Chicken Skewers with Satay Dip

I don't know what it is about Ina Garten's cookbooks that I love so much, but I am totally addicted to her cooking. Many of her recipes look complicated, but in reality they are really easy and quite fabulous. This particular recipe is one of my favorites because it reminds me of Minnesota...yeah, Minnesotan's love food on a stick, and this chicken skewer is awesome during the summer. So get your grill ready and start cookin'!

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
• 3/4 cup good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Heat a charcoal grill. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Skewer with wooden sticks and serve with Satay Dip.

SATAY DIP (makes 1 ½ cup)

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 2/3 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

DIRECTIONS

Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small, heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, sherry, and lime juice; cook for 1 more minute. Cool and serve as a dip for chicken skewers.