For Peanut Butter Fans

Do you like peanut butter? I hope so. But regardless of your feelings toward the great PB, as long as you are not allergic to this salty treat, then you should continue reading. For those of you with a peanut allergy, I am sorry...there is always almond butter - a personal favorite, but alas, not the topic of this blogpost. This post is for those of you peanut butter fans who are bored with getting your daily dose of peanut butter from either a PB&J or that shameless spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar (eaten as if it is a PB lollipop). I have a solution...another way for you to get your PB fix - one that does not include jelly, honey, or a spoon large enough to fit in your mouth. I am referring to peanut butter sauce...more specifically, Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Butter Sauce, modified from the recipe in Quick-Fix Vegetarian: Healthy Home-Cooked Meals in 30 Minutes or Less (I sometimes refer to the dish as Peanutty Noodles). 


Here's what you need for the sauce (enough for 2 servings of Thai Noodle Salad): 1/4 cup peanut butter (duh. crunchy or smooth...totally up to you), 1 tablespoon soy sauce (this badass ingredient is worth purchasing, not just because of the PB sauce, but because it can be used in so many other recipes), 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lime juice, a pinch of brown sugar, a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional...it gives the sauce a subtle kick), 1-2 tablespoons warm water. Mix all the ingredients together (add water last...and add a little bit more water if mixture is too thick), and voila! Peanut butter sauce!


Now, you can either save the sauce in a tupperware in your fridge (for about a week) and use it as a salad dressing. Or you can read on and see how to make Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Butter Sauce. Reading on? Excellent. Here's what you need for the recipe (2 servings...dinner and lunch!): 1/4 box of linguine, udon, or rice noodles (long, thin noodles is what you need, so really any of these options work), about 2-3 cups worth of cut veggies (I'd recommend sliced mushrooms, sliced red onion, grated sweet potato, and/or sliced red bell pepper...the more colors, the better!), and a small handful of chopped cilantro (not absolutely necessary, but this herb makes the dish absolutely fantastic). 



Cook the noodles according to package. Mix cooked noodles with a drizzle of canola or sesame oil (to prevent sticking), then add chopped veggies. Add peanut butter sauce to noodle-veggie mix. Top with cilantro and serve! 

Give the recipe a shot...but be warned, it is quite addicting. Once you make this peanut butter sauce, you may never want to make a PB&J for dinner again. In fact, you might even stop eating PB straight from the jar, because you'll want to save all your peanut butter for the purpose of making this sauce. For all you peanut butter fans, this recipe may be your best discovery since sliced bread...literally.