Monday With Meg: Spicy Orange Teriyaki Marinade and Glaze

Do you live in a house divided? Divided between sweet and spicy? I know I sure do. I love spicy food while Joel is definitely more of a sweet kind of guy (that’s my nice way of saying he’s kind of wimpy). Well, this is a nice marinade to know if you have a similar situation because it gets sweetness from orange marmalade and pineapple juice and a spicy kick from the chili paste. It’s the perfect compromise for our family. What makes it even better for us is that it consists of things I almost always have stocked in the kitchen.

I have tried this marinade on pork loin, boneless skinless chicken breasts and even salmon and it has been great on all three! I would have to say my favorite was the chicken with the pork a close second. This marinade also does double duty as a glaze. The glaze part is totally optional but totally worth it in my book because it adds so much more flavor. You can really taste the citrus and it’s yummy to have little bites of pineapple with the chicken. It’s almost like an updated version of sweet and sour sauce. Plus, who doesn’t love a little sauce for dipping? Noah is in a dipping stage right now so it’s pretty much a requirement around here to have a little dip dip as he would say.

Spicy Orange Teriyaki Marinade and Glazerecipe from allrecipes.com

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili paste with garlic
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Chicken, pork loin or chops

1. For marinade: In a small, nonporous bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic chili paste, ginger, garlic powder, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine, orange marmalade, pineapple chunks and cilantro, if desired. Mix well and pour over pork or chicken. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2. Reserve marinade then grill chicken or pork until cooked through. Meanwhile, place reserved marinade and pineapple chunks in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a hard simmer and cook for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle meat with glaze then top with chopped cilantro.

Meg is an amazing cook, and you NEED more of her amazing recipes.  My first suggestion is that you head over to her Facebook Fan Page, "like" it, and then drool daily.  Next, you need to check out her amazing blog, Meg's Everyday Indulgence.  She'll keep you up-to-date with new recipes on her Facebook page, but you will enjoy scrolling back through her history of deliciousness.

Be encouraged!