craving while also providing a healthy number of options for the diverse eaters in my household. The concept soon turned into a fresher salad riff on a teriyaki bowl and it was delicious! Homemade teriyaki sauce is not complicated at all, and what's so great about it is what a versatile staple it can be. You can recreate my chick- en teriyaki platter choices exactly, or you can use the teriyaki sauce to marinate and grill or even roast other meats, pro- teins, and veggies. It compliments vegetables and some fruits alike, so you can stick with asparagus and carrots, or you can even try glazing grilled pineapple slices with teriyaki for more of a Hawaiian twist. No matter what variations you try, whipping up some easy homemade teriyaki and letting your family "build their own bowls" is an easy and healthy way of getting dinner on the table! WRITTEN BY DEBRA CAFFREY Terrific Teriyaki! Homemade Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade Ingredients: 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 3 tablespoons mirin 3 tablespoons sake 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar Directions: 1. Mix together all ingredients in a shallow bowl well until sugar dissolves. 2. For marinating chicken, pour ¼ cup into a bowl with skinless, boneless chicken breasts or drumsticks. Make sure to discard any remaining marinade from uncooked chicken and do not use on anything else! If desired, use more marinade (not the same as portion used for raw chicken) to marinate other meats, proteins, or produce before grilling or high-roasting. 3. Reserve remaining mixture to use as dressing/ dipping/sauce. Make Your Own Teriyaki Bowl Component Ideas: • grilled chicken • grilled tempeh, tofu, or other plant-based protein sub • grilled steak kabobs or salmon • shredded lettuce • julienned or shaved carrots • sliced avocado • white or jasmine rice • sliced or matchstick cucumbers • grilled or raw onion slices • chopped scallions • toasted sesame seeds • seaweed or nori sheets, chopped or crumbled practical pantry

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