Before I get to what this post is really about I wanna show you one more way to use the Thai red curry coconut peanut butter I showed you the other day. So many times I’ll read about a cool recipe and think, “That sounds so good but what would I actually use it for beyond just licking it off the spoon?”

Last night I used the peanut butter to make some absolutely amazing Thai turkey burgers with sweet potato fries.

I mixed together:

• 1/2 pound of ground turkey
• 1/2 cup That red curry coconut peanut butter
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 tsp. each of soy sauce and fish sauce (optional)
• sprinkle of garlic powder and salt

This made exactly two patties that I cooked in a pan for about 5 minutes on each side. The chia seeds really helped to soak up some of the moisture without drying them out, so they held together really well. For the sauce on top, I just squirted some sriracha into the last dregs of sour cream we had and stirred it up. Killer.

I thought they were easily the most delicious burgers I’ve ever tasted, and I’m not just saying that.

Ok, on to the real business at hand…..

I have hinted around the blog world for a few months now that I would have some exciting news coming up. The time has finally come to make a big reveal on a project that I’m really proud of.

On Monday, I’ll be making an announcement about something that I think many people will find as exciting as I do. If you read or write healthy living blogs, or both, I’m positive that this debut will be of interest to you.

<—- See this little guy right here? That’s all I can show you for now. 😉

Check me out Monday for the big reveal!

Have a great weekend!

April 2, 2011 Alayna Discussion 4 comments

Thai food is definitely making a resurgence in our household. Jeff and I have been to Garlic Thai for dinner 4 times in the past month and I still have the cravings left to make it at home too.

Case in point: Last night’s Thai peanut noodles with tofu…

So creamy and delicious!

Here’s how to make it: First, press and cut up a block of firm tofu. Coat lightly with oil and bake on a sheet pan for about 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

While that’s in the oven, toast some cashews in a dry pan until they’re as browned as you like em.

Set those aside and add about a tablespoon or so of sesame oil to the pan. Sautee a bell pepper and a couple caps of sliced shiitakes or any other mushroom.

Next add a can of coconut milk and about a half a cup (packed) of my Thai red curry coconut peanut butter. Add 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce and fish sauce. Whisk until smooth and creamy.

I turned the heat all the way down to low while my soba noodles were boiling. When they’re done, just drain them and add them straight to the sauce.

Serve it up topped with the baked tofu, toasted cashews, and sliced scallions.

You can use any noodles you have available, and to make it vegetarian or vegan, just eliminate the fish sauce.

I think this would be even better with a sour punch. Maybe lemongrass or kaffir lime leaf. I’ll have to play around with it some more but Jeff and I were both mmmm-ing the whole time so it’s definitely a winner already.

So, so good. It’s like asian alfredo!

Thai peanut noodles with tofu

Creamy Thai peanut noodles with a kick of red curry.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1 handful shiitake mushrooms
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 cup Thai red curry coconut peanut butter
• 2 portions soba or other asian noodles
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• handful of cashews and scallions for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. Bring water to a boil for noodles.
2. Press excess liquid out of tofu and cut into cubes.
3. Bake tofu for 25 minutes at 375 degrees on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Toast cashews in a dry pan until brown, set aside.
5. Saute bell pepper and shiitakes in sesame oil until soft.
6. Add coconut milk, seasonings, and peanut butter and whisk to combine.
7. Add noodles and toss to combine.
8. Serve topped with baked tofu, toasted cashews, and sliced scallions.

April 1, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 9 comments

Is your mind blown yet?

I have been meaning to try my hand at making nut butters from scratch for so long now. Sure, I could have started with something simple like a honey roasted nut butter or simply salted, but I’ve been dreaming up nut butters for months without actually making them so I’ve kind of already skipped those first steps in my head.

I’ve had this container of red curry paste sitting in my fridge for several months now and it’s on the verge of reaching the end of its shelf life, so I’ve been racing to find uses for it before it’s too late.

I tried making a curry with it last week that ended up unblogworthy. I used to make curry at least once a week for dinner but just kind of fell out of the habit of it. I’ve been craving peanut noodles recently too and then it hit me, why not put the flavors of the sauce into the peanut butter itself?!

Here’s what I used:

• 2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• up to a half cup of coconut milk
• 2-3 tbsp. agave nectar
• up to 4 tsp. red curry paste (depending on how spicy you want it)
• pinch of salt

The nuts I bought said they were roasted but they tasted pretty raw to me, so I roasted them on a sheet pan for about 1o minutes at 375 degrees until I could see a bit of color on them. Those got obliterated in the food processor for a good 5 minutes. Then I added everything else and let it whir away for another few minutes.

I’m pretty sure that the blades on my old food processor are too dull to ever make a smooth and drippy nut butter, so I stopped after about 10 minutes when it became apparent that I wasn’t gonna get anything thinner than peanut pate.

I thought that would be disappointing but the texture is part of what makes it wonderful. It’s spreadable but still thick and creamy, like the texture of peanut butter frosting.

If your food processor will get it completely smooth though, go for it!

I was eating this on everything yesterday. I could not get enough of the full peanut flavor tinged with a fruity creeping heat and balanced with a subtle sweetness. Amazing!

I’m totally hooked on making crazy nut butters now.

Thai red curry coconut peanut butter

Home made peanut butter with the exotic flavors of Thai red curry and coconut.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Yield: about 2 and a half cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• up to a 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 to 3 tbsp. agave nectar
• up to 4 tsp. red curry paste (adjust for spice tolerance)
• a pinch of salt

Cooking Directions

1. Grind peanuts in food processor until smooth (about 10 minutes.)
2. Add other ingredients and pulse to combine.

Help me out: What’s the most interesting nut butter flavor you can come up with? If I see one that I think I could create I’ll make it!

March 31, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 6 comments