sel et sucre

Tag: peanut

  • Thai Chicken Satay

    thai chicken satay

    The combination of flavors in the marinade here seemed strange to me at first (coconut, turmeric, sugar, and coriander?), but I decided to roll with it because I really trust the recipe source (the great She Simmers which not only has fantastic authentic Thai recipes but also appeals to the linguistics nerd in me with the lovely accompanying information on Thai pronunciation and etymology). I’m glad I did because this chicken satay was very easy to make, and the result was delicious on its own and completely addictive when served with peanut sauce and ajat. This would be great food for a party, especially if you get the grill going to cook the chicken on skewers (the traditional way). But since I couldn’t find skewers and don’t have a grill (and wasn’t feeding a crowd, besides), I pan-fried the chicken and found that worked just fine. Using high heat and cooking in batches was crucial to getting a nice char. I suspect you could also bake these, if you wanted, with a couple minutes of broiling at the end. And for those who don’t like chicken, this marinade can also be used on shrimp (shorten the marinating time to 5 – 10 minutes) or tofu (you might want to extend the marinating time).

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  • Banana Breakfast Roll

    banana breakfast roll

    I often find myself needing a quick yet filling breakfast to get me going in the morning, and I’ve posted a few of my usual breakfast recipes before. Well, here’s another recipe that fills the role quite nicely. A riff on the classic combination of banana and peanut butter, rolled in a mixture of oats, flaxseed, chia seeds, and cinnamon for a great source of protein and fiber to start your day. It accomplishes the trifecta I often strive for: simple, healthy, and delicious. This recipe can easily be customized based on what you have around – coconut flakes or finely chopped nuts would be a great addition, for example, or you could even use granola to roll in for an especially simple version.

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  • Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

    vietnamese shrimp salad

    We’ve had an exceptionally mild winter in DC this year (which, as someone with a very low tolerance for cold, I’ve actually enjoyed). At the beginning of March, temperatures suddenly shot up in the sixties and seventies, and it’s been feeling like spring ever since. With trees bursting into bloom and tulips out in full force right outside my front door, I just can’t bring myself to keep eating the same hearty soups and stews I’ve been relying on all winter. So when the recipe for this Vietnamese shrimp salad found its way into my inbox, I immediately set about cooking it. Crisp carrot, cucumber, and daikon radish tossed with fresh herbs and a ginger-lime dressing, then topped with shrimp and peanuts makes for the perfect refreshing dish for spring. Most of the work here is with chopping the vegetables and herbs, and once that’s done, the salad comes together really quickly. This made for a great weekend lunch all by itself, but it could also work as an appetizer.

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  • West African Peanut Soup

    african peanut soup

    Despite my love of bacon, I’ve recently found myself cooking a surprising amount of unintentionally vegan food. Meat is sadly quite pricey (especially if you’re like me and have qualms about eating factory-farmed meat with hormones and antibiotics), so I’m turning more and more to filling meals using fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, and lentils. And I’m surprised at the great flavors I can develop using these ingredients. Take, for example, this West African peanut soup. Mostly basic ingredients, but somehow combining peanut butter and tomato paste with aromatics and curry powder yields a nearly irresistible soup. Vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike rave about this soup. And this could be a great base for a number of variations – sweet potatoes or other root vegetables would be a natural fit in here, as would chicken (if you can’t resist the urge to add some meat).

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  • Maple Peanut Butter Energy Bites

    energy balls

    These energy bites are my new favorite snack. A little sweet and packed with protein and fiber, they’re perfect for staving off mid-afternoon hunger pangs (a constant problem for me) and rife with possibilities for customization. Nearly every ingredient here can be swapped out; the peanut butter can be replaced with your favorite nut butter, the ground flax seed can be replaced with more chia seeds and vice versa, any of the dry ingredients can be partly replaced with cocoa powder for a chocolate version, and the maple syrup can be replaced with honey. You can even add in some chocolate chips, chopped dried fruit, or chopped nuts. I think my next batch will use pomegranate molasses (in place of maple syrup), walnut butter (in place of peanut butter), and chopped dates. They’re so easy to make and so convenient to have around that I’m now determined to always have some on hand!

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  • Chinese Broccoli with Five-Spice Sauce

    chinese broccoli

    Although I’m pretty sure this dish isn’t authentic (due to the inclusion of butter), it tastes exactly like what I’ve eaten at dim sum restaurants before and is really simple (and fast) to make. The sauce, given a kick from garlic, ginger, and five-spice, is a great match to Chinese broccoli, but should work wonderfully on other vegetables as well. It’s not often that I find something that only takes about 10 minutes to make and still tastes delicious, so I know I’ll be coming back to this recipe.

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