Honey Teriyaki Chicken with Ripe Pineapple Spears and Black and White Rice Balls

Honey Teriyaki Chicken with Ripe Pineapple Spears and Black and White Rice Balls
2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt, eyeball it
1 rounded cup white rice
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, toasted white sesame seeds may be substituted
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Vegetable oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth or water
1-inch ginger root, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 ripe pineapple

1. Preheat a grill pan or large griddle over medium high heat.
2. Bring water to a boil in a small covered pot. Add butter, salt and rice to the pot. Return the water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and replace cover. Simmer 18 minutes and remove rice from heat. Take the lid off the pot to cool rice a bit. Scoop rice into balls with an ice cream scoop and your hands. Dampen hands with water to work with rice if it is very sticky. Set rice balls on a plate and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.
3. While your rice is cooking, lightly coat chicken with oil, salt and pepper. Place chicken on hot grill and cook 6 minutes on the first side.
4. While chicken is cooking, bring chicken broth and ginger to a boil. Stir in honey. When honey has dissolved into broth, add teriyaki sauce and sesame oil and reduce heat to simmer.
5. Turn chicken and coat liberally with honey teriyaki sauce using a basting brush. Cook chicken 4 minutes, turn again and baste liberally again with sauce, then cook 2 minutes longer. Remove chicken to a plate. Garnish chicken with sliced scallions.
6. While chicken cooks on the second side, peel and cut a ripe pineapple into 8 spears. Cut off top and bottom of pineapple. Set pineapple upright and trim away skin in strips from top to bottom. Halve pineapple lengthwise and quarter each 1/2, lengthwise. The core is edible, but may be trimmed if you wish. Pineapple can be very acidic. Spears set in cold water for just 1 minute will keep the fruit from stinging your lips when it is eaten. Serve with chicken and rice balls.

• I found this recipe on the Food Network website, and credits belong to Rachael Ray.

• The black sesame seeds are not required, but it makes the rice look spectacular. 

• This goes for the scallions as well; it is the garnish for the chicken and not required. Pick a different garnish if desired. 

• The pineapple doesn't have to be the side for this dish (although it is amazing and fits well with the chicken). However, if you or your guests are allergic or do not like pineapple, try a different side. You can use other fruit (grilled apricots, perhaps?) or noodles (chow mein?)

So, I needed an article in the 'Cooking' section, so here it is. After my friend's failure in making his own teriyaki chicken, I was looking on the web to find simple recipes for him to make. I came across this recipe and I instantly became inspired. So I decided to cook for my boyfriend and for my friend last night and watched Firefly while we were eating. It was an awesome night. If we have more nights like this, I'll definitely have a lot more cooking articles posted here.