Peanut Chicken

First recipe! So, I suppose a first recipe should have some significance, and this one really does. One of my favorite restaurants in Dallas is a Thai place, and I go there every time I get the chance. What makes it even sadder is the fact that there is no Thai restaurant in College Station. So, in a fit of longing for some Thai, I found a recipe for peanut chicken. Peanut chicken is my favorite Thai dish, which is quite ironic because I can't handle spicy food. Just a hint of chili oil, and my eyes start watering like I suddenly have a terrible case of allergies. I suffer through it, though, because I LOVE peanut sauce. It's so rich and has just the right amount of sweetness. So, when I realized I had the chance to make it without the spiciness, I jumped at the chance.

When I first tried this recipe, I was actually rather disappointed. The sauce was very bland. So, I decided to sweeten it up and replace shrimp in the original with chicken. And that, my friends, is how the dish came into existence. It probably isn't traditional (the Italian dressing was my first clue!), but it's tasty.

Peanut Chicken
Adapted from Gooseberry Patch Family Favorite Recipes
Serves 1
Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 c. Italian dressing (divided use)
• 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/8th package noodles (enough for one serving)
• 1/3 c. peanuts

Recipe
Coat the chicken in 1/4 c. Italian dressing and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the peanut sauce, whisk the rest of the dressing, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, and ginger until smooth.
Cook the noodles as directed (I chose whole-wheat linguini) - drain and set aside.Heat sesame oil in pan, and use it to cook the chicken at medium heat. Saute, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through (probably around 5 minutes).

Toss peanut sauce, chicken, and noodles at low heat until the sauce is well-incorporated.
Grind peanuts in food processor and garnish.

Enjoy! Sadly, another weekend has come and gone, so perhaps this would be a good meal to stave off the Mondays with?