Peanut Butter

By Hklbrries

Who cares if it sticks to the roof of your mouth; where would we be without PB&J, or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, or peanut butter crackers? Americans eat 7 pounds of peanut butter per person per year. And rightly so - it's tasty, nutritious, cheap and nonperishable.

Two tablespoons have 8 grams of protein, 12 grams of unsaturated fat (the good kind), and even some resveratrol, the anti-oxidant that gave red wine a good name. All this for about 20 cents per serving.

Those same two tablespoons also have 190 calories, so instead of standing over the jar with a spoon, incorporate peanut butter into a meal. Look for a brand that contains only peanuts and salt - some commercial brands have added fat and sugar - and try branching out beyond PB&J.

Make a simple peanut sauce in the blender with peanut butter, lemon juice, soy sauce and some fresh ginger and garlic. Thin it with chicken broth until it's the right consistency. For variation, add hot pepper flakes, cilantro or honey. Serve over vegetables, noodles, seafood or grilled meat.

Add a dollop on top of frozen yogurt.

Make a simple peanut soup by sauteing an onion and some garlic and adding 1/2 cup of peanut butter, a few tablespoons of tomato paste and 3 cups of chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of Tabasco and garnish with some chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Make a peanut butter smoothie with a frozen banana, two tablespoons of peanut butter, 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk, and sugar.

Make a PB sandwich with something other than J. Bananas are classic, but try dates, apples or even bacon.

Combine it with vinegar and layer with chicken and Swiss cheese on a pizza crust for an Asian pizza.

Tamar Haspel

Ingredients

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Preparation

Step 1

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