Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Thai chicken satay is one of my absolute favorites! After grilling or broiling these strips of well-marinated chicken, the resulting dish is smoky, moist, and delicious. The peanut sauce only adds another dimension to this complex and satisfying meal.

The key to great Thai chicken satay is marinating the meat for several hours using a sweet, salty, and spicy marinade. (Spicy in the sense of flavorful, not hot.)

The marinade consists of lemongrass, shallots, garlic, red chilies, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, soy and fish sauces, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. This is quite the panoply of ingredients, but trust me, the result is worth it! read more

Russian Borscht Soup

Russian Borscht Soup with Toasted Bread

Russian Borscht Soup with Fresh Dill, Diced Hard-Boiled Egg, and Toasted Bread

Though it’s technically spring, it’s still quite cold here in Chicago and in much of the Northeast, which has kept me cooking all kinds of delicious soups. Last week, I made a Portuguese kale soup with chorizo, a creamy Thai coconut curry, and this robust Russian borscht soup.

Borscht is a very vegetable-heavy soup that features beets, cabbage, onion, carrot, and garlic. This combination results in a very earthy, sweet, and tangy soup. Some versions of borscht are completely vegetarian, while others incorporate beef, pork, or chicken. I like to add a little meat to borscht because I think it provides a nice textural contrast, but it’s great without it, so omit it if you prefer. read more

Applebee’s Copycat Recipe: Fiesta Lime Chicken

Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken Copy Cat RecipeFiesta Lime Chicken with Salsa Fresca and Mexican Red Rice

I love the Fiesta Lime Chicken at Applebee’s. It’s tender, juicy, and flavorful. I’ve been making a copycat version of this signature dish for a while now, and it’s quite good. I’ve even had a few friends request this meal on their birthdays. Broiled chicken is served atop crispy tortilla strips, alongside salsa fresca and Mexican red rice. The chicken is covered with a mildly spicy ranch sauce and melted cheese. Lime slices add some zest.Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken Marinade read more