Teriyaki Chicken & Caribbean Chicken Salad

Is is appropriate to have a completely un-related Thanksgiving post on Thanksgiving Day? It is when you are celebrating Thanksgiving two days later! So while everyone else is in the throes of turkey roasting/potato mashing/pie baking, I'm just starting the Thanksgiving process today by making the easy things ahead of time (pie crust, cranberry relish, etc).

So while this meal probably isn't for Thanksgiving, definitely save it for another day.  This teriyaki chicken is so good and is actually even better great on top of the Caribbean Chicken Salad.

I actually found the Caribbean Chicken Salad first and just couldn't wait to make it.  However, it called for a store-bought teriyaki marinade; I definitely didn't want to buy a marinade (which not only is expensive but probably is chock full of extra sugar and other unnecessary ingredients) so I found my own recipe. This recipe caught my idea because it got high marks from about 2,00 reviews on Allrecipes.com.  It was also surprisingly easy to make - just dump a few ingredients in a saucepan and simmer to make the marinade, then cook chicken breast for about 20-30 minutes.

So whether you make this teriyaki chicken all on its own or as a great addition to the Caribbean Chicken Salad, enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken
Taken from: AllRecipes
Serves 4

• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cold water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced (used ground ginger as a substitute)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4-6 skinless chicken breasts (I cut my chicken in half lengthwise; this makes the chicken pieces thinner and cuts down on the cooking time)

-In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.(You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate.)
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
-In a 9x13 inch baking dish, cover bottom with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup) and then spray with cooking spray. Add chicken pieces and then brush chicken with half the sauce.
-Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn pieces over, and brush with more sauce.  Bake for another approximately 10 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking. (If you are making the Caribbean Chicken salad, assemble the salad while the chicken cooks.)

Caribbean Chicken Salad
Taken from: AllRecipes
Serves 4

• Teriyaki chicken (see recipe above)
• Pico de gallo or salsa
• 1/8 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice (or you can use white sugar)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 3/4 pound mixed salad greens (I used baby spinach and romaine)
• 1/2 of 8 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juices)
• 2 cups corn tortilla chips

-In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, sugar, oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover dressing, and refrigerate.
Preheat the grill for high heat.
-Arrange mixed salad greens on plates. Spoon some of the salsa over each salad, and sprinkle with 1/4 of the pineapple chunks. Break tortilla chips into large chunks, and sprinkle over salads. Lay some of the grilled chicken strips on each salad. Finally, drizzle dressing over each salad, and serve.