Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Satay Sauce

While I was cooking tonight's dinner, my son called me.  He's been in Italy for the last 11 days (but who's counting?) and will be home tomorrow.

I exclaimed, "Sean!  I've been thinking about you!  Listen!" and I held the phone to the speaker so he could hear Rosemary Clooney singing "Mambo Italiano." 

I like to listen to Italian music while I cook dinner, you know.  Or songs in English sung by Italian-Americans.   Or songs in English that remind me of songs that are sung in English by Italian-Americans.  Or songs in English sung by Americans who wish they were Italian.   Glad we got that squared away.

And then when I'm baking, I like to listen to alternative music.  Maybe because alternative music gives me a rush like a sugary high?  NOT to be confused with The Archie's "Sugar, Sugar."  I don't know what that song would put me in the mood to cook.

What is the point to all this rambling, you wonder?  I'm thinking that from now on, I will include a "cooking playlist" with my recipes.  To set the mood while you cook.

Today's Playlist

• "The Sheik of Napoli".......Lou Monte
• "Fly Me To The Moon"......Frank Sinatra
• "That's Amore".........Dean Martin
• "Jump In The Line"......Harry Belafonte
• "Lazy Mary"...........Lou Monte
• "Mambo Italiano".......Rosemary Clooney
• "Pennies From Heaven".........Frank Sinatra
• "L-O-V-E"........Nat King Cole
• "Beyond The Sea"........Bobby Caldwell
• "Moondance".......Michael Buble

Today's recipe is for sandwiches.......with grilled chicken, crunchy veggies and a satay-type peanut sauce.

It's a great summertime recipe.  My oldest daughter and Mr. Terrific would say it's one of their favorites and I don't make it often enough.

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Satay Sauce
Printable recipe

• 3 large boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning
• juice of 1 lime

Sauce ingredients:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Crunchy veggies

• 3 cups of your favorite crunchy veggies, shredded or chopped (like carrots, radishes, celery, cucumbers, lettuce)

• 4 large crusty rolls or sub rolls
• 1 clove of garlic

Gather your marinade ingredients.  If you've got a deja-vu feeling, you may be remembering this post, the BLT/Chicken Salad  recipe.  This is my favorite marinade.

Measure the olive oil and grill spice into a medium bowl, juice the lime and mix it in.

Take your chicken breasts and slice them in half.  Place your palm on top of the chicken, firmly hold it down and slide your knife horizontally across to slice it in half.

Place the chicken breasts into the bowl with the marinade.  Stir them until they are well coated.  Let them marinate while you make the satay sauce and chop your veggies. 

 I will be serving carrots, lettuce and cucumbers with these sandwiches because those are the veggies my family is most likely to eat.  They're kinda picky.

Prep the veggies--shred or chop them into small pieces.

Shred the carrot.

Cucumbers don't shred very easily, so I slice them into small chunks, and then slice them horizontally....

....and then pile up the slices..........

.....and slice some more.

Lettuce is easy, just pile up the leaves.....

......and slice right through them.

Time to pre-heat your grill to medium-high heat for the chicken.

Also, preheat your oven broiler to toast the rolls.

Let's make the peanut sauce.  I use my mini-prep food processor.

Place the peanut butter,

the soy sauce,

and (let's pretend you're looking at the picture I didn't take) the apple juice into the the bowl.

Most satay recipes that I've seen have brown sugar in them, but I want to add more liquid to this.  The apple juice will take care of the sweetness as well as adding liquid.

Mix it up.

Your grill should be ready.  Place the chicken on the grill and set your timer for 3 minutes.

I bought these loaves of bread and this roll at the farmers' market.  There weren't any rolls other than "pretzel rolls"........which I had never bought before.  I decided to try one pretzel roll, and slice the loaves into smaller sections for sub rolls.

To toast the rolls:  crush the clove of garlic. Take the whole, unpeeled clove, smash it with the flat of your knife, lift off the skin and rub the crushed clove all over the cut rolls to infuse them with the essence of garlic.

Go check on your chicken.  Flip them and set the timer for another three minutes.

Place your rolls into your oven to broil.  Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn!

By the time the rolls are toasted, the chicken should be finished as well.

Slice the chicken into thin strips.

Gather the veggies that you've already prepped, and start piling everything onto the rolls.

First the chicken,

then slather on the peanut sauce,

then pile on the veggies.

Squish down the top of the roll.  Now, just wait. 

The sandwich will taste best if you allow it to sit for a few minutes so that all the flavors can blend.  The smokiness of the grilled chicken, the peanutty sweetness of the sauce, the flavor of the garlic-infused rolls all need to mix and merge, marry and mingle. 

While you're waiting, hum a verse or two from one of the songs on the playlist.  You did listen to the playlist, right?

Okay, if you didn't listen to the playlist, sing the theme song from "The Beverly Hillbillies" instead.  When you're done singing.......

enjoy your sandwich!