I recently received a copy of Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking and have been meaning to try some of the recipes. Author Harumi Kurihara, who is often called the Japanese Martha Stewart, specializes in easy, home-cooked dishes with simple but elegant flavors. While looking for dinner ideas, I was inspired by the ease of her recipe for Chicken With Soy and Balsamic Vinegar. It looked absolutely delicious and wonderfully simple. She suggested pairing it with cabbage, but I opted for bok choy. I also decided to serve it with a side of Forbidden Rice. To get the recipe for a deliciously easy dinner, read more.

I've provided one of Harumi's recipes here, but be sure to check out the rest of her book; this is just the tip of the tasty iceberg!

Chicken with Soy and Balsamic Dressing
From Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking by Harumi Kurihara

2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, sliced
coarsely ground black pepper
1 lb boneless chicken thighs [she suggests skin on, I used skinless]
a little sunflower or vegetable oil
a few basil leaves — for garnish

For cabbage:
1/2-3/4 cups of roughly chopped cabbage [I used bok choy]
1 Tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper

1. Put the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine [I also used a few dried chili peppers]. Cut the chicken diagonally into bite-sized pieces [I used smaller square chunks] and marinate for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken, turning halfway to brown both sides.
3. To make the sautéed cabbage: Roughly chop the cabbage into large pieces In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil and butter, add the cabbage, sauté until cooked, then lightly season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the cabbage on a serving dish and arrange the chicken on top. Pour over any remaining sauce from the chicken pan and garnish with basil leaves.Top picture is my idea of food styling, this is YumJimmy's idea of it.

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