Lay The Table

Chicken satay

These make a great party snack or even a tasty supper when served with rice! Good quality chicken is a must, and don’t forget, the longer you marinate these the better they’ll taste! So if you have time to prepare these the day before, even better.

Tip: Add 1tbsp curry powder when adding the peanut butter and brown sugar to the pan for a spiced up version

{Serves 3 people when served with rice as a dinner}

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp oil

For the satay sauce

• 200ml coconut milk
• 2 heaped tbsp peanut butter (I find smooth works better but if you prefer crunchy, go ahead)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp oil
• Dash of pepper

Instructions

• Crush the garlic, roughly chop and coriander and mix with the oil in a large bowl/tray.
• Using a meat tenderiser, gently bash the chicken between cling film. This stops it moving about and ensures even tenderising! Then cut into small 2cm wide slices.
• Mix the chicken with the marinade, cover and place in the fridge for at least one hour, preferably overnight.
• Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes in a bowl of water, this stops them burning. Then gently push the chicken onto the skewers. We used approximately 10 skewers, using about ⅔ of each skewer.
• Cook the chicken for around 12-15 minutes, turning halfway to ensure even cooking.
• To make the sauce: Put the oil in the pan and warm slightly over a medium heat before adding the peanut butter and brown sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve and the peanut butter to become runnier before mixing in the coconut milk bit my bit. Bring to the boil then leave to simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Feb 15, 2010 | Quick & Easy, Snacks | 1 Comment »

Brown sugar & cinnamon cashews and pecans

These make a perfect bonfire treat, especially when served still warm. My mother always brings me these back from Belgium when she visits as she knows I love them so much. You should eat a handful of nuts and seeds every day, so this is just a tasty way of doing it. I’ll be making some more of these for my Christmas food hampers, wrapped in cellophane with a ribbon.

15mins – Prep time: 5mins – Cooking time: 10mins

Ingredients

• 150g pecan halves
• 150g cashews, unsalted
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Line a large frying pan with foil (this saves on washing up!)
2. Put the cinammon and the sugar in the pan and heat until it just starts to melt.
3. Add the pecans and cashews and stir to ensure even distribution. Cook until nuts have browned a little.
4. Remove foil with nuts from the pan and allow to cool a little. Then tip onto a plate to prevent the nuts sticking to the foil

Nov 04, 2009 | Snacks | 1 Comment »