Hoisin sauce along with pureed tart raspberries makes a wonderful Chinese-inspired marinade and dipping sauce for grilled chicken. Plan ahead: The chicken thighs benefit from marinating for at least 2 hours before grilling.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 3/4 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
3/4 cup hoisin sauce (see Ingredient Note)
5 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
1 clove garlic
1 strip (2-by-1/2-inch) orange zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, each cut into 3 crosswise strips
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup long- or medium-grain brown rice
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallion greens, divided

1. Combine raspberries, hoisin sauce, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, garlic, orange zest, ginger, pepper and crushed red pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside 1/4 cup for a dipping sauce.
2. Transfer the remaining marinade to a medium bowl and add chicken; stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
3. Combine water and rice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, until ready to serve.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat the broiler to high.
5. Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the marinade, scrape off excess (discard marinade), and thread onto 4 skewers, distributing equally.
6. Grill the chicken until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. If using the broiler, place the chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray and broil 4 inches from the heat source until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
7. Just before serving, sprinkle the rice with the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1/4 cup scallions; fluff with a fork. Sprinkle the chicken and rice with the remaining scallions. Serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 398 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 86 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrate; 28 g protein; 4 g fiber; 313 mg sodium; 376 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Selenium (54% daily value), Zinc (20% dv), Fiber (16% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 other carbohydrate, 3 lean meat

TIP: Ingredient Note: Hoisin sauce is a thick, dark brown, spicy-sweet sauce made from soybeans and a complex mix of spices. Look for it in the Asian section of your supermarket.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Marinate for up to 24 hours before grilling. | Equipment: 4 skewers

This was wonderful. Many complex flavors. To save time, we skipped cutting up the chicken and placing it on skewers. We simply left the skin on the boneless thighs and grilled them. The result was moist juicy chicken and crispy skin. Yum!

, Skaneateles, NY

This was so worth the extra effort! I doubled it to make for company. My husband couldn't stop eating it. A great use for all the bowls of raspberries we accumulated this season. (But it would be very expensive to make out of season!) I added red pepper squares and zucchini to the skewers. Also, I used the Koon Chun brand of hoisin - the only kind I ever use. It has a blue and yellow label and is much less cloying than any other brand I've tried.

, Moscow, ID

Fantastic marinade/dipping sauce!

Vicki, Denver, CO

I made this last weekend using organic raspberries. The marinade seemd too thick so I added another Tabl of rice vinegar and a little red pepper flakes. Marinated it overnight. My son and I were very delighted with the complex flavors and juicy chicken. I will make again!

Linda Cochran, Worth, IL

Amazing!! i used chicken breast instead, and it came out delicious. i grounded some up and gave it to may 8 month old son, he loved it too!!

jacky, NJ