Grilled Chicken Satay with a Coconut Peanut Sauce

Here's the scenario:  You are hosting a summer shin-dig of some sort and you want to use your grill.  Who can blame you?  But you don't want to do grilled burgers or hot dogs, again.

Why not try something outside the box, something different?

Chicken Satay is a popular Asian street food of skewered and grilled meat.  Almost every Asian country has their take on Satay, but one of the best-known ways is to skewer marinated chicken, grill it and then serve with a peanut sauce.

SPH developed this recipe for Chicken Satay that is quick, healthful and definitely more exciting than your typical grilled burgers and hot dogs.

The boys love Chicken Satay and I believe it goes back to a theory I have about food on sticks. Kids love to eat foods on sticks. Popsicles, Corn Dogs, Lollipops, these are all fun foods to eat. The bonus with this recipe is not only are they fun to eat, but they are healthful too.

This recipe uses exotic ingredients, but don’t let this deter you—the flavors are worth it!

Grilled Chicken Satay with a Coconut Peanut Sauce


Chicken:
¼ cup of light coconut milk
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

Coconut Peanut Sauce:
2 teaspoons fresh ground ginger
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped fine
1/3 cup peanut butter
½ cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Prepare the chicken:
Mix all ingredients except chicken. Marinate chicken in mixed sauce for 2-4 hours, or overnight, before grilling.

Skewer the chicken and grill, about 6-8 minutes, flipping once.

Make the peanut sauce (can be made ahead 1 day):

Combine in a sauce pan, bring to a simmer for a 1-2 minutes.  Let cool and thin with more coconut milk if desired.

Makes about 1 cup of sauce.

Serve the grilled chicken on a platter, with the sauce on the side for dipping.




Serves 4-6, in a way more creative way then burgers or hot dogs.

Life is sweet,
SPC