CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE

CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE

yield: 6 SERVINGS

prep time: 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES

cook time: 20 MINUTES

total time: 2 HOURS 50 MINUTES

Perfectly grilled chicken satay skewers in the most flavorful marinade. Served with THE BEST creamy peanut sauce ever!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE

• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, or more, to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk in 2-3 tablespoons water until desired consistency is reached; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, curry powder, turmeric, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and fish sauce.
3. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and coconut milk mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
4. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
5. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers. Brush with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Add skewers to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 12-15 minutes.
7. Serve immediately with peanut sauce.

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THAI CHICKEN BUDDHA BOWLS

THAI CHICKEN BUDDHA BOWLS

Healthy, hearty and nutritious bowls filled with whole grains, plenty of veggies, and a simple peanut sauce that is absolutely to die for!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup farro
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups shredded kale
• 1 1/2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts

FOR THE SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the spicy peanut sauce, whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, sambal oelek and 2-3 tablespoons water in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Cook farro according to package instructions; set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, sambal oelek, brown sugar and lime juice; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cornstarch and fish sauce, tossing to coat and letting the chicken absorb the cornstarch.
5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, shallot and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock mixture until slightly thickened, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Divide farro into bowls. Top with chicken, kale, cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro and peanuts.
7. Serve with spicy peanut sauce.

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Coconut Curry Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, (about 3), cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14-ounces) unsweetened light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• 3-4 cups hot, cooked rice for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until it is hot and shimmering. Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Add them to the hot oil. Let the chicken cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and red pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions and peppers are slightly softened. The chicken and vegetables don’t have to be fully cooked as they will simmer and cook further in the next step.
2. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and curry powder. Stir to combine. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, gently, for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve a ladle or two of the soup over a scoop of rice and garnish with more cilantro, if desired.

NOTES

Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe through the step through the first paragraph. Transfer the chicken/onions/peppers to a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (except the lime juice, cilantro and rice). Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve over rice.

Naan – Indian Flatbread

*Note: as with all yeast doughs, I never use the flour amount called for in the recipe as a hard fast rule (unless a weight measure is given and then I pull out my kitchen scale). Because humidity, temperature, altitude and a multitude of other factors can impact how much flour you need in your yeast doughs, I always judge when to quit adding flour by the texture and look and feel of the dough rather than how much flour I’ve added compared to the recipe. This tutorial on yeast may help identify how a perfectly floured dough should be.

*Makes about 12 pieces of naan
*Take 2 1/2 hours to rise.....then plus some for prep & cooking
INGREDIENTS:
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon sugar
3-4 tablespoons, melted butter

DIRECTIONS:
Pour the milk into a liquid measure and heat in the microwave until warm to the touch (about 110 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). If using active dry yeast, mix the sugar and yeast into the milk and let it sit for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is foamy and the yeast has activated. Once the yeast/milk mixture is foamy, pour the mixture into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add the salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour (proceed with the second paragraph of the recipe). If using instant yeast, pour the warm milk into a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the sugar, instant yeast, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Proceed as directed below.

Mix well to combine. Continue adding flour gradually in small amounts, until a soft dough is formed that cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough by mixer or hand until it is smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes in the mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest at room temperature, covered lightly with greased plastic wrap, for about 2 hours.

After the dough has rested, turn it onto a lightly floured surface (I like to use my roul’pat for this) and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, rounding each into a ball shape. Cover the pieces with a towel and let them rest for 30 minutes. While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, try grilling the dough on a lightly oiled outdoor grill or use a hot griddle to bake the naan – you’ll have to experiment with cooking times but I’ve seen either of those methods used with cooking naan also.)

Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes, one by one, roll each piece into a circle about 6-8 inches wide, depending on how thin or thick you want your naan. Lay the circle of dough on the hot pizza stone and spritz lightly with water. Close the oven and bake the naan for 2-4 minutes, until it is lightly puffed (some pieces will puff more than others) and brown spots begin to appear on the top. Remove the naan from the baking stone and place on a cooling rack. Brush lightly with melted butter. Stack the hot naan on top of each other as it comes out of the oven. Cover with a towel and let the naan cool completely or serve warm.

Coconut Shrimp Curry

*could do chicken instead of shrimp
*Serves 6
*Kevin said 8 times a year in the colder months

INGREDIENTS:
For the shrimp marinade:
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
1-2 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, from about a 1-inch peeled piece of ginger
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can coconut milk, light or regular
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Hot cooked rice for serving, if desired

DIRECTIONS:
For the simple shrimp marinade, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper, cayenne and lemon juice in a resealable large bag or in a bowl. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat until rippling and hot. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the pepper, ginger, salt, garlic, coriander, turmeric and curry powder. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is very fragrant and the onion is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the undrained tomatoes to the pot and cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, for about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Add the coconut milk, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the shrimp and any accumulated juices from the marinade. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are curled, lightly pink and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Serve over hot, cooked rice, if desired.