Tasty Bites: Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Thighs and Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Sesame Ginger Sauce

By Beth V

While we still have those ingredients from last week’s Asian Lettuce Wraps, let’s make another delicious Asian-inspired dish. The marinade for this chicken is delicious and easy to throw together. While my husband was grilling the chicken, I put together a side dish that complements it nicely -  pan-roasted asparagus with sesame-ginger sauce. Grilling is a great way to welcome the warmer weather of spring. I hope the readers here have at least begun to see some hints of spring! Here in the South, spring is in full-swing. For those of you further North,  maybe grilling will at least help you feel like spring is on its way

Start by combining ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 minced garlic clove and ¾ teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger - see last week‘s post for a great video on how to use fresh ginger) in a gallon-size zipper bag. Throw in 1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I recommend thighs because they hold up so well to grilling. Thighs are super-flavorful and they stay nice and tender. They do not dry out like boneless, skinless breasts sometimes do. Squish the bag around to evenly distribute the marinade. Squeeze out the air so every surface is in contact with the flavors and then stick it back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Click to read more ...