Thai Chicken Satay, Rice, Cucumbers, Broccoli

My husband and I each photographed our own plates, so you get to see both. :)


This satay recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonoma Weeknight cookbook. The prep for this meal takes a little while (juicing limes, chopping cilantro, mincing ginger and garlic), but if you work quickly you'll be done in no time. Just be warned that the sauce is very strong-- drizzle lightly then taste to see if you want more. I think the cucumbers balance perfectly with the bold sauce; in fact, I love switching off and eating them every other bite.

If you want your satay to be more like the satay at a Thai restaurant, pound your strips a little thinner and thread a bamboo skewer down the center. Just be sure to soak your bamboo skewers in cold water for 3o minutes beforehand or your smoke alarm will be going off as you broil.

2 limes
1/2 c rice vinegar (cut this in half if you want a less vinegary peanut sauce)
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1 T ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T brown sugar
1 T sesame oil
3 T soy sauce
3 chicken breasts, cut into thick strips
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 c rice
2 c water

broccoli florets

Grate 1 teaspoon zest from limes and squeeze 1/4 c juice. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime zest and juice, vinegar, and peanut butter until smooth. Add ginger, garlic, brown sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Reserve 3/4 cup of the mixture for use as sauce. Add the chicken to the marinade. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours. When ready to cook, preheat oven's broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding marinade. Broil, 6 inches from heat, for 3 minutes. Flip chicken and broil 3 minutes more, or until cooked through. Serve satay with cucumber slices and drizzle lightly with reserved sauce.

Prepare rice according to package directions.

Steam broccoli. Season with salt and pepper.