Sustenance comes in many forms and types.  Certainly food and wine are obvious necessities.  But so are the more altruistic additions of art, music and nature.  We are here for the complete experience.  Not just living day to day.

Today, we took a hike in the Uinta Mountains.  Above 8900′, to much snow to proceed. So we followed the Stillwater River just above 8700′.  Even though it was quite chilly, even snowed, we had a great day.

Can one ever have too much Spring Beauty?  What a hardy herald of warmer days to come!  What a joyous little flower.   Found droves and droves of this little charmer.

After a good day of exercise, everyone is hungry.  But don’t want to be loaded down.  So here is a dinner, that while NOT the most attractive offering, it is LOADED with rich flavor, full of veggies, is adaptable.   And yes, has bacon.   Enuf said.

Here we go:

Ingredients:

1 piece of ginger- about 1/4″ thick.  Peeled and left unchopped

1 small clove of garlic – peeled and left whole

1 tsp sesame oil

2 T olive oil

1/4 C Brown Sugar

3/4 C soy sauce

3/4 C rice wine vinegar

2 T sesame seeds.  Toasted.

1 lb. Chicken breasts cut into “tender strips”

1/2  lb.. Brussel sprouts.   Cleaned, cut in half.  If leaves fall off in the cutting process, don’t throw them away!  They crisp up into delightful little treats.

1/2 lb. fingerling potatoes, cut in half, lengthwise.   Try to get red potatoes or blues for color and eating the rainbow.

1/2 lb. thick cut bacon.   Cut into lardons; pieces about 1/2″ wide.

Canola oil

Salt and pepper

Teriyaki Glaze:

Put sesame oil and olive oil into sauce pan.  Warm to medium.

Add the garlic and ginger to the warmed oil.  Should brown lightly- you want the flavor to infuse the oil.  Add the brown sugar to the oil.  You want the sugar to caramelize; stir and keep a close eye on the sugar.  You don’t want it to burn.  It should take 3-7 minutes depending on your stove.  It will be darker.  Just don’t burn the sugar!

Add the soy sauce, rice wine.  Stir- make sure you don’t have lumps at the bottom of the pan- keep stirring till incorporated into liquid.  Keep the temp at medium and stir.  You want this sauce to reduce to a glaze consistency.  ( you know, where it coats the back of a spoon and stays there).   May take about 15-20 minutes.  Add the sesame seeds now.

Need to pay attention to the sauce.  Want it almost to thick sauce, but just before.  As we will add it to the chicken after it has been browned to coat the chicken in the sticky goodness.

Veggies with Bacon:

Put cut up Brussel spouts and potatoes on framed cookie pan.  (one with sides).  Be sure to place the cut side of the potatoes down initially. Add the lardons of bacon.  Drizzle the mix with canola oil and place in a pre-heated oven @ 375. Do not salt the Brussel sprouts and potatoes at this time.  Will make them steam vs brown.  Roasting will take about 25-30 minutes.  Should toss/mix about halfway through baking time.  When the veggies are browned and bacon crispy in parts, it is done.  Salt and pepper to taste.

While veggies are in the oven, brown your chicken.  Would brown on both sides. When browned, add the Teriyaki sauce to the pan.  Stir. want the sauce to coat the browned chicken.

Place the chicken on the plate.  Add the veggies. Drizzle the sauce over chicken.  And you just may want to drizzle some of the sauce over the veggies too.

Enjoy!

Terri