"Indonesian" peanut chicken

I don't think this is in any way authentic (it comes from Betty Crocker's Bridal Cookbook, for goodness sake), but it sure is tasty. The thick peanut sauce is great over rice too. While you could easily do 4 breasts with this recipe (the original was written for a 3lb broiler-fryer), I like to make sure there's plenty of sauce to go around.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before beginning; the salt dehydrates the surface, which will improve browning. Then, in a hot skillet over medium-high heat, brown

1. 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, in
2. 2 T peanut oil (canola, vegetable, whatever)

It'll probably take 4-5 minutes on each side, depending on how hot your pan is. Remove chicken and keep warm (it'll finish cooking later). Add a bit more oil if necessary, then soften

1. 1/2 c chopped onion
2. 1/4 c chopped red bell pepper (or green, or leave it out)

In a small bowl, whisk together

1. 1/3 c peanut butter
2. 1/4 c chili sauce*
3. 1/2 c water

Doing it this way makes it easier to get smooth. Add peanut butter mixture to the skillet and stir to combine; add more water if the sauce is too thick for you, up to 1 c total water. You can also add some cayenne pepper for heat; or you could have blackened some dried chiles in the oil with before the onion went in. Katy and I prefer this one non-spicy, though. Now return the chicken to the skillet and simmer covered until cooked through. Serve sauce over chicken and rice, and top with

1. crushed/chopped peanuts
2. fresh-squeezed lime juice

I include extra lime wedges on the plate, too.

* Chili sauce is available in the oriental foods section of many grocery stores (for instance, H.T. Traders Red Chili Dipping Sauce). Mine has a clear red gelatinous base with tiny chunks of stuff suspended in it, and it's sweet and very mildly hot. Don't confuse this with the American ketchup-like condiment made by Heinz, and please don't confuse it with the uber-hot Thai chili (garlic) sauce that looks like tomato sauce with chile seeds in it. A quarter cup of that stuff will burn your tastebuds right out of your mouth...