Sesame-Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Today was a day deserving of a good glass of wine. Last week consisted of working 28 hours on top of classes and clinical, taking an online midterm that consisted of 7 essay questions and annihilated 5 hours of my time, and cramming for my lab midterm. Today I took said lab midterm and managed to not bomb it completely (at least I hope)... and I interviewed for my dream job! My interview went extremely well, so, with any luck, you may see me on here gloating about it in a few days! So between the stress of life and midterms and the excitement about my career, I felt a good glass of wine was definitely in order. (...and perhaps a nice, relaxing bath later too, tehe.)

A day like today is also deserving of a scrumptious dinner. Now, before I share I must admit, I'm totally in love with this sauce. I'm almost tempted to claim it as a family secret and lock it away from the rest of the world, it's that good. Not that that would work though, considering Ellie Krieger's too busy blabbing about it in her book and on the Food Network website... but nevermind. Before this recipe came into our lives Dane and I used to get our teriyaki fix from store-bought Lawry's marinade, but no more! This sauce has everything we loved about Lawry's - sweet and just a little salty, with a hint of tasty vinegar - with the satisfaction of being homemade. And it's insanely easy to make... seriously, just dump and stir. It comes together in about the time it takes to get the freshness seal off the Lawry's bottle. And from this simple little sauce comes endless possibilities, from these satisfying marinated chicken thighs to kebabs on the grill, even to a simple dressing for an asian three-bean salad to go with said chicken thighs (recipe coming tomorrow). Try it once and you'll see what I mean... guaranteed, you'll fall in love too!

Sesame-Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
adapted from The Food You Crave
makes 4 servings, 389 calories each

Ingredients
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press or minced
1/8 teaspoon dried ginger
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin and visible fat removed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions
1. For sauce, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl; stir until brown sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour the sauce into a resealable bag and add the chicken. Seal the bag and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
3. Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet or broiler pan with cooking spray. Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange it on the sheet skin side down (if the chicken had skin).
      a) If using a baking sheet, broil for 14 minutes then turn over and broil for another 12 minutes. Turn again and broil for another 3 minutes, then turn once more and broil for another 3 minutes.
      b) If using a broiler pan, broil chicken until brown and crispy, 8-10 minutes, then turn pieces over and broil until almost cooked through, about 8 minutes longer.
4. Sprinkle the chicken with the sesame seeds and cook until the seeds turn golden brown and the chicken is done, about 1-2 minutes more.