Chicken Satay, Skewers with Peanut Sauce

I usually just call this chicken satay, and had just assumed I had posted this ages ago. But I couldn't find it in my site, and looked for both satay and skewers. So, I decided to call this both skewers and satay! I especially enjoy this during hot weather - there's something about spicy food that makes the external heat a little easier to take. It's hot here this week, and chicken satay made it's way onto the menu. When we had it we served it with blistered shishito peppers and a Thai variation on corn succotash (substituting Thai basil for the cilantro in the recipe). It was a nice way to beat the heat. Enjoy the hot weather!

Ingredients:

For the chicken skewers:

9 to 10 skewers
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sriracha
1 lb chicken tenders, or 1 lb chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 1 inch pieces


For the peanut (nut) sauce

1/4 cup smooth peanut or almond butter
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 Tbs fresh lime or lemon juice
1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp. sriracha

Directions: Soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes. Mix the olive oil through the sriracha in a zip lock plastic bag. Add the chicken and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours. Make the nut sauce by blending all of the ingredients together. This is thick enough that it's easier to either use a blender or a small cuisinart to blend. Heat a grill to medium and spray with a small amount of oil. Thread one chicken tender or piece of chicken on each skewer and grill until the center is no longer pink, about 5 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce on the side, to be used as a dipping sauce.

Serves 3 or 4 as a main course, and 5 or 6 as an appetizer

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This dipping sauce is not low in calories! Spreading a tablespoon decoratively on each plate makes it look pretty ... and helps significantly with portion control.