THE Very Best Peanut Sauce

See the picture below? It's a simple photo of five basic ingredients, some (if not all) of which I bet you have in your pantry right now!

Okay, you may argue the red curry paste, but can I just tell you, I tried to find red curry paste at our local grocer for over two weeks and they were completely cleaned out? So there are a lot of people, somewhere in this community, with red curry paste in their pantry/fridge, but I digress.

These five simple simple ingredients are going to change your life. Trust me (unless you have a peanut allergy, in which case all bets are off). 

Photo courtesy of Lynne Cannon O'Connell. 

Those of you who have followed this blog for a while, know that every year or so, I wax poetic about peanut sauce. I love it. And, well, it's time has come!

We've received napa cabbage in a couple of our CSA shares this season and it pairs so incredibly well with the sauce, that I made it my mission to incorporate it into our dinner menu one night last week. 

I simply grilled some boneless, skinless chicken breast (which we bought through our chicken share at Square Roots Farm). Once it was cool enough to handle, I sliced it thinly and placed it on top of a bed of chopped napa cabbage that had been tossed with some shredded carrots and onion greens, also from Square Roots Farm (except for the carrots - it's not quite time for those yet).

Then I drizzled the room temperature peanut sauce on top (generously) and finished the plate off with a sprinkle of peanuts for some added crunch.

The sauce recipe, which came from Alice Currah's Savory Sweet Life cookbook, is really quite quick and easy to make. 

1 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I add closer to a 1/2 cup or more)

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce (or Tamari if you're gluten free)

1 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste

Combine the coconut mile, peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce and red curry paste in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. 

NOTE: This sauce keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks, if it lasts that long. Use it over grilled meat, vegetables, steamed rice, your favorite pasta or eat it right off a spoon - it's THAT good! 

Buon Appetito!

PS - We drizzled this sauce on some sauteed chicken breast with snap peas served over rice a few nights later. DELICIOUS!

Give me a P(ea)!

One of the rites of summer in my house is to make risotto with the first farm-fresh pint of shell peas in our CSA share (I've also been known to break down and use sugar snap peas - you can read about that here).  Another favorite summertime combo is snow peas and pasta tossed with peanut sauce.  (Okay, I would eat liver if it was doused in peanut sauce...what's your point?) 

Last week, the pickin' was good at Holiday Brook Farm and the boy and I picked a pint of snow peas in minutes flat.  That same boy then proceeded to eat half the pint of snow peas in minutes flat.  Sigh.  I know, I should be happy about this, but I had plans for those peas!  I was determined though.  I've made many a peanut sauce over the years, but couldn't wait to try the recipe for Peanut Coconut Sauce in my Savory Sweet Life cookbook.

I adore peanut sauce.  So much so, that I was tempted to forego the peas and noodles and just drink it straight from the quart jar in which I'm storing this sauce.  But then I wouldn't have a local, garden-related post to share with you.  So I proceeded, with my measly supply of peas in hand (just how measly will become evident in my 'reveal photo' below).

I followed Alice's recipe exactly, 'though I couldn't find the Chaokoh brand coconut milk that she recommended;  I used Native Forest brand instead.  And I substituted Tamari sauce for Soy so it was gluten free.  Here's the step by step.

Peanut Coconut Sauce - makes almost 2 cups
Ingredients
One 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari sauce)
1 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste

Combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce and red curry paste in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.

Cook's note:  Use this sauce over grilled meat, vegetables, steamed rice, or your favorite pasta dish.  It will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

I tossed the sauce with some rice pasta (linguine to be exact) and a handful of snow peas and served it as a side dish with roasted chicken.  Delish!

I asked two of the girls at work if they wanted forced two of the gals at work to try my leftovers and they both asked for the recipe if that's any indication of how good this is!

We'll be drinking this from the container eating this a lot!   Let me know what you think if when you try it.

Bon appetit!