Thai Chicken Skewers (Indian Inspiration?)

Alright, so "Dinner A" went well--but salads aren't very exciting, so I didn't take any pictures. Yesterday, since I was at home for most of the day, I decided to tackle "Indian Inspiration" night ("Dinner C")--which completely metamorphosed as I researched recipes. I discovered pretty quickly that we have a lot more Thai ingredients than Indian ones, and I also realized that, while I might not get to use the coconut milk, I could still avoid purchasing anything more than naan. (And let's be honest--I could have used rice, but I really just love Trader Joe's naan!)

So, here's what was cooking last night: Thai Chicken and Mango Skewers. (I'm providing a link to the original recipe here, but what I'll outline below is the recipe with the modifications I made, based on what we had.)

Step 1: Mix together the marinade in a blender or food processor.

Marinade Ingredients
1-2 tsp. lemon zest
4-5 cloves garlic
1 tsp. fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
1/2 tsp red chili paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I cheated with the tube variety!)
3 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3+1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce (I might reduce this to 2+1/2 or 3 Tbsp. next time)
1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 rounded tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. liquid honey
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

My marinade may not look pretty, but it smelled and tasted delicious!

Step 2: Chop chicken and vegetables and place in a ziploc bag.

Ingredients 
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces (I had a pretty purple one from the Farmers' Market)
1 semi-ripe mango (too ripe won't hold on the skewers)
1 onion, cut into square pieces

My chicken, onion, pepper, and mango, all ready to marinate!

Step 3: Add marinade to bag and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours. (This is also a good time to soak your skewers, if you're using wooden ones.)

Step 4: Skewer marinated chicken, mango, red pepper, and onion onto satay sticks, alternating ingredients.

I wish you could smell through the computer, because these smelled amazing!

Step 5: Cook skewers, either by grilling or broiling in the oven.

To Grill
Place skewers on a hot, lightly oiled grill. Baste with leftover marinade after turning for the first time. Cook until meat, vegetables, and fruit are nicely browned with charred edges and opaque inside (about 15 minutes). (As you can see in the photos below, our outdoor grill ran out of gas, so we "grilled" on our Emeril griller/griddle--it worked great!)

To Broil (Oven Method)
Place prepared skewers on a foil or parchment-paper lined cookie sheet or broiling pan and set oven to BROIL. Set pan under the heating element and broil 5-8 minutes before turning. After turning for the first time, baste with the leftover marinade. Continue turning every 5 minutes until satays are nicely browned and charred at edges and meat is opaque inside.

Step 6: Serve with jasmine rice or naan bread and chutney.

So pretty--and they taste even better!

The verdict? Jeff and I loved these! The mango was just the right amount of sweet, and it turned out we didn't even need the chutney--they were so juicy and well seasoned. I think we'll make them next time with company--they look pretty impressive, don't they? Plus, you can do so much of the prep ahead of time!