Chicken Satay with warm Peanut Sauce
Sesame Brown Rice
Crisp Green Beans with Soy Sauce
Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
An easy summer dinner from the barbecue grill with an Oriental flavor. Grilled gingery chicken breasts with a peanut sauce you can make as hot as you like, served with an Asian-inspired brown rice and a crisp Chinese Bean Salad to round out the menu. To serve, mound the rice in the middle of a platter, lay the skewered chicken on top and surround with the beans; Peanut Sauce on the side.
Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Total time: 35 minutes
Fresh ginger adds a bit of heat and a lot of flavor to this chicken. You can substitute 1/2 tsp ground ginger if you don't have fresh; and add more if you like the heat. For a hotter dish you could add crushed red pepper, Asian chili sauce or even Tabasco to the marinade and/or the peanut sauce.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs fresh ginger, peeled and minced about 3 slices the size of an American quarter or 1 euro coin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 - 4 skewers
- Warm Peanut Sauce:
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 2 tbs snipped fresh chives
- 1 tbs snipped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) chicken stock
Instructions:
- Soak skewers in warm water while preparing chicken and making marinade.
- Cut chicken breast into long strips, 3 or 4 from each breast.
- Thread the meat the long way onto the skewers, (sort of pleating it).
- Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place chicken skewers into a baking dish and pour marinade over.
- Allow to marinade for 20 - 40 minutes.
- When ready, remove from marinade and grill over direct heat for 8 - 10 minutes. Can also be done under the broiler (grill) for same amount of time.
- Or, you could skip the skewers and stir-fry them in 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil.
- Serve with Peanut Sauce on the side.
- Warm Peanut Sauce:
- Heat oils in small saucepan.
- Add chives and chili powder and sauté briefly.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring well to combine.
- Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Sesame Brown Rice
Total time: 20 minutes or whatever your package says
I use 'Uncle Ben's' which is all I can get and it is quick cooking. It looks like brown Basmati and cooks in 15 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (3.3oz, 95gr) quick-cooking brown rice substitute Basmati
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock or whatever your rice calls for
- 1/2 tsp sesame or walnut oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Cook rice according to package instructions stirring in the sesame oil, soy sauce and seeds when rice is almost done.
- Fluff and serve.
Note: You can toast regular sesame seeds in a small, dry, skillet over medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes, until light brown.
Crisp Green Beans with Soy Sauce
Total time: 15 minutes
I originally found this recipe using asparagus in a Chinese cook book but it works well for green beans, too, and is perfect this time of year.
Ingredients:
- 6oz (180gr) green beans
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame or walnut oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbs fresh chives, snipped
Instructions:
- Top and tail beans. Cut in 1 1/2" (3.25cm) lengths.
- Bring a medium saucepan half full of water to a boil over high heat.
- Add beans and blanch for 4 minutes, until crisp-tender.
- Drain beans and immediately submerge in an equal amount of very cold water.
- Drain again, spread out on paper towels and pat dry.
- Put into a serving bowl.
- In small bowl whisk together the oils and soy sauce.
- Pour over beans, sprinkle with chives and stir to combine.
- Serve.
Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad
If there's any left.....
Cooking schedule: 35 minutes
Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes
Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives,
scissors, small bowl (used 2X), medium bowl
(used 2x), small saucepan with lid, small saucepan,
medium saucepan, dish for marinating, skewers,
barbecue grill and grill pan or large skillet
Soak skewers in warm water
Make marinade for chicken
Slice chicken, thread onto skewers
Pour marinade over chicken, turning to coat
Put water on high heat for beans
Start to cook rice
Top and tail beans, cut
Fill medium bowl with very cold water for beans
Blanch beans |
Whisk oils, soy sauce for beans
Drain beans, plunge into cold water, drain again
Spread on paper towels to dry
Turn on/light barbecue grill if using
Snip all chives
Make dressing, add to beans, stir well, add chives
Sauté chili powder, chives for peanut sauce
Add remaining ingredients for sauce, heat to boiling
Cover sauce, remove from heat
Start to cook chicken
Check rice, if close stir in soy, sesame oil, seeds
Turn chicken
Fluff rice, put onto platter
Arrange beans around rice
Remove chicken, lay on rice
Serve all, Peanut Sauce on the side |