Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I will be the first to admit that I have quite a few cookbooks.  I love reading them as much as reading a novel.  I use most of them occasionally, some often,  and others are simply to be read for entertainment.

Having said that, we do grill approximately 85% of our dinners in Florida and Montana.  I have to say that the Trout knows his way around the grill.  I usually do the sides.  So, finding one more cookbook seemed a little crazy, but I am so glad we did.  We picked up this cookbook, William Sonoma Grill Master  by Fred Thompson at Lowe's.  We have been using it weekly with happy surprises coming off the grill.  There is a section of sauces, marinades and rubs and a large section of sides that are worth talking about.

One thing we do cook on our stove is stir-fry.  We do this often as we "clean out" the vegetable drawer.  But this is a Thai recipe that I know my Montana friend, Chris, would love.  I have a favorite peanut sauce that we use a lot, but this time I took the one out of the new cookbook and we really, really loved it.

If you are serious about grilling and want some outstanding recipes to move things up a notch, I would really suggest adding this cookbook to your kitchen library.

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Adapted from William Sonoma Grill Master

For the Marinade:

1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon curry powder
Freshly ground pepper

4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
wooden or metal skewers

Stir together the marinade and set aside.

Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap until 1/2" thick.  Cut into lengthwise strips and put all chicken pieces into a large zip-loc plastic bag and pour in the marinade.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.

Thirty minutes before grilling, remove the chicken from the refrigerator.  Discard the marinade and pat the chicken strips dry with paper towels.

Prepare the grill.  Thread chicken strips lengthwise onto skewers.  Place on the grill and cook, turning once until grill marked on both sides, opaque and still moist, about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Pass with the following peanut sauce.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
2 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter - my substitute
(Recipe calls for 1/4 chop chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts and 2 tablespoons peanut butter)
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon green curry paste (I substituted red curry paste as it is milder)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, finely minced

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, curry paste, paprika and garlic.  Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, then cook until thickened and reduced by half, 15-20 minutes.  Set aside.  Serve warm or room temperature.


Cucumber Salad
adapted from Grill Master

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large English cucumber
1/2 small red onion

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar and sugar until the sugar dissolves.  Whisk in oil.

Thinly slice the cucumber and onion.  Using a mandoline makes this easy.  Add to the bowl and gently toss together.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

This cucumber salad as the perfect touch to the chicken satay.  One thing missing....jasmine rice would have been nice.

My 500th Blog and a Giveaway

In October, it will be 3 years since I started blogging on Schnitzel and the Trout.  I have not always posted in a timely fashion, but today, this is my 500th posting.  The Trout asked me how I could possibly have that much to talk about.  HA!!  It really has been easy.  But more importantly, it has been fun.

I have been able to share some fun events, lots of traveling, some sadness and some family recipes.  I have also talked some about my roots, being born in the Amana Colonies in Iowa.  I know several of you have visited the Colonies and some of you are curious about what they are all about.

Amana is a  seven village German community in Iowa where people talk with accents and many of those people have never set foot in Germany.  It is a great place to raise children, to grow up in safety and lots of love.  I still have many childhood friends from Kindergarten whom I connect with on a regular basis.  Having said all this, I no longer live there.  I moved away when I married, but there are cousins I still visit and friends when I have a chance to go back.

So, for this 500th posting, I am giving away a cook from the Amana Colonies.  Not only is this a cookbook, but a history book of the community and its religious beliefs and how they came to settle in Iowa.  It also contains the rhubarb pie recipe I posted on July 5.

The recipes are outstanding.  I use the book often to remind me of my beginnings; the food that was present on our dining table, lovingly prepared by my mother and grandmother.  Several of the recipes in the book came directly from my mother.

If you are interested in winning the Amana Colonies cookbook, Seasons of Plenty, please leave me a comment by midnight, July 27, and I will announce the winner on Thursday, July 28.

I also want to add that it is so thrilling for me to have comments from all of you who read me regularly.  I appreciate my "followers" because that is what keeps me writing.  I know many of you are still lurking out there also.  I am puzzled that several of you are visiting almost every day...weekly for sure, but I don't know your name.  Someone from Sweden visits so very often that I feel I know you, but you have never left a comment.  This is the time to step out of your screens and let me know who you are.  Now onto the next 500!!!