Peanuts with skin
By Cat, Jan 2009 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons; photo, below from Wikimedia Commons)
This is a fairly simple recipe, especially if you already have the cooked chicken meat on hand.
Be creative in your choice of colorful veggies to accompany the meat and sauce: red or yellow bell peppers, snap or snow peas, fresh spinach, braised broccoli or cauliflower florets, or other veggies of your choosing.
Chicken with Thai Coconut Peanut Sauce
Coconut
This recipe is adapted from an Eat Fat, Lose Fat recipe by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon (1). This was intended to be a lo-carb recipe, so did not include rice; but I believe in a bit of whole grain weekly. I like my addition of blanched bell peppers or spinach–nice flavor combo with the peanut sauce. Blanched snap or sugar peas would also be good.
Be very choosy about your peanut butter. Avoid brands made with soybean, safflower or canola oil. The natural oil from the peanuts is all that is needed for excellent peanut butter.
Your choice of soy sauce is also important. Use Tamari or other fermented soy to avoid the health issues associated with unfermented soy. Braggs amines is another option, but Tamari provides the best flavor.
Do not remove the skin nor the bones before cooking the chicken. The skin is very good for you and helps the meat to retain moisture. The bones provide minerals and good quality gelatin protein to the meat as it cooks. The liquid that remains in the pan after baking the chicken (broth and fat) can be added to a home-made bone broth for future use.
This recipe serves 4 – 8 people; I usually make only half.
Ingredients & Equipment
- Baked Chicken Pieces: Full recipe, Baked Chicken Pieces (for Shredding or Cubing) which requires 4 breast halves, or 8 – 10 chicken thighs, or meaty pieces of 1 chicken (2 each thighs, drumsticks, and half-breasts)
- Thai Coconut Peanut Sauce (2 cups)
- 6 garlic cloves: peeled and chopped
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, washed well and chopped
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Asian hot chili oil
- ¾ cup organic peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp good quality Tamari (fermented soy sauce), or Braggs Liquid Aminos
- 3 Tbsp rice or coconut vinegar
- 1 can coconut milk (not light coconut milk)
- Equipment:
- food processor or blender
- double boiler, or bowl and pan of water
- steel simmer plate
Method:
- Chicken: Prepare full recipe: Baked Chicken Pieces (for Shredding or Cubing), and cut meat into bite-size cubes
- Sauce: Chop garlic, ginger and cilantro and place in food processor or blender. (If using blender, add half the olive oil to help the blending of the chopped veggies). Pulse or blend on low speed until finely chopped.
- Add remaining ingredients and pulse or blend until well blended.
- Scoop into a bowl or jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To warm sauce for serving: Place in a bowl or top of double boiler set in a pan of hot water, and set over very low heat. Use a steel simmer plate to keep heat low. Do not overheat.
Assembly for Serving
I like to serve this with steamed brown or white rice, and some blanched bell peppers (red, yellow and/or green, cut into bite size pieces), and/or lightly steamed spinach leaves.
- Prepare steamed brown rice (45 – 50 minutes) or white rice (20 – 25 minutes)
- If meat is chilled, warm it in a steamer just before serving.
- Place a scoop of rice on the plate. Cover with bits of chicken meat. Add colorful bell peppers and/or spinach. Then spoon warmed sauce over all.
- Garnish with chopped peanuts or a sprinkle of desiccated, unsweetened coconut, and a sprig of cilantro, if desired.
References:
- Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Mary G. Enig Ph.D., and Sally Fallon
