Grilled Chicken & Apricot Satay

  It's been a loooong day.

   Running on 4 hours sleep for starters. I have a wild, climbing, teething, testy little girl that is going through the "terrible two's" and doesn't know she's only 14 months old. My baby sister (bless her!) chased her around and dealt with her tantrums while I was in the doctor discussing my eminent ear surgery. (story for another time) But if there's one thing I always know I can count on, it's cooking something yummy that I can sit and enjoy with my family.

  

 In the summer, I try to grill as much as possible. It's makes me feel "one with the outdoors". I love everything about it. The way it makes foods taste, you don't need a lot of butter and oil for flavor, and you can take even the most simple of ingredients; like asparagus, or eggplant and drizzle a bit of salt, pepper & olive oil and make something so delicious. Grilling rocks, basically.

  This recipe is no exception. It's sooooo yummy, so easy and best of all, healthy! The second I saw it, I knew I had to make it. The chicken is packed with flavor and you will adore the creamy marinade/sauce. So check it out and make it this summer!

My stressful day melted away after this delish dish....

Glorious, aren't they?

Grilled Chicken & Apricot Satay (serves 4)
Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit

3/4 cup light coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup smooth, peanut butter
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp (packed) brown sugar
2 large garlic cloves
3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 cup (loosely packed) cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish
2 Tbs. chopped jalapeno (about 1 large) keep the seeds on if you like some heat!!)
1 lbs boneless, chicken breasts or thighs cut into 25  1" chunks
6 ripe apricots, cut into fourths, pitted
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Lime wedges for garnish

Twenty-four 6" bamboo skewers (soaked in water for at least an hour before using)

 

Puree first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add 1/4 cup cilantro and jalapeno and blend until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade to use as a sauce later. (keep chilled and then bring back to room temp before serving)

   Pour remaining marinade over chicken in a heavy duty ziploc bag or dish and let marinade at least 3 hours or overnight. (I made this in the morning and let it sit in the fridge until I was ready to cook dinner)  

When ready to grill, heat on high. Holding 2 skewers parallel to each other and 1/2 inch apart, thread 1 piece of chicken onto skewers, then 1 apricot wedge. Repeat until skewers are full and all the chicken and apricot are gone. This just helps keep everything on the skewer from swirling around the stick and makes it easier to handle.



 Season the skewers with salt and pepper. Very important! Discard the remaining "raw chicken" marinade.

  Grill skewers about 4 minutes or until you have a nice golden brown. Flip and continue grilling another 3-4 minutes. Move to a cooler part of the grill and cook until chicken is cooked through (about 2-3 minutes longer)

  I added some corn and zucchini I bought from the market I planned on serving along side.

   Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with cilantro sprigs & peanuts. Drizzle with reserved marinade and lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.

  I chopped up the zucchini & corn and made some jasmine rice. AMAZING!!!! Make sure you serve the extra sauce because you are going to want to toss the veggies and rice in it's slightly nutty, herbaceous, spicy deliciousness. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken & Apricot Satay (serves 4)
Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit

3/4 cup light coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup smooth, peanut butter
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tsp (packed) brown sugar
2 large garlic cloves
3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 cup (loosely packed) cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish
2 Tbs. chopped jalapeno (about 1 large) keep the seeds on if you like some heat!!)
1 lbs boneless, chicken breasts or thighs cut into 25 1" chunks
6 ripe apricots, cut into fourths, pitted
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Lime wedges for garnish

Twenty-four 6" bamboo skewers (soaked in water for at least an hour before using)

Puree first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add 1/4 cup cilantro and jalapeno and blend until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade to use as a sauce later. (keep chilled and then bring back to room temp before serving)
Pour remaining marinade over chicken in a heavy duty ziploc bag or dish and let marinade at least 3 hours or overnight. (I made this in the morning and let it sit in the fridge until I was ready to cook dinner)

When ready to grill, heat on high. Holding 2 skewers parallel to each other and 1/2 inch apart, thread 1 piece of chicken onto skewers, then 1 apricot wedge. Repeat until skewers are full and all the chicken and apricot are gone. This just helps keep everything on the skewer from swirling around the stick and makes it easier to handle.

Season the skewers with salt and pepper. Very important! Discard the remaining "raw chicken" marinade.

Grill skewers about 4 minutes or until you have a nice golden brown. Flip and continue grilling another 3-4 minutes. Move to a cooler part of the grill and cook until chicken is cooked through (about 2-3 minutes longer)

   Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with cilantro sprigs & peanuts. Drizzle with reserved marinade and lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.