Grilled Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce and Grilled Masa Cakes, Birdeye

Delish I tell you!

The delicious grilled masa cakes

This is a shot of the spicy peanut sauce before blending.  Shout out to Bob Hardin,
Kara's dad, who told me over the summer that he LOVES this blender.  I got
his brand from Polly and had this on my Christmas list.  It's so convenient compared
to dragging out my big ole blender for a puree.

I shared this recipe in 2011 but I made it recently cannot not share it again.  I love Terry Conlan, Lake Austin Spa's chef.  My fabulous sister-in-law, Kara, gave me Fresh, his cookbook and I've loved 99% of the recipes in it.

Here's how Terry's recipe goes (you'll have most all these ingredients in your pantry and if not, substitute like I did....):

"Peanuts are indigenous to the Americas and have played an important role as a nutritious binder for Mexican sauces and moles since pre-Columbian times.  In this recipe, they are pureed with tomatoes, chipolte chiles (smoked jalapenos), lime juice and seasonings to create a wonderfully spicy, slightly piquant salsa that adds a lively interest in the simple goodness of the chicken and masa cakes."

4 4oz boneless, skinless all-natural chicken breasts (I can only find organic chicken locally in the Wal-mart freezer out in the middle of the isle)
2 medium tomatoes (I used Cherubs salad tomatoes, about a pint)
2 garlic gloves, I used 4
1 canned chipolte chile in adobo sauce (you'll find this in the Latino isle at Hay's)
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. dried leaf oregano
1/4 C. chopped cilantro
3 T. smooth reduced fat all-natural peanut butter (I used 1 T regular peanut butter)
2 T. lime juice

Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.  Spray each piece lightly with nonstick cooking spray, then grill over hot coals until cooked through.  (I find using my grill pan that Kara gave me for my birthday years ago works just as great if you don't wanna grill in the cold temps outside)  Grill the tomatoes, turning them occasionally, until they begin to char and soften (I broiled in the oven for 4 minutes).  Remove the tomatoes from the grill and combine in a blend with the remaining ingredients.  Puree the mixture, thin with water or stock as needed.  Serve the chicken covered with the warm sauce and Masa Potato Cakes.  Lemme just say how fabulous this is!  WOW, it'll be on your table in say 20 minutes, literally.  Serve with a salad from your garden and you're a gourmet cook!  I have romaine, arugula and spinach in my garden right now.   I had an avocado so I added it.

The Masa Potato Cakes

1/4 C. masa harina de maiz (this is similar to cornmeal)
1/2 C. water
1 C. cooked and mashed potatoes (I microwaved one russet for 6 minutes on high in the microwave)
1 garlic clove, minced, I used 2
1 T. minced, fresh chives (I didn't have this, I used the green of a green onion from my garden)
3/4 t. salt
1/4 C. crumbled feta cheese  (there really isn't a substitution here, but maybe Gorgonzola)
2 t. olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and shaped into four 1/2 inch thick disks.  Heat the olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute the cakes until browned and crisp on both sides.