A simple, nutty Chinese inspired treat for two.

Satay peanut chicken can be a bit like marmite – you either love it or you hate it. In my household, it’s a total love. In fact I think it’s the only way I ever use up the jar of peanut butter in my cupboard.

The well know nutty, slightly spicy chicken dish can present itself in so many ways – skewers, curries, and in this case, pittas! Stuff this saucy Chinese style chicken into the warm pocket of a pitta and top it with sharp pickled vegetables, and you’ll find you’re onto a complete winner.

Traditionally, you’ll find a satay peanut chicken recipe will include coconut milk. But this dinner recipe for two actually uses creme fraiche and desiccated coconut instead. This helps bring the fat content of the dish down – with coconut milk often being quite high in fat, and therefore can be avoided on some diets.

Another benefit of this Chinese style dinner recipe is the simplicity of it. It’s actually easier than you think to replicate that well known nutty flavour of chicken satay – and the fridge does all the hard work for you by marinating all those unctuous flavours together. The actual cooking time is quite short – simply pan fry your ingredients and stuff into a pitta and voila, you’re there.

I also love that this mid-week dinner could easily become a healthy packed lunch for work the next day!

Recipe ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger or ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon of curry powder
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
• 1/2 a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes
• 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons of low fat creme fraiche
• 1 tablespoon of low fat smooth peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon of desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 a white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 carrot
• 3cm cucumber
• 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
• 2 pitta breads
• Handful of salad leaves
• Sesame oil
• Salt

Cooking utensils

• A pan
• 2 bowls
• Sharp knives
• Chopping boards
• Cheese grater
• Wooden spoon
• Toaster

1. To a bowl, add your ginger, curry powder, turmeric, chilli flakes, garlic granules and rice vinegar. Stir, then add your dark soy sauce, peanut butter, creme fraiche and desiccated coconut. Add the zest of half a lime and squeeze the juice in and give it a good stir.
2. Slice your chicken breasts and add to your peanut sauce marinade, coating thoroughly. Cover and pop in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Whilst your chicken is marinating, slice your cucumber into thin batons and grate your carrot into a bowl. Squeeze in your untouched second lime, then add your sugar, white wine vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. Stir and let your vegetables pickle.
4. Grab your red pepper and half an onion and roughly chop – thin slices or big chunks, it’s up to you! Then chop your 2 garlic cloves and set all aside.
5. Retrieve your marinated peanut chicken out of the fridge and heat some sesame oil in a pan on a medium heat.
6. Add your chicken and fry until browned – this will take 7 – 10 minutes.
7. Tip in your red pepper and onion, cooking for a further 5 minutes or so before adding the garlic and cooking for another couple of minutes.
8. Whilst your peanut chicken is cooking away, pop your pittas into the toaster to get nice and crispy, whilst staying warm and soft inside.
9. Add a splash of water to your saucy chicken to loosen it up a little, and get your pitta pockets ready.
10. Stuff with some salad leaves, bundle in your warming, peanut chicken and top with your sharp pickled vegetables.
11. If you’d like, top with some spare sauce from the pan and sprinkle with some chopped peanuts – this is totally optional!

Tasty tips!

• Double up your marinade ingredients and split the “sauce” into two bowls before adding your chicken to one. Then you have extra peanut satay style sauce to drizzle on top, or even dunk some salt & pepper chips into!
• Make this Chinese inspired dinner recipe vegetarian, by swapping out the chicken with chunks of halloumi or Quorn. It’s a total winner!
• Keep costs low by swapping out some ingredients – sesame oil can be switched for vegetable oil, and chicken thighs could easily be used in place of chicken breasts in this dinner recipe.