Thai Inspired…

Lemongrass Chicken Skewers. Do you ever go out to eat and think, I could make that, why not? Happens to me all the time! So I was having Thai with my brother and his girlfriend recently, the lemongrass chicken sounded delish (and healthier than Pad Thai. Mind you, this was not a splurge meal. I’m still on vaca rebound.) But since I figured I could make that at home I decided on the Japanese eggplant and cashews over brown rice. Yum!! Side-note, if you’re in Seattle and looking for good cheap Thai I recommend Rice & Spice.. fabulous food and they’re so darn friendly!

Okay, moving on to MY Thai. I bought lemongrass, and to my surprise it doesn’t look like grass at all. They’re thick stalks, similar to green onions but sturdier. Suddenly I’m wondering, what does one do with lemongrass?? So a little Googling, a lot sifting through my pantry, and bam!! Let the creativity begin.. (did that ‘bam’ make me sound like Emeril? Because that’s what I was going for).

Lemongrass Chicken Skewers:
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cubed (I like organic, free range)
3 tsp Soy Sauce, low-sodium
2 tsp Chili Oil
1 tsp Sesame Oil
4 stalks Lemon Grass cut into 1″ pieces
3 garlic cloves miced
Salt, Pepper & Red Pepper flakes.. appena basta (I like it HOT)

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and marinade chicken cubes for 1 hour. Lace onto skewers with veggies of choice, I added sweet onion and red bell peppers. Then it’s grillin’ time! About 10 minutes, turning once. This could definitely be done under the broiler, but why would you when you can just barbecue? Any ol’ excuse to light the grill makes me happy. Not to mention, we Seattleites don’t have air conditioning so keeping the heat outside is favorable!

Wild rice turned out to be the perfect accompanying grain. Did you know wild rice has higher protein, lower carbs, fat and about 25% less calories per serving than brown rice? Micronutrients like B Vitamins, sodium, etcetera vary a little, but I was excited to learn that its a great alternative. Seconds please..

When’s the last time you tried something new? Are you loving grilling season as much as I am?