MoFo Day 16: Simple delicious peanut sauce

So we've discovered that Emperor Babykins seems to be sensitive to almonds. Every time I eat almonds, he gets super fussy, and then he gets a rash in an unpleasant place. I stop eating almonds, he goes back to normal, rash goes away.

This is extremely sad for me, as I put almond milk in virtually everything and almonds are one of my all time favorite snacks. (Interestingly, I don't like almond butter.)

I was casting about yesterday, trying to think of things that I like to eat that are made with soy milk rather than almond milk. My mind must have been in total nut mode, because what came to mind was udon with peanut sauce. Mmm.

Now, I don't like peanuts. I think I've told you this before. They're the only nut I can think of that I'm not particularly thrilled by. (Eh, I can go either way on Brazil nuts, actually. Sometimes I really like them, sometimes I think they're very boring.) They're... dull. Insipid. There's nothing wrong with them exactly. There's just nothing right, either.

So you might think it's weird to hear that I like peanut sauce a LOT. My husband called me on this the other day after I posted peanuts as a food dislike, and I had to stop and think about it. You know why peanut sauce is good? Because peanuts are just a base. They contribute a little to the flavor and a lot to the texture. Most of the flavor actually comes from what you put in your peanut sauce!

My basic peanut goes something like this:

~1c soy milk
1/4c peanut butter
1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and minced
several cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1-2 tbsp soy sauce (to taste)
a single squeeze (maybe 2 tsps?) agave nectar

Mix it all together over low heat, then taste. It should be creamy in texture... not so thick that it forms clumps on your noodles, not so thin that it just slides off. If it's too thin, add more peanut butter OR let it simmer to reduce. If it's too thick, add more soy milk.

See! Super easy. We made this last night (swapping off mincing duties and Emperor-watching) and served it over udon, swiss chard, and plain broiled tofu.

Mmmm. Tastes like lazy!