Fun fact: if you love peanut butter, there’s actually a day set aside just for you. It’s called Peanut Butter Lover’s Day and it’s coming up on March 1st.
I’m not surprised there’s a day dedicated just to peanut butter. If you ask anyone what their favourite sandwich would be, PB&J is at the top of the list. And when someone is baking peanut butter cookies in my house, you can guarantee that the cookie sheet will be clear about 5 minutes after I take them out of the oven.
Peanut butter isn’t just for treats either. To join in on Peanut Butter Lover’s Day you can use your favourite peanut butter in a main dish too. I’ve got a great main dish recipe you can try, and a few peanut butter must-trys to get into the spirit of the day.
Homemade peanut butter recipe
I think if everyone knew how easy it was to make peanut butter on their own, there would be a lot of jars of Skippy left on the shelves in stores. All you need is a food processor to make peanut butter, and you can tweak this recipe to create your own take on peanut butter.
Photo and recipe from the foodnetwork.com.
Ingredients
15 ounces shelled and skinned AB’s Roasted Peanuts, recipe follows
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
If you want to use roasted peanuts:
2 pounds in-shell raw peanuts (see Cook’s Note)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt
Directions
Place the peanuts, salt and honey into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place the lid back on and continue to process while slowly drizzling in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Place the peanut butter in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Roasted Peanuts:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Rinse the peanuts under cool water to remove excess dirt. Pat dry and place in a large bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt until well coated.
Place on 2 half sheet pans, making sure to spread them out into a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking. Once you remove the peanuts from the oven, let them cool slightly before eating. They will continue to “cook” and become crunchy as they cool.
If using peanuts to make peanut butter, remove shells and discard. Remove the skin by rubbing the peanuts together in your hands held over a salad spinner, allowing the peanuts and skins to fall into the bowl. Once the skin has been loosened from all of the peanuts close the salad spinner and spin until all of the skin has been separated from the peanuts.
Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Now that you have your own batch of homemade peanut butter, why not use for dinner this weekend? This chicken sate is an amazing main course you can make to celebrate Peanut Butter Lover’s Day.
Photo and recipe from the foodnetwork.com.
Ingredients
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (or 2 additional teaspoons low sodium soy sauce)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast pounded slightly and cut into 1-inch strips
8 (8-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked for 20 minutes
3/4 cup Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce, recipe below
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped toasted peanuts
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
Directions
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, coconut milk, soy sauce, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, and ginger. Add the chicken strips and marinate for 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
Spray a nonstick grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-high flame. While pan is heating, thread chicken onto skewers. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, until meat is cooked through and has light grill marks.
Serve chicken skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce, and garnish with basil or cilantro and chopped peanuts.
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce:
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Sauce can be made 1 day ahead of time, and will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
The Best Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Peanut butter cookies are so easy to make you’ll wonder why you never made them before. Just keep in mind that these cookies should be stored in an airtight container so they don’t harden.
Photo and recipe from Food.com.
Ingredients
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1⁄2 cups flour
Directions
Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars together.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
Add baking soda, powder and vanilla.
Stir in flour.
Roll into balls, roll in sugar. Flatten cookies, using a fork, in a criss-cross pattern.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes or adjust to suit your oven and size of cookies.
Chocolaty Peanut Butter Cake Recipe
I’ve tried this cake a few times and what I love about it is how moist it is because of the peanut butter. The recipe recommends you use a cake package, but you can also use your favourite chocolate cake recipe and add to it to get that great peanuty flavour.
Photo and recipe from tasteofhome.com.
Ingredients
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)
1-1/4 cups water
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup olive or coconut oil
3 eggs
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Sprinkle marshmallows into a greased 13×9-in. baking pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil and eggs; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour over marshmallows; sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 12-15 servings.P
For some people Peanut Butter Lover’s day is right up there with Valentine’s Day, so treat your favourite PB fan to some PB goodies on March 1st .
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Find the small appliances and cookware you need to celebrate Peanut Butter Lover’s Day at Best Buy.
