Daring Cooks January Challenge: Satays!

 

This challenge was hosted by Cuppy from Cuppylicious, and it was actually really fun to plan out.  I decided to make 2 different marinades, one for beef and one for chicken, and 2 different dipping sauces.  I marinated the beef in the Daring Cooks' recommended recipe, and for the chicken I decided on a coconut curry inspired marinade.  I made the peanut sauce posted on Daring Cooks, and decided on an herbed cucumber Raita-style sauce as well.  I know I kind of blended Thai and Indian flavors, but the recipes seemed really tasty, and well, I can do what I want!

So, here are the recipes:

Beef Satay Marinade 

 

1/2 a small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

2 tablespoons ginger root, finely diced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

I chose to use a top sirlion steak- it was much cheaper than even a flank steak or a skirt steak

Mix ingredients well.  Cut beef into 1 inch strips, against the grain.  Cover and chill.

Chicken Satay Marinade

Adapted from allrecipes.com 

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded, and cut into 1 inch strips

Mix marinade until brown sugar has dissolved.  Toss marinade with the chicken, cover and chill.

Herbed Cucumber Raita

I looked at several different Raita/chutney recipes, and kind of took elements from all of them to make this sauce.

10 ounces plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup minced mint leaves

1/2 cup minced cilantro leaves

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder 

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoons cumin 

salt and pepper to taste

pinch paprika

Blend all ingredients, and adjust components to your liking.  Chill.  Before serving, sprinkle with paprika.

 

Peanut Sauce

3/4 cup coconut milk

4 tablespoons peanut b utter

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 dried chilies, finely chopped

Sriracha to taste

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add soy sauce and lemon, and mix well.  

Just before you are getting ready to serve, combine coconut milk, peanut butter, and your soy-lemon-seasoning in a small pan.  Warm over low heat, stirring well.  Add Sriracha to adjust heat. 

Cooking Instructions

Just before you're ready to cook the satays, soak your wooden skewers in warm water for 20 minutes.  This keeps them from catching on fire.  Thread the meat onto the skewers, accordian-style.

You choose whether to grill or broil them.  I used a grill-pan because I don't have an outdoor grill.  Cook over medium-high heat until done.

I served mine with some simply steamed baby bok choy and jasmine rice with coconut milk.  Both sauces were good, but I loved the cucumber Raita.  It had a nice cooling effect against the heat of the satays.  These were pretty easy to make, but there was a lot of prep involved.  They would be a good weeknight recipe if you had the forethought to get the marinade going before work.  Overall, this was a fun, tasty, and slightly unusual dinner!