Honey, Peanut and Lime Chicken

This past week has been totally crazy. I can't even tell you how little motivation I had to do tasks that were outside of what was listed in my day planner. But, as we all know, it's really necessary to have some good food in your stomach to face stressful days, so I rallied. The good news is, I discovered and tested a whole slew of quick, easy, delicious, filling and nutritious meals that can be ready in the time that it takes a pizza delivery person to get to your house. (This does not even include the amount of time it takes for said pizza delivery person to claim that he/she has no change, and for you to scramble to find the right denominations.)

Anyway, this recipe really couldn't be simpler. It's easy enough to mix up before heading off for the office, and once you get home it comes together in a snap. Basically, you take chicken and marinate it in some soy sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, honey, hot sauce and garlic. It's savory and sweet and spicy and completely delicious. The recipe was originally from a forum on The Pioneer Woman's site, called The Tasty Kitchen, but I found it via a charming blog called The Well-Fed Newlyweds. According to these sites, and personal experience, this chicken is good enough to inspire profanity-laced compliments at a generally swear-free dinner table.

So, let's get on with the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 3 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. (heaping) peanut butter -- the other cooks suggest natural PB, but all I had was the totally non-natural kind, and it worked just fine.
• 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 2-3 tsp. Asian chili-garlic paste (like Sriracha) depending on your taste, plus extra for garnishing if you are a spice-monster like me.
• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken, either boneless chicken breast, or thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp. corn starch, for thickening sauce (optional)
• Peanuts for sprinkling on top (optional, but highly recommended)

Directions:

• Combine soy sauce, honey, lime, garlic, peanut butter, curry powder and hot sauce. Whisk together until fairly uniform in consistency. Add chicken and marinate for a while. I would guess that this could take anywhere between 1 hour and 8-10 hours, or even overnight. (My particular batch marinated for about 8 hours, and was totally delish.)
• Once you are done marinating the chicken, heat up a large frying pan or wok on medium-high heat. Pour chicken and marinade into the pan. Cook for 7-9 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If you find the sauce is too thin for your liking, combine 1 tsp. corn starch with 2 tbsp. warm water. Stir them together, making sure there are no lumps left. Add to the chicken mixture and allow the mixture to come back to a simmer.
• Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with some steamed broccoli or snow peas and noodles/rice.

So, there you have it. Easy as can be. Comes together in less than 20 minutes, and is guaranteed to satisfy even the most takeout-craving of appetites.

Until our next dinner,

ceh.