MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - THAI CHICKEN SALAD WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

One of those weeks of no fixing new recipes so I am relying on my archives. I found this one which I remember liking very much. Not the prettiest presentation but if you care to look at the food blog where I got it from, the link is below and it will give you a better idea of what it should look like. Everything else on here is from June 2014.

I felt it was time for a main dish salad and found this delicious recipe at My Kitchen Escapades, recipe index at this link.  You can click here to go to see the original recipe.  If you enjoy food sites there are other wonderful dishes for you browse through.

Thai Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Serves 8

Chicken Marinade:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 cup sugar or 2 tablespoons Truvia or sweetener you prefer in equivalent measure

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

Dash of salt and pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2-1/2 pounds total

Salad:

2 hearts of romaine, chopped

1/2 large head of Napa cabbage, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 carrots, shredded

1 red bell pepper, chopped

5 green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 cup salted peanuts

Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup Thai sweet red chili sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar or Truvia

Pinch of salt and pepper

Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon Thai sweet red chili sauce

2 tablespoon water

In a Ziploc bag combine all the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Squeeze the bag a few times to blend together really well. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.  

Cook the chicken either on a hot grill, 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Allow it to cool a bit, then chop up all the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, except for the peanuts, then add the chicken.  

Combine all the dressing ingredients then pour over the salad. Toss until the salad is evenly coated with the dressing. Put into individual salad bowls to serve.

Stir together the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a small bowl. If the sauce is too thick to drizzle, add a little more water.  Generously drizzle peanut sauce over each serving of salad, then top with the peanuts.  

What did we think of this dish?  Very much enjoyed. The flavors in this recipe are subtle and delicious.

I always use a hot-house cucumber, the kind you don't have to seed.  I prefer it to regular cucumbers.  

There was quite a bit of preparation but I started early. It helps to get all the ingredients chopped up and everything measured out before you start putting the recipe together. I learned this late in life!  

Lots of leftovers.  We will be eating this again tomorrow, and probably the next day.  

I thought of halving all the ingredients next time as there is just the two of us, unless we are having people over.  But my dear other half feels confident that he can eat this for the next three days.  I guess we have a winner.

I wish you all a great week and

thanks for stopping by.

Bon Appetit!