Thai Cashew Coconut Rice Chicken Salad

This salad is absolutely delicious! It does have a few steps and does take some time but it is well worth the effort! The ginger peanut sauce adds a huge amount of flavor! Jim and I both really liked this and Robby really enjoyed the chicken in this dish! Overall that’s a winner for me!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE COCONUT RICE
1 1/2 cups dry jasmine rice
1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of water

FOR THE SALAD
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 red cabbage, shredded
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup of cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup scallions
1 cup cashews, chopped

GINGER PEANUT SAUCE

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
water, to thin to your desired consistency

FOR THE CHICKEN

2 to 3 chicken breasts
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 lime,  juiced

DIRECTIONS
Starting with the chicken, mix all ingredients in a Ziploc bag and let marinate for 4 hours. After the marinating is done place the chicken in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice into bite size peices. to make teh rice start with a medium size pot mix together the rice, cocnut milk, garlic, salt and water. Cover and bring to a boil once the pot comes to a rolling boil reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes and the liqiud is absorbed. Turn the heat off and let sit with the lid on for ten minutes.
While waiting for the rice, you can make the peanut sauce by combining all the ingredients except the water and mix the best you can, then add your desired amount of water to get your desired consistency. Stir frequently when adding the water.  Fluff your rice and add all of your chopped vegetables and cashews. Add your sliced chicken and drizzle with the peanut dressing.

Enjoy,

This recipe is adapted from www.hostthetoast.com