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Halftime Stir-fry

A stir-fry of chicken, vegetables, and rice in a pineapple-orange teriyaki sauce.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 15 ingredients
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Why it works: Sesame and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,000 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Halftime Stir-fry

Time7 to 10 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Marinate

  1. Combine pineapple-orange juice, teriyaki sauce, dark sesame oil, white wine vinegar, cornstarch, fresh grated gingerroot, minced garlic, and fresh grated lemon peel in a large bowl.

  2. Add the chicken pieces, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.

  3. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinating liquid.

Stir-fry

  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large wok over medium-high heat until hot.

  2. Add the chicken to the wok and stir-fry for 7 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is browned and thoroughly cooked.

  3. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.

  4. Add the vegetables to the wok and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

  5. Add the cooked rice, reserved chicken, cashews, and green onions to the wok.

  6. Stir the reserved marinating liquid and pour it over the mixture.

  7. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until the mixture thickens and is thoroughly heated.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1584Calories
65 gProtein
60 gFat
199 gCarbs

Counts 16 of 17 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 16 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Chicken100g cooked165
Cashew1 oz (28g / ~18 nuts)157
Sesame1 tbsp (14g)120
Vegetable1 tbsp (14g)120
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Pea1/2 cup (72g)62
Broccoli1 cup chopped (156g)55
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Celery1 stalk (40g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Sesame + garlictop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,000 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Pineapple + orangetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,664 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).

  3. Orange + clovetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,987 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  4. Clove + garlictop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together11,368 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  5. Pineapple + white winetop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together45 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Chicken breasts
Provides the main protein, which browns and firms when stir-fried until fully cooked.
Cornstarch
Thickens the reserved marinating liquid into a glossy sauce as it heats.
Cashews
Add crunch and a rich, fatty note that contrasts with the soft rice and vegetables.
Cooked rice
Bulks out the dish and soaks up the sauce as it is tossed through.
Pineapple-orange juice
Adds sweetness and acidity that balance the salty teriyaki sauce.

The step that matters

Cooking the chicken until browned and thoroughly cooked. Chicken must reach a safe internal temperature throughout, and searing it in a hot wok gives browning. Crowding the wok lowers the pan temperature, so the chicken steams and turns pale instead of browning.

Swap the orange

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pineapple, sauce, sesame, white wine, vinegar, clove, garlic):

  1. Limefits better
  2. Plumfits better
  3. Mangofits better
  4. Orangethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pineapple, sauce, sesame, white wine, vinegar, clove, garlic. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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