A great way to add flavor to a meal is to serve a bottle of peanut sauce as an accompaniment. If you have never cooked with this salty condiment before, you will probably be pleased at your first experience of the delicious taste of this salty treat. If you make it once, you will likely be making it again soon. I have found that I enjoy the taste and texture of peanut sauce as well as being able to eat foods that would normally be off limits due to its salt content. If you are looking for a healthy alternative to the typical junk food that you have been eating, you should give peanut sauce a try.
To make this simple peanut sauce, you will want sesame seeds (toasted), dry rice, vegetable oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce (or miso if you have to be gluten free). In a large bowl, stir together all of these ingredients. Once stirred, add in your tomatoes and green onions. Put your serving dish in the microwave and cook on low until the sauce is done. Since it is very thick, it will take quite some time, but you will enjoy the heavy flavor and the rich texture that it brings to any meal.
Another favorite of mine is to serve a packet of whole wheat spring rolls with peanut sauce on the side. When preparing these items, it is important to use just enough of the peanut sauce so that they do not become too sticky. If you add too much, they will become soggy. If you have time, you might even consider trying to make your own roll and adding your own flavorings to the mix. This is actually a pretty easy task as many recipes for this traditional sweet treat already contain the flavors you are looking for.
For the second ingredient, you should consider using a quality high-quality salt or sea salt instead of the typical table salt. While I have never had any real problem with table salt, the flavor can sometimes be overpowering and seem to work more as an irritant than a flavor enhancer for many dishes. A good compromise to keep things a bit healthier is to use a combination of black pepper and table salt. This gives you the salty sensation without also being too spicy for my taste.
To add to the depth of the flavor, you may want to add chili flakes or garlic. Either way, make sure that you either purchase unsalted or low-sodium soy sauce so that your chili flakes or garlic can be used in moderation. I typically use organic chili flakes and organic garlic. The former has less of a kick than the latter which is a good trade off for me since I don’t usually like hot foods very much.
For the final three ingredients, I usually prefer to use either unsweetened soy milk or a high quality coconut milk. (I actually use both coconut milk and low-sugar chicken nuggets.) In addition to giving your noodles a nice, mildly sweet flavor, coconut milk helps give sauces a smooth consistency that works well with sauteed vegetables.
After adding all of your ingredients, you simply stir them together until smooth and creamy. Then, I usually put the noodles into a large zip lock bag and place into the microwave for about ten seconds. Once the noodles are done, I use one tablespoon of each of my homemade sauce ingredients plus two tablespoons of hot water. I then serve them over low heat. I usually adjust the sauce’s salt and pepper to my liking.
As you can see, there are several options when it comes to preparing this extremely versatile sauce. It works great with just about any kind of noodle and can be adjusted to contain as much or as little spice as you choose. It also maintains its flavor, texture, and brightness for hours, meaning you can keep it on hand and in the fridge for weeks at a time. To get the desired consistency, mix it first, and then add whatever flavor you want. And that’s all there is to making peanut sauce.