japanese farm style teriyaki bowl

Japanese Farm Style Teriyaki Bowl – make with grilled chicken or portobellos, with refreshing cucumber sesame ribbon salad, avocado, and sweet brown rice. 

Over the past few months, I’ve been obsessed by the book,  Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu, which I’ve read from cover to cover.

This recipe for Grilled Japanese Farm Style Teriyaki is one of my favorites because the teriyaki sauce actually contains no sugar – a real departure from the often cloyingly sweet teriyaki here in the states. Truthfully, teriyaki has never been very exciting to me, but my interest was piqued when I stumbled on this farm style version, containing only soy sauce, mirin and ginger.  So simple. To go along with the grilled teriyaki chicken (or portobellos) I added this refreshing Cucumber Ribbon Salad with toasted sesame seeds, sweet nutty brown rice, sliced avocado and grilled shiitakes and created a bowl. Seriously,  I could eat this every night – simple clean flavors, wholesome and satisfying, yet light. Vegan and Gluten-free adaptable, this recipe is a winner.

I have a little secret to tell you. Brian and I are going to Japan. We are leaving right smack in the middle of wedding catering season, which honestly feels strange, because this is the time of year we are usually working ourselves to death, making hay while the sun shines and all…. Long story short, we’re making a much-needed change this year and catering a little less, trying to find a little balance.

Have you ever worked with your spouse?  Just imagine… then couple that with being in a high stress environment, weekend after weekend. You get the idea. It’s not pretty.   After a mini mid-life crisis over the winter, I knew things had to change. This idea of  “producing” more and more each year, in order to be “successful”  is crazy.  I’m beginning to see how perhaps this is based on fear, the fear I absorbed from my parents who grew up in a different time.

It occurred to me over winter break during the mini-crisis, or “soul-rebellion” I prefer to call it- I can’t continue to live this way and be a healthy human being. So we started pairing things down, cutting back on the number of actual weddings we booked (a little scary) but if I’m being honest, this is the first summer in a very long time I haven’t felt dread when I looked at the calendar. As I sit here and write this morning, I realize I’m feeling excited again, not only about the trip, but about catering too.

This Cucumber Ribbon Salad with toasted sesame seeds is refreshing with the Teriyaki Bowl.

Our first stop is Tokyo. Then Nikko. Then we are going to some smaller villages along the Edo trail, where we will hike the trail a bit. Then we’ll train down to Kyoto. We left the rest of the trip open and we’ll see where it takes us.  I’m leaving my computer home ( gasp!) and the recipes for the next three weeks are all scheduled ahead. I’ll be posting real-time photos of the trip and our food adventures on instagram if you want to come along.

For this grilled chicken teriyaki bowl, marinate the chicken the night before or in the morning before you go to work. Come home, fire up the grill and have a relaxing evening outdoors.

If substituting portobellos, for the chicken, they really only need 1-2 hours of marinating.

For this grilled chicken teriyaki bowl, marinate the chicken the night before or in the morning before you go to work. Come home, fire up the grill and have a relaxing evening outdoors.

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japanese farm-style grilled teriyaki chicken bowl

★★★★★

 

5 from 4 reviews

A simple, authentic grilled Japanese farm style teriyaki Bowl that can be made with chicken or Portobellos. The chicken will need to marinate 4-12 hours. Serve with rice, cucumber salad, and avocado for a delicious Teriyaki bowl. Feel free to sub portobellos mushrooms for the chicken and make this totally vegan. ( See notes)

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
 
• Prep Time: 4 hours
• Cook Time: 30 mins
 
• Total Time: 4 hours 30 mins
 
• Yield: 3-4
• Category: Main
 
• Cuisine: Japanese

ingredients

• Farm Style Teriyaki
• 1 pound chicken thighs ( boneless skinless) Or sub 4 extra large Portobellos ( see notes)
• 8 ounces shitake mushrooms ( optional)
• ¼ cup soy sauce ( or use GF Braggs Liquid amino acid)
• ¼ cup mirin
• 1-2 teaspoons grated ginger
• ——-
• 1 cup rice, rinsed well
• 2 cups water
• ——
• Cucumber Ribbon Salad
• 1 large english cucumber
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• Garnishes:
• 1-2 avocados ( one half, per bowl) , peeled, sliced, salted
• Garnish:
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions ( or chives)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

instructions

1. Place whole chicken thighs in a ziplock bag with soy sauce, mirin and ginger and marinate 4 hours or overnight. The longer, the more flavor. You could add shiitake mushrooms to the same bag if you want. ( see notes for vegan and GF)
2. After this has marinated, and you are ready to grill, cook the rice.
3. Place water and rinsed rice in a medium pot with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, then simmer on low for 20 -40 minutes, depending on rice type ( read directions) . Leave covered until ready to serve.
4. In the mean time, make the cucumber salad and preheat the grill to medium high.
5. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Using a vegetable peeler, or sharp cheese slicer or mandolin, peel long thin strips or “ribbons” onto a couple of paper towels. Blot with a couple more paper towels and place them in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk rice wine vinegar, salt and sugar and sesame seeds together and pour over cucumber ribbons, toss.
6. Slice the avocado and scallions.
7. Grill the chicken and shiitakes, over medium high heat, turning heat down after marking, letting the chicken cook through. Move the shiitakes to a cooler spot on the grill,or set aside to prevent burning.
8. Once cooked through, slice the chicken and assemble the bowls:
9. Place rice in the middle, add grilled chicken to one side, then avocado, cucumber salad and shiitakes. Sprinkle avocado with salt. Scatter bowl with sesame seeds and scallions, serve with chop sticks.
10. NOTES: If going vegan, sub 4-5 large portobello mushrooms for the chicken and add 1 tablespoon oil to the marinade and marinate for 1 hour only. To make gluten free, sub GF soy sauce like Braggs.
11. If you can’t find toasted sesame seeds, lightly toast raw sesame seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant and golden. They are key.