It’s no secret around here that I have just a wee bit of an obsession with peanut butter. If you have any doubt, just check out my peanut butter waffles, peanut butter truffles, or one of my many peanut butter cookie recipes. So, when Lauren of Celiac Teen put up her January Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten Free post and announced that the theme this month is Follow the Calendar, how could I resist capitalizing on January 24th, National Peanut Butter Day. But, my obsession doesn’t stop with sweets. Oh no. Peanut butter is a frequent visitor to our dinner table as well. How I’ve failed to post a single savory peanut butter recipe is beyond me. It’s about dang time to fix that, don’t you think?
Thai Peanut Sauce
Thai Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 t. palm sugar
2 T. lime juice
1/2 t. hot chili oil
2 t. gluten-free soy sauce
1 T. minced cilantro
2 T. warm water
Mix all ingredients together. Super simple. The beauty of this recipe is that everything is adjustable. You can make it more sweet (extra palm sugar), more heat (extra hot chili oil or chili flakes), more piquant (extra lime juice or add lime zest), or more salty (extra soy sauce). I rarely measure the ingredients and just go by taste. But, just for you folks, I measured this time.
What to do with this delicious condiment? What can’t you do? Pour it over rice, toss it with shredded cabbage, use it as a salad dressing, drink it straight. (Wait, did I say that out loud?) Or, my favorite, make Thai Lettuce Wraps.
Thai Lettuce Wraps
Thai Lettuce Wraps
1 small zucchini, spiralized
1/2 red pepper, minced
1 carrot, shredded
2/3 cup bean sprouts
4-5 washed whole bibb lettuce leaves
handful of dry roasted peanuts
Thai Peanut Sauce
Lay a lettuce leaf on a plate. Layer on the zukes, bean sprouts, carrots, and red pepper. Drizzle with peanut sauce and garnish with peanuts. Pick it up with your hands and enjoy!
For more slightly indulgent recipes, check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. For a plethora of wholesome whole food recipes, check out the Hearth and Soul blog hop. For more real food, check out Real Food Weekly.
The Mommy Bowl 
I will definitely be trying this out. Thanks Deanna. I love a good peanut sauce. And I must try your lettuce wraps too. I’ve heard so much about PF Chang wraps, but we don’t have them way up here in Canada 🙂
Thanks Maggie,
I’ve never been to PF Changs, so I don’t know how they compare. But, I like doing lettuce wraps of various sorts because they’re “fun” enough that the kiddo doesn’t complain about eating his veggies. 🙂
Deanna, I’m salivating here … BIG time! Could you make those photos jump off the screen any more? 😉 Gosh, they both look so good. I have yet to make the lettuce wraps at home, but I think it was fortuitous that I waited so long. Now I have your recipe–thanks so much!
Shirley
Thanks Shirley! This was my first attempt with my totally ramshackle, cobbled together, home-made lightbox. Well, not my first attempt, but my first attempt after finding full spectrum lights. I think it’s going to make doing photos in Wisconsin winters much much easier. Still some learning and tweaking to do. But, at least now I don’t have to only do photos on weekends!
Enjoy making the lettuce wraps. They’re so easy, so versatile and so delicious! (And, they’re even good for you, too. Amazing, isn’t it?)
WOW! That peanut sauce looks amazing! We often make fresh rolls with rice paper wrappers, but I love the idea of using lettuce. This is an awesome way to get raw veggies. This sauce makes me want to lick the screen. Yummo! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much, Amanda. You know, we tried the rice paper wrappers in my house and my son said, “Mom, can’t I just eat the guts?” Why yes, yes you can. 🙂
This recipe will stand up to PF Chang’s any ol’ day. Looks delicious, and pretty versatile, too. Hmmm, I think I’ll make this for lunch and add some tofu to the mix. Thank you!
Oh, and the photos are terrific. Please share – tell us how you made your homemade lightbox, please! Inquiring blogging minds want to know!
Thanks Ellen. The light box is built from some wire shelving boxes I had but wasn’t using – like these: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?sku=16719773 With a cut up old white plastic shower curtain wrapped around each cube side and then just two clamp lights on either side. Super simple, but seems to work okay. I thought I might get shadow lines from the wire grid, but it seems that the curtain diffuses the light enough not to make significant shadows.
Happy Nat’l PB Day! I heard that this morning. And only 2 days after Nat’l Blondie Day 😉
It’s a good month, isn’t it? 🙂
I still haven’t tried your blondie, but it’s definitely on my to-try list!
OOooh,…aaaaaah,..what a great combo meal! That Thai peanut sauce looks fabulous & those lettuce wraps look the best!
This is one tasty dinner!
I just added your blog to my list of foodbloggers that I completely digg!!!
Kisses from Brussels , Belgium to you!
Thanks so much, Sophie. I’ll have to go check out your blog now as well. 🙂
I love a good peanut sauce on Paad Thai.
Generally I just take PB, brown sugar, and soy sauce for my basic peanut sauce.
This sauce looks amazing! Thank you -this is just what I needed to round out my menu for the week!
Thanks, Megan. I hope you enjoy it!
I love the sound of the peanut sauce and those Thai Lettuce Wraps look beautiful! What a delicious meal!
Thank you very much, April!
This looks absolutely amazing! I’ve never really had peanut sauce before, but I’m sure that my husband would love these and with a few adjustments could work for the fast I’m on. I’ve definitely bookmarked this!
Great! I looked at the fast you’re on. Looks like the only change you’d need to make is to drop the palm sugar. Drop it. It’s not necessary. 🙂
I am so with you on the peanut butter obsession! This sauce looks unbelievably smooth and creamy! Delicious!
Thank you Sarena. I’m currently out of peanut butter and I may feel the beginnings of peanut butter withdrawal coming on. Ack! 🙂
Yum Yum Yum. Those look amazing. I can’t wait to make them. Thank you for sharing these on Real Food Weekly.
We love a good peanut sauce here too – I will be trying out your recipe next time – it is just different enough from my recipe that I know it will be a huge hit! Thank you for sharing this with us at the hearth and soul hop!
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This looks yummy! I laughed when you said ‘drink it straight’ . love the use of peanut butter in this recipe. Considering the fact that I eat nut butters straight out of its jar, I might just end up drinking some of this dressing too!
I really have been known to eat it by the spoonful. And, I’m only a little ashamed to admit that. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this. i just printed it off and it will be in the meal rotation this week!
I hope you like it!
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This is the best peanut sauce I’ve ever had! I used mint instead of cilantro. Will definitely recommend to others!
Thanks so much! I’ve not tried it with mint. But, that sounds like it would be good, if’n you like mint. 🙂
Have you ever tried it with out the palm sugar? Or have you tried something other than the palm sugar? I am trying to cut out all added sugar for my family and I want peanut sauce sooo bad! Thanks!
I’m sure you could do it without or with a couple of drops of stevia. It’s just a little bit. Good luck with the no added sugar diet!
Thanks!