5 Incredible Ways To Use Peanut Butter

5 Incredible Ways To Use Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is great on toast and in porridge, but don’t overlook it for savoury dishes, says food writer Chloe Scott-Moncrieff. From curries to roasted sweet potatoes, this nutty addition can give lunch and dinner an instant boost.

1. Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Peanut Butter (v)

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 sweet potatoes

  • 50g of sesame seeds

  • 60g of peanut butter

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 1 spring onion or 1/2 a garlic clove

  • Ground cumin and cinnamon to taste

  • Coriander, optional

METHOD

Slice the sweet potatoes into 1-2in chip-shaped chunks. Scatter them in a large baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Add a pinch of cinnamon and cumin. Bake for 30 minutes at 180ºC. Remove when crispy and soft inside. While the potatoes are roasting, blitz the peanut butter, lime juice, garlic or onion and 1 tbsp of water to make a creamy dip. Dip the roasted potatoes into the peanut butter and lime, or drizzle it over the potatoes. A scattering of coriander would be great.

2. Crayfish & Peanut Curry

INGREDIENTS

  • 120g of crayfish or shrimps

  • 2 red peppers, sliced

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped

  • 1-2 red chillies, finely chopped

  • 3 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter

  • 1 tin of coconut milk

  • 1 tin of tomatoes

  • 1 handful of fresh coriander

  • Rice 

METHOD
In a blender, whizz up the garlic, chilli and onion. In a pan, fry them in oil on low heat for 5 minutes until they gently caramelise. Add the tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes. Return the mix to the blender and blend so the tomatoes become smooth. Return it to the pan.

Now add the sliced red peppers, peanut butter and coconut milk. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Squeeze in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. In the final five minutes, sprinkle in the crayfish. Stir through the fresh coriander. Serve with rice.

3. Hummus & Peanut Butter (v)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained

  • 1 heaped tbsp of peanut butter

  • 10-15ml of olive oil

  • 1/4 to 1/2 of a garlic clove

  • Chilli, optional

METHOD

Pour all the ingredients into a Nutribullet or any blender. Include a pinch of salt. If it’s not creamy and still quite rough, you can add 1-2 tbsp of extra water or olive oil. Taste to check you’re happy with the seasoning. Serve with veg sticks and fresh bread.

4. Indonesian Chicken Traybake With Mange Tout

INGREDIENTS

  • 2-4 chicken breasts or thighs (or pheasant breast and thighs)

  • 1 pack of mange tout or sugar snaps

  • 2 carrots, aubergines or onions, roughly chopped

  • Fresh coriander, to garnish

For the blender:

  • 3 tbsp of peanut butter

  • 1 tbsp of sweet soy sauce/kecap manis

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 1 tsp of brown sugar

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 1 shallot

  • 1 bird’s eye chilli, optional

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Blitz the listed ingredients for the blender. In a tray, spread out the chopped vegetables and the chicken. Stir the sauce and spread over the chicken. With your hands, rub it around the veg and meat.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Simmer the mange tout in a pan for 2-3 minutes. Drain and season. Serve the chicken with mange tout, steamed rice and fresh coriander.

5. Quick Spring Onion, Sesame & Peanut Noodles (v)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1-2 chillies, finely sliced

  • 1in ginger knob, peeled and finely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 150g of green beans, sliced 1-2cm long

  • 4 spring onions, sliced

  • 150g-200g of Ready-To-Eat Amoy Medium Noodles

  • 50g of sesame seeds, toasted

  • 1 tbsp of soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp of peanut butter

  • Optional: 2 eggs

METHOD
Heat the wok or frying pan until shimmering hot. Add the chilli, ginger and garlic. Fry. Then the beans and spring onions, and any other veg you’d like to include. Toast the sesame seeds in a saucepan on low heat so they’re golden.

Add the noodles and 1 tbsp of water to loosen up the mix, then the soy sauce and peanut butter. Cook for a few minutes. If you’re including them, fry two eggs. When you serve the noodles, perch on top. To finish, a scattering of toasted sesame seeds is divine. Garnish possibilities: cucumber strips, lime and finely chopped shallots.

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