Thai Chicken Skewers

Well if you haven't tried the Grilled Kale Marinated in Spicy Coconut Milk recipe I posted last month, you are just in time for an easy tip on what to do with your leftover marinade!

When I made the Kale Marinated in Spicy Coconut Milk, I ended up with a lot of leftover marinade. After marinating the kale in the spicy coconut mixture and grilling, I had all this excess marinade at the bottom of the pan. I just didn't have the heart to dump that delicious concoction that graced my beautiful organic kale, so I reserved the marinade, cubed some chicken breasts into chunks, added a bit of green curry paste, fresh lemongrass and brown sugar to the mixture, and marinated the chicken overnight. It was perfect for chicken skewers on the grill the next day!

Turquoise Thai-l Chicken Skewers:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into chunks

Reserved marinade* from Grilled Kale Marinated in Spicy Coconut Milk

2 1/2 Tbsp green curry paste

1 Tbsp minced fresh lemongrass (found at your local Asian market)

2 tsp brown sugar or honey

Juice of 1 lime (optional)

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and add cubed chicken. Cover and marinate 2-4 hours or overnight. Soak bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes before stringing chicken and grilling. Lightly oil grill grate and grill skewers over medium heat, turning occasionally for about 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. *Reserved marinade can be refrigerated for 3-4 days at most before use.

I whipped together a rice dish to go alongside, and both were quite a hit with the hubby. Here is a quick run down of what I added to the rice dish. All ingredients can be interchangeable and can be adjusted to your liking...so make it yours!

Southeast Asian Rice Pilaf:

Brown basmati rice cooked in vegetable broth

Add spices: 1 tsp each coriander & turmeric, dash of paprika & cayenne

Fresh squeezed orange juice & zest from the orange

Drizzle with lemon olive oil & some apple cider vinegar

Mix in golden raisins

Garnish with chopped scallions, cilantro, sliced almonds

salt & pepper to taste

Nutritional Nugget: Turmeric is one of nature's most powerful healers. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Turmeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was also used as a dye. The medicinal properties of this spice have slowly been revealing themselves over the centuries and prove beneficial for many health conditions including Alzheimer's disease and cancer. For more information on the health benefits of turmeric, click here:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html