Chicken Saté with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Note: this recipe includes a 15 minute marinade. Be sure to allow for that time in planning.

• 2 1/2 tsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 to 2 tsp and 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, divided
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 tsp firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp soy sauce (lowest sodium available)
• 8 oz chicken breast tenders, all visible fat discarded

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, 1 to 2 tsp lime juice, and red pepper flakes until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a shallow dish, stir together the remaining 2 Tbsp lime juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Add the chicken, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
3. Meanwhile, soak two 6- to 8-inch wooden skewers for at least 10 minutes in cold water to keep them from charring, or use metal skewers. Preheat the broiler.
4. Remove the chicken from the dish. Thread half the chicken accordion-style onto each skewer. Place on a baking sheet. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center. Brush the chicken with the peanut sauce.

Robyn's notes: I love chicken in peanut sauce, and have several recipes from the simple (buy Thai peanut sauce in a jar, marinate the chicken, broil it) to the complex (ask the owner of our favourite Thai restaurant how they make their pra ram long song). This one is a perfectly acceptable version. If it's not terribly exciting that may be because it's from a book specifically geared toward heart-healthy dishes. It's still good. I served this with steamed white rice (not included in Nutritional Analysis below), and I made minor changes. I cut boneless skinless chicken breast into long strips, instead of purchasing chicken tenders. I threaded onto more than just two skewers, because I find that getting one skewer with 4oz of chicken feels like less than getting the same 4oz of chicken spread across two or three skewers. I also used the broiling pan, not a baking sheet, as I always do when broiling. Personal preference there. I used barely a pinch of pepper flakes, because I can't eat spicy foods, that probably made a difference for how exciting or not the dish turned out. I was most surprised that the chicken wasn't cooked in the peanut sauce, that it was applied after cooking. What that mostly meant is that the sauce was very difficult to "brush" onto the chicken, as it maintained the peanut butter consistency. GF if you use GF soy sauce.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Nutritional Facts: Exchanges = 1/2 Carbohydrate, 3 Lean Meat, 1/2 Fat. Calories 180; Calories from fat 55; Total Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 1.4g; Trans Fat 0g; Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6g; Monounsaturated Fat 2.6g; Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 5g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Sugars 3g; Protein 26g