The Peanut Butter Boy » Main Course

Super Peanut Butter Chili

Nick — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:17:58 +0000

Nothing screams “Super Bowl” like a huge pot of chili. I have made many chili recipes, each one different than the last. This one, however, will be made again without modification. I wouldn’t normally incorporate peanut butter into my chili but apparently there is a widespread tradition amongst some people to always serve peanut butter with chili, either on the side with crackers or as peanut butter sandwiches, so I thought why not? This is the best chili I have made, but is it because of the peanut butter? Perhaps, but I think it’s a culmination of all the ingredients I threw in. In fact, my favorite ingredient was the hominy, an ingredient I’ve never cooked with before. I even got rave reviews from people that aren’t “chili people”. This is perfect for Super Bowl Sunday or any Sunday for that matter. Read on for more great Super Bowl recipes…

The Best Meat Sauce. Ever.

Nick — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:49:51 +0000

Ever go to a top-notch Italian restaurant that had unique, creative dishes? The kind of place where everything sounded good and it was hard to decide? If so, you probably didn’t order the pasta with meat sauce. But if you had, it might have been the best dish there. I did that once, and it was so good that I was determined to re-create it at home. I present you with the best meat sauce. Ever.

Penne alla Vodka with Crispy Prosciutto

Nick — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:34:13 +0000

Everything is better with peanut butter. But does peanut butter work in the ultra-popular penne alla vodka? I don’t know, I was too scared to try. Besides, I wanted to try a new secret ingredient for a healthier version of vodka sauce, and making two drastic modifications at once is a recipe for disaster. Can you guess the secret ingredient? I’ll give you a hint, I’ve used it to make Ice Cream and Pancakes (which, by the way, are two of my favorite recipes on this site). We ran out of penne, so while the full penne alla vodka experience wasn’t there, the taste and flavor was. This sauce greatly exceed both of our expectations – it tasted like a true penne alla vodka. It’s even better when topped with salmon. Make it tonight!

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Stew

Nick — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:10:07 +0000

To quote our new favorite show: “Winter is Coming”. A batch of this stew, which freezes wonderfully, will help you prepare for the coming cold months. I use pumpkin puree in many recipes, but I never use fresh pumpkin. So I added “chunky pumpkin stew” to my “Winter – To Make” list on the fridge. No single recipe sounded perfect so I came up with my own. The soup fills the house with some excellent aromas (cinnamon, ginger) and the flavors will not disappoint. I’ve never seen a Korean Yam until this year so if you can’t find it in your local grocer, look harder. It’s purple-skinned, white-fleshed and tastebud-stimulating. And don’t forget the peanut butter!

Leftover Turkey and Cranberry Sandwich

Nick — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:00:33 +0000

Sadly, Thanksgiving is over. The #1 foodie holiday came and went in a flash. But thankfully, there’s still plenty of leftovers! I went through several iterations of this recipe, finally settling on the one you see here. Deli turkey breast just doesn’t cut it – it’s watery, slimy and lacks flavor and texture. If you don’t have any leftover turkey, go to Costco and get the “kettle fried turkey breast” in the refrigerated section. Despite the name it’s not actually fried, it’s simply a cooked turkey breast without the bones or skin. Disregard the directions on the label, just cut open the package, pat it dry and slice it. The other key ingredient to this sandwich is cranberry sauce. I tried using dried cranberries but they didn’t add much to the experience and often just fell-off the sandwich. Also, homemade cranberry chutney is the only way to go, but if you must, opt for the whole-berry cranberry sauce in a can. There’s one other ingredient here that brings the whole thing together, read on for details.

Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Nick — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:42:03 +0000

Eat less processed meat. That’s our plan for our packed lunches. Peanut butter is a fantastic start, but PB&J will only get you so far. Leftovers are a great option but that requires leftovers, and I’m not going to make a fancy meal just to put it directly in the fridge. That’s when I turned to the blogging world for some vegetarian lunch ideas. The first and best-sounding one was Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, or perhaps I was just getting some recipe-vibes from Smitten’s kitchen across the river. I followed the recipe for the most part, but the chickpeas wouldn’t stick together. That’s when I got all giddy inside and whipped out the peanut butter jar. Problem solved and it became even tastier!

Tomato, Olive and Brussels Pasta

Nick — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:41:07 +0000

In a last desperate attempt to hold on to the summer season, we ventured to the farmers market to collect the colorful remnants of warm weather. We got the last couple of bright red tomatoes and the last yellow tomatoes on the farmers table. The pick of brussels sprouts was plentiful, probably because they are often overlooked and under-appreciated in my opinion. Plus, I just discovered a kickass way to cook them, a method which deserves a post all on its own. The recipe is based on one of my favorite recipes my mother makes. You can add fresh grated parmesan or mozzarella on top, but this dish is so fresh, simple and delicious that it doesn’t even need it.

Thai Turkey Burgers and Sweet Chili Salad

Nick — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:04:54 +0000

Thai food is one of the few cuisines that fully embrace the peanut, which may explain why I like it so much. With a few fresh meats and vegetables, you can make a Thai curry in no-time. But today I take a slightly different approach to Thai food, incorporating other Asian flavors into this fusion creation. If you don’t have all the ingredients, I recommend exploring the international section of your grocery store. Otherwise, get creative with some substitutions.

Pastelón de Plátanos Amarillos

Nick — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:32:34 +0000

I’ve been to the Dominican Republic. Not the touristy spots but the REAL Domincan Republic. A group of us went down for Engineers Without Borders to design and raise funds to build a hydroelectric generator for a small, remote village that the government refused to supply power to. During our trip, we stayed at a retreat center where Dominican women cooked us authentic meals from scratch. This one, right here, was everyone’s favorite. It has taken me 4 years to find a recipe but I finally did here. Despite a burning desire to do so, I restrained from putting peanut butter in this recipe since it was my first attempt. Did I put some peanut butter on top and taste it together? Yes. Will I be incroporating peanut butter next time? Absolutely.

Falafels with Peanut Butter Hummus

Nick — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:12:56 +0000

I’m in Canada at the moment so enjoy an updated, non-Canadian recipe from the archives!

Falafels are more than just a source of sustenance, they are a prime example of vegetarian (or vegan) cuisine. Falafels don’t imitate meat-based products: they’re not shaped like steaks or flavored like sausage, or called some dreadful name like “un-friend non-chicken”. Falafels are their own creature and, conveniently, not a living one. It’s also a cool word, though potentially a cruel word if you slur and lisp like Sylvester the Cat. Their unique design stems from a dense core of ground chickpeas mixed with a host of flavors and spices, and then they’re generally fried for good measure. They will leave you full and satisfied, and not missing meat in the least. Falafels are best served with homemade hummus and fresh vegetables (all shoved into a pita if you’re on the go). Of course the Peanut Butter Boy doesn’t make “normal” hummus, I don’t really make “normal” anything. I should also point out that other than the fresh veggies on the side, all required ingredients for this recipe can be kept on hand and stored in your cabinet which makes for a great backup meal when the rain begins to pour or the funds are getting low.