Chicken Satay Lunch Bowl
This is an amazingly filling and satisfying lunch for any week. I enjoy it a touch on the spicy side, but you can adjust the heat to your preference. I like to heat because my office is so cold, it warms me up for a couple hours in the early afternoon.
You can easily sub out the chicken in the recipe for cauliflower and grill it until soft. The cauliflower is great because the marinade softens the cauliflower and also develops a nice char that you also get with chicken. I don’t even miss the meat when I make the cauliflower version.
I pair the chicken with sauteed vegetables. I typically use green beans or zucchini, but you can use whatever vegetables you want and are in season. If you are on a keto or low carb diet, you can make 2 servings or vegetables or 2 different vegetables to sub out the brown rice.
For the brown rice, there are also options. If you don’t like coconut milk, you could just use vegetable (or chicken) stock. I like the spicy satay with the coconut milk rice since you get a nice break from the heat. However, I know a lot of people that don’t like coconut, so that is up to you.
Recipe:
Chicken:
Ingredients:
6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons water (adjust based on how thick you like it)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
(optional) sriracha to taste
Save 1/3 for sauce, use 2/3 for marinade
Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients except the chicken to make the sauce. (Combining everything will take a minute. It will look like it won’t come together, but it will.)
In a large bowl, add chicken and 2/3 of the sauce into the bowl. Massage the sauce all over the chicken so it is coated well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.
Remove from fridge and preheat your grill. Make sure it is over medium heat to prevent too many flare ups. (You can also cook this in the oven at 425 degrees if a grill is not available to you)
Cook on grill, flipping occasionally until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. The cook time will depend on your grill temp- this should take about 30 minutes.
Remove from grill and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting up.
Coconut Rice:
Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Rinse rice in a strainer until the water run clear.
In a large pot bring stock and coconut milk to a boil. Add salt and rice.
Bring back to a rolling boil for one minute. Cover, turn heat to low and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes turn heat off. (DO NOT OPEN LID). Let sit for another 20 minutes.
Fluff with a fork before serving.
Green Beans:
1 pound green beans, cleaned
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions:
Combine garlic, ginger, red and black pepper, honey and soy sauce in a small measuring cup to make the sauce.
In a medium pot, bring salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the green beans and blanch for about 3 minutes. Just until they start to get tender. Remove from heat and transfer to a boil of ice and water to stop the cooking process.
In a large saute pan, bring to medium high heat. Add oil and once it is hot add the green beans. Saute for a couple minutes before adding sauce.
Add the sauce to the green beans and reduce the sauce by half. Remove from heat.