Chicken Satay & Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

I've mentioned before that my palate when I was younger was extremely unrefined. I was that girl who ordered chicken fingers, everywhere. Luckily, I met my husband when I was 15 and when we started dating he exposed me to a whole new world of food. My husband's father is from Laos, and they eat all kinds of good Asian food in their house. My most Asian food experience up to that point was Chinese takeout. Not so Asian. Nicholas took me to a Thai restaurant one day- I wasn't happy. There clearly weren't any chicken fingers on the menu, what would I eat? He asked me to trust him and said he would order me the Thai version of chicken fingers and honey mustard, chicken satay and peanut sauce. I was hesitant, this was foreign to me- I didn't like foreign. But then I tried it and OMG it was good. The chicken was tender and flavorful and the sauce was out of this world. They complemented each other perfectly. Thai food quickly became a favorite of mine, I even branched out from my beloved chicken satay and tried other dishes as well. When we got married, the closest restaurant to serve chicken satay was 45 minutes away- that's when this recipe came about. Now I have my Thai chicken fingers anytime I want.

I've tried about a million different chicken marinades for this dish, some using some fantastic fresh ginger and spices, but this has become my go-to because it's EASY. The taste is fantastic too- just 2 ingredients, you can't beat that. :-)

Ingredients: 
1 lb. chicken tenderloins (I had about 12)
1 13.66 oz can of lite coconut milk (found in Asian food aisle)
1 Tbsp. curry powder

Peanut Sauce:
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper {depending on how spicy you like it!}

Step 1: Whisk together the coconut milk and curry powder until combined. Place chicken tenderloins in a gallon sized ziploc bag and pour marinade over top. Close bag and let chicken marinate at least 1 hr.

Step 2: Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add chicken to skillet and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through.

Pretty finished chicken!

For Peanut Sauce:
Step 1: Add peanut butter, chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper to the blender. 

Step 2: Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick- add a bit more chicken broth to thin it out. 

ENJOY :-) This is my probably my favorite meal to make for guests, it's pretty, elegant, & different. It could be the main dish or a fantastic appetizer. I served ours as dinner with beef satay (posting that recipe tomorrow) and spring rolls (I will post that recipe someday, didn't take pictures OR have all of the ingredients on hand for it this time). It was a special request from my out-of-town buddies who are visiting me in Florida currently, and it made for a fantastic dinner. What's your favorite meal to serve guests? 

Our full spread, spring rolls, beef satay, chicken satay, & peanut sauce!