Chicken Satay Kebabs – 4sp

My other half loves chicken satay from the Chinese takeaway, but knowing how naughty it is, it’s not something we have very often. I’ve therefore wanted to make my own healthy version of satay chicken for a while now and this week I decided it was time to give it a go.

The ingredients list may look a bit complex but the majority of the ingredients are store cupboard staples. If you marinade the chicken the night before this makes a great, quick, easy and healthy tea for the whole family.

On eating this recipe my OH declared that it was now in his (constantly changing!!) ‘top 5’ list of my recipes and they he would rather have this than a takeaway. Considering he isn’t on a diet, this is a result!!

Chicken Satay Kebabs

Serves 4 = 4sp per serving (Flex)

Caution – this recipe contains nuts!

Ingredients

For the marinade and sauce

1/2 x lime (or lemon), zest and juice

1 ½ tbsp. brown sugar

1 ½ tbsp. dark soy sauce

1 tbsp. curry powder

½ tsp cumin, ground coriander, salt

3 tbsp (45g) reduced fat smooth peanut butter (I used Morrison’s)

2 tbsp. sweet chilli sauce

Water

2 x onion, peeled and roughly chopped

4 x cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 x thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

½ tsp crushed chillies (optional if you like it spicy)

For the kebab

4 x chicken breasts (165g each), cut into large cubes

2 large peppers, deseeded and cut into large cubes

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into large cubes

Handful of large mushrooms, quartered

1 x lime quartered

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl add the lime zest and juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, curry powder, cumin, ground coriander, salt, peanut butter, and sweet chilli sauce. Add 150ml cold water and whisk to combine into a nice smooth sauce. If the sauce is still a little thick, add a little more water. Tip half the sauce into a small bowl and pop to one side.

2. Take the onion, garlic and ginger and blend until it forms a paste. Put half this mixture in the large mixing bowl and then add the chicken, combining so the chicken is well coated. Cover the chicken and pop in the fridge to marinade (around 1 hour should do it but you can leave it overnight, I’ve only left it 20 minutes or so and it was still lovely!).

3. Take 4 bamboo skewers and soak in cold water (this is so they don’t burn while the chicken is cooking).

4. Then take a small sauce pan, add the other half of the onion puree and fry in 1kal for a few minutes. Then add the rest of the sauce that you reserved in the small bowl, turn the heat down to low and simmer so the sauce warms and thickens. Add the crushed chillies if you are having them at this point. Add a little water here and there to get the sauce to the consistency you like, I like it quite thick.

5. Pre heat the grill to high.

6. When you are ready to cook, construct the kebabs by layering a cube of each vegetable followed by a chunk of chicken. I had around six chunks of chicken on each skewer but yours will depend on how big you cut the chicken. Season and then pop under the grill for 18-20 minutes, turning regularly until cooked through and a little charred.

7. Pop onto a plate and top each kebab with a little of the warm sauce and a drizzle of lime. Pop any remaining sauce in a little bowl for dipping.

8. Serve with anything you fancy, I did a small portion of basmati rice and a coriander salad.

Enjoy!!