Stir-Fried Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

Peanut sauce makes so many things taste better.  I like it slathered on almost any meat:  chicken, pork, lamb and beef.  It's great on noodles.  It's a terrific base for a salad dressing, just thin is down with a little more oil and vinegar.  And of course, it's wonderful on vegetables, especially broccoli.  Best of all, peanut sauce is easy to make and keeps in the fridge for weeks.  So, you can make it ahead of time and mix up some extra for future use.

The recipe below makes about a cup of peanut sauce.  Feel free to double it.  I like to start with chunky peanut butter, but if you prefer plain, be sure to chop up extra peanuts for garnish.  If you use a natural peanut butter with no sugar or salt added, you might want to add a bit of salt and agave syrup or other sweetener.  But if you start with one of the more processed national brands, you may want to taste it before adding any salt or sweetener, as these products tend to already have both.

Because peanut butter usually sticks to whatever measuring device you use, I like to mix my peanut sauce in a 2-cup measuring cup.  You can measure out 1/3 C peanut butter, then pour the rice vinegar over the peanut butter to bring the total amount in the measuring cup to 2/3 C.  Add the other ingredients right into the measuring cup and stir until well combined.

For the peanut sauce:

1/3 C peanut butter
1/3 C rice vinegar
1 clove young garlic, minced
2 T minced fresh ginger (or more to taste)
2 T sesame oil
2-3 T canola oil
2-3 T soy sauce (or more to taste)
1-2 t agave syrup, optional
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes, optional
2-3 T crushed peanuts (or more to taste)
salt to taste

1.  Measure the peanut butter, rice vinegar, young garlic, ginger, sesame oil, canola oil, and soy sauce into a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl.  Stir until well combined.

2.  Taste peanut sauce and add agave syrup, salt, red pepper flakes, and crushed peanuts, if desired.  If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it by stirring in a little water, rice vinegar, or even pineapple juice.

3.  Set aside while you prepare the broccoli, or refrigerate for later use.

Prepare the broccoli:

1 T canola oil
2 C chopped broccoli florets
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips, optional
peanut sauce, as prepared above
1-2 T crushed peanuts for garnish

1.  Heat oil in a wok or a skillet over medium-high heat.

2.  Add the broccoli and the pepper strips.  Stir-fry until crisp-tender.

3.  Turn down the heat and add 1/2 C peanut sauce.  Stir to coat.

4.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Sprinkle with crushed peanuts.  Serve.

Stir-fried broccoli with peanut sauce makes an excellent side dish all by itself.  It can also be a delicious main course served over rice or some other grain.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Patty pan squash, ruby red grapefruit, garlic, purple scallions, red Russian kale, arugula, chioggia beets, and bull's blood beets;

From JR Organics:  romaine and strawberries;

From Jaime Farms:  broccoli, orange carrots, radishes, and mustard greens;

From Sweet Tree Farms:  pluots and white donut peaches;

From Silver Lake Farms:  rosemary, mint, and thyme.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup

There's something that happens to a bell pepper when you roast it that makes it super savory.  Roasted bell pepper can turn a simple burger or sandwich into a special treat.  I like to top goat cheese crostini with thin strips of roasted bell pepper for a festive canape or add chopped roasted bell peppers to scrambled eggs.

When the fresh pepper season starts to wane in the fall, I like to extend their season by roasting a bunch of peppers.  Then I remove the skins and seeds, pack them in a food storage container, and cover them with olive oil.  If they're completely covered with oil, they'll last a month or more in the fridge.

Today's recipe for roasted pepper soup can be made with most roasted peppers, but it's tastiest when made with yellow or red bell peppers.  If you've never roasted peppers before, it's easy; and there are several ways to do it.

I prefer the stove top method, but that requires a gas burner with a good flame.  You simply place the pepper right on the burner where the flame can char the skin of the pepper.  Using tongs, you turn the pepper as the skins chars until the pepper is entirely blackened.  If your burners are large enough, you might be able to roast more than one pepper on a single burner.  Otherwise, you can use several burners.

If you don't have a gas stove, you can roast peppers in a hot oven, about 400-450 degrees F.  Place the peppers on cookie sheet and roast, turning every 15 minutes, until charred, about 45 minutes total.  The skins might not blacken in the oven as much as they do on the stove top, but the peppers will roast just fine.

Another good way to roast peppers is on the grill.  If you're already firing up your grill, it isn't too much extra work to roast a few peppers.  And the grill will give them a little extra smoky flavor.  Since grill temperatures vary considerably, watch your peppers carefully and turn them as the skins char.  They're done when fully charred.

Whatever method you choose, wait until they cool to peel off the skins.  I like to put the peppers in a paper bag while they cool, but you can put them in a bowl if you prefer.  When cool, the skins will peel off easily.

The recipe below is for 1 large pepper which will make 2 servings.  You can double or triple this recipe if you wish.

Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup

1 large yellow pepper
1 t olive oil
1/4 small onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 rib celery, coarsely chopped
2/3 - 1 C vegetable stock or water
salt and pepper to taste
2 T cream, optional

1.  Roast the yellow pepper(s) using one of the methods described above.

2.  While the pepper(s) are cooling, heat the oil in a skillet and cook the chopped onion and celery until soft. Set aside.

3.  When the pepper(s) are cool enough to handle, peel away the charred skin and discard.  Remove and discard the seeds and the stem.

4.  Put the pepper(s), sauteed onion and celery in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.

5.  Blend in the broth or water a little at a time until the soup reaches the desired consistency.

6.  Pour the soup into a saucepan and heat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cream, if desired.  Garnish and serve.

This soup may be served cold instead of hot.  Be sure to season the soup with salt and pepper (and anything else you might like) at the end of Step 5.  Then refrigerate until ready to serve.

A blender works better for this recipe than a food processor.  You get a smoother consistency.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Purple garlic, purple scallion, red Russian kale, spicy mixed greens, romaine, Swiss chard, and rainbow chard;

From JR Organics:  Green cabbage;

From Jaime Farms:  Beets, yellow bell peppers, hot house on-the-vine tomatoes, basil, cilantro, and free-range eggs;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia:  Thai guava, avocados, and Golden Nugget mandarins.

Enjoy!


Shelley