Satay Today

Okay, the Satay was yesterday, but why quibble?

A while back I won a basket full of Stonewall Kitchen products & decided it was about time I started using them in all their delicious glory. I reached into the pantry & pulled out their Roasted Garlic Peanut Sauce. Now, I love a peanut sauce, but I wasn't sure how my kids would feel about it- they're good eaters, but I thought this might push them into a picky pickle. My first thought was to turn the sauce into a marinade- until I tasted it. So much flavor I couldn't bear to bury it underneath other flavors.

I decided instead to go with a Satay & let the peanut sauce do what it was supposed to do- be a peanut sauce. If the kids didn't like it, more for me! I looked up a few recipes for Satays & finally came up with something I could work with. Here's what I ended up making:

Chicken Satay:
3 tsp (or so) tamarind concentrate
3 tsp whole coriander seeds
3 shallots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp peanut oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 lbs. chicken tenders (or beef, or pork...)

Grind the coriander seeds in a spice mill until they are well ground. Transfer to a food processor. Add tamarind- start with 2 tsp & add more if you want more flavor- shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, sugar, oil, salt & pepper. Pulse until it's a smooth paste. Add 1-2 Tbs of water if you feel it's necessary for consistency.

Pour the marinade into a ziplock bag & then add the chicken- massage the marinade into the chicken until it's coated & then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

If you want to use skewers, skewer the chicken before cooking (make sure to soak the skewers if using wooden ones), or you can just cook in a grill pan or broil.

**If you'd rather not grind your own coriander, use ground coriander from the market- the flavor just won't be quite as strong.

**Most of the recipes I looked at either called for tamarind pulp or no tamarind at all. The pulp looked like a pain to work with & I found tamarind concentrate at the health found store where I buy my spices. I looked like a good alternative & I wasn't disappointed.

I served the satay with the Peanut Sauce for dipping & the family couldn't get enough! They loved it. When my kids start asking, "when can you make this again?" before a meal is even finished, I know we have a winner. I served it with couscous & some fresh crunchy carrots & hummus (super easy) & everyone was happy.