Teriyaki Chicken Three Ways

I have found that I can save money and reduce food waste by finding or creating  recipes in which I can incorporate leftovers into “encore meals”. One of my family’s favorite dishes for me to use as a base for new meals is Teriyaki Chicken. Sometimes we eat the following meals on three consecutive days, other times I will make other dishes in between to break them up.

Teriyaki Sauce with Onions and Garlic
2 cups teriyaki*
3 – 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 bunch of green onions, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 – 2 Tablespoons of honey, pineapple juice, or orange juice (Optional, add one to create a sweeter sauce.)

Sauté onions and garlic in a dash of olive or sesame oil. In a small bowl, mix teriyaki and 3 Tablespoons cornstarch and ginger; stir well. Add the liquid to the onions and garlic and heat over a medium flame. Stirring occasionally, heat until thick and bubbly. You may want to add additional cornstarch to make the sauce thicker. Refrigerate any sauce that is not used immediately in a sealed container.

* Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce is available at most Health Food Stores.

Day 1 -Teriyaki Chicken
I marinade 3.5 – 4 pounds of chicken (I usually use boneless/skinless chicken breasts) in 1 cup of Teriyaki Sauce with Onions and Garlic for 1 hour. Then I broil it until it is done all the way through. The time will vary depending on the thickness of your meat, but this usually takes me about 10 minutes per side in my broiler.

The first night I serve the chicken breasts with rice (I make a double batch so I will have leftover rice for stir fry) and what ever vegetable I have on hand.

Day 2 – Teriyaki Stir Fry
Step 1. Sauté 5 – 6 cups of chopped vegetables in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. I like to use carrots, broccoli, green beans, or snow peas.

 
Step 2. Add  2 – 3 diced Teriyaki Chicken breasts, leftover cooked vegetables (if you have any), and 1 cup of Teriyaki Sauce with Onions and Garlic. Stir well. Heat until the chicken is thoroughly heated.

Step 3. Serve the stir fry over rice. I make a double batch of rice the night I make the chicken, so all I have to do is reheat the rice while I am making the stir fry.

Day 3 – Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Salad Dressing
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup rice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce*
3 Tablespoons honey or 2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

In a glass container with lid, combine the garlic, ginger, olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and water. Cover the container with the lid and shake well. Remove lid, and heat  in the microwave for about 1 minute if you use honey to ensure that it is dissolved. Shake well before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator.

* Gluten Free Soy Sauce is available at most Health Food Stores.

To make salad:

Cut up remaining Teriyaki chicken breasts. In a large bowl, combine chicken with a variety of lettuces, chopped celery, julienned carrots, diced green onions, sliced radishes, and cherry tomatoes.

Optional, add mandarin oranges or sliced mango.

I have each person add their own dressing, instead of adding the dressing to the salad, because doing so makes any leftovers soggy.

Garnish the salads with wonton or diced almonds.

For more frugal dinner ideas visit $5 Dinner Challenge.

For more delicious recipes visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, and Tasty Tuesday.