Huli Huli Chicken

This recipe is actually Hawaiian, so I suppose it's not technically Asian; however, when you think about the Polynesian influences, I think it qualifies!  When my family lived on Okinawa (an island off Japan) the Officers Club near the pool where my swim team practiced sold these curbside every Tuesday evening.  It was similar to picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery nowadays.  Anyway, Mom would frequently buy a Huli Huli chicken for dinner on the way home from swim practice, and we'd absolutely devour it within minutes of walking in the door!  (I can certainly vouch for the fact that swimming drastically increased the appetites of my older brother and me...poor Mom!)  So, when I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray's website, I was eager to give it a try, but still skeptical that it would never be the same as what I remember.  Well, typical Rachael, this was fabulous!  I can't wait to try it again and again!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2-4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce

3 tablespoons chicken broth

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons pineapple juice concentrate I used a pineapple-orange since I couldn't find straight pineapple

Preheat the oven to 325.

In a food processor, pulse the garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, broth, vinegar, and pineapple juice concentrate and process until well combined. Marinate the chicken breasts for 30 minutes.  Reserve all the marinade!

Place the chicken in an oven-proof baking dish and drizzle half the marinade on top.  Turn to coat.  Make sure you reserve the second half of the marinade!  Bake for 10 minutes, then turn chicken, drizzle with remaining marinade, and bake for 10 minutes more, or until cooked through.

Serve on a bed of brown rice.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray on www.rachaelray.com.