- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ½-inch strips
- 1 medium Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed and sliced about ½ inch thick
- 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- One 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
- 4 cups cooked quinoa
- Combine the chicken, eggplant, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, brown sugar, vinegar, allspice, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- In a steamer basket or makeshift steamer, steam the broccoli, bell pepper, onion, and carrot until al dente. Heat a dry cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet or wok over high heat for about 4 minutes. Saute the marinated ingredients until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Toss in the steamed veggies and water chestnuts and cook for a couple minutes longer to heat through. Serve over the cooked quinoa.