Five-Spice Coconut Chicken

Sometimes I forget how easy and good marinades are. Just mix up a few ingredients, plop the meat in, let it sit, and then grill it up--delicious. This recipe was great because it also combined the ingredients used in the marinade for a yummy dressing for the side dish. I used green beans instead of snap peas (steamed them up for about five minutes) and it turned out delicious. I think my 11-month old ate more of them than I did. I had some coconut milk left over after making the marinade so I threw that in with the rice in my rice cooker to make it extra flavorful. I baked the chicken at 375 for 20 minutes instead of grilling it, it turned out great.

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray Magazine

Five-Spice Coconut Chicken

1/3 c. plus 1 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut milk

2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. honey

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

1 tsp. salt

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1/2 lb. sugar snap peas

Cooked white rice, for serving

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp. coconut milk, 1 tsp. honey and 1 tsp. lime juice. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 c. coconut milk, 2 Tbsp. honey and 1 Tbsp. lime juice with the soy sauce, garlic, five-spice powder and salt. Add the chicken thighs, coating well. Marinate at least 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute; drain. Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with the reserved coconut-honey dressing.

4. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium. Grill the chicken thighs for about 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Serve with the sugar snap peas and rice.