Indonesian Peanut Sauce and a Noodle Recipe!

Let me just start by saying that these pictures don't do this dish justice. This peanut sauce is rich, creamy, easy to make and oh, so versatile. I actually hated cooking as a child, but I do remember that this is one of the first recipes I wanted to learn how to make. Growing up, my Mom always made it using chicken as the main ingredient, but you can use it in so many ways. This peanut sauce thickens the longer you let it heat over a hot stove, which causes it to stick to every nook and cranny of whatever you pour it over. Delicious, peanut-y goodness in every bite.

I had forgotten about this sauce for a long time and randomly remembered it after botching a different peanut sauce recipe. I could tell as I tried out the new recipe that it wouldn't be nearly as good as the Indonesian Peanut Sauce I grew up eating. It never thickened and therefore wouldn't be able to coat the noodles very well. Thankfully, I soon after remembered this Indonesian Peanut Sauce and found  the recipe saved on a document I had on my computer. Score! Brett noticed such a big difference between the first recipe that I botched and this recipe I'm going to share with you now. I really hope you try it out! I bet you have all of the ingredients already in your fridge.

  

Indonesian Peanut Sauce

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

For the Peanut Sauce

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

For the Noodle Dish:

• 4 servings of cooked, whole wheat linguini or any kind of noodle you desire
• Chopped veggies of choice (I like zucchini, bell peppers and broccoli)
• Protein of choice (tofu, tempeh, etc.) cut into bite size pieces

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a bowl and whisk until fairly smooth.
2. Pour the sauce into a skillet over medium heat and whisk often to keep the sauce from sticking or clumping. Let the sauce cook for about 5-10 minutes until it has thickened.
3. For the Noodle dish, saute your chopped veggies and protein in a separate skillet while the peanut sauce thickens.
4. Once the sauce is almost done cooking, add in your veggies, protein and pasta to the peanut sauce. Toss all the ingredients together so that the noodles, veggies and protein can get fully coated with the sauce.
5. Add more red pepper flakes if desired and serve warm!

 

Eat Consciously,

Faith