I’m back from my New Zealand holiday! I sure missed my kitchen and I don’t ever want to see the inside of an airplane again for a loooooong time. Imagine sitting in Economy with a giant third trimester belly and a 22 lb toddler lying on you for 12 hours… it isn’t pleasant.
The commute was terrible but I had a great time catching up with friends and family. My seven year old autistic boy, Izaak, seemed to take to his little sister very well even though she was intent on getting into his prized Legos the entire time. Being so far away from him is very hard but he is well loved and looked after by his dad, stepmom and extended family there and has access to the best education and therapy completely free for New Zealanders.
A rare moment with both my children together
I forgot how wonderful the food was in New Zealand, especially the variety of Japanese food available. Sadly, a lot of it is also now out of reach for us on Paleo.
So the trip inspired me to make one of my favorite dishes – Tori Mayo. It literally means Chicken and Mayonnaise and is pretty much a teriyaki chicken topped with yummy Japanese Mayonnaise. The idea of dressing teriyaki chicken with mayonnaise can seem a bit daunting for the average North American but I strongly suggest you try this at least one time and if you don’t like it, the Japanese mayonnaise is completely optional! I have a feeling you might love it though 😉
Start with 1 1/2 – 2 lb of chicken thighs cut into strips and marinated in some coconut aminos, sherry and tapioca flour for 10 minutes.
Fry this in a fat of your choice (olive oil, coconut oil or bacon grease) for 2 minutes until chicken is mostly done.
Add Crunchy Mama’s Teriyaki sauce to the chicken and cook until chicken is done and sauce is reduced and thick.
If the idea of mayonnaise does not appeal to you, you can now just serve the chicken on a bed of salad.
For those of you ready to give Tori Mayo a whirl, get your batch of Paleo-friendly Japanese Mayonnaise out from the fridge and top your chicken with it.
You’ll need:
- 1 1/2 – 2 lb chicken thighs, cut in strips
- 1 TBSP coconut aminos
- 1 tsp tapioca flour
- 1 TBSP dry sherry
- 1 TBSP fat of your choice for frying
- Paleo-friendly Teriyaki Sauce
- (Optional) Paleo-friendly Japanese Mayonnaise
- Marinate chicken in coconut aminos, tapioca flour and sherry for 10 minutes
- In a large skillet over high heat, heat up your fat of choice and fry chicken for 2 minutes until mostly cooked.
- Add teriyaki sauce to the chicken and cook until chicken is done and sauce is thick
- Serve on a salad
- Top with Japanese Mayonnaise for “Tori Mayo”
