Easy Asian Rice Cakes, by Diane

 

I've seen these posted on several accounts over the years, and decided to make them the other day as a side dish to a Korean menu I made for family friends. This was quick and easy, and really flavorful! The sauce would also pair well with regular noodles as well. 

Ingredients:

1 small pack rice cakes, frozen

2 tbsp chunky peanut butter

2 tbsp sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp chili crisp oil

2 scallions, green parts only, sliced

Directions:

1. Boil the rice cakes until completely cooked through and soft- not mushy or chewy!

2. While the rice cakes boil, mix the remaining ingredients together in a sauce and taste to adjust. 

3. Pour sauce over rice cakes and serve immediately!

Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, by Diane

They don't come out pretty, read on to see why!!

For this year's superbowl party we had a group who had all sorts of restrictions- gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, sugar-free. I wanted to come up with at least one dessert that would be okay for everyone to eat, and was up for the challenge! I found this recipe for peanut butter cookies that only contained two main ingredients- a banana and peanut butter. You could add chocolate chips, if you wanted (we added dairy-free chocolate chips to half!) and sweetener (we chose not to and were glad we didn't). I mostly chose these because I was interested in how they could possibly turn into cookies- but they actually did. These would be a great idea for pre/post workout snacks as well as breakfast, too. We doubled the recipe since they come out fairly small (one batch makes a dozen small cookies).


Ingredients:

1 ripe banana (yellow not too spotted)
8 tbsp. natural peanut butter (solid parts)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional- but recommended!)
Sweetener of choice, if desired (our peanut butter had some sugar in it, and the banana also added to the sweetness)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl, mash the banana very well with a fork. Add in remaining ingredients, mix well.

3. Using rounded tablespoons, drop cookies onto greased baking sheets (they don't spread much so they can be slightly closer together than normal cookies). They are fairly impossible to roll into pretty-looking cookies...

4. Bake for 12 minutes.

Chicken Palava (African Chicken Peanut Stew), by Diane

It is really tough to get a good shot of soup, as I have complained about numerous times in the past. So, you will just have to trust me that this stew is amazing!! I had this dish as a child when my friend's parents from Ghana would make this for dinner on special occasions. It is a national dish, and the combination of flavors is unusual but SO good!! The flavor profile reminds me of peanut curries in Thai food, but this is hearty and filling and warming! And, peanut butter aside, it is chock full of healthy, nutritious, and anti-inflammatory ingredients! It's relatively easy to make and keeps well, too.

Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/west-african-peanut-stew/  (of course this version comes with a few twists of my own!)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 red pepper, cubed
1 pound chicken, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
5 cups chicken stock
3 small sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 (16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1/4 pound collard greens, roughly chopped
1 cup chunky peanut butter


Directions:

1. Heat the peanut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper in the hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken; cook and stir until completely browned. Season with the crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Pour the chicken stock over the mixture. Stir the sweet potatoes and thyme into the liquid and bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover the pot partially with a lid, and cook at a simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir the tomatoes, collard greens, and peanut butter into the soup. Partially cover the pot again and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, another 20 minutes.

Chocolate, peanut butter, toffee bark, by Cheryl

I have no idea what to call these. All I know is that they are so good and I can't stop eating them. So I can't make them anymore! I got this recipe from my sister-in-law about six years ago and just started making them again this past month. I gave away many bags of them as gifts to our Italian friends and neighbors for the holidays and they loved them. And true to Italian style they asked if they were supposed to be eaten for breakfast :/ They are super easy to make, incredibly unhealthy, and seriously addicting. Yum!

Ingredients:


1 sleeve saltines
2 sticks butter
1 bag Reeses Peanut Butter Chips
1 bag chocoloate chips
1 cup sugar 

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375.


2) Line a greased jelly roll pan (cookie pan with sides about an inch) with saltines side by side.


3) Melt butter in sauce pan.

4) Add 1 c. sugar and bring to boil. Boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Make sure it doesn't burn, which can happen quickly.


5) Pour mixture over saltines.


6) Bake 5 minutes.


7) TURN OVEN OFF.


8) Pour peanut butter chips over the top and put back in oven 2 minutes.


9) Pour chocolate chips over and put back in oven 2 minutes.


10)Remove from oven and swirl with knife. Let set (I leave it out for about 45 minutes).


11) Refrigerate until it gets hard, then cut into pieces.

Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, by Cheryl

Mmmmm, banana cake with peanut butter frosting... (cue Homer Simpson drool). As soon as I saw my good friend and neighbor Ashley (www.ashleyscookingadventures.blogspot.com) post this on her blog I knew I wanted to make it! I love anything with bananas in it and of course, when you add peanut butter it makes everything tastier. Now I did forget to add the sour cream when I was making the cake (It sat in the fridge.. oh well) so my "cake" turned out a little like bread. Still very tasty, but using all of the ingredients will most likely give you a more moist cake. Nevertheless, we polished it off! Yum! Ingredients for the cake: 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 1 cup sour cream 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 to 2 cups mashed bananas 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder Ingredients for the frosting: 1/3 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup milk 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3 cup powdered sugar Directions: 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2) Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and bananas together well. (I used my KitchenAid). Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to mix well. 3) Pour into a greased and well floured 9X13 inch pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 4) For the frosting: Beat peanut butter, milk, and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over cake.

Elvis Sandwich, by Diane

My dad's favorite sandwich growing up was an odd one- peanut butter and bacon- and over the years my sister and I learned to love it too. One night, years ago, we were watching the food network and saw an Elvis sandwich featured at a diner somewhere. This sandwich is actually famous because Elvis loved it, and requested it where he went. My dad, sister, and I got such a craving for it that we ran out to the grocery store and raced back home to make and eat it. It sounds extremely weird, but the ingredients combine so well together and satisfy both salty and sweet tastes. And it takes my dad's fave childhood sandwich up a notch, even better. Despite the uncommon ingredients, I promise you will crave this sandwich late at night from time to time!! It's definitely better grilled, particularly on a panini maker, but you can fry it in a pan if you don't have a panini maker (we cheat and use the forman!). If you do fry it in the pan, make sure to squeeze it down while you cook it. The powdered sugar at the end was a Gilman addition, you can take it or leave it (but we think it makes the sandwich just a little more amazing!). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 slices country white bread
4 strips of crispy bacon (you can use turkey bacon too, but real bacon tastes better)
1/2 banana, cut lengthwise in strips
Smooth peanut butter
Honey
Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Assemble the sandwich: spread peanut butter on both sides of the bread, layer bacon on one side and bananas on the other. Drizzle both sides with honey. Close the sandwich. Here is a photo of what it should look like before you close it:


2. Grill the sandwich on a panini maker or foreman grill, or fry in pan with cooking spray (pressing while it cooks).
3. Remove from the grill and place on a plate. Drizzle honey on the sandwich, then sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
4. Get messy and enjoy!!!