A light, bright salad that's bursting with flavor thanks to the sweet, hot tang of its dressing. The hot sauce here is sambal olek, which hails not from Thailand, but Indonesia. Feel free to use sriracha or another hot sauce instead, making sure to adjust the amount since different sauces have different levels of spiciness.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, sambal oelek, fish sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, and salt. Pour about ⅓ of the dressing over the chicken (or tofu) and toss well. Marinate in the fridge for at least one hour (up to overnight).
In a large bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage, basil, mint, and scallions. Set the oranges on a cutting board and use a serrated edge or very sharp knife to shear off the peel and pith. Cut in quarters through the stem ends and then slice crosswise into ¼-inch triangles. Add to the salad.
Thread the marinated chicken/tofu onto wooden skewers and lightly season with salt and black pepper. Broil or grill the skewers on all sides until cooked through.
Notes: Sambal oelek is a spicy Indonesian chile sauce. You can find it in the Asian section of many supermarkets and specialty stores. If you don’t have sambal oelek, substitute sriracha and start with just a few teaspoons, increasing the amount as needed to taste.