Even Better Thai Peanut Sauce & Homemade Peanut Butter
Like most of my generation, I grew up watching Sesame Street...and the very best episode of Sesame Street was the one that showed a clip of a peanut butter factory in full production mode. I thought that was pretty much the coolest thing ever, and it solidified in my mind peanut butter's status as awesomeness in a jar. Peanut butter has gotten me through three pregnancies spoonful by spoonful, and is also a key player in some of the most decadent desserts I've shared on this blog.
And yesterday, I made some. From peanuts! This is big.
In March of last year I posted a recipe for Chicken Fried Rice that I like to serve with peanut sauce drizzled over the top. But the recipe I shared for the sauce wasn't very authentic, and I've since discovered a recipe that I like a lot a lot a lot more. The new recipe calls for 3/4 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter, which is not the kind I usually keep around. So I had to make some--and it's so easy. Great party trick too...or not...I don't really go to parties.
First, you need peanuts. I think about 1.5 cups of peanuts turns into 3/4 cups when it's all blended up.
I just used unsalted, dry roasted peanuts from Aldi. They were fine, but the ingredient label is sort of silly.
Allergen information: contains peanuts. Good so far, because that's what I bought. May contain: 5 billion other kinds of nuts including coconut, and wheat...which is not a nut. Huh. Anyway.
A mini chopper/food processor is handy and perfect for blending things up in this quantity. Just process on high speed. It's about halfway done when it looks crumbly like this:
Keep going.
Almost there.
Perfect. Now, if Thai peanut sauce doesn't interest you, you could go ahead and spread this on some toast. Or apple pancakes. Or eat it by the spoonful. You really don't need to add anything else...it's delightfully peanutty, slightly grainy, not unnaturally sweet. DeLISH. But we're making the sauce.
Easy Thai Peanut Sauce (from SheSimmers)
1 13.5 oz. can full fat coconut milk
2 oz. Thai red or Massaman curry paste (I use a full 4 oz. can of the Massaman)
3/4 c. unsweetend, natural peanut butter
1/2 T. salt
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. apple cider or white vinegar
1/2 c. water
Put all the ingredients together in a medium sized sauce pan and whisk together, bringing to a gentle boil over low heat. Simmer 3-5 minutes being careful not to let it scorch. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, and serve as a satay sauce or as a garnishing sauce for Chicken Fried Rice.
Sweet, spicy, salty...I think that scratches all the craving itches. :) Hope you're staying warm, bloggy friends. Feeling very, very grateful these days for God's provision of shelter and heat. This polar vortex business is crazy. I know it's been even colder in some places, but wind chill here made it feel like -24 degrees the other night, and I shared this picture on Facebook of me wearing at least 20 scarves to show how I felt about that.
And yesterday, I made some. From peanuts! This is big.
In March of last year I posted a recipe for Chicken Fried Rice that I like to serve with peanut sauce drizzled over the top. But the recipe I shared for the sauce wasn't very authentic, and I've since discovered a recipe that I like a lot a lot a lot more. The new recipe calls for 3/4 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter, which is not the kind I usually keep around. So I had to make some--and it's so easy. Great party trick too...or not...I don't really go to parties.
First, you need peanuts. I think about 1.5 cups of peanuts turns into 3/4 cups when it's all blended up.
I just used unsalted, dry roasted peanuts from Aldi. They were fine, but the ingredient label is sort of silly.
Allergen information: contains peanuts. Good so far, because that's what I bought. May contain: 5 billion other kinds of nuts including coconut, and wheat...which is not a nut. Huh. Anyway.
A mini chopper/food processor is handy and perfect for blending things up in this quantity. Just process on high speed. It's about halfway done when it looks crumbly like this:
Keep going.
Almost there.
Perfect. Now, if Thai peanut sauce doesn't interest you, you could go ahead and spread this on some toast. Or apple pancakes. Or eat it by the spoonful. You really don't need to add anything else...it's delightfully peanutty, slightly grainy, not unnaturally sweet. DeLISH. But we're making the sauce.
Easy Thai Peanut Sauce (from SheSimmers)
1 13.5 oz. can full fat coconut milk
2 oz. Thai red or Massaman curry paste (I use a full 4 oz. can of the Massaman)
3/4 c. unsweetend, natural peanut butter
1/2 T. salt
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. apple cider or white vinegar
1/2 c. water
Put all the ingredients together in a medium sized sauce pan and whisk together, bringing to a gentle boil over low heat. Simmer 3-5 minutes being careful not to let it scorch. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, and serve as a satay sauce or as a garnishing sauce for Chicken Fried Rice.
Sweet, spicy, salty...I think that scratches all the craving itches. :) Hope you're staying warm, bloggy friends. Feeling very, very grateful these days for God's provision of shelter and heat. This polar vortex business is crazy. I know it's been even colder in some places, but wind chill here made it feel like -24 degrees the other night, and I shared this picture on Facebook of me wearing at least 20 scarves to show how I felt about that.
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