I have nut butter everyday and usually it’s peanut butter. Every single day I spoon dollops of peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter onto toast, wraps, apples, and more (legit my favorite snack is an apple with peanut butter!). Nut butters are literally and figuratively the glue that holds my life together. 😉

And I’ll go with it because our brains and bodies need the fat provided by nuts and nut butters. Fats not only help keep our hunger levels more stable and produce greater feelings of satisfaction at meals but fats are needed to help produce hormones and keep your brain sharp. The unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds, and nut butters have enormous benefit on the body and brain and I find myself encouraging clients (and family 😉 ) to eat more nuts and nut butters – like peanut butter.

So, in honor of National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day (yep, that’s a thing), I’m paying homage to this sticky salty deliciousness that I think is more versatile than what most people give it credit for! Below you’ll find my 3 favorite **savory** ways to include peanut butter into your life. It’ll save you time and ramp of the full delicioso factor. So if you love to dive into a jar of peanut butter like I do, I think you’ll also love these recipes!  ….I present to you my favorite go-to’s that include peanut butter for when I want something creamy, dreamy, and peanutty. …

Soul-Soothing African Peanut Stew by Angela Liddon from Oh She Glows

Angela Liddon’s Soul-Soothing African Peanut Stew
Note from Morgan: If you’re nervous about the combination of peanut butter and a savory sweet potato based stew, I hear ya. When I first tried this recipe years ago, I was nervous too but I figured what the heck, I’ll give it a try. I’m so glad I did because years later, this remains a staple in our house (especially in the winter when extra coziness is required). Since this recipe, I’ve combined sweet potato and peanut butter in other curries and I have to say, it is an unexpected comforting delight.

Ingredients

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeùo, seeded, if desired, and diced (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup natural peanut butter
4 cups vegetable broth, plus more as needed
1½ tsp chili powder
Ÿ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls baby spinach or destemmed, torn kale leaves
Fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, for serving
Roasted peanuts, for serving

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautĂŠ for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.2. Add the bell pepper, jalapeĂąo (if using), sweet potato, and tomatoes with their juices. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes more. Season the vegetables with salt and black pepper.3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and 1 cup of the vegetable broth until no clumps remain. Stir the mixture into the vegetables along with the remaining 3 cups broth, chili powder, and the cayenne (if using).4. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is fork-tender.5. Stir in the chickpeas and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.6. Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with cilantro and roasted peanuts.

 

Thai Peanut Dressing

I am the laziest salad dressing maker ever. I love making my own mostly because once I realized how much better homemade dressings taste and how easy they could be, I’ve continued to make homemade dressings but literally as easy as possible aka few ingredients with easy to remember amounts to add (or I just play around until it tastes good) and simple but powerful flavors. This is one of those dressings. 

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 clove of garlic

2 teaspoons fresh ginger

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Dash of hot sauce or cayenne if you like it spicy

Blend all ingredients and pour over Thai rice noodle salad, Kale Sweet Potato Bowls, or any salad with cooked tofu/tempeh and it’ll be a great flavor booster!

See how to make the easy Thai Peanut Dressing HERE.

 

Crunchy Thai Peanut & Grain Salad

Up close and personal with the crunchy Thai Peanut Grain Salad

Note from Morgan: A huge time saver here is buying shredded cabbage and matchstick carrots but of course it’s not as economical as shredding it yourself. I do both depending on the day/week, so make the best choice for your situation too. Also, this was a go to lunch for Dan and I on the road because it stores well but it is satisfying and hearty (and sassier than boring salads or our other usual, Peanut Butter and Banana Wraps with carrots and an apple lol). I can’t tell you how many rest stops we’ve stopped at while noshing on this at a picnic table.

Salad

  • ž cup uncooked grain like quinoa or brown rice
  • 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 1 cup thinly sliced snow peas or sugar snap peas
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • Âź cup thinly sliced green onion
  • Âź cup chopped roasted and salted peanuts, for garnish

Peanut sauce

  • Âź cup smooth peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil or olive oil if you don’t have sesame – sesame gives it a deeper Asian flavor
  • 1-2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • ½ lime, juiced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
    1. Cook the quinoa or brown rice: If using quinoa… rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water. In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed quinoa and 1 ½ cups water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer the quinoa until it has absorbed all of the water. Remove the quinoa from heat, cover the pot and let it rest for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside to cool. If using brown rice, follow package instructions.
    2. Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce: Whisk together the peanut butter and soy sauce until smooth (if this is difficult, microwave the mixture for up to 30 seconds to loosen it up). Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. If the mixture seems too thick to toss into the salad, whisk in a bit of water to loosen it up (I didn’t need to do this).
    3. In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, shredded cabbage, carrot, snow peas, cilantro and green onion. Toss to combine, then pour in the peanut sauce. Toss again until everything it lightly coated in sauce. Taste, and if it doesn’t taste quite amazing yet, add a pinch of salt and toss again. Divide into individual bowls and garnish with peanuts.
  1. This salad keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for about 4 days. If you don’t want your chopped peanuts to get soggy, store them separately from the rest and garnish just before serving.
My 3 Favorite Savory Ways to Eat Peanut Butter for National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day!

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