if you’re anything like mr. lusher & i, this week is going to be jam packed.  & packed with all kinds of work related events involving food.

or several potlucks with all kinds of casseroles that may or may not resemble vegetables at all.  a week like this one will be one when a dish like this is so, so welcome.  with a little healthy protein, the crunch of some fresh {recognizable!} veggies & a slightly spicy, asian inspired peanut sauce, this all comes together in about 30 minutes…which is about all the free time the two of us are going to get.

serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz spaghetti

FOR THE MARINADE:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE:
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced

FOR THE CUCUMBER SAMBAL:
1 cup hothouse cucumber, diced
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, seeded & diced
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1.  preheat grill, or grill pan, to medium high.  bring a large pot of water to a boil & salt well.

2.  combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, or large ziploc bag.  toss in chicken & let each breast get well coated.  grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, until cooked all the way through.  remove from grill, cover with a foil tent & allow to sit aside while everything else comes together.

3.  in a separate bowl, combine all the sambal ingredients.  set aside.

4.  cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions.  drain & return to pot.  in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat the chicken broth, peanut butter, brown sugar, vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger & garlic chili sauce.  bring to a simmer & cook for 1-2 minutes.  remove from heat, stir in cilantro.  pour sauce over pasta & toss well to coat.

5.  plate each chicken breast with pasta & top with sambal.  serve.

from tasty kitchen user gitskit