# 11 Peanut Butter (and Jelly)!

Shownotes for #11 Peanut Butter!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All the recipes here are an hour or less. Total preparation time for is less than 100 minutes.

Talk Back! We are a Snacking Community. Go to the End of these Shownotyes and click on comments. Leave your thoughts and experiences. Or email me at [e-mail].

The podsafe music used in the show:

Today I am featuring "Rocket Science" by the funk-rock band Brain Bucket or San Diego. They have been pretty successful in getting their music played in movies and television shows.

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

Thai Chicken Sandwich

The Peanut Spread:

1/2 c peanut butter (warmed for 20 seconds in the microwave)

1 tbs brown sugar

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

1 tbs chili and garlic sauce, Thai chili sauce (Sriracha), or similar hot sauce

1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt to taste

The Chicken

2 chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 tsp. oil for sautéing

Sliced wheat bread, toasted

Mash the ingredients for the spread together in a bowl. You can add a tsp or 2 of Worcestershire sauce of you want even more zing. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, salt or hot sauce to reach the tartness-spicyness balance that you prefer. Spread the peanut mixture on one side of the toasted bread

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Heat a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat, add the oil and the chicken breasts. Cook 5 minutes and turn. Cook to the desired doneness (firm when you press a finger into it, 150-160 degrees on a meat thermometer). Allow to rest for 5 to ten minutes. Slice the chicken breast on a angle to create flat pieces about half an inch thick. Lay these on top of the peanut spread toast. Top with a second piece of toast.

Here are some additional recipes from the show :

Pears with Spicy Lime, Chili and Peanut Chutney (adapted from: Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook)

3 bosc pears

5 tsp fresh lime juice, plus zest

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic minced

1 tsp. soy sauce

2 tbs brown sugar

1/2 c. peanut butter

12 springs of mint or cilantro for garnish

Cut each pear into quarters lengthwise (or halves if the pears are small). Use a spoon or melon scoop to make a well in the thicker part of the quarter. Zest some of the skin of the lime before juicing it. Prepare the chutney by mixing lime juice with the pepper, the soy, the brown sugar and the peanuts. Spoon the chutney into the hollowed-out section of the pear, and garnish with mint or cilantro.

Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing (adapted from: Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook)

Salad:

Head of lettuce

1/2 cucumber slices

1 carrot, sliced and slivered

Orange slices

2 tbs chopped cilantro

Dressing:

1/4 c peanut butter

4 tbs water

1 thin slice of ginger root, peeled and minced

1 tbs soy sauce

1/4 lime juice

1 tsp sugar

1/2 clove garlic

dash hot sauce

2 tbs chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Line a bowl or large platter with lettuce. Arrange the cucumber and carrots on top. Garnish with orange and cilantro. Stir the dressing ingredients together, except the chopped peanuts, and drizzle over salad. Sprinkle on the peanuts.

Malaysian Fruit and Vegetable Salad (adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian)

1 c. chopped mango

1 c. chopped green apples or underripe pears (You want the crunch here)

1 thick slice of pineapple, cut in small cubes

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced

1 1/4 c. crisp bean sprouts, washed and patted dry

1/2 c chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1 1/2 tbs roasted sesame seeds

Make the peanut dressing from the previous recipe. In a bowl, toss the fruit and vegetables. Scatter the bean sprouts on top. Pour the dressing evenly over the salad. Scatter first the peanuts and then the sesame seeds. This will serve four people.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Next week I'm going to tell you about how to make quick bites with Vietnamese Spring Rolls. I'm afraid it's time for another visit to the Asian grocery store. You'll need a package of bang trang, or wrappers. These come in wheat (Spring Roll Wrappers) and Rice (Banh Trang My Tho: Vietnamese Rice paper). Try to come home with the rice paper bang trang. There is usually enough English on the packaging to figure out if its made of rice or wheat. Some bang trang have seeds or spices pressed right into them. These are delicious too, but maybe you should try the wrapper straight before exploring the world of variations. To fill these wrappers, you'll need some frozen cooks shrimp, any size will do, but the 50-40 per pound size work best to my taste. Then, you need some rice vermicelli, thin round strands of rice noodle. You'll need some soft-leaf lettuce, not iceberg and not spring mix. Red leaf, green leaf, or Boston are better for this. If you look at the fresh produce section of the grocery, the perfect lettuce to use will be sitting there. While you are in the produce section, buy some green herbs. You'll need cilantro, to ge sure, but look around for herbs with Thai or Vietnamese names. These are usually mint-flavored greens of various kinds. A few leaves in your spring rolls will really make a difference. You'll also need something to make a dipping sauce. Be happy! you are about to buy your first bottle of Vietnamese fish sauce. Any brand will do. Mostly, fish sauce comes in quart bottles. It keeps forever, but should be refrigerated. You'll find lot's of uses for it. It's a great ingredient in a marinade. And you need a fresh lime or two.

Here is a list equipment you will need for next week:

several clean cloth towels, lots of mixing bowls