Chicken Satay with Kecap Manis & Peanut Sauce

Happy Chinese New Year! Did you know 2016 is the Year of the Monkey? Do you know any Monkeys? My mom is one, and she would tell you Monkeys are the best. I’m inclined to agree, not because I’m a Monkey (I’m not), but because she’s my mom (duh). I whipped up some delicious Chicken Satay with Kecap Manis and Peanut Sauce to celebrate, and I am oh so glad I did, because yum.

Since you are supposed to start out the year with only happiness, there are few things better at making you happy than some damn good food. How about food that takes like…zero time to make?
Happy yet? Oh baby, oh baby.

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The real secret to making this chicken satay authentic is the kecap manis. It’s nothing fancy at all, really, just good quality brown sugar and some delicious Kikkoman Soy Sauce. Since it’s traditionally brewed and aged for several months, it can give any dish an added boost of flavor. And by replacing ½ tsp of table salt with ½ tsp of Kikkoman Soy Sauce, you’re throwing 1000mg of sodium out the door! Hello, awesome!

So I just boiled the sauce together for a few minutes to thicken up, then threw some in to the peanut sauce concoction, and thinned out the rest with some butter to smear all over the chicken satay skewers! The skewers themselves grill up in just a few minutes, which is nice, especially when you’re in a hurry to celebrate, which I always am, of course.

Can’t keep me away from the food, yo.

I also added some Kikkoman Soy Sauce to make my hoisin dressing, which I drizzled readily over the pieces of chicken satay I wasn’t dipping in the peanut sauce. I served everything with a side of quick-pickled cucumbers and carrots and everyone gathered around the table for a mondo celebration feast!

Are you looking for good luck this year? Did you welcome back the Kitchen God to watch over your home this Year of the Monkey? What Chinese New Year traditions do you practice in your home???

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.