I used to be able to eat 3/4 of a jar of natural peanut butter in a day. To be honest, I have no doubt that I could havefinished the whole jar. Of course, then I would have had to admit to myself that I had- in fact- eaten the whole jar and not just most of a whole jar. Big difference. In any case, that was in early 2000 B.C. (Before Calories). In the modern age, a tablespoon of peanut butter has about all the calories I can stand to forfeit on a spread (even one so delicious and chock full of heart healthy and satisfying mono saturated fats and filling proteins). So I made it my mission to make the most of my tablespoon.
I kicked my sweet tooth a while ago so I approached the task with a savory dish in mind. My first thought was a veggie noodle version of pad thai. I tried it out using spaghetti squash noodles, but since I refused to add honey to my sauce the dish was lacking a touch of sweet.
That's where butternut comes in. Where it lacks in noodle-likeness, it makes up for in flavor. Butternut's natural sugars caramelize while roasting and its namesake nuttiness marries well with the peanut sauce, so for me it's a win-win.
If you're going at this from a paleo standpoint feel free to sub in almond or cashew butter; other than that, you're set.
Coconut milk instead of almond milk would probably be awesome. I use almond milk because we always have it the house and it's so low in calories.
If you're feeling the need for an extra kick of protein, add five or six peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp. They would easily cook up with the bok choy, broccoli and ginger.
This recipe is vegan and grain free.
Ingredients:
1 tsp of sesame oil
2 cups butternut squash, cubed
2 large bok choy leaves with their stems, roughly chopped
Almost 1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp natural smooth peanut butter
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp original unsweetened almond milk
1/3 tbsp rice vinegar
Juice from 1/2 lime
Dash hot sauce and/or red pepper flakes
Dash black pepper
4 peanuts, chopped for garnish
Few leaves thai basil, chopped for garnish
Method:
Roast squash on lightly greased pan for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven, finishing with a few minutes under a high broiler to lightly brown.
Meanwhile sauté the bok choy, broccoli and ginger over medium heat. Cover the pan so the veggies can steam until al dente.
Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, milk, vinegar, lime juice, hot sauce and pepper. Pour over vegetables and stir until warm. Serve sauced veggies over the roasted squash. Top with the garnish of chopped peanuts and basil.
I kicked my sweet tooth a while ago so I approached the task with a savory dish in mind. My first thought was a veggie noodle version of pad thai. I tried it out using spaghetti squash noodles, but since I refused to add honey to my sauce the dish was lacking a touch of sweet.
That's where butternut comes in. Where it lacks in noodle-likeness, it makes up for in flavor. Butternut's natural sugars caramelize while roasting and its namesake nuttiness marries well with the peanut sauce, so for me it's a win-win.
If you're going at this from a paleo standpoint feel free to sub in almond or cashew butter; other than that, you're set.
Coconut milk instead of almond milk would probably be awesome. I use almond milk because we always have it the house and it's so low in calories.
If you're feeling the need for an extra kick of protein, add five or six peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp. They would easily cook up with the bok choy, broccoli and ginger.
This recipe is vegan and grain free.
Ingredients:
1 tsp of sesame oil
2 cups butternut squash, cubed
2 large bok choy leaves with their stems, roughly chopped
Almost 1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp natural smooth peanut butter
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp original unsweetened almond milk
1/3 tbsp rice vinegar
Juice from 1/2 lime
Dash hot sauce and/or red pepper flakes
Dash black pepper
4 peanuts, chopped for garnish
Few leaves thai basil, chopped for garnish
Method:
Roast squash on lightly greased pan for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven, finishing with a few minutes under a high broiler to lightly brown.
Meanwhile sauté the bok choy, broccoli and ginger over medium heat. Cover the pan so the veggies can steam until al dente.
Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, milk, vinegar, lime juice, hot sauce and pepper. Pour over vegetables and stir until warm. Serve sauced veggies over the roasted squash. Top with the garnish of chopped peanuts and basil.