Ginger Chicken Satay with Grilled Mango

This is truly delicious and bursting with flavor!
Serve as an appetizer or add rice for a fuller meal!

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 tsp. peeled and grated fresh gingerroot
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 T. white or red wine vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs.)
4 ripe mangos

In a large dish, mix together the first 6 ingredients. Slice each chicken breast half lengthwise into 3-4 long strips. Add the chicken to the marinade mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or in the fridge overnight.

Lightly coat a clean grill with cooking oil spray and preheat the grill to medium high. I don't own an outdoor grill so I use my stove top burner grill! But if using an outdoor grill, thread the chicken onto skewers and arrange on grill. If using a stove top grill, skewers are not necessary. Cook chicken at about 3 minutes per side, turning only once, until it is seared and just cooked through.

Remove to a clean platter and place slices of mangos on grill and cook on both sides, just until seared and warmed through. About 2 minutes per side.

Serve with Satay Sauce.

SATAY SAUCE:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, well stirred or can well shaken.
1/2 cup smooth natural-style peanut butter
1 T. peeled and minced fresh gingerroot
3 T. low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 T. brown sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. The sauce will keep in the fridge up to 5 days.

YUM!

Serve with lime wedges and fresh sprigs of cilantro!




Source: Quick Simple Food, by Susie Quick

Katie's Awesome Thai " Khao Mok Kai " Chicken

Spicy chicken in rice that is yummy with fragrant yellow rice and tender chicken called "Khao Mok Kai" in Thai. Our New Hampshire friends, Katie and James, invited us over for dinner and this delicious recipe melted in our mouths, and along with the beautiful presentation, completely impressed us! Then we ate the stale rice crispy treats I brought over and it was totally awkward as we crunched our way through the bland, tooth-breaking squares.

 For pictures along with the step-by-step guide, go here.

Ingredients
7-8 chicken thighs
3 cups uncooked jasmine rice
4 shallots
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup Half & Half or evaporated milk
2 ½ cups water
¼ cup vegetable oil


Ingredients for seasoning mix2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp grounded coriander seed
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 bay leaves

Ingredients for sauce2 green onions
3 sprigs cilantro
¼ cup ginger
1 long cayenne pepper
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup vinegar
1 Tbsp water

Preparation1. Wash chicken thighs, pat dry, and pierce with folk all over the thighs.

2. Mix all seasoning ingredients in a small mixing bowl, divide into 2 parts, bring one part to marinate with chicken and add half & half in the bowl with chicken. Set reserved seasoning off to the side for later.

 3. Stir all ingredients together and marinate chicken for 1 hour or overnight.

4. Peel shallots, wash dirt, pat dry, finely slice, and separate into 2 parts.

5. Add oil in a wok and place on medium heat, add shallot, fry in hot oil until fragrant and crisp, drain on paper towel.

6. After marinated time, heat 1 Tbsp oil and butter in a wok, when the butter is melt, add uncooked sliced shallots.

7. Stir fry until the shallot is softened, add marinated chicken, fry both sides of chicken until almost done, remove from wok.

8. Add the second part of seasoning mix in a wok, stir well, then add cleaned uncooked jasmine rice, and fry thoroughly.

9. Put stir-fried rice in a rice cooker, add water and chicken, and then cook in the rice cooker as usual.


Preparation for sauce1. Mix sugar, salt, and water in a pot, stir regularly on medium heat until sugar dissolves, remove from heat, then add vinegar, and stir well.

2. Cut onion and cilantro roots, peel ginger, and remove pepper stem, wash dirt, pat dry, and coarsely slice, then put them in a blender.

3. Well blend all vegetables and add in the pot, stir well and taste for your own flavor. Serve in a small bowl with spicy chicken in rice.

ServingPut rice on a serving plate, top with chicken, and garnish with fried shallot. Serve with sliced cucumber, a small bowl of sauce.

Chicken Laksa

So fragrant! So flavorful in every bite! So easy!

1 1/2 T. peanut or sesame oil
3 or 4 chicken breasts sliced into thin strips.
2 tsp. red chili paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. brown sugar
grated zest of one lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
1 T. fish sauce (optional. Yuck!)
4 to 6 cups chicken stock. (For dinner for 2-3 people, use 4 cups. For more, use 6).
2 cups coconut milk (16 oz. or close - some cans are only 13.5 oz and that's fine enough. )
Spoon over Top Ramen noodles (don't use flavor packets, of course) or my favorite, Jasmine rice.

Garnish:
Must have cilantro!
bean sprouts and sliced green onions (optional)

Preparation:
Get all the zesting and grating, and mincing done and have ready.

In large skillet or very large sauce pan, heat oil on medium high heat.
Cook chicken, turning frequently.
Add chili paste, garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, sugar, and zest. Cook stirring 3-4 minutes.

Add lemon juice, fish sauce, stock and coco milk. Increase heat to steady simmer and then reduce to med-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Cook rice or ramen noodles separately and drain.

Ladle soup over noodles in individual bowls. Top with cilantro and other garnishes. Enjoy!

Eat with chopsticks or fork in one hand and a spoon in the other!

So good!!

Coconut Curry

1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, chopped

A bit of chopped cauliflower (optional)

2 Bay leaves

Some fresh basil or a dash or two of dried basil

Chopped carrots or baby carrots

1 potato chopped

1 yam chopped

A few scrapes of fresh ginger

3 tsps. yellow curry powder

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup chicken stock or water

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 lime cut in half

Heat glob of olive oil in skillet over medium.Stir in onion and garlic. Cook until tender.
Mix in chicken and cook 10 minutes or until juices run clear.
Mix vegetables, curry, garlic, salt to skillet.
Pour in coconut milk and stock.
Add other spices or ingredients.
Squeeze juice of lime halves into skillet.
Reduce heat to low and cover.
Continue cooking 30 minutes (or up to an hour for more flavor), stirring occasionally

Thai Lettuce Wraps

This is Paul's favorite meal! Your taste buds will dance!

Saute minced garlic and ginger
Dice chicken
Saute in a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce.
Wait until halfway done, then add diced green onion.
Cook through.
Add crumbled tofu.
Add Thai peanut sauce.
Heat through.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and squeezed lime. Top with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce - optional

The best lettuce to use is called "Butter Lettuce" as it is sweet, mild, and perfectly shaped like a little bowl. You can usually find butter lettuce in the produce isle as "Living Lettuce" still connected to it's roots and protected in a plastic package.