Paleo Chicken Satay with Fiery "Noodle" Salad

I record cooking shows like they're going out of style. Individual shows, series', anything and everything that looks interesting. Some I watch right away, others may sit on the PVR for months, or even years. Such was the case with a show that inspired Friday night's dinner. Recorded in the summer of 2011, I watched Jamie's "Chicken Satay with Fiery Noodle Salad" episode of "30 Minute Meals" and with only a few minor adjustments, made it fully paleo, without losing any of the incredible flavour or adding to the cooking time. I omitted the dessert altogether and we had some cut up fresh fruit instead.

As Jamie points out in the episode, in order to keep the timing down, you really need to get everything organized first. Read through the recipe in its entirely, and get out all of the ingredients and equipment needed.

Ingredients

Satay

1/2 a small bunch of fresh cilantro

1 fresh red hot chili

1/2 clove of garlic

3 heaped tablespoons good-quality crunchy almond butter

dash gluten-free tahini

2cm piece of fresh ginger

2 limes

Chicken

4 180 gram skinless chicken breasts

Noodle Salad

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash (1/2 cup per person)

100 grams unsalted cashews

1/2 medium-sized red onion

1 fresh red chili

1 small bunch of fresh cilantro

1–2 tablespoons gluten-free tahini

1 lime

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon honey

Garnish

2 little gem lettuces (I used a spring mix)

1/2 handful of fresh coriander

1 fresh red chili (optional)

dash gluten-free tahini

1 lime

Procedure
Start with the satay sauce. Add the coriander (stalks and all), chili (stalk removed), peeled garlic, 3 heaped tablespoons of almond butter and a lug of soy sauce, to a food processor. Peel and roughly chop the ginger and add. Finely grate in the zest of both limes, then squeeze in the juice from 1 of them. Add a couple of splashes of water and process to a sauce. Season to taste. Spoon half into a nice bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, put the rest aside.

On plastic cutting board, cut the chicken breast into 1"-1 1/2" cubes and thread onto wooden (or metal) skewers. Scoop the rest of the satay mix from the processor into a roasting tray, add the chicken skewers and toss with your hands to coat, rubbing the flavour into the meat. Remove cutting board and knife and wash hands. the chicken with olive oil and season with salt. Put on the top shelf of the oven, under the broiler, for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.

Bake 1 medium spaghetti squash and scoop out the flesh with a fork to make "noodles." Put the squash in a medium sized bowl. Bash up the cashew nuts and add to the pan to toast. Peel the onion and place in a processor with the chili and cilantro. Pulse. Place in a large bowl with 1-2 tbsp tahini sauce and a little olive oil. Add the juice of 1 lemon, the sesame oil and fish sauce. Season and add to the cooked spaghetti squash. Toss the cashews in the pan with some sesame seeds and 1 tsp honey. Once golden, add to the bowl with some more cilantro leaves.

Serve with extra cilantro, fresh red chili, tahini and lime wedges.

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories 404.2, Fat 25.6g, Saturated Fat 4.1g, Cholesterol 44mg, Sodium 158mg, Potassium 482.1mg, Carbohydrates 22.0g, Fiber 5.4g, Protein 25.1g.