Crying Onions

I started off calling this post “Skewerless Chicken Satay,” but it felt oddly deceptive. Because for me, Chicken Satay translates roughly as “Peanut Sauce on a Stick,” and there’s no peanut sauce (and no stick) in sight. Not to say that you can’t serve these chicken tenders with peanut sauce. Because that would be mighty delicious, but I didn’t do it here.

Instead, I looked for a way to make a classic Thai appetizer into a convenient weeknight dinner. I love the light flavor of chicken satay. It’s subtle but distinctly Thai. And that yellow color. And those delicious brown grill marks. They make me weak.

So it’s really no surprise that I loved this dinner, and even more because it was so simple to throw together. Without the tedious skewering of chicken satay, I spent less than 10 minutes on prep work. And in the time it took the chicken to marinade, I was able to make the rest of the meal.

Serves 4
Total cost: $8.30 ($2.08 per person). Cost breakdown is approximate.

What you need:

• 1/3 c coconut milk or light coconut milk [$0.50]
• 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and minced [$0.50]
• 1 tsp curry powder [$0.10]
• 1 tsp lime juice [$0.10]
• 1 tsp brown sugar [$0.10]
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips [$7]

What to do:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the first six ingredients together. Add in the chicken and toss to coat with marinade. Marinate about 30 minutes.
2. Heat a grill pan on medium-high heat with a little oil. Grill chicken tenders on both sides until cooked through.
3. Serve with sweet chili dipping sauce (store bought or homemade)

Tags: chicken

Posted October 7th, 2009 at 2:00 pm. Categories: appetizers, main courses. Leave a comment or trackback from your own site.