Filipino Chicken Adobo Kebabs with Sriracha Ketchup

Generally, I’m a friendly guy, but I’ve been told I look angry when I’m at the gym (even though I swear, I'm the nicest person ever.)
Part of me likes getting grumpy at the gym because it fuels a better workout. But what really happens is that I just put my ipod in, blast my own music, tune out and on focus do what I have to do.
For real, I’m not mad. I’m just concentrating.
I might have music in my ears, but I’m just rocking a playlist, not creating an invisible shield that says “Don’t talk to me!”
If you ever smile at me and say “Hi”, I will smile and say “Hi” back. I promise.

Then of course, there are things that are guaranteed to irritate me.
Like people neglecting to wipe their sweat off the equipment they used. I don’t mean to be fussy, it’s really about hygiene and respect for the others.
I sweat a lot when I workout, but I make sure to wipe my face and whatever equipment I’m using before, during and after.
Your sweat should not touch other person under any circumstances. I’m looking at you Mr. I’m-running-on-the-treadmill-and-sweating-within-a-100-mile-radius.

Another thing that annoys me is when people are chilling in the stretching area talking to each other instead of working out, when you actually need to stretch or do some core work.
I get that a gym is a social setting, full of great opportunity to meet new people, to make new friends and earn a place among your peers; but can you do it while working out/stretching?
If you’re too tired, you can always go to the juice bar. That’s the perfect spot to chat.
My friend Alex always grumbles about those girls that sit on the stationary bikes reading magazines and cycle so slowly they are getting less exercise than if they were knitting.
He also gets annoyed when someone someone stands by the machine he’s using gawping at him (i.e., catching flies) whilst he finishes his sets. He finds it incredibly off-putting and once he almost started a fight.
Alex is not the most patient or forgiving person in the world though. His opinions are not that relevant, to be honest.

Okay, enough about gym annoyances, let’s talk about good food.
Better yet, good food to eat after a grueling workout.
For instance, these Filipino Chicken Adobo Kebabs are on the awesome side if you ask me.
The marinade is so good you'll want to use it on everything. It really does all the heavy lifting here, it has a ton of flavor and a little bit of heat.
The aroma of browning, marinade-saturated chicken will drive you crazy. True story.
And the Sriracha ketchup is truly amazing, like really amazing. I don’t want to talk about it, because it’s so good you have to try it. Period.

Filipino Chicken Adobo Kebabs with Sriracha Ketchup                               Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 4

Filipino Chicken Adobo Kebabs

1 lb / 453 gr free-range organic chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch chunks
½ cup / 125 ml water
¼ cup / 60 ml apple cider vinegar (or raw coconut vinegar)
2 tablespoons organic wheat-free soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (I used Red Boat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tablespoon raw organic honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 whole anise pods
1 bay leaf
Chopped cilantro to serve

Sriracha ketchup

8 tablespoons ketchup (make your own ketchup with this recipe)
2 tablespoons Sriracha (make your own Sriracha with this recipe)
1 tablespoon raw organic honey
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon white vinegar (or rice vinegar)

Directions

In a bowl combine water, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, anise pods and bay leaf. Set aside.
In a shallow sealable container or in a large Ziploc bag, combine chicken chunks and marinade.
Cover (or seal) and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (marinate overnight for fullest flavor.)
In the meantime make Sriracha ketchup. In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, sriracha, honey, lime juice, cilantro, and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
Remove the chicken chunks from the marinade and skewer onto stainless steel skewer (or bamboo sticks that have been soaked in water for 5 minutes).
Heat a grill or a grill pan to medium-high (if you’re using an outdoor grill lightly oil the grates.)
Grill the chicken kebabs until golden brown and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with Sriracha ketchup on the side.

Nutrition facts

One serving (without Sriracha ketchup) yields 234 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs and 33 grams of protein.