Health

Recipe: Spicy Peanut Sauce

By Sara Lipka

From Flatbreads and Flavors: A Baker's Atlas, by Jeffery Alford and Naomi Duguid (William Morrow, 1995), p. 82

I sauteed snap peas whole, with one package of wild rice tempeh, in a little sesame oil. Then I poured the sauce over them, simmered on low heat for another minute, and served over quinoa.

Makes 1 1/4 cups of sauce


• 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
    • 1/2 cup warm water
    • 1 tsp cayenne, or more to taste
    • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
    • 3 to 4 scallions, finely chopped

Note: This recipe can be doubled or tripled, but increase the garlic and scallions by a lesser proportion.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the peanut butter and warm water, and whisk until well blended and smooth. Stir in the cayenne, then stir in the vinegar and soy sauce. Stir in the garlic and scallions.

... The sauce gets thicker as it sits, much thicker if refrigerated. You may need to thin it by blending in a little warm water when you take it from the refrigerator. This is a good keeper in the refrigerator, but if you plan to make it ahead, don't add the garlic and scallions until just before you serve the sauce.

Sara Lipka is a journalist with a local food habit. Since 2003 she has written about college students for The Chronicle of Higher Education, in Washington, D.C. Last year she lived and worked on a farm in Virginia, and this year she is starting a school garden in Maryland.