Thai Grilled Chicken Skewers

THAI MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS From Savory Sweet Life: 100 Delicious Recipes for Every Family Occasion by Alice Currah (William Morrow, 2012). Copyright © 2012 by Alice Currah. Photographs by Alice Currah. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow. Serves 4 to 6 My kids cannot resist these tender, juicy Asian-inspired chicken skewers. The combination of ginger, cardamom, and curry, sweetened by brown sugar, is sweet, savory, and bold! Serve them with a side of peanut coconut sauce and your taste buds will thank you. Special equipment: 24 wooden skewers 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes Marinade: 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon curry powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom Peanut Coconut Sauce (recipe follows), for serving 1. Soak the skewers in ice-cold water for 15 minutes to prevent them from burning; then set them aside. 2. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a separate bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken and massage the meat with your hands for 1 minute to coat the cubes well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. 3. Spray a grill rack with nonstick cooking spray and set the heat to high or use a grill pan. Thread 6 to 8 chicken cubes onto each skewer. When the grill is ready, cook the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the skewers over half-way through. Remove the skewers from the grill and allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving. 4. Serve the Peanut Coconut Sauce alongside. Variations: Cubes of top sirloin beef or pork loin can be substituted for the chicken. PEANUT COCONUT SAUCE From Savory Sweet Life: 100 Delicious Recipes for Every Family Occasion by Alice Currah (William Morrow, 2012). Copyright © 2012 by Alice Currah. Photographs by Alice Currah. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow. Makes almost 2 cups Some people love ketchup; others, barbecue sauce. In our home, this peanut coconut sauce is king. My daughter Abigail loves it so much that I often jokingly offer her some chicken with her sauce! She usually responds with a snarky grin, "More sauce, please." One 13.5-ounce can coconut milk 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1-1/2 teaspoons red curry paste 1. Combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, and red curry paste in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook's Note: Use this sauce over grilled meat, vegetables, steamed rice, or your favorite pasta dish. It will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Note: Chaokoh brand coconut milk works the best with this recipe because of its higher fat content, making for a thick and creamy sauce.

Coconut Macaroons

2 large eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup sugar
generous pinch of salt
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Spread parchment over cookie sheet or butter the sheet.

Whisk eggs, sugar, salt, and extract. Blend in coconut.

Drop spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Lime-Coconut Sherbet

Zest of 4 limes
1 cup sugar
1/2 water
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups whole milk
toasted coconut flakes

Combine zest, sugar, and water in saucepan and cook until sugar dissolves. Cool. Add lime juice. Combine all ingredients and process in ice cream maker until good texture.